Is Peerflix any good?

June 17, 2004 10:40 PM

I recently signed up for Peerflix, a DVD tradeing service. So far my confidence level is low, seems like a lot of DVDs are listed but not available. Some DVDs (the better ones) require huge amounts of peerbuxs making them dogs for tradeing and difficult to earn enough peerbuxs. Activity level seems low and theres no one home at support and no community support group. Anyone have any experience with it?
posted by stbalbach to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

Netflix is only $20.
posted by the fire you left me at 10:46 PM on June 17, 2004

Response by poster: I prefer Greencine for a rental service.
posted by stbalbach at 10:58 PM on June 17, 2004

What is better about Greencine than Netflix? Why should we users of red go green?
posted by rudyfink at 1:33 AM on June 18, 2004

Greencine has more art-house and non-USian stuff, and a porn section. Those may or may not be reason enough to 'go green.'
posted by ook at 7:41 AM on June 18, 2004

What is better about Greencine than Netflix? Why should we users of red go green?

Depends on what you're looking for: Greencine carries a depth of foreign, anime and artsy/culty inventory. Adult too, if that floats yer boat. Only one distribution point though, so the further you are from San Fran the longer the lead time (we see about 3 days to MI as compared to 1-2 for Netflix). They also ship and receive on Saturday, something that Netflix doesn't do. And they have discussion forums. And amazing customer service.

Basically Greencine's trying to fill a slightly different niche, while still being in semi-competition with Netflix.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 7:44 AM on June 18, 2004

As for Peerflix, I get the same vibe off of it that I get off of E-Gold and Numberslate: an interesting idea that will probably never work properly.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 7:49 AM on June 18, 2004

I don't have any experience with it, but from what I can tell, DVDs are being assigned various values, and presumably you have to do something to accumulate enough value to get one. I find that pretty sketchy, like an ill-conceived attempt to keep the quantity of someone's idea of "chaff DVDs" to a minimum.

You're probably better off just using a mailing list, a bunch of friends, and one of those free DVD library CGI scripts.
posted by majick at 8:12 AM on June 18, 2004

Can you get mainstream stuff from Greencine too? I couldn't really tell from a cursory examination of their site. I love netflix but would definitely want more independent/foreign choices.
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:45 AM on June 18, 2004

Yep, greencine carries mainstream stuff too. Here's a search for Tom Hanks, for instance. Or how about Pauly Shore?

I am a bit of a whore for Greencine.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:42 AM on June 18, 2004