how do you watch movies.....

netflix, redbox, blockbuster online......

does anyone here do the blockbuster online or netflix? just wondering if it is more for your buck.

We rent movies so few and far between that I can't justify netflix/blockbuster online. Lately we've been doing Redbox. So convenient and cheaper than Blockbuster.

Anne and I recently signed up with Netflix for 9 bucks a month. We have been pretty stoaked with this. You get one movie at a time with as many as you watch in a month. If we drop the DVD in the mail in the morning its not uncommon to have another disk the next day. We watch alot of documentary films that you just cant find at a rental store. Plus the number of foreign films is good with Netflix.

We just ditched Blockbuster Online for Netflix. Blockbuster (the physical store) made me mad (not going into it here), and I decided they wouldn't be getting any more of my money. So far, Netflix has been great - very quick to get the movies to us, and cheaper than Blockbuster Online anyway.

Our grown daughter uses Redbox - she finds it cheaper and easier for her.

Redbox first, netflix second. Instant gratification thing and all.
Got sick of Blockbuster telling me I owed them $24.95 for a movie that they had in their hand from me, that came a week later.

I did blockbuster for awhile, supplemented by wild n wooly.

But I'm not a movie geek. I don't do cable/satellite, but my kiddo can watch cartoons on PBS (free!) and there are amazing amounts of free streaming kids shows online. I watch comedy central online (Daily show and Colbert report - better news than the "official" stuff), plus can get Dexter and Curb your Enthusiasm. Also plentiful news is available online (far better than you can get from cable/satelllite).

So my media needs are met. My big kid is happy. I'm happy. No prob...

For sports junkies, you can catch most games on justin.tv ... free of course. Small learning curve, but you can do it.

We're going to see some interesting changes in the coming years, and the internet will be leading the way.

Cheers

sorry i didnt reply earlier. i do not have internet connection at home so had to wait to come to mommy's

the reason i ask is because we have been doing redbox, and it does sound cheaper IF you get your movies back quickly. we do not! i forget to grab them on my way out or sometimes i dont leave the house for days.... (kids).

we are thinking about netflix. But we want to do the 2 at a time, that way one adult and one kids movie. We love movies, and i like the offbeat/unheard of movies. Something tells me that the selection with netflix is better.

Blockbuster has left a sour place with us as well. We also turned in a movie and they say we didnt.... oh well.

We are big movie buffs in this house hold. I second everything John Hagan says about Netflicks. I've had nothing but positive things to say about the service. Service is fast and very easy. I can also find almost anything that has ever been put on a disc with them. (Old old movies, British TV series, foreign films, made for TV) It's easy to surf their website to find what you want or just browse around if you don't know what you want. There's also a community of watchers for recommendations you can refer to based on movies that you know you like. I've used them for about 4 years now and I love it. It beats Blockbuster all to pieces.

Naked in a bean bag chair with a bag of Cheetos...


Joking aside, we've just signed up with Netflix and I'm looking forward to that experiment. We also just opened a Blockbuster membership but more so to rent games for the Wii that Santa brought this year.

Naked in a bean bag chair with a bag of Cheetos...

Scary ..

I watch comedy central online (Daily show and Colbert report - better news than the "official" stuff), plus can get Dexter and Curb your Enthusiasm. Also plentiful news is available online (far better than you can get from cable/satelllite).

Hold the phone... I've tried to watch Dexter online and couldn't, waht am I doing wrong??? I WAS able to watch a missed season of LOST when I was working nights, so that was good, but I thought cable programs were off limits.

To answer the OP, I have been doing a mixed bag of Redbox (for the convenience) and Wild and Wooly (to give support, plus they are just down right affordable and tremendously friendly). I used to do Netflix, and after reading John's post, I went to the website to discover they offer a 30 day trial. I signed up for 30 days of the 2 movie plan (just have to cancel if I don't want to be debitted before the expiration), PLUS you get unlimited instant movies on your computer, and if you have whatever high tech compatible TV service (I would assume On Demand, but I didn't look into it), unlimited of that, too - for 13.99. I spend WELL over that monthly on rentals, but I do feel bad about not going to Wild and Wooly all month before my trial is up.

...I thought cable programs were off limits.

They are. You just have to know where to look.

Naked in a bean bag chair with a bag of Cheetos...

doesnt that bean bag chair get sticky?

Joking aside, we've just signed up with Netflix and I'm looking forward to that experiment. We also just opened a Blockbuster membership but more so to rent games for the Wii that Santa brought this year.

have you heard of gamefly.... it is like netflix but for games. I think it is about 15 a month and then you can have one game out at a time, but rent as many as you want per month. i might be wrong, but i think it is something like that. all i know if my husband is dying to get it....

Jackie,
Like Mike said, you just have to know where to look. Virtually anything you want to watch is on the internet. Try this site for Dexter.http://www.surfthechannel.com/show/57.html All the episodes are there, and they compile a bunch of places where each episode is located. Megavideo is one of the big sites. You get a popup window, but just close it and you should be good to go. One thing about megavideo is that they only let you watch about an hour of video at a time (for free). Then they make you wait an hour. Fine for things like Dexter. There are a bunch of other sites besides megavideo there. Some are from China and very slow. But you can definitely get all 48 episodes this way. Or hit the video store. Dexter is definitely my favorite tv show.

Some cable shows, like Lost, Daily Show, and Colbert report are available on the cable sites themselves, totally free. They feed you ads (just like on broadcast tv), so that's how you're "paying." (they're being paid by the advertisers).

Wild N Wooly has a great selection, and they're local. And pretty cheap. But I understand the appeal of netflix movie to your door service. But again, everything is right there on your computer, if you're willing to deal with a few popup windows or surf around a bit. Most people won't want to do that, so don't worry, the movie studios won't go broke, and the actors will still get paid (millions). I suspect that soon all movies will be available directly to the consumer online from the studios. Sort of like itunes. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The movie theater experience will still be available. But most everything will be through high speed internet before long.

Naked in a bean bag chair with a bag of Cheetos...

doesnt that bean bag chair get sticky?

Joking aside, we've just signed up with Netflix and I'm looking forward to that experiment. We also just opened a Blockbuster membership but more so to rent games for the Wii that Santa brought this year.

have you heard of gamefly.... it is like netflix but for games. I think it is about 15 a month and then you can have one game out at a time, but rent as many as you want per month. i might be wrong, but i think it is something like that. all i know if my husband is dying to get it....

Becky,
I just signed up for Gamefly for my teenage son (it was a game issue that I had with Blockbuster, see above), and so far, he likes it a lot. We haven't had it that long, but as I said, BB will not get any more of my $$. So, here's hoping that Netflix and Gamefly continue to work out well for us.