Smartflix.com

[groomporter]

I just had a friend tell us about http://smartflix.com/ It's like Netflix only it's all "how-to" DVDs on all sorts of crafts and skills, and like Netflix you can keep the DVD as long as you like, and they give you a pre-paid mailer to return it. Anyone try it? Might be worth checking out.

[groomporter]

Correction. It looks like it may be $9.99/per week rental if I read it correctly.

[Magister]

Groomporter:

  I think you're right on the $9.99 a week.  The text of their "How it works" page is:

How it Works

SmartFlix is a service that rents video DVDs - just like your corner video store... but we rent the kind of videos that you can't find on every street corner. Videos on running lathes, making glass beads, welding steel, oil painting, building guitars... cool videos!

Rent online, at any time of day, and get the videos shipped straight to you (with return postage included free!).

Here's how regular rentals work:

   1.

      From a web page, you select which videos you want to rent, and then click "secure checkout". (By clicking "secure checkout" you signal that you agree to the terms and conditions of this service).

      Most videos are just $9.99 each (a few are more), per week. All multi-dvd sets of videos are discounted.
   2.

      SmartFlix will send you the video in a cardboard mailer (there is no shipping charge!).
   3.

      You get to watch the video for one week, then you put the video back in the cardboard mailer, stick a pre-printed return-address and return-postage label on the mailer, and drop it in the mail (no stamps needed! Your initial payment covers everything!)

      (Here's what we mean by "one week": If the video arrives at your address on a Wednesday, you must put it in the mail on or before the following Wednesday).

If you have other questions about how regular rentals work, check out our help section.
SmartFlix Universities

You can add a SmartFlix University to your shopping cart and check out.

Each SmartFlix University is a tailored course of DVDs to give you a new skill at a super-discounted price.

For a low monthly fee, you get up to 3 new dvds in your chosen subject area each month. Keep them as long as you want. Return them, and get more.

If you have other questions about how SmartFlix Universities work, check out our university help section.

However, for the subject matters they cover, a video (or set collection of DVDs) for $9.99 isn't bad.  This is stuff you usually can't rent, and can cost well over $50.00 to buy if you can even find it.  Shoot, consider Blockbuster is $7.00 a week for new releases.  It's not Netflix value, but good luck finding "How to ...." on there.

I've never used the service, but you know I think I may give it a try here when I get some time to actually work on something enjoyable.

Good find ... thanks for sharing!

  - Mag

[jcbanner]

It sounds good, but at nearly $10 a week, I'll rather spend the $50 apiece and own a handful of videos that I can keep as a resource for repeated use.  But then again, there's not much you cant find on youtube if you want a video tutorial. 

(I rarely rent anymore, I'll watch whats on tv or something I own.)

If anyone tries it out though, keep us updated. I could be completely wrong about the value of this.

[Magister]

jc:

  I don't know about you, but 80% of what I've ever found on YouTube is either completely wrong, or just so poorly explained / recorded etc. that it's virtually useless.  There are gems in the rough though.

  As for the spending $50 bucks versus the $10 a week, I can see the point.  I might consider using it the same way I use blockbuster for video games - try it before I buy it.  I'd rather know the video I'm getting is worth it and pay the extra ten bucks, then waste the fifty on garbage.  Otherwise, for the more unscrupulous of us, there is always the **cough** "copy DVD" option too.

  - Mag

[groomporter]

I was looking through a few of the videos and I think one of the big things is to read the customer reviews before ordering one unless you -really- are looking to learn something.

[jcbanner]

jc:

  I don't know about you, but 80% of what I've ever found on YouTube is either completely wrong, or just so poorly explained / recorded etc. that it's virtually useless.  There are gems in the rough though.

  As for the spending $50 bucks versus the $10 a week, I can see the point.  I might consider using it the same way I use blockbuster for video games - try it before I buy it.  I'd rather know the video I'm getting is worth it and pay the extra ten bucks, then waste the fifty on garbage.  Otherwise, for the more unscrupulous of us, there is always the **cough** "copy DVD" option too.

  - Mag

True enough about the bad videos online, but I have found some really good ones when I want to spend the time looking.  More often then not though, I'll know specifically what I'm looking for, so that helps.

I don't know why I didn't consider that "try before you buy" aspect. I do the same with video games on occasion.