Wal-Mart DVD Rental Service

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=5430&path=0%3A5430' target='_blank'>http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=5430&path=0%3A5430</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/logo_always.gif" /><br /><br />If you haven't yet tried online DVD movie rentals, you don't know what you're missing. Why, you ask? Simple. Your local brick and mortar movie outlet only offers about 4-6k titles in-store. Not to mention the fact that entire categories or genres often aren't even offered. For example, I am a big fan of old 50's Sci-Fi classics like <b>Forbidden Planet</b> and <b>The Deadly Mantis</b>. But such titles are not to be found even at established chains like Blockbuster. That's where online movie rental comes in. Sites like Netflix and Wal-Mart offer nearly 20,000 titles, covering every genre.<br /><br /><!> <br />So why did I choose Wal-Mart? Two reasons. First, the service is brain dead simple to use. Just login to your Wal-Mart account. Visit the DVD library. Make your selection(s). And that's it. Wal-Mart mails you two titles from your DVD list at one time, depending on whether you have more than two in your request list. Each movie comes in a simple blue returnable pouch. After you're done, just slip the movie back into its jacket. Place it back it back in the pouch, stick it back in your mailbox, and off it goes to the Wal-Mart distribution center from where it originated. <br /><br />The second reason I selected Wal-Mart over Netflix is simply for peace of mind. Wal-Mart is the largest consumer retailer in North America. Needless to say, the company isn't going to die or go belly up any time soon. But I do not trust internet pure plays like Netflix. They are small, operating on venture capital, with a clouded future. I know Wal-Mart will be here tomorrow.<br /><br />There are however one or two caveats to both services. If you live a considerable distance from one of the distribution centers, it will take a few days to send and receive movies by mail. The Indianapolis center where my DVDs come from take about 3 days to get to my mailbox. So I have to time my selections just right in order to receive them for weekend viewing. I know that if I mail out my viewed copies on Wednesday or Thursday, I won't be getting my next titles until early the following week. So it's important to send back your movies by Monday or Tuesday in order to receive your next selections by Friday.<br /><br />Another downside is that you only receive two movie titles (under the $15 double plan) at one time. If you're planning a long weekend of movie viewing, two titles won't go very far. <br /><br />The cost of Wal-Mart's DVD rental service is $15.54 per month, which competes very well with Netflix's higher $22 premium. Additionally, you can sign up for three different plans including the default Double plan (two movies) at the basic $15.54 price. A Standard plan (three movies) for $18.76. And a Premium plan (four movies) for 21.94 a month. Still not sure? Sign up for the 30 day free trial service, which you can cancel at no charge. If you are a serious movie fan, this service can be quite addictive, and well worth the money.

[jeff]

How could the chance of Netflix's going out of business possibly make any difference in your decision? It's a monthly rental system, so you're not investing any money or getting anything permanent. I suppose you could be out $20 if they folded right after you made a monthly payment, but that doesn't seem like a whole lot to lose.

I haven't checked out the service, but do Walmart's famous content restrictions come into play? Are there any movies with "objectionable" content that don't show up on the system?

[paulbiba]

The author has the pricing wrong. For 2 movies, Netflix is cheaper, not more expensive than Wal-Mart. According to the author, Wal-Mart is $15.54 for two movies. Netflix charges $14.99 for two moves (up to four a month), not $22 as the author states. For $21.99 Netflix supplies 3 movies, unlimited rentals per month.

One of the best ways to choose a service is to find out where the distribution centers are. Netflix has a center about 15 miles from me, so I can get a 2 day turnaround for movie replacement. I find that they ship out movies the same day that they receive them from me (I get an email saying when the movie was received and shipped). In making your choice it is also important to check out the selection. I am a big Anime fan, and Netflix has a far larger selection of Anime than Wal-Mart.

[sundown]

I've been a Netflix member since 2000 and just count it as a necessary part of our budget. Some months we don't watch any DVD's and others we watch 10 or more. They have a distribution center nearby my home in AZ and I'm lucky to have a 1 day turn around most of the time. I must have saved $1000 in late fees since Netflix started :lol:

[fgarcia10]

The author has the pricing wrong. For 2 movies, Netflix is cheaper, not more expensive than Wal-Mart. According to the author, Wal-Mart is $15.54 for two movies. Netflix charges $14.99 for two moves (up to four a month),

Wal-Mart $15.54 is for unlimited rentals, therefore at the end is cheaper :wink:

[Kent Pribbernow]

The author has the pricing wrong. For 2 movies, Netflix is cheaper, not more expensive than Wal-Mart. According to the author, Wal-Mart is $15.54 for two movies. Netflix charges $14.99 for two moves (up to four a month), not $22 as the author states. For $21.99 Netflix supplies 3 movies, unlimited rentals per month.

I see no mention of this $14.99 package you speak of on Netflix web site. Plus, Wal-Mart's $15 package is for UNLIMITED usage, not just 4 movies a month like Netflix.

[Kent Pribbernow]

I haven't checked out the service, but do Walmart's famous content restrictions come into play? Are there any movies with "objectionable" content that don't show up on the system?

That's a good question. I rarely watch R-rated material so that content goes unnoticed by me. Speaking of content, that is another thing about Netflix that cheeses me. You can go to Wal-Mart's DVD rental right now and view their entire library. But in order to see all 20,000 available titles on Netflix web site, I have to sign-up for their service first. Dumb! :roll:

[Jason Dunn]

I use a service in Canada called ZIP (www.zip.ca) and I like it quite a bit. No more Blockbuster for me! :-)

[Kent Pribbernow]

Is Zip affiliated with Netflix? If not, they have completely ripped off Netflix's web site. 8O

[Jason Dunn]

Is Zip affiliated with Netflix? If not, they have completely ripped off Netflix's web site. 8O

I don't think they're affiliated, no.

[Chris Gohlke]

They are small, operating on venture capital, with a clouded future. I know Wal-Mart will be here tomorrow.


On what do you base that? Netflix is a publicly traded company that is actually making a profit.

In fact the fact that the service you are talking about is run by Wal-mart is a negative for me. No doubt Wal-mart is an innovative comany and does a lot of things right, but they are really dropping the ball on customer service. People who want the absolute lowest price all the time seem to be willing to suffer Wal-marts poor service, so Wal-mart will no doubt continue to be successful. However, when I have a choice, I will always shop somewhere other than Wal-mart. (I can't wait for a SuperTarget to open here.)

Beyond that, I have a few concerns about Wal-marts offering in this arena:

1) Netfilx is known for their matching system that projects other movies you might like based on what you have rented. I have heard lots of people praise how they love netflix because it has introduced them to movies they would otherwise never have seen. What does wal-mart have?

2) Selection and content - If there on-line selection matches the philosophy of their stores (hardly any widescreen, content restrictions, etc) then this is another problem.

3) More of an opportunity than a concern. The big thing Wal-mart has going for it is a physical presence. Yes, shipping is free, but an in store drop off that was immediately registered as received (so they could ship out the next disk) seem a good way to differentiate themselves.

[Phoenix]

How could the chance of Netflix's going out of business possibly make any difference in your decision? It's a monthly rental system, so you're not investing any money or getting anything permanent. I suppose you could be out $20 if they folded right after you made a monthly payment, but that doesn't seem like a whole lot to lose.


I agree. If one DVD service goes belly-up, just go to the other. Nothing invested, no contracts signed, no loss. I've been on Netflix, myself, and have enjoyed it - no more than two day turnaround for me. Great service. I'm sure WalMart will be, too, to whatever extent.

It's funny to watch WalMart, though. They really want a piece of the digital pie - music downloads and now DVD rentals.

[Neil Enns]

I see no mention of this $14.99 package you speak of on Netflix web site. Plus, Wal-Mart's $15 package is for UNLIMITED usage, not just 4 movies a month like Netflix.

Huh? There's no limit to the number of movies you can rent from Netflix in a month. With their standard plan (~$20) you're allowed a maximum of three movies out *at a time*, but you can rent as many as you can churn through in a month.

Netflix has a distribution plant in town here, so it's literally one day to get the DVD back to them and another day to receive a new one. Fantastic!

Neil

[Kent Pribbernow]

Huh? There's no limit to the number of movies you can rent from Netflix in a month.

Paulbiba claimed that Netflix offers a $14 service for four movies per month, which is totally untrue:

Netflix charges $14.99 for two moves (up to four a month),

[Neil Enns]

Paulbiba claimed that Netflix offers a $14 service for four movies per month, which is totally untrue

They do have it, but you actually have to call and phone them to get that rate. Kinda dumb. It's $14.99 for up to two DVDs at a time, max 4 per month. At least, that's the way it used to work.

Neil

[Kent Pribbernow]

They do have it, but you actually have to call and phone them to get that rate. Kinda dumb. It's $14.99 for up to two DVDs at a time, max 4 per month. At least, that's the way it used to work.

I'm not so sure. Their web site makes no mention of this offer at all. Only the standard $22 package.

[Phoenix]

I signed in to my Netflix account, and under the membership details of my account settings, it shows the following options:


8-at-a-time for $49.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 8 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $49.99.

5-at-a-time for $33.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 5 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $33.99.

3-at-a-time for $21.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 3 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $21.99.

2-at-a-time (4 rentals a month) for $14.99
Up to 4 rentals a month - up to 2 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $14.99. Learn More.

**************

Clicking on "Learn More" displays the following:


Netflix 2-at-a-time (4 rentals a month) Program

The Netflix 2-at-a-time (4 rentals a month) program is ideal for customers who watch fewer movies and want the convenience of no due dates and no late fees.

With the Netflix 2-at-a-time (4 rentals a month) program you may rent up to 4 movies a month. After watching a movie, simply send it back to us. We will send you the next movie in your queue, if we have not already sent you your 4 movies this month. If we have sent you your 4 movies this month, we will wait until the next month to send you more movies. You can keep 2 movies at home at one time.

Enjoy the service!

*****************

So I guess the idea is, you have to sign up for an account (or perhaps a free trial at least) in order to have access to this $14.99 option online. They apparently don't want to advertise this option because they don't want people to choose this by default. Makes a person wonder why they offer the $14.99 option at all then... maybe it's the "Well, if you don't want to spend $21.99 a month, then something's better than nothing" concept.

But there it is.

[Kent Pribbernow]

That is extemely stupid. Hide your price packages from consumers? 8O

[Phoenix]

That is extemely stupid. Hide your price packages from consumers? 8O

Yeah, I'm not quite sure what to make of that. But it doesn't take away from the fact that Netflix is a great service, and that they're very successful.

[kagayaki1]

That is extemely stupid. Hide your price packages from consumers? 8O

Come on now, Kent. Now that someone delivered the proof that Netflix offers a similarly priced (4 movies versus unlimited aside for a minute), don't you have to concede that Netflix had at least thought of the market segmentation first? You can compliment a little, right?

Of course, doesn't do much good if you don't advertise it, does it? That's how they get you to jump in at the higher rate for a few months before the *average* user realizes they don't watch that much (I'm talking to the people that don't read this board, not the rest of you geeks like me).

[davidwag]

I use Walmart cuz it's cheaper. But I admit you get what you pay for. The selection is not as complete as Netflix's. There are regular, plain ol' titles Walmart doesn't carry for unknown reasons (ie, not content-related). Shattered Glass, for example. And The Company (hey, my wife wants to see it). And their site is fairly unusable for browsing, finding new releases, etc. Better if you already know what you're looking for. I generally check out a DVD-related site to search, then go to the Walmart site to reserve it.

Plus, someone out there somewhere wrote a cool Mac program for managing your netflix list:

http://www.thelittleappfactory.com/software/netflixfreak.php

I'm guessing no one will be writing anything for Walmart in the near future...

So why do I use Walmart? Like I said, the price. And the truth is even with all these negatives, I still have over 70 movies in my list, so I'm set for a while, anyway.

Addition: My record for turnaround is 2 days here in Los Angeles. Wait a sec - I mail it Monday, they receive it Tuesday, I get the new one Wednesday. I guess that's 3 days - but it's 48 hours so 2 days kinda, too.

[guardian__J]

I'm sorry, but I have to take issue with several of your points.

First, I will admit that I'm biased. I've used NetFlix since 1998 and loved it from the beginning.

Issue 1:
So why did I choose Wal-Mart? Two reasons. First, the service is brain dead simple to use. Just login to your Wal-Mart account. Visit the DVD library. Make your selection(s). And that's it. Wal-Mart mails you two titles from your DVD list at one time, depending on whether you have more than two in your request list. Each movie comes in a simple blue returnable pouch. After you're done, just slip the movie back into its jacket. Place it back it back in the pouch, stick it back in your mailbox, and off it goes to the Wal-Mart distribution center from where it originated.
umm...How can this be a reason for your choice? To try this out you had already made a choice. And nothing in your description varies from the experience of using NetFlix. I'm sorry, but in a "review" that is written as a comparison, this is just unfair to the other side.

Issue 2:
The second reason I selected Wal-Mart over Netflix is simply for peace of mind ... But I do not trust internet pure plays like Netflix. They are small, operating on venture capital, with a clouded future. I know Wal-Mart will be here tomorrow.
Wow, now that is harsh. Have you looked at the company?
Yahoo! Finance Page (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NFLX)
Profile Details (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=NFLX)
For the three months ended 3/31/04, revenues increased 80% to $100.4 million.
That's wrong to classify as internet venture capital company "with a clouded future."

Issue 3:
...where my DVDs come from take about 3 days to get to my mailbox. So I have to time my selections just right in order to receive them for weekend viewing.
You really should try NetFlix. I don't no anyone (personally) that it commonly takes more then 3 days for complete turn-a-round. You discription is even more reason I wouldn't try Wal-Mart. With the number of distribution centers they have, they should be able to handle a much quicker response. And I don't live in a big city. I live in a little po-dunct town.

And then the price thing, but that's already been argued to death.