“Which is better, Netflix or Blockbuster?

DVDs by Mail Comparison: Netflix and Blockbuster Monthly Plans

	Netflix	Blockbuster
# DVDs out at a time		By Mail	Total Access
1	$8.99	$8.99	$11.99
2	$13.99	$13.99	$16.99
3	$16.99	$16.99	$19.99
4	$23.99	N/A
5	$29.99	N/A
6	$35.99	N/A
7	$41.99	N/A
8	$47.99	N/A

While there are some smaller players in the rental business, for the critical items like option plans and movie selections, more is definitely better. Both Blockbuster.com and Netflix are at the top of the game when it comes to selection, convenient returns, reviews, and personalized recommendations.

For all their similarities, there’s a lot to pick and choose from between these two. In fact, the differences between the two are much greater now than in past years, which makes it easier than ever to pick the plan that suits your needs best.

Ask yourself a few basic questions about what’ll make your life easier. How many videos do you go through in an average month? How many people in your house? Need video game rentals? How about your daily commute — is driving to the neighborhood store on the way or an inconvenient drag? Once you consider your priorities, picking the right plan is a snap.

Netflix or Blockbuster: Let’s Compare

So how do these two stack up? Both offer online ordering, free delivery and returns via first class mail, and no late fees.

Netflix is definitely the market leader here, with over 12 million members compared to about 1.25 million Blockbuster subscribers. Their library of over 100,000 titles edges out Blockbuster’s 95,000, and with its 58 distribution centers nationwide, Netflix is likely to provide more efficient delivery to its customer base than Blockbuster’s 23 centers can manage.

Blockbuster, on the other hand, offers a few options that Netflix can’t (or won’t) match. For an extra three bucks a month, you can upgrade to their “Total Access” plan, which includes up to 5 in-store exchanges per month. Blockbuster will continue to close more stores this year, so make sure your neighborhood location will be around for the duration. While there’s a degree of potential convenience in the mail-and-store strategy, you’d best be careful here: while an online DVD rental is free from due dates and late fees, once you exchange your title in a retail store, the new rental may come with a return deadline. Miss it and you’re racking up late fees again.

Blockbuster also includes Blu-Ray in their plans at no extra charge. You’d have to pay five bucks a month for that option at Netflix.

Let it Stream: Netflix Watch Instantly or Blockbuster On Demand

Online Access: Netflix vs Blockbuster

	Netflix	Blockbuster
Library	8,000+ titles	5,000+ titles
Cost	Free, included with monthly subscription.	Most at $3.99 each.
Mac Support?	Yup	Nope

Yeah, both Netflix and Blockbuster offer online movie viewing, but there’s really no comparison .

Netflix includes unlimited streaming of over 8,000 titles directly to your Mac or PC with each of its DVD-by-Mail plans, starting at $8.99 a month. All this on-demand full-length commercial-free content is absolutely free with your monthly subscription. Add a Netflix-enabled device to the mix, and streaming video direct to your TV is a snap.

In spite of its recent troubles, Blockbuster has been investing in its instant access. Blockbuster On Demand offers movie rentals via download, similar to iTunes or Amazon, you pay per movie. On Demand is a separate service from its DVD rental plan — there’s no need to subscribe to Blockbuster to rent (or buy) digital movies. And once you hook up a select Samsung or Tivo device, you can stream direct to your big screen. Although its current online offering is closer to 5,000 titles, Blockbuster just inked a new deal that’ll add more than ten thousand movies to its library.

Choose and Enjoy

Deciding which company is right for you can be pretty simple — once you’ve figured out how many movies you’re likely to consume, and how you value getting movies in a store versus on your laptop.

Both Blockbuster and Netflix offer free 2-week trials. Both are good bets to be around for the long run, and as web-based delivery methods get faster and easier, we’re sure to see these guys revise their offerings and their prices with new strategies and partnerships, as the entire online video market heats up with new competition like never before. Which reminds me of one other appealing aspect to both Netflix and Blockbuster: unlike your mobile phone company, you can change or cancel your plan anytime and move on to the next new thing.

In our house, even though we don’t spend a ton of time watching TV, we’re big fans of online movie rentals. When we get a chance to hang out and enjoy a show, we’re rarely in sync with when the network slots our favorite shows, so good programming available on our schedule rules.

Sure, we could opt for cable and a Tivo, but we don’t spend enough time on the sofa to justify paying over $1000 a year for hundreds of channels when we’re only interested in a few good ones — especially when there’s so much variety available on demand online.

With over 100,000 movie rentals available via DVD and streaming, Netflix is a big part of our online entertainment solution. To get the best deal from Netflix for your needs, think about your movie preferences in terms of:

1. what you like to watch,
2. how you prefer delivery,
3. the people in your household or family, and
4. your monthly budget

Let’s take a closer look.

You Want It When? Recent Releases or Instant Viewing

The first two issues — what you want and when you want it — are inextricably linked.

Since the film studios are still trying to figure out how they can squeeze the most money out of the rapidly changing entertainment world, Netflix’ selection of streaming online movie rentals isn’t as broad as their DVD rentals by mail. Even though the days of guaranteed profits from DVD are history, film studios are still hesitant to allow early-release online streaming.

So if you’re driven by a need to keep up with the new releases, no worries. Just be prepared to keep a constant supply of DVDs in red envelopes flowing through the mail. Netflix has a great selection of dvd rentals by mail (over 100,000 titles) including a slew of recent releases from major studios. Great selection, less-than-convenient delivery.

On the other hand, if your idea of “fast” is how long until the opening credits (rather than how long since it’s been released), you’re still good. The Netlfix streaming Watch Instantly selection is growing steadily — already about 15% of all available titles, it’s one of the largest online selections available, with a decent collection of new releases via Starz Play. And the monthly-fee-for-unlimited-streaming cost structure makes this option hard to beat. Just plug in a Netflix-ready device and let the streaming begin.

How Many Disks: the “Queue and A” Session.

The last two items to review — the number of people in your household and your available monthly budget — also go hand in hand. Because sooner or later, sharing a DVD queue is going to fail.

A personalized queue is the Netflix list of DVDs rentals which will be mailed, one at a time, to the queue’s owner. As disks travel back and forth in the mail, it’s just about impossible to maintain each person’s position in the queue.

Since each person in your household has their own distinct and individual tastes in what’s entertaining (and what isn’t), it’s essential to give everyone equal access to the movies and shows thay’re interested in. This is the single key to maintaining video happiness with Netflix: to give every member of your household their own DVD rental queue.

Multiple queues can be set up in a single account, with each person having complete control over their own video destiny. (Within reason. It’s actually quite simple to add ratings restrictions onto queues for the kids.) So if you’re setting up a Netflix account and there are 4 people in the house, make no mistake: unless your plans are to live almost exclusively off of Watch Instantly, you should go directly to the “4-at-a-time” DVD plan, and set up a queue for each family member.

While this may seem more expensive at first blush, we’ve seen our CPM (cost per movie) drop with the additional queues — everyone in the family gets easier access to the next movie they want to see. We’re on the 4-dvd plan, and pay $6 a month per person, about 25% of the comparable cable expense. In our house, teenagers who fail to mail back their disks at least twice a month run the risk of losing their queue.

If you’ve already set up your account and want to get a better handle on your actual usage and costs, give FeedFliks a try. Even though the interface is, er, less than elegant, you can get a quick read on your Netflix cost per movie, and check up on your mail-vs-streaming stats. When I ran our stats, it was sweet to see we’re paying less than $.59 per movie. If you find a better deal, let me know.

All three offer the same solid quality and basic features that Roku is building a reputation for: a smooth interface with your Netflix instant queue, easy hookup to the TV, and quick web setup via ethernet or wifi.

• The SD model offers standard definition (DVD-quality) picture and lets you get over 17,000 instant Netflix titles and more than 45,000 selections from Amazon Video On Demand straight onto your big screen for a lower-than-before price of $79.99.
• For twenty bucks more ($99.99), the HD model offers, well, same as above, plus 16:9 High Definition (HD) and surround sound audio.
• And if your domain is extensive enough to max out a standard wifi network, the new HD-XR includes a dual-band wifi can double your network range, and improve playthrough speed if your network connection supports it. (Playback speeds are, of course, dependant on your network connection.)

If you’re looking for more info on the Rokus, this video review by the good folks over at HackingNetflix gives a clear intro to the product through unboxing and setup:

Meanwhile, the always more entertaining Veronica Belmont and Patrick Norton duo did a fun and useful review as well:

(Oh, by the way, the video intro on Roku.com’s home page is pretty well done, too.)

If you’re looking for some deeper insights into which model is right for you, one of the best sources we’ve seen is the Roku HD-XR Review on Amazon by Andrea Polk.

We wanted more control over managing our Netflix instant queue. Now you can add new releases directly to your instant queue directly on your screen — no need to power up the laptop to catch fresh flicks. There’s still room for improvement on managing the Watch Instantly queue though: sorting, tagging, and filtering could all be useful ways to find those hidden gems in a snap. But were always willing to reward progress, so we’ll give ‘em a “5″ on that request.

We also asked for greater control over playback resolution, and this is where the Xbox Experience upgrade really shines. One major drawback of Netflix Watch Instantly was the regular stop-the-show-and-downres that occurred as your available bandwidth changed. We’re happy to report a major improvement. What used to bring the entire show to a grinding halt for 15 seconds or longer is now a mere 2-second lapse. Even better, while in the past the appearance of the rebuffer screen guaranteed a coarser image quality, with the latest update the brief interruption is now just as likely to improve your resolution as your network’s capacity opens up.

While there’s still some room for improvement here (like, say, seamless rebuffering in the background), the overall effect of this upgrade is a dramatic improvement in the online video experience. Scores a big fat “9″.

And even though we never asked for the Xbox Live Party, we’re having fun sharing Netflix with friends via our Xbox 360. Getting a recommendation from an online friend is always cool. Chatting while watching: cooler.

Just last month they enabled HD content from Netflix, previously available online only through Xbox Live. Now Roku has announced integration with Amazon’s new Video On Demand service, with access to instantly purchase, rent and watch digital movies and TV episodes. The new content is planned to go live “early in 2009.”

The Roku box is well respected for its easy setup. Features include built-in connections to wifi and to any television set using HDMI, component video, composite video, s-video, stereo audio or optical audio.

On Your Screen, on Your Schedule

Netflix continues to expand its “Watch Instantly” library, currently over 12,000 of its total 100,000 titles are available for instant viewing. While watching on your laptop works in a pinch (think stuck in an airport), the real beauty of instant movie access happens with friends and family on your inhome screen. Netflix has teamed up with a number of partners to bring instant viewing to TV. The current list of Netflix-ready devices includes a $99 set top box from Roku and Blu-Ray players from Samsung and LG in the $350-400 range.

But for the 25 million Xbox 360 owners out there right now, there’s no need to plunk down additional cash for another black box. With an Xbox Live Gold membership, you can link your Xbox directly to your Netflix account. Every movie in your Instant Queue is available — instantly — on your big screen, optimized to balance image quality and smooth playback. And now with Xbox Live, Netflix has opened the door to online HD. Over 300 movies and TV titles are available to watch instantly in high def. Xbox is the only Netflix-ready device with HD access.

The Price is Right

Once you’ve added the Xbox Live Gold membership — which in itself offers thousands of pay per view titles, adding Netflix is pretty painless. The Netflix “unlimited” plans start at $8.99/month, which gives you unlimited DVDs per month (1 disc at a time) plus unlimited access to Watch Instantly. If you want more DVD choices in the house at once, they have the plans to accommodate.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice…

Opportunities for improvement? Sure. The browsing interface is pretty limited: you can’t sort or tag the titles in your instant queue, so the more titles you add, the more cumbersome the queue becomes. We’re on the 4-disk-at-a-time plan, and everyone in the family has their own queue. However, only one queue gets access to Watch Instantly, so the instant queue can get pretty thick in a hurry.

More control over resolution would be a plus. Netflix automatically chooses the video quality to give you the best image possible based on the speed of your Internet connection. The faster your Internet connection, the higher the quality that they’ll deliver. Sounds great, but any slowdown in connectivity during playback pauses the show, while the software recalculates the new resolution to send. In my house, this happens once with almost every viewing, usually about two minutes into playback. If I could avoid the pause by setting a preference for slightly lower resolution, I’d be set. Meanwhile, my only option is an ongoing discussion with my ISP on the merits of delivering consistent service.

Looking Forward

The folks at Netflix recently came out with their growth strategy for 2009 and beyond, and distributing entertainment online is at the center of it all: “We know the future belongs to instant watching, to streaming to your TV.” The Netflix-enabled devices work well and make streaming simple. Their Watch Instantly collection is on the fast track: recent agreements with CBS, Disney, and Starz have increased the library size by 20% in the past two months. And their fixed-price approach, which has proven to be so popular with DVDs, is a welcome alternative to the growing world of online pay-per-views. These guys are moving in the right direction as TV adapts to the internet, and they saw it coming way back when. As Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently remarked, “There’s a good reason we didn’t name the ecompany DVDs-by-Mail.”

So now it’s easy access for all, and more content to boot. They’ve added a substantial amount of new TV episodes and full-length movies to the site. For what is essentially a brand new public site, there’s a wealth of shows worth watching — all in decent resolution. With its easy-to-use site search and navigation, Hulu’s hard to beat for free streaming TV and films.

More Online Video Content

With over 66,000 titles available, Graboid has one of the broadest selections of video online, including 17,000 movie titles and over 37,000 TV shows. Most of the content is in English, but there’s also a decent smattering in other languages.

The service is focused on providing feature-length programming. Graboid allows owners of video content to upload files to Usenet for rapid distribution and promotion. While the company is actively engaging copyright owners, it’s clear that some files available have been added to the database by third parties. Graboid contends since their service is different from the P2P networks it’s completely legal.

The Faster the Better

Even with all this cool content, the real story here is speed. Graboid transfers video way faster than BitTorrent and P2P file-sharing sites, with virtually no waiting for steady reliable streaming. In fact. their exclusive Fusebox technology provides the fastest data transfer we’ve found anywhere: we regularly see Graboid downloads maxing out our broadband connections.

And in many instances, a fast file download is a very good thing. At a good site like Hulu or Veoh you can stream decent content directly to your laptop. But if you’re behind a firewall, streaming can range from agonizingly slow to downright impossible.

Meanwhile, Comcast has admitted to slowing down video streams from third party sites that they can’t monetize; other big networks like Verizon and ATT are getting in line. (My PC laptop is a case in point — even though it’s a fast processor, the firewall firmware pretty much ensures that a video stream just ain’t gonna be pretty.

A speedy download, on the other hand, gives me quick, reliable access to smooth and steady playback.) BTW, for streaming Graboid, you’ll need a minimum of 1 Mbps.

More Pros than Cons

In addition to the amount of quality content we’ve already discussed, there’s a lot more to like about Graboid.

1. The application organizes this massive library by category and provides a basic search window. Between the two, it’s pretty easy to find what you’re looking for.
2. With the free basic membership, you get 4 gb of file transfer per month. And rest assured, the free membership is actually free — no hidden costs or strings attached.
3. If 4 gigs per month just ain’t enough, additional subscription plans are available for as little as $4.99 a month.
4. Graboid is free from adware, spyware and any other kind of maliciousness.

What’s a review without a few gripes:

• Graboid’s library navigation structure could be more intuitive, and the search needs some beefing up — there’s no clean way to find content by language.
• They include a basic rating system integrated into the listings, but it’s limited to thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback.
• And although the payback screen provides a smooth playback and decent video quality, the interface lacks fully functional rewind button.
• Oh, and a sliding content indicator would be nice, to be able to scrub your way forward or back through the show or movie.
• Last but not least: no Mac version yet.

The web site provides access to their blog and a support forum (Warning: Graboid and Vista don’t get along very well!); it’s also the one place to join Graboid and download the application. Check it out and let me know what you think.

A joint venture of NBC Universal [owners of Bravo, USA Network, Sci-Fi, A&E, Sundance Channel, Oxygen] and News Corp [think Fox, FX, Speed, FUEL TV, National Geographic Channel, and The History Channel] Hulu offers free video-on-demand content: episodes of current shows, past seasons, archive series, and a limited selection of films. Image quality is crisp within the in-screen viewer, although at full screen there’s noticeable degradation. [Limited HD content is available for those with sufficient bandwidth and hardware.]

Hulu seems to be processing invites and adding new users in waves: a good thing, since their level of service was a bit, er, inconsistent during the early fast-growth months. If your request for a beta invite is placed on hold, check out Justin Goldberg’s peek inside the list of available private beta invites via Google. While supplies last.

Even though we’re in this age of World Wide Web, much of Hulu’s content distribution is limited to within the United States. If you’re outside of the US, you can reclaim your geographic anonymity with Hotspot Shield. [Thanks for this tip goes out to Matt Schlicht at OpenHulu]

Since there’s almost always more than one way to do it online, you don’t need to access Hulu directly to see the shows. Hulu has partnered with AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace, and Yahoo as additional distribution venues; MySpace and Veoh are already providing some content. And OpenHulu may be worth checking out. Matt has painstakingly embedded all of Hulu’s content in an open-access site — no invitation or log-in required. Since Hulu’s branding and advertising are still intact within each video, the site seems to be in compliance with their terms of use, so OpenHulu is legit and above-board. That said, the user interface, however, is a poor substitute for the real thing.

All in all, a decent amount of buzz for a site that’s still in development. And we fully expect to see more in the coming months, as Hulu and others move to bring more shows to a wider online audience.

• 1056 live TV channels on your PC
• No monthly charges
• Thousands of worldwide programs
• 100% legal

Sounds good. But how does this $30 software product work, and does it live up to the hype?

What it Does

DTV4PC is a software application that aggregates Free To Air (FTA) channels and packages access with a custom user interface and search function. FTA channels are, as the name implies, already free; they’re accessible to anyone with an internet connection. DTV4PC offers a means of organizing (and potentially updating) a collection of FTA channels.

What it Says it Does

However, that’s not quite how they’re positioning the product. With promises like “nearly 100 channels of the most popular programming on the worldwide airwaves available with no pay-per view fees, or hidden charges”, this sounds like an entertainment bargain. With promises of viewing “Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox, ABC News, Discovery Channel, MTV Overdrive, EuroTV, Vintage Cartoons, Food Network, National Geographic, Rapture TV, Adult Swim, Broadway Network, Game Network, and more”, how can you miss?

One popular and in-depth review from Chris at RGBscan.com has attracted a lot of praise for its straightforward and detailed analysis of the channels provided and overall video quality. The reviewer was not impressed, and has also complained about a lack of support from the vendor on honoring their 30-day guarantee. (Nor is he alone on this issue. I found a number of similar complaints on from disgruntled customers.)

And the People Say

From a decidedly unscientific sampling of online reviews, it looks like roughly 60-80% of posters who’ve purchased this item have expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of available content.

Satisfied customers point to the ease of keeping their channels organized, the free radio add-on, and easy access to European channels (great for ex-pats).

Tip: If you are interested in purchasing, visit the DTV4PC website, read what they have to say, and before you buy, leave the site. That’s right, navigate away to another website. DTV4PC sends up a live chat pop-up window offering 25% off the purchase price to anyone who exits the site without making a purchase.