Netflix
I love Netflix, the DVD rental service, though lately I've been losing patience with them. It noted at the outset of the adoption of DVD technology that consumers would be more inclined to buy them than rent them, and nowhere is the reasoning for this more evident when you rent a disc only to find that it's unwatchable, because it's scratched. This has been happening to me with increased regularity, and it's one of the downsides of Netflix's particular setup.
Unlike renting a movie from Blockbuster, I can't just go to the store again and get a replacement -- I have to return it to Netflix through the mail, which takes days. Days to send it, days to receive the replacement. And while I may not be getting charged for that, I am losing out on being able to watch other movies.
On the other hand, Netflix has a much better selection than Blockbuster does, and it's a lot more convenient. I just wish people would take better care of their discs (and it definitely *is* other people, as opposed to damage in shipment, judging from the way the scratches on the disc are made).
Comments
I've seen a few Country Library DVD check-outs with parts that made Apple's DVD Player crash every time they came to that part. This is badly scratched public property I'm talking about..
Posted by: Alphax | June 29, 2004 07:14 PM
Netflix should use a machine/computer to check the quality of the returned discs. It's a little like rewinding the tape after viewing it.
Now, it such a machine doesn't exist, I see a business oportunity there.
Posted by: FC | June 30, 2004 02:09 PM
I guess another alternative would be for me to buy one of those "Disc Doctor" things I see in the stores -- the devices that resurface CDs and DVDs by grinding away a small amount of the plastic and polishing the remainder. They seem to work well, and I know that I have at least a handful of older Saturn and Dreamcast games that would benefit from the treatment.
Posted by: flargh | June 30, 2004 02:15 PM
That would work well if the DVDs don't have scratches on that metallic surface on the top side. Those are the most problematic, because the laser goes right through the disc.
Posted by: FC | June 30, 2004 05:24 PM
The single best thing about Netflix for me is the queue. Whenever I think of a movie I want to see, I add it to the queue. If there's a movie coming out in the theaters that looks good, I add it to the queue (I can always remove it later if I -haha- happen to actually get to a theater). If a friend tells me about a movie I really ought to see, I add it to the queue. My queue has well over 100 titles in it right now.
If I went in to Blockbuster, is there any chance in hell I'd be able to think of even ONE movie I want to see? Nope. There must be some kind of term for that particular kind of mental lapse. (But I can't think of it right now, can I?)
Now that Netflix added a center in Richmond, VA, less than 100 miles away, turnaround time is FAST for getting the movies back and forth. I mailed out 2 on Monday, and got an email Tuesday that they'd gotten them and were shipping the next 2.
I think we've gotten maybe 2 unplayable discs the whole time we've been subscribers. Not bad for almost 3 years!
Posted by: Suz | July 1, 2004 07:09 AM
Does netflix have a center in the nevada area?
Posted by: netflix | October 11, 2004 02:27 PM