Do you have any idea what parents went through in the past just to rent a movie? They had to walk eight miles through eight feet of snow to the local video store in freezing sub-zero weather. And when they finally got there, they only had a selection of about twenty movies to choose from, none of which were new releases. After renting a video, they had to rush back home and watch it quickly because if it didn’t come back by 5:00 the next day, they had to pay a late fee that was double the original rental. And you know what, they liked it and appreciated the opportunity to be entertained.
Fortunately, times have changed and it has become much easier for people to enjoy film arts in the comfort of their own living rooms. In particular, video rental giant Netflix, now a household name across America, has revolutionized the nature in which a person can rent a movie; Providing an online service that offers unlimited rentals for a fixed monthly fee and no late fees. With delivery and returns provided by the US Postal Service via pre-sealed envelopes, Netflix has become an inexpensive and obvious choice for voracious movie viewers across the country.
Now, as a huge movie buff, Netflix is pretty much the best thing that has happened to me since canned cheese. But when I talk to certain friends and family who are also big movie lovers and tell them why they should join Netflix, they seem hesitant and ask a lot of questions. Many seem like the deal seems too good to be true, while others see no problem with the traditional method of visiting a video store to rent a movie. Whatever the reason, I personally found myself having the conversation of why or why not join Netflix enough times to recite from memory and write an article.
So here we are, and as much as I love Netflix, I’m also fair in my debate and admit that there are some downsides to the online service that people who are about to sign up should be aware of. So without further ado, here are my top three pros and cons of using Netflix.
Pro: price – Netflix cost is by far the cheapest way to rent movies, especially if you watch more than three movies a week. In my first month as a member, I did the math just to make sure that giving Netflix my credit card number was a smart move. I divided the number of movies I watched that first month by the flat rate of $ 16.99 (three movies at a time) and it came out at 87 cents per movie, which if you notice, is also cheaper than the $ 1 price of the popular and competitor Redbox. Now if I had seen the same number of movies renting them from a video store at the average price of $ 4 per rental, it would have cost me around $ 80. Sorry, my friends it’s a steal and by far the biggest Netflix professional.
Pro: Selection – A lot has happened to me in the past and I’m sure it has happened to you at one point or another. You hear about a winner of a low-budget independent festival or critically acclaimed foreign thriller that you must see. So you go to your local video store to rent it only to have the 16-year-old employee behind the counter tell you they’ve never heard of it. Now in the past, your only solution to this problem would be to buy a DVD copy online. But, if you were a member of Netflix, you will almost certainly be able to rent that movie. With a movie library offering over 100,000 different titles, Netflix has by far the largest variety of movies to choose from. I have been a member for almost two years and there have been three occasions when the movie I was looking for was not offered. And in all three cases, the film was issued as “out of print” by the film company that owns the rights, which by law means that Netflix cannot offer it for rent.
Pro: convenience – “No late fees”, Netflix knows that this statement is by far its biggest selling point and, obviously, that is why it is peppered in all its advertisements and commercials. But that doesn’t take away from how nice this customer benefit really is. I could probably pay for graduate school with the money I’ve spent on late payments in my life. And as everyone knows, a video store never forgets a late payment fee. It will stay on your computer for years, haunting you until you pay. But the convenience of Netflix doesn’t stop with the absence of late fees. Scrolling to and from the video store is also eliminated. And their website, where all the rental selections are made, is so incredibly easy to use that I seriously know a 5 year old who navigates it with ease.
Featuring: New Releases – I started with Netflix’s biggest pro and this is by far the biggest drawback. Getting a new release when it first comes out is incredibly difficult. That means those movies you wanted to go see in theaters but kept putting off until you finally lost your chance and now can’t wait to see them on DVD, Netflix will most likely make you wait even longer to see them. It’s a popular complaint from users that Netflix has found quite difficult to address. The most popular rental period for a movie is during the first 30 days after it is released on DVD, and while Netflix has increased the supply of the most popular titles that are released each week, it is not financially smart for the company to meet the demand due to it. to the fact that interest in the title will slowly fade. So, as a Netflix member, there’s a good chance that the new release you’ve been wanting to see will receive the dreaded “Very long wait” as an availability status. And believe me, the state lives up to its name.
With: Stuck out of films – Depending on the package you sign up for with Netflix (1-8 movies at a time), there are most likely cases where you don’t have a movie at home the night you stay, making some butter. Popcorn and watching a movie is all you want to do. The speed at which movies are received and returned is as quick and convenient as possible (one business day), but occasionally due to poor planning on your part or a movie not arriving when it is supposed to, it will stick around. stuck without a movie and thinking of driving to the video store and renting one anyway.
Featuring: Video Store Blues Any avid moviegoer or moviegoer will tell you that visiting a video store has an inexplicable, almost regal quality. You enjoy strolling the aisles of new releases, comedies or horror movies and reading the back of the covers and making your selection. Before joining Netflix, I frequented video stores very regularly and I must say that there is a very nostalgic, if not organic, experience visiting a video store that is missing with Netflix.
I have personally fixed a lot of these downsides by designating Netflix as my main source for movie rentals, but when I find myself in a situation like the second downside explained above or when there’s a new release, I really want to watch and Netflix sealed it. With a “very long wait,” I hope to go to the video store and rent a movie or two each month. So I still get all the benefits of using Netflix but at the same time I don’t give up on the video store entirely. Something like the best of both worlds.
There you have it, the top three pros and cons of using Netflix. Now, I don’t know how many times my argument has actually persuaded someone to leave the video stores and jump on the Netflix bandwagon, but I’ll tell you this, if you’re like me and watching movies takes up a significant chunk of your past time, Netflix It is by far your best option and what you should use to rent movies. The choice and convenience are unmatched, and the money you’ll save by using Netflix will allow you to balance all the late fees you’ve been forced to pay over the years.