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Considering Switch from Rental to Buy / Sell Model

post #1 of 12
10/27/12 at 8:10am
Thread Starter 
I've searched a bit here but could not find what I needed. If I've missed it, please redirect.

I've been a long-time subscriber to NetFlix and BlockBuster before that. Not for online streaming but for DVD / BD delivery. The streaming just doesn't provide the higher quality of the disk and this matters a lot to me.

I've become increasingly dissatisfied with NetFlix. All the titles I want seem to be on the "Very long wait" list and the audio is being crippled on too many of the disks I receive.

So I'm considering cancelling my NetFlix subscription and buying disks instead with the objective of selling them when I'm done. With few exceptions, we don't watch a movie more than once so I have no reason to keep it. I don't mind paying a bit more if it gets me what I want but I also don't need to add complexity to my life. NetFlix is easy if not completely satisfying.

I'm curious if others have made this switch from rental to "buy and sell" and what service you are using.

I see a variety of online sites for buying and selling used BD. I'd love recommendations.

Thanks!

Louis
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post #2 of 12
10/27/12 at 9:17am
I use mostly Amazon.com. As I have amazon prime. Which for $80/yr you get unlimited 2day shipping as well as online streaming for several shows and Movies.
If you don't want prime orders over $30 ship free. Takes a bit longer maybe 1.5 weeks after release. you can pay a few bucks for shipping and get it quicker though.

Otherwise in store places like Walmart or Bestbuy will have great prices the first week the films out.
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post #3 of 12
10/27/12 at 10:25am
Major new theatrical releases are usually at their cheapest the first week they street at major retailers like Best Buy, Target, Amazon, etc running from $18 - $25. Or if you wait 6 months, a year, major titles can drop in price to $7 - $15 especially around holidays, etc. Buy, view as often as you want until you get bored of the movie and resell it on eBay. Sometimes you may end up only getting $5 to $10 back on a movie you bought for $20, but sometimes more. It comes down to what your time is worth listing, going to the post office, etc versus what kind of money you'll recoup.
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post #4 of 12
10/27/12 at 11:15am
if you are going to purchase movies with the intention of selling them you will end up paying a lot more than most rental options. .
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post #5 of 12
10/28/12 at 5:17am
I still do Netflix disc rentals but have been buying and reselling titles they don't have. I sell through Amazon Marketplace.

New releases go very quickly; catalog titles can take longer but everything has sold eventually.

It's rare to make a profit (although I have done so on out-of-print DVDs) but the loss is a small expense if you really want to see the title.

Prices have gotten low enough that some discs have no appreciable resale value, or are not worth the effort. Those I keep or trade in for credit at a local Mom&Pop rental store. I have not tried the Best Buy $5 exchange program yet, but that might be a better deal on low-value discs.

-Bill
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post #6 of 12
10/28/12 at 8:54am
Buy and sell seems like a losing proposition to me. The only place around me that this would even begin to make sense at is Movie Trading Company. They have a decent trade for credit option but even then you're losing money (not to mention time and gas). If it's a movie I really want I'll always buy it (I'll look for a deal though, I never pay full retail) and wait for the movies I might have rented until they're in the bargain bin. I'll gladly pay 7 bucks for a BD at Walmart or Best Buy that I might have spent 5 bucks renting anyway.
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post #7 of 12
10/28/12 at 9:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcweber111 View Post

Buy and sell seems like a losing proposition to me. The only place around me that this would even begin to make sense at is Movie Trading Company. They have a decent trade for credit option but even then you're losing money (not to mention time and gas). If it's a movie I really want I'll always buy it (I'll look for a deal though, I never pay full retail) and wait for the movies I might have rented until they're in the bargain bin. I'll gladly pay 7 bucks for a BD at Walmart or Best Buy that I might have spent 5 bucks renting anyway.

Well, yes, watching movies is not a money-making or break-even proposition for most people. It's an expense. It costs you.

If you want to see a movie on disc and the disc is not available for rent, then buying and reselling allows you to see it at reduced expense. You can view it as a type of rental, maybe a higher cost rental but that's up to you.

I've done this with a bunch of Criterion titles. '

-Bill
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post #8 of 12
10/29/12 at 12:10pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for everyones thoughts and experiences. Let me be clear about my intent. I'm not looking to make money. I'm looking for a better way to get current titles without costing me much more than i currently spend with NetFlix (or Amazon for that matter - I do have Prime). Generally, the NetFlix service works from the perspective of being easy to manage but it falls short in terms of availability and disk quality, i.e., stripped HD audio.

So i was hoping for an online buy/sell service that wouldn't cost me much more than NetFlix, give me the improved availability and quality I'm looking for with little increase in hassle. I guess that isn't likely.

I may start experimenting and see how it goes.

Thanks!

Louis
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post #9 of 12
10/29/12 at 1:12pm
Your situation like mine with Netflix had made me take a new approach also. I use to rent movies from Netflix that I missed in a theater and if I liked it well enough I went out and purchased them. I go to see movies quite often but there is always some thing that gets missed. Like someone else mentioned, I too sell the movies I don't want to keep on Amazon and the movies (just released on BD) have never failed to sell. I thing I loose about 7 bucks on average but that is about what a movie rental cost. I don't want to be stuck with a movie that I won't watch again so this works for me also.
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post #10 of 12
10/29/12 at 3:34pm
What is your connection speed and what devises you are using for your streaming? The HD quality of my Netflix streaming is very good on both my Roku and BD players. I also rent and usually get the latest releases and I have had no problems with the sound or video quality of my BD's (and I rent a lot of BD's). If you are having issues, call them so they know that you are not happy with the rental service from you local distribution center..



Ian
Edited by mailiang - 10/29/12 at 3:52pm
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post #11 of 12
10/30/12 at 5:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mailiang View Post

What is your connection speed and what devises you are using for your streaming? The HD quality of my Netflix streaming is very good on both my Roku and BD players. I also rent and usually get the latest releases and I have had no problems with the sound or video quality of my BD's (and I rent a lot of BD's). If you are having issues, call them so they know that you are not happy with the rental service from you local distribution center..
Ian

It's good but not as good enough and its not a problem with my bandwidth. You don't get full hd audio and NetFlix doesn't engage my subsonic subwoofer. Image quality is not as good. Currently available online streaming doesn't compare to what you get on the disk not to mention NetFlix limited availability.
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post #12 of 12
11/2/12 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathelo View Post

It's good but not as good enough and its not a problem with my bandwidth. You don't get full hd audio and NetFlix doesn't engage my subsonic subwoofer. Image quality is not as good. Currently available online streaming doesn't compare to what you get on the disk not to mention NetFlix limited availability.

I agree, you're not going to get the quality you find on BD, but for a 8 bucks a month, having HD PQ and Dolby Digital Plus is a novelty. All BD rentals are limited, but unlike Block Buster, if you have an opening in your Que before the new release date, more often then not, you will get the title you want. At least I do.



Ian
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