Buying DVDs

Skunks · 10-12-2003, 02:34 AM

I've seen a lot of mention of owning DVDs around here lately. What sources are good, online and off?

You see, I'll have a DVD player of my own in the nearish future. As this is a watershed event, I'll probably celebrate by spending money needlessly on entirely frivilous things. I'm thinking mostly fairly mainstream stuff, with maybe a few more UK-ey than US-ey releases (frex, <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/"><i>Withnail & I</i></a> is high on my "Buy That" list).

SteveDallas · 10-12-2003, 12:49 PM

Best Buy is usually my preferred source for new stuff--they generally have pretty decent discounts the first week. (And then after that the prices go back up!!) I've gotten most of the "older" stuff I'm interested in owning, so now if I want something bad enough to buy it, I usually just buy it when it comes out. (The Indiana Jones and Looney Tunes boxed sets coming out later this month qualify.) Amazon.com is probably the big fish for internet buying, tho there are smaller outfits like deepdiscountdvd.com and bestprices.com that have lower prices and less-consistent customer service. (The early days of the DVD player coincided with the go-go days of the .com boom. Back in 1999 you could find plenty of retailers that were happy to knock the new release price down to $20--most retail prices were closer to $30 then--and then given you a coupon for $10 or $15 just to get you as a customer. My personal biggest score was 3 DVDs for $1 incl. shipping during 800.com's grand opening sale just before Christmas 1998.)

Check out www.netflix.com and www.greencine.com. Netflix is the net-rental equivalent of Blockbuster (without the evil policies). Greencine is the net-rental equivalent of the quirky little video store owned by the film school dropout--they may not happen to have Police Academy XVII in stock, but they have tons of foreign and indie releases. Netflix probably has faster service if you have more mainstream tastes, but both offer a free trial period for first-time customers.

wolf · 10-12-2003, 04:09 PM

There is of course always the hell represented by the Columbia House DVD Club, if you don't mind sending back those little cards (or making the phonecall to the 800 number) and trying to figure out various special promotion deals.

Critic's Choice Video is pretty good. I've been shopping with them since before they had an online incarnation. Big catalog, many cheap videos and dvds.

SteveDallas · 10-12-2003, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolf
There is of course always the hell represented by the Columbia House DVD Club, if you don't mind sending back those little cards (or making the phonecall to the 800 number) and trying to figure out various special promotion deals.

www.dvdtalk.com has an entire forum devoted to getting DVDs from Columbia House as cheaply as possible with as little effort as possible.

Tobiasly · 10-13-2003, 10:24 AM

If you've registered with their website, Columbia House now sends you an email a few days before the monthly selection ships, with a one-click link to decline.

I guess they've grown tired of paying all that return postage!

10-12-2003, 02:34 AM	#1
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	Buying DVDs I've seen a lot of mention of owning DVDs around here lately. What sources are good, online and off? You see, I'll have a DVD player of my own in the nearish future. As this is a watershed event, I'll probably celebrate by spending money needlessly on entirely frivilous things. I'm thinking mostly fairly mainstream stuff, with maybe a few more UK-ey than US-ey releases (frex, <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/"><i>Withnail & I</i></a> is high on my "Buy That" list).

10-12-2003, 12:49 PM	#2
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Best Buy is usually my preferred source for new stuff--they generally have pretty decent discounts the first week. (And then after that the prices go back up!!) I've gotten most of the "older" stuff I'm interested in owning, so now if I want something bad enough to buy it, I usually just buy it when it comes out. (The Indiana Jones and Looney Tunes boxed sets coming out later this month qualify.) Amazon.com is probably the big fish for internet buying, tho there are smaller outfits like deepdiscountdvd.com and bestprices.com that have lower prices and less-consistent customer service. (The early days of the DVD player coincided with the go-go days of the .com boom. Back in 1999 you could find plenty of retailers that were happy to knock the new release price down to $20--most retail prices were closer to $30 then--and then given you a coupon for $10 or $15 just to get you as a customer. My personal biggest score was 3 DVDs for $1 incl. shipping during 800.com's grand opening sale just before Christmas 1998.) Check out www.netflix.com and www.greencine.com. Netflix is the net-rental equivalent of Blockbuster (without the evil policies). Greencine is the net-rental equivalent of the quirky little video store owned by the film school dropout--they may not happen to have Police Academy XVII in stock, but they have tons of foreign and indie releases. Netflix probably has faster service if you have more mainstream tastes, but both offer a free trial period for first-time customers. Last edited by SteveDallas; 10-12-2003 at 12:53 PM.

10-12-2003, 04:09 PM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	There is of course always the hell represented by the Columbia House DVD Club, if you don't mind sending back those little cards (or making the phonecall to the 800 number) and trying to figure out various special promotion deals. Critic's Choice Video is pretty good. I've been shopping with them since before they had an online incarnation. Big catalog, many cheap videos and dvds. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

10-13-2003, 10:24 AM	#5
Tobiasly hot Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Jeffersonville, IN (near Louisville) Posts: 892	If you've registered with their website, Columbia House now sends you an email a few days before the monthly selection ships, with a one-click link to decline. I guess they've grown tired of paying all that return postage!

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