PC Magazine spent some using Peerflix
, the online DVD exchange, and settled on a 3.5/5 review. Peerflix allows you to unload discs you no longer want in exchange for Peerbux (quantity based on the relative value of a movie) which are then used to purchase other DVDs. Since there are no subscription fees, Peerflix hopes to make money off the 99 cent charge per trade. They’re still offering a free DVD to promote their service.
Exchange models have always fascinated me, but I’m pretty happy with my current situation… An unlimited amount of DVDs come in from Netflix and movies I own are unloaded via Amazon or ebay when it’s convenient. I have to say it does seem like Peerflix has made it pretty quick and simple to fire off movies, but I still worry about incoming disc quality. Anyone using it?
PC Mag says: Building your list of discs to unload is easy. Simply input their UPC codes (found on the back of the DVD boxes. Unlike the similar service SwitchDiscs, with Peerflix you don’t specify what you’ve included (the case, the artwork, and so on); it’s assumed that you’re including the main movie disc and nothing else—not the box, not the extra discs, not the booklets. One of my discs, Sin City, was requested immediately. I clicked on Mail It Now, printed out the custom envelope on a regular 8.5-by-11 piece of paper (which had my return address and the user’s mailing address all ready to go), folded it around the disc, and sealed it with the disc inside. Then I put a 39-cent stamp on it (69 cents is required for two discs) and mailed it off. Presto—as soon as I committed to sending the DVD, I received three Peerbux and the chance to get another movie.
I’ve been a member since January 2005 and I find it pretty useful. I don’t use it to “rent” movies, I use it to exhange DVD’s I’ll never watch again or shouldn’t have bought in the first place. I traded a fullscreen copy of a movie I accidentally bought for the widescreen version and it only cost me one dollar.
Originally there was a real problem ever getting people to request or send DVD’s because there wasn’t enough people using the service. Now it’s much more active, but it’s also now seemingly full of people trying to unload unplayable discs. Of the last four DVD’s sent to me, two were completely unplayable at several points in the movie, one was the wrong version of the movie, and one never showed up. Fortunately the “PeerSafe Protection” program works, it’s just annoying to have to deal with it so often.
I agree with Brian. I get alot of scratched disks. You have to wonder what some of the people do with them, use them as coasters? I also have had alot of missing disks.