Blockbuster cuts cheapest online DVD rental plan

Company had touted its $5.99-, two-DVD plan as matching the lowest-price subscription offer of Netflix.

The story "Blockbuster cuts cheapest online DVD rental plan" published October 23, 2006 at 4:43 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[jamie.p.walsh]

please add game rentals

I'm so tired of going to their brick and mortar stores and finding that 90% of their offerings are out.

[Nomad81]

Gamefly.com can be your friend

If you wanna rent games go to gamefly.com

[Below Meigh]

Censorship...what price!

BlockBuster lacks the choice and extensive titles that Netflix offers, no matter if cheaper to rent.

BlockBuster may have the numbers in stores and copies of titles, but they don't carry anywhere near the indie titles, documentaries and movies they deem "inappropriate" (and I'm not talking porn).

I welcome competition, and hope Netflix will see they need to: stop throttling, lower their prices a bit, and acquire GameFly to compete. They should offer coupons on their mailers, instead of movies that aren't even available to rent (still in theaters...why would you accept advertising for in-theater movies when we rent the movies to not have to go and pay $10-tix).

[Xiibo]

In-Theater Advertising

They do that because Netflix allows you to add a "Now In Theaters" Movie to your DVD que. That way, when the dvd comes out, you don't have to be up-to-date for what releases are coming out what week. It will already be in your que (along with the release date so you can move it up when it is about to be released)

[skeptik]

throttling myth

I don't think Netflix is throttling. I've been a high use member for years. I've been keeping track and frankly, I just don't see the evidence of it. I send a movie back, they receive it the next morning (24 hours snail mail delivery; no throttling there) they send the next selection on my list that day or the next. So unless you consider not sending out my next selection within minutes of receiving my return, I don't see where you could claim they are throttling. Keep in mind some selections come from someplace other than your closest distribution center, which increases the time to your door. You need to be aware they don't work on the weekend as well, which some could take issue with, but that isn't throttling.
So please, enlighten us. How do you know they're throttling? What evidence can you present?

[bommai]

Prices are weird!!

I use the $9.99 one-at-a-time unlimited plan with Netflix and I get about 8 DVDs a month. That works out to a little bit more than $1/DVD. Not bad. But both Netflix and Blockbuster have 2 or 4 limited DVD plans for slightly less or slightly more than what I pay. I can't believe people are paying over $3.00/DVD. If that is the case, I wouldn't be a member of netflix.

[sanenazok]

It won't last

Suddenly you'll see your discs delayed, then they'll start shipping them from across the country. More popular titles will stop being available. It's the simple joys of throttling. They need $2 per DVD to make a profit.

[hanna95404]

In-store Rentals

I'll take Blockbuster over Netflix because in addition to my mailed DVD's, I get coupons to use in-store every month. If I get a sudden urge to see something, I can go down the street & get it.