Product Review & Comparison: Netflix vs Blockbuster

We started using Netflix a few years back when the cost was about $25 a month. Then for some reason (yeah, we fell for the marketing) we switched to the Blockbuster DVD rental program. I'm not really sure that we had a good reason to switch since Netflix was working for us. We ended up going back to them because the movie selection there seemed to suit us better.

To be fair, both have the latest releases but we didn't like having to drive to the store to drop off the disks. I understand the program has changed now & you can either mail back or come into the store to drop off & recieve a free in-store exchange (non-new rental).

Netflix pioneered the "Instant Download" for the masses, even ahead of Hulu. We bought a converter from Radio Shack & started streaming the movies to our TV. Loved it! Now there's a product called a Roku that sells for about $99 that makes it even more convenient. Just add movies to your Instant Watch queue via the internet, then connect the Roku to the TV of your choice to watch anything in your queue. The Roku does need to be connected to the internet either with or without a wire. The best thing of all is how portable it is. Take it with you when you travel. Right now we have 166 films in our Instant Watch queue & 62 in the DVD at Home queue. Roku also gives you instant access to Amazon Video on Demand & MLB.com on Demand. I plan on buying at least one Roku to give as a Christmas present. Yep, it's that good. As I frequently tell my students, I love it when technology actually works the way it should.


Here's our current queue:

10/20 You watched The Dark Ages
10/14 We shipped The End of Suburbia
10/14 We received What a Way to Go
10/12 You watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
10/10 You watched 10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix
10/10 You watched South Park: Ssn 4: Probably

As you can see we're using the Instant Watch feature more than the DVD feature, even though the turnaround through the mail is really fast in the Asheville area. We learned recently that there is a Netflix warehouse in Arden so that explains the quick turnaround.

Some info on Blockbuster:

Watch on TV—use TIVO DVR, Samsung Blue Ray, or the 2Wire MediaPoint Set Top Box , the answer to the Roku. It sells for $99 & includes credit for 25 movies, which is a great deal. One thing I do like about this device is that you can search & order titles onscreen, which the Roku still lacks. Here's the big problem with it however, everything you watch will cost you-at least $1.99 per video. That makes this a non-option for me.

Monthly Plans

Blockbuster by Mail:

1 DVD at a time $8.99
2 DVD’s at a time $13.99
3 DVD’s at a time $16.99

Blockbuster by mail + 5 in-store exchanges per month

1 DVD at a time $11.99
2 DVD’s at a time $16.99
3 DVD’s at a time $19.99

Netflix Plans:

1 DVD out at a time + unlimited instant watching $8.99
2 DVD’s out at a time + unlimited instant watching $13.99
3 DVD’s out at a time + unlimited instant watching $16.99
4 DVD’s out at a time + unlimited instant watching $23.99

*Add $2.00 per month for access to the growing library of Blu-ray titles

1 DVD out at a time (limit 2 rentals a month) with 2 hours a month Instant Watch on PC or Mac only (no Roku) $4.99

Starz Play only (no DVD’s, can be used only on PC or Mac) $7.99 per month

The bottom line? Netflix works best for me because I'm not as interested in the "latest greatest" films & I like the simplicity & pricing structure of the their plans. We watch a ton of documentaries & Netflix carries A&E, History Channel, Bravo, IFC, etc., as well as many of the newest titles. The Instant Watch feature is a staple of my day now. I site in front of the computer & stream documentaries. Don't criticize, at least I'm not distracting myself with YouTube all day.

I think the Blockbuster plan has probably improved since we last used it (2 years ago), but as the saying goes--if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Autumn

I love this time of year in Hendersonville. The seasons are so distinct here, each one with a kind of pervasive mood. Randy on the other hand, sees fall as a personal challenge--him against the leaves as they come down. How dare they mess up his perfect yard by falling here?

Links To Help With Your Morris Broadband Problems - Maybe...

I wanted to pass these along so you folks out there can start doing your own research. The first one is to DSL Reports. This is a well-known place to get good (but a bit more technical) info. I am posting a link to a thread entitled "A+ for Morris Broadband". Seems that there are a few Mediacom employees posting anonymously there. Take that for what you will.

Click here for the link. There are plenty of other sites for you to research as well. Just search.

Here is the link to the new official Morris Broadband site, specifically the direct page to report problems. I do like their new site & hope it continues to grow to contain even better info for their customers. I hope the promises of new/better everything come to fruition soon.

At this point I'm going to throw up my hands & walk away in defeat. I have been trying to help my friends/clients for two solid weeks now & haven't been able to really do much for them. The digital phones are still really buggy & I was told by a Morris employee that the phone service was being outsourced from another company & they were working on getting it fixed but didn't really know what or when those issues would be resolved.

I'm also told that the email is being outsourced. No wonder they don't have a handle on this stuff, the ball is out of their court.

I don't know what else to do to help you troubleshoot your email issues & the Morris employess don't know either. I think it's time you seriously considered a Google or Yahoo email account. Or buy a domain from me & set up email that way.

Seems the internet speeds are a bit more stable. Looks like the Hendersonville backbone is being fed out of Asheville & peers with AT&T. Ok, whatever. I don't know when the upload speed is going to be opened up. Right now I'm getting about 470k. Grrr, just what I need. But hey, at least I've got service. Good thing I don't have a business account with a static IP.

I'm told that they are having some routing/service issues. Duh...

To my friends/clients with a sticky IP package--I'm sorry! I wish I could help you. I know you're frustrated & I feel your pain but there's really nothing else I can do. I can't reach them either & after calling for days, showing up at their office, & speaking with every employee I know, I still can't find anybody who will call you back. My suggestion is that you start writing letters & include a copy of your bill in them.

To Morris: what are you thinking? Seriously, it takes more than 2 days to train employees on a brand new software system. And why in the world are you ignoring your business clients? They are paying more per month than your home users. Why would you not return their calls? That just doesn't make sense. And yes, that's the heart of my discontent. I simply don't get the thinking process that says ignoring your highest paying clients will make the problem go away. Maybe that kind of thinking is why Morris Publishing is fighting bankruptcy?

And thanks for the job offer but no thanks. Don't you read my blog?

Would You Wake Them Up?

Me neither.

This is why I didn't make the bed this morning...

Book Reccomendation

I just read "No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog" & am inspired. Now on to putting ideas in motion. I am teaching a blog class for the next 8 weeks at BRCC. Come out & see me!

C'mon Morris Broadband, This Isn't Funny Anymore

Please figure out a way to get in touch with your commercial customers--their problems are not fixed & they still can't reach anyone who is helping them.

These are the small business's in the area that depend on the internet to do business & this is really hurting them.

Just a phone call would make a huge difference I think.

How To Lose A Sale

1. After I repeatedly say "No thanks, we're not ready to buy yet", ask me what my husband does.
2. Ask for my husband's business card because you "have a laptop that really needs some repair work".
3. Call my husband at quitting time on Friday evening & tell him that his wife really wants him to stop by while it's still on sale to take advantage of these great prices...
   

Think it's time for this guy to find another career path...

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

I'm So Classy

Just found out that I'm scheduled for not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 12 classes this spring! I am thrilled, no joke. I'll post them here soon.

Pumpkin Found!

They're 99% sure she was stolen. They have a fenced yard and she isn't an escape artist or wanderer. She's a typical Golden who wants to be with her family and would never leave on her own...

Here's the story. Ashley, the owner, received a call from an older couple several miles away from their house. The couple found Pumpkin several miles further along the road. They think whoever stole her began seeing flyers all over, got scared and... dumped her!

I'm so glad this story ended well : )

Good Deal - Free Will Hoge MP3 on Amazon

Hey there - Amazon is offering a free download (today only) of Will Hoge's release "Even if it breaks your heart", from "The Wreckage". Glad to see he's going to get some good publicity, I'm sure he can use it. The Amazon page is php-driven & it will show up in different areas depending on what your buying preferences are, but when I logged in it was on my front page.

Here's the link.

If that doesn't work, just try searching out his name & the name of the track.

Enjoy!

Missing Golden - Church Hill, TN - Please Help

MISSING GOLDEN RETRIEVER, CHURCH HILL, TENNESSEE (Kingsport area)
1 yr old spayed female - Missing from yard early evening Oct. 6th

PLEASE CONTACT OWNER:
Ashley/Robbie Blevins - 423-357-1979 or 423-956-1976
OR BREEDER:
Jennifer/Ken Workman - 828-891-2648 or 828-606-9808

Call name: PUMPKIN
Blonde coat color, black streak on left ear
Avid Microchip
Wearing a pink collar w/ a diamond pattern - Tag is a heart shape with princess on one side
Location: Church Hill, TN

(they're pretty sure she was stolen from the yard) My friends are heartbroken. Wouldn't you be? Thanks for passing this along.

Raw Food VitaMix Recipe

1 large ripe tomatoe
1 large cucumber
1 stalk celery
16 oz water

Blend on variable/high till smooth. Use this as lunch or use it to work as a light broth for soup.

Enjoy!

Best of YouTube

The last four years of YouTube in 4 minutes...

Warning! Not for the squeamish.

Where's a Good Crowbar When You Need One?

Found out yesterday that the cabinets above the stove are going to have to come down for the drywall to go up. Then we promptly found out that those cabinets were set in with a row of nails instead of screws. What?? Nails? Oy veh, the other cabinets had screws...this is going to be interesting, as the cabinet is about 6 feet wide & heavy, to say the least. It's also in a pretty awkward place for us to move.

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Morris Broadband - More Issues

When I find out about the webmail version with Morris Broadband I promise to post it here. Right now I don't know the answers to your questions.

Meanwhile, click here for another interesting article about Mediacom & Morris Communications.

Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

1 pint blueberries - washed & frozen
1 not too ripe bananna
1 package protein powder of your choice
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp raw vanilla extract
1/4 cup flax seeds
32 oz water
1/3 cup raw agave nectar

Mix water, flax, & sunflower seeds on Med/Hi till smooth (app 1 min)
Add each ingredient one at a time, ending with frozen blueberries

This recipe created a bland, somewhat gritty drink that could have it's taste changed radically with a few spices--maybe cardamom? Anyway, it was very good & relatively low glycemin with the addition of the protein powder.

Enjoy!

The Case for VitaMix, Cooking, & Your Health

I am often asked why I am a Vitamix junkie & am happy to recite my list (yes, it's a list) of reasons. Today while listening to the radio I learned yet another interesting tidbit.

The Journal of Agriculture & Food Chemistry recently published findings from a study showing antioxidant levels in carrots were increased more than 34% when cooked or pureed. Luke Howard, lead author of the study contends "The softening of the carrot tissue allowed phenolics attached to the cell wall to be released".

Levels of antioxidants continued to rise during the first week of storage and then began to fall after 2 weeks in storage. However, antioxidant levels of stored carrots remained higher than that of fresh raw carrots.

Howard explained that reactions that occurred during storage resulted in the formation of new phenolic compounds "with excellent antioxidant activity."

Keeping the outer skin on carrots also boosted antioxidant activity slightly, researchers found.

"Numerous phenolic compounds are located in the (skin) of fruits and vegetables, many of which are removed by peeling steps prior to processing," the study notes.

While the study used cooked carrots, I will point out that jucing or "Vitamixig" (pureeing without cooking) has the same effect as cooking in that it breaks down the cell wall to allow the nutrients out.

The nice thing about using the Vitamix is that if you don't cook the veggies you don't kill the living enzymes & amino acids, you get all the fibre, & it is easy to digest. All the benefits of the vegetables!

Read the article here.