If you have read my long posts before you know how I love comparisons. I thought it was about time I did some value checking on movies. I've picked a few popular services available to all Canadians. Let's talk price, value and expectations for each.
The Movie Network (Cable and Satellite)
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Cost is the most prohibitive factor here and I will get to that in a second. The Movie Network has awesome selection including some great series and near-new releases for movies. Also, they deserve a plus for the amount of Canadian content they carry. I would have scored The Movie Network a lot lower except for the OnDemand service you get included with it. No longer restricted to watching the programming schedule you can select which features you want on your own timeline. Find out more here. TMN might not be available where you are but with some national competitors like the Super Channel there is always something similar available.
Now let's talk cost. At $20 for the service you also need to have a basic digital package with most service providers. For what you get it's good but looking at other options makes you want more value.
Netflix
My Rating: 5 out of 5
For $8 a month (plus the cost of at least a 5mbps Internet connection) and you can stream all the movies the carry for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The value is great but the selection has it's naysayers and it's champions. Personally, I love the choices. Of course it isn’t the newest of the new but for the vast library of television shows this service has is worth the cost of entry alone. Just this last week I enjoyed Paranormal Activity 1 and 2, hours of sketch comedy shows (while folding laundry), and watched my wife squeal in excitement at the availability of every episode of the classic 90210.
Throw in popular shows like Mad Men and Stargate, Stand-Up Comedy, and tons of kids features and I'd be willing to pay over double what I do now for this good stuff.
You can get Netflix on your computer, video games console (even works on the Wii), Tablet and even some smartphones.
Blockbuster The Video Store
My Rating: 1 out of 5
The local video store was a staple when I was a kid. You could rent a movie for a buck and return it the next day. Free popcorn to eat while you browse and staff that knew how to recommend a good flick. While I am sure there are still small corners of the country where these still exist the model of the video store has shifted. A single movie rental is half the cost of ownership and you take the chance of the movie you want not being in stock.
I can no longer recommend the video store as a viable option but if you have a small location you like to support please give me your thoughts in the comments.
Online Video Stores (iTunes, PSN, xBox)
My Rating: 4 out of 5
While the prices vary between online movie retailers I find that it's kind of like eBook comparison shopping ; while a few popular titles might be cheaper now, overall you will end up at the same total down the road. These online locations offer renatls starting at about $2 for tv shows, $4 for classic movies and about $6 to $10 for high-definition new releases.
To be honest, I find renting digital content weird. You pay for something you don't actually hold in your hand and you have to stop watching in 24 hours. I guess you could make a similar argument about buying digital movies.
The high rating? Convenience.
Pirating Movies
My Rating: How can you rate free stuff?
Of course this has to be mentioned. The prevelance of this activity in Canada tells me a lot of the saavy smartcanucks readers are downloading their content. Torrents, Newsgroups and sharing use to be a regular thing for me but the invention of movie streaming via PS3 and Netflix has eliminated my desire. Recent experience has shown me that I really wanted convenience in entertainment not a 100% discount.
I love discussion please add to my reviews below. How do you get your movies?
