Netflix subscribers are still stinging from the news that the company will soon change its pricing and plans. Those who want to continue to rent one disc a month and enjoy instant streaming face a rate increase of 60%. In fact, many customers are threatening to drop the service, and have launched numerous Facebook pages encouraging other subscribers to do the same.
Misery certainly loves company. However, misery probably loves a freebie even better. Enter Blockbuster. The company just announced a nationwide promotion to try to woo Netflix subscribers to switch to Blockbuster Total Access.
"Blockbuster quickly responded to the cries of Netflix customers," said Michael Kelly, president of Blockbuster. "Blockbuster Total Access is Netflix 'without the wait.' The combination of DVDs by mail and unlimited in-store exchanges provides more than 100 million people living near Blockbuster stores immediate convenience and unparalleled choice."
For a limited time, if you sign up for one of the company's two Total Access plans, you'll get a 30-day free trial. After that, $9.99 per month will sign you into the one disc at a time rental option. If you're interested in two discs at once, that's $14.99 per month.
The catch? The Blockbuster plan is still $2 per month higher than Netflix's upcoming one-DVD plan, after the pricing change. However, Blockbuster does have its own advantages.
First, there's availability. According to Blockbuster, Blockbuster Total Access offers many new releases 28 days before Netflix. Also, you can turn those new releases around for more new releases (or older releases), via any Blockbuster store. Another nifty perk is that the Blockbuster Total Access program includes game rentals. That means that in between movies, you can check out titles for the Xbox 360, Playstation3, and Nintendo Wii.
Also, most important to everyone here at Big Picture Big Sound: Blockbuster does not charge an additional fee for Blu-ray movies. And we like the sound (and the looks) of that! Adding the Blu-ray option to Netflix adds $2/month which puts it right at parity with Blockbuster's one disc at a time offering, but without Blockbuster's local exchange option.
If you're interested in making the switch, visit Blockbuster's website or take the tear-off from your most recent Netflix mailer into any participating Blockbuster store. The free month offer only applies to existing Netflix customers. Blockbuster says that this offer is good through September 15, 2011.
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