Netflix recently changed the price it will charge for its services. This has caused a whole lot of people to become extremely upset. If you are among the angered masses, then you might want to check out some of these inexpensive alternatives to Netflix.
This week Netflix changed the prices on their subscriptions. Previously, customers were paying $9.99 per month to get DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming of movies to their TV or computer. Starting on September 1, 2011, Netflix is splitting things up. You can pay $7.99 per month to get DVDs sent to you in the mail, or your can pay $7.99 for unlimited streaming. If you want both, you will be charged $15.99.
Naturally, there are a lot of current Netflix customers who are unhappy about being charged double in order to continue to get both of the options that they are getting right now. If this describes you, or if you feel that the new Netflix pricing system is too expensive, there are other options. You can save money on entertainment with alternatives to Netflix.
Blockbuster is offering it’s own subscription plan. People who sign up for it before September 15, 2011, will get a 30 day free trial. Once the free trial ends, you can choose from three options. Get one disc at a time for $11.99, two at at time for $16.99 or three at a time for $19.99. Those prices are per month. Blockbuster will send you movies, games, or blu- ray rentals directly to your mailbox.
You can also rent from Blockbuster without signing up for a subscription. Blockbuster Direct Access is something new. Choose from over 100,000 titles of movies online, (or in the store). The website will tell you the price for renting that movie or game for seven days. The disc will be sent to you by mail. You can think of this as an “a-la-cart” way of renting movies.
In order to give that a try, you have to give Blockbuster your name, mailing address, and email address. You also have to give them your credit card number. You won’t be charged until you decide to rent something. This could work well for people who only watch movies occasionally, and prefer to have those discs sent to them by mail.
Is there a Blockbuster Express near where you live or shop? You can get a free DVD rental from the Blockbuster Kiosk if you use a free code. These are good through July 15, 2011: 79CMEA5, 49MLBJ2, 43MDEB6, 46ZGDB9, 38EHJR9, 56KBDJ9, 79NCRP5, 85VHAP3, 73SVEM2. These types of freebie codes tend to appear periodically, so I would expect that there will be more coming soon to replace the expired ones. You can use one code per credit card.
If you prefer to stream movies and TV shows, you could try huluPLUS. They will give you a one week free trial to check out their services. After the trial ends, you will pay $7.99 per month for unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows in their collection. Students can get a free one month trial if they sign up with their .edu email address.
Image by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar on Flickr