Writes 'Wired News is reporting that. From the article: 'Advertising for positions based at the company's Seattle headquarters, the listings seek engineers to help in 'building systems and algorithms that must move inventory between our fulfillment centers and our customers in a way that gives customers exactly what they want, when they want it.' The postings indicate they are specifically for an online DVD rental service.' Netflix seems to have a stronghold on the market so despite numerous advantages for Amazon, especially economies of scale, can Amazon enter the market and surpass Netflix?' Amazon has the clear advantage here.
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They already operate distribution centers in several locations around the US, have experience in inventory management and quick shipping, and can even rent videos at a slight loss for a while, using it to drive business to the rest of their operations. Well, it will be interresting to see how they actually think to manage all those rentals. If you see what they charge for shipping packages right now, and assume it cannot really get much lower, the actual delivery of a. It's a different package than they typically deliver right now; a book or CD comes in a cardboard box, often with packing bubbles and such. If they follow the Netflix model, the DVD will be shipped in an envelope such that the whole package weighs less than an ounce - disc only, no case.
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It's their product, so they can risk them getting broken at virtually no cost (distributors probably replace them for free). First-class, non-bulk postage using USPS for a square envelope 1oz is around 50c. You can imagi.
I used Wal.Mart for this same service, and I was surprised when they quit. Wal.Mart started out being the cheapest, then forced everyone else to follow them into the low-priced space.
Then Wal.Mart dropped the service, presumably because they weren't making any money. Will the other services keep the same prices?
Maybe Wal.Mart couldn't make money because the USPS can't rely on foreign labor. (Yes, I know, most carriers aren't too far from being foreign- but they still get paid American wages.) But to the g. 'Frankly, I would base my decision on whoever uses the smallest envelopes. Gamefly uses envelopes that are.just barely. too big to fit in the outgoing slot in our mailbox (one of those 'neighborhood' things that sits on a pole and has like 20 small boxes). So I had to drive around to find a bigger box.'
I guess I don't understand this argument.do you never leave the house to go to work, buy groceries.etc.? There are tons of US mailboxes out there in the town.I always just drop my stuff in the drive b. '1.5 rentals a month - Are you jokeing? What statistics do you have to provide this claim as an average.
For me I use blockbuster's 3 at a time and I got something like 17 last month.' Nope.just depends, some times I go through as many movies as I can get a month.then others.well, put it this way.
A little over a year ago.I had the same 3 movies out for a year.just never got around to watching them. Remembered them finally.watched them.and then started going through them as fast as netflix woul. Ah, but it can get lower. If you are sending out large amounts of mail, i.e.
Bulk mail, you can get much cheaper rates through the USPS. Plus, and I'm not sure if you're an online DVD renter, they are just sending a little flat envelope. I'm all for competition, but I think Amazon will have to have a special gimmick of some sort to enter into the US market with any success. And for all Netflix users out there, my Queue Manager program is now officially free, and officially version 1. Now that it's out o. I haven't tried it, but a quick search reveals thelittleappfactory.com which is your OS X version of the same app.
Of course, it's not free, just free-to-try, whatever that means. Frankly, I don't find the web form that hard to use, but I also pretty well let my wife manage the thing. Which is OK, usually, because when she gets crap I don't want to watch, it means more time to play Vice City. There's also this spiffy-looking apple.com dashboard thingy, which is only a viewer not an editor, but still neat. Netflix needs better competition anyway.
Blockbuster competes on price and that they give in-store rentals, but they don't compete on service. A co-worker recently did a trial comparison of the two services. He found that Netflix sent, received, and processed faster. Also, he found the entire sign up process easier with Netflix (mostly due to an error Blockbuster's site experienced with his sign up, which could be a one time issue). Their website is better designed. Basically, they're just a better online service than Blockbuster has been.
Amazon has proven to be a good online service. My personal experience shows that there's rarely ever need to use anything but super-saver shipping because most things get to me just that quick. Their website works: I can find stuff, I can buy stuff. If anyone can compete with Netflix it's them, hopefully this will either force Netflix to continue to improve or lower their prices. That means that I win. If nothing else, they probably won't raise prices or worsen service, so I at least won't lose. I, and a few friends, have been using Netflix for a couple years now.
I've heard of the throttling but never experienced it. I've gone through times when I watched a movie the night I got it every time, and times when I've gone a couple monthes without bothering to watch any movies. I can't say that I ever noticed a big difference. However, even if Netflix waits a day to process the movies that's still a four day turn around. During his trial at Blockbuster's service he noticed no less than a five day turn. 'I don't know if they have a 'clear advantage' - NetFlix has a lot of name recognition and customer loyalty. My experience has been great, as have the experiences of everyone I know - very easy to use and excellent customer service.
'NetFlix' is practically synonomous with 'on-line DVD rental'.' I agree.I love Netflix. I do wonder, however, if Amazon would get a little 'leg ahead' if they offered Adult titles.something that Netflix, for some reason, does not do. Maybe have it on a separate, higher pric. They already operate distribution centers in several locations around the US That is true. And that's how Netflix started. But then they realized that for timley delivery of movies, you really need hundreds of distribution centers, not several.
Hundreds may be exaggerating a little bit, but Netflix definatley has more than several. The ones who can get you the widest selection fastest wins. The only thing Amazon might offer in competition over Walmart (which did not fare well against Netflix) is perhaps a b. But then they realized that for timley delivery of movies, you really need hundreds of distribution centers, not several. Hundreds may be exaggerating a little bit, but Netflix definatley has more than several. In fact, ideally you need enough distribution centers to cover the entire country with one-day service.
Netflix doesn't have that - you get to a certain point and you're spending a huge amount of money for a few people in rural areas - but they have about 90% coverage at this point. Then you have to c. You could argue they had the same advantage over eBay. I'm surprised however how few people even realise that Amazon operates an auction service, and there seem to be many amongst my friends unaware of their (separate) Amazon Marketplace service that also, in practice, ends up competing with eBay. In practice, people generally think 'Amazon = books', and 'eBay = secondhand goods'. Right now, people think 'Netflix = online DVD rentals'.
I don't doubt Amazon can probably make their service profitable, but Ne. From what I can tell, Netflix is able to ship and receive quickly not necessarily because of local warehouses, but because they have distributed nodes, at least superficially in the form of P.O. Boxes, which makes it possible to deliver movies in a single day at what I can only assume is a low price. Amazon may or may not have the ability to get things to you in a day at a reasonable cost. That's not to say that they can't develop this ability. However, it seems like they'd have to develop a close relat.
I was a NetFlix subscriber for about two years, because they were the best of what was around. Recently, I switched to Blockbuster's in-store unlimited rentals, because it could give me something that NetFlix couldn't: instant gratification. With NetFlix, I too frequently found a DVD in my mailbox that I felt like watching 3 days ago. Being able to pick out a movie and be watching it 20 minutes later really makes a world of difference. Perhaps NetFlix will go one better. With slashdot.org, it appears that they're taking innovation and competition in their industry very seriously. Amazon may have the inventory and distribution architecture to easily catapult themselves into the market, but if they don't have anything more interesting than DVDs-by-mail on the horizon, they may quickly find themselves left behind.
I think the throttling thing is a bit of an exageration. I just pulled up my 3 month history on netflix's site, and I rented 20, 15, and 17 dvds for a total of 52 over 90 days. Before that I was renting roughly the same amount aswell.
I have the 3 at a time plan, which is $18 a month. That means I'm paying $54 for 3 months, which works out to $1.04 per rental, whereas that site says they'll throttle you if you get under $2/per.
It is possible that the occasional extra day waits are some sort of throttling measure, but it doesnt seem to me that they're very aggressive, if so. Well, atleast I think I'm getting a pretty good deal at 1.04/each. I know for a fact I've been throttled. The first couple of months they were great. Then suddenly my 3-day turnaround time went to 7-days with no explanation. Somehow everything I sent in the mail was taking longer to get there and when they did get the disks they took longer to process and get here.
It would have pissed me off a lot less if they didn't flat out lie to me about it being the Post Office's fault and garbage like that. There are manuelsweb.com devoted to this subject.
Unlimited rentals. However, personally, I really never use Amazon for anything more than books. In addition to books (used and new) I have bought multiple things there including two GPS units and a mobile phone. The latest GPS unit (GPSMap 76CS) was on sale, no rebates necessary, and priced $50 less than its lower end unit (76C). Six months later, the price I got (with no mail-in-rebates) is still less than you can find 99% of the time. The mobile phone (T-mobile Sidekick 1) came with instant and mail-in-rebates that totalled enough to make the phone $0 with on year of service. Why would you only go to Amazon for books when there are so many bargains on there that I seem to only be able to find there?
I'm not an amazon.com rep, investor, or otherwise, just a happy customer. I joined Amazon Prime - the all-you-can-eat shipping program, and it significantly changed my shopping habits - I'm buying more stuff, but it's relevant to my preferences. And I always look on Amazon first. Two-day shipping is great too. On the Netflix competition front, it is interesting that Netflix has not yet, AFAIK, used it's patent on the DVD delivery/rental service that it took out a long time back. Culturally, Amazon will be a better fit, competitively, than Wal-mart and Blockbuster, because it h. With the deployment of the XBox 360 in mass quantities in '06, content producers will have the ability to content lock their movies.
Microsoft will finally be able to promise that security to media execs, which will then loosen them up enough to allow the streaming to occur. When that desire is coupled with the increased availability of broadband, the on-demand downloading will finally go mainstream with Microsoft attempting to lead the way.
Others in this market will be Apple with iVideo, potentially Sony on the PS3, and potentially juggernaut Google to the PC. Unless Amazon can couple the download with the the DVD rental (both will be necessary), they will be too late to be of consequence. My guess is that Netflix, Intelliflix, and Blockbuster will all begin on demand downloads by the end of next year.at least for Comcast. When I'm not blowing $18-21 at a time to rent a whole season of a tv show at the local video store(yes, I know I should go netflix), I give Comcast VOD a try. So let's go watch Constantine. Wait, it's not listed.
Okay, let's go watch Hellboy.wait. No, wait, the only have bottom-of-the box office barrel movies available. Comcast's offerings of VOD is incredibly pathetic for being such a mega-corp. You would think DVD distributors would lend them a few episodes of a TV show they just released for free viewing. Then,if you like the show so much you could buy it. Free advertising. Give 'em a taste.
Heck, let me pay a small fee to VOD the HBO/Showtime premium tv shows, without having to subscribe to said premiums. So far, VOD to me is a dud. What is annoying to me about Comcast On Demand is their guitar lessons. They've had the same lessons on for 4 months, with a listed expiration date of August 6, 2005. So I check yesterday, expecting to be able to learn a bunch of new songs.
Instead, it's the exact same songs, only with an expiration date of January 2006. And HBO On Demand is annoying also. They refuse to even state a release date of the DVD of the Third Season of The Wire. But they only show 5 episodes at a time on OD. And they're still stuc. Hopefully Amazon will offer a competitive price and that will hopefully lead to lower prices on Netflix.
If Amazon does a good job here I would probably switch over because I have noticed that everytime I start returning a lot of movies back to Netflix there is a mysterious slow down in delivery of new movies on their part. They blame it on the Post Office but there distro facility is right down the road and checking with the Post Office there really is no delay. It looks to me like Netflix either doesn't process returned movies quick enough or delays them so you get less movies per month if you happen to be watching/returning them too fast.
Anyone else have that issue?.Doesn't mean that Amazon can't succeed. Netflix did good and Blockbuster was scared so they jumped in. As a few readers pointed out however, they like their instant gratification and to be able to walk into the store and get what they want when they want it. Consider Blockbuster a bricks and mortar store that happens to have an online component. The real point here however is that just because Netflix and Blockbuster online exist doesn't mean Amazon can't come along and emerge as the winner.
I read that some are so twitchy that a couple days delay is too much for them to bear: I read some that say Netflix is too expensive: As compared to what? As a WalMart Rental ejectee, I find Netflix to be fair, honest, fast, and have a great selection. I suggest that being so twitchy is nothing to be proud of, and those who don't consider it a fair deal $20/month, a large pizza, for three outstanding to say what a fair deal is? Is $5 too much?
If so, it should, and effectively is, a free service, so just say. As compared to what? Presumably as compared to other entertainment alternatives. It depends a lot on how many movies you want to watch per month. You need to rent more than one disk a week to make it comparable to dropping by the video store (depending on how close they are, how much you mind returning movies, etc.) But if you instead spent $60 on a video game and then spent three months playing it, you break even. Or you can buy several books.
Hell, going outside is free. You're right that Slashdotters of. I think one thing Amazon will have going for them is their website. Assuming they leverage a lot of their existing code, their initial US launch should be miles ahead of Netflix.
While Amazon is constantly adding new features that help me find interesting things in wired.com, I don't think Netflix has made an improvement to their website in the two years I've been a customer. Don't get me wrong, I like Netflix, but the recommendations they make for me are almost always off target. On the other hand, Amazon is always presenting me with interesting recommendations on music and books. That's just one feature that I expect they will execute better than Netflix.
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They also have a slew of fetaures Netflix doesn't offer. Some of the ones I've found useful include 'the page you made', 'customers who bought this also bought this', 'customers who viewed this also viewed this'. Then's there's 'Artist Essentials'. Just getting into jazz but overwhelmed by the many choices for say, Ella Fitzgerald? Then check out her 'Artist Essentials'. It's just a static list, so how hard could it be to implement?
But if you want an opinion from Netflix about the best movies of, say, Jim Jarmusch, well, you're just SOL. All in all, I'd say Amazon's entry into this market will introduce some good competition, and we're all going to benefit. To get full value from my $17.99 per month subscription, I have to force feed myself a minimum of three movies a month forever!
Must visit website. Mst watch moveiss.
Where did I put that return envelope. Go out tonight with friends? Must watch movies!
Must make minimum allotment or face vague penalty of paying weird premium for weird disk in mail service. To be fair, the Netflix model sounds like a pretty good deal for people whose lives happen to circulate around watching lots and lots of movies. I've been there, and it can be a lot of fun when you're in that head-space. But for me, it sounds like WAY too much trouble.Like working for a company which gives you a pager and has you on-call 24/7. Knowing that I MUST watch 3 movies at some point during the month seems very stressful to me.
I'd rather be able to get a movie when I feel like it and not feel that it is yet another item on my To Do list. I can happily go for a couple of months without ever watching a DVD, and then I'll blow several nights in a row consuming something which catches my interest, (like the ill-fated Bruce Campbell TV Western series, 'Brisco County Jr.'
-Which was unbelievably cool, but is only available from my friend who downloaded pirate copies from the web and burned them to disk for me because the series was never officially released.).And then I'll happily watch nothing for another three months. Perhaps Netflix could offer non-member limited rental packages with no deadlines on some of those funky single-use disks.Subscriptions bother me. I don't like feeling 'obligated' to do anything, particularly with regard to my free time activities. Though, it seems to me that the rent-a-DVD-by-mail business model depends rather heavily on the various forms of psychological momentum subscriptions create, so I somehow doubt short term purchases will come about. Amazon bought IMDB a while back, and luckily, hasn't screwed it up. The IMDB is the best source for movie and TV info online.
When Amazon bought it, the only obvious change was making the 'buy it' link in the upper left corner always point to Amazon. If they tie it in with the IMDB, that would be pretty handy.
Search for 'Virginia Madsen' and you see a list of all her movies, with boxes next to the ones available for rental. Tick the ones you want and they get added to your queue. This is also a plus since you could search with IMDB for any movie, not just the ones they stock. Want a movie that isn't out on DVD yet?
Add it to a wish list. Amazon also has the setup with used DVDs ( and books ) to ofer deals if you want to buy the movies instead of, or after, renting them. I'd expect them to let you know how long your wait will be for a rental while offering a shorted length if you want to buy one now. Amazon also didn't pump up the IPO by paying spammers like Netflix did. Netflix will always be tainted by that.
This has been said before but Amazon has a recommendation engine that's light years ahead of what Netflix has. I've been an Amazon customer for longer, have bought more product from them, and so has everyone else. Even after rating 300 movies and reviewing several Netflix makes the stupidest movie recommendations while Amazon prove insightful most of the time. Amazon has the distribution, but also the ability to cross-sell a lot more than Netflix. It's probably a lot easier for them to sell you the movie if you rent it and like it.
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They have better promotional opportunities, like including free rental coupons if you buy DVDs. The one thing Amazon doesn't have going for it is customer service. Have you ever had a problem with your order? One time someone sent me a gift from my wish list, they could not select the address it was shipped to, and it got lost. It was a complete headache trying to resolve the issue and contact their customer support.
Netflix, on the other hand, has amazed me with how good their service is. One time I sent my own DVD back instead of the rental, so I emailed them, and they managed to find it and mail it back to me a couple of weeks later. I also had a real, live, human who answered the email. Unless Amazon shows improvement I'll be sticking with Netflix.
Well Blockbuster price is lower so your statement isn't entirely correct. I've used both services for about a year. Netflix was incredibly smooth and I received movies very fast for the area I lived in. They have a lot of movies that I couldn't find in the brick and mortar stores. So I agree their service was second to none. I decided to save a few bucks and try Blockbuster. These guy's took a week to mail me my DVDs and were ALWAYS out of the movies I wanted to see.
Then they would constantly get lo. Can some one please explein this to me, both Netflix and BlockBuster advertise service as 'unlimited online rentals' How can some one rent UNLIMITED DVD a month.
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Do thay have 'UNLIMITED' DVD in store? There is a limit like 10-24 DVD a month (3 out plan) or We have 45K DVD titles. Rent as musch as you like. How is this UNLIMITED? Don't be daft.
'Unlimited' as they use it clearly means that the terms of DVD rental have no hard number limiting your rentals, but rather the number of movies you get is limited o.