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Post by geometryman on Aug 15, 2017 6:42:23 GMT
The end of an era that for me started in 2004 with an outfit called Qflicks - a postal alternative to Blockbuster - which then successively became Dvds365, Lovefilm and finally Amazon, who now tell me:
"We have very much enjoyed delivering the LOVEFiLM By Post service to you. However, over the last few years we’ve seen a decreasing demand for DVD and Blu-ray rental as customers increasingly move to streaming. Due to this, we will be closing the LOVEFiLM By Post service on 31st October 2017."
Some people are naturally upset, but the writing has been on the wall for a while. What I've noticed over the last year or so is that not so many recent films have been making it into the Lovefilm list, and the ones that did weren't there very long before they were available to stream anyway. Titles used to be available by post quite a long time before being offered for streaming, which is one thing that made the service attractive. Their "new DVD releases" lately seem increasingly to be old films, or lesser known ones that never made it into cinemas.
Lovefilm has been quite good for foreign subtitled films and TV series, and I'll miss that because they generally aren't easy to find elsewhere.
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Post by marion on Aug 15, 2017 9:05:27 GMT
I'm fed up about it! I have used Lovefilm for years. I am not really confident about streaming to the TV (and my PC is useless). I have sent off for an Amazon Firestick using the £15 discount code you get as compo for losing the service, but will probably join Cinema Paradiso which still does a postal service. Part of the LF fee was for Amazon Prime Video after the takeover which I have hardly ever used. For a bit more you can upgrade that to include the parcel delivery service. I never realised that until reading up on all this so I may well do that.
Like you I have noticed the increasing delay before you can add a new film to your rental list, well just reserve it for as and when it is released. And I hardly ever book a new blockbuster. These delays got far worse after Amazon took over IMHO, hoping we would cave in and buy no doubt!
I have printed off my very lengthy rental list (which includes many French films) as I will have to reinput them when I join cinema paradiso.
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Post by geometryman on Aug 15, 2017 19:47:26 GMT
Thanks for the tip Marion! - hadn't thought of Cinema Paradiso, which I'll now try.
I have an Amazon Fire TV stick already, and I'm very pleased with it. It comes with a simple little remote, and (it says) it tests your broadband speed and sets the quality of what it streams you to the max. that can handle. One thing I particularly like, is if you pause a film or TV episode it pops up with a list of all the characters in that particular scene, the actors playing them and little pictures of them so you know which is which.
I pay the once-a-year fee for the full Amazon Prime service, I think it's worth it. As well as Prime Video and free next day delivery on a lot of your shopping, there are other perks thrown in - Prime Music, & Prime Reading (books & mags.) for instance which I haven't actually tried yet.
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Post by marion on Aug 15, 2017 21:03:59 GMT
Glad to be of help. I joined CP today and spent HOURS inputting my LF rental list! What a pain. I am glad you like your firestick, mine has been despatched and I have upgraded my Amazon Prime. Of course, being an idiot, I upgraded after ordering the firestick! I even saw a CP FAQ saying is there an automated way of uploading my LF list! I think they will be inundated as not everyone gets the service to be able to stream movies without endless buffering.
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Post by marion on Aug 16, 2017 15:10:32 GMT
G-man the firestick has arrived and I have actually managed to instal it! Yay! I haven't actually watched anything on it, just found the iplayer and itv hub etc and opened the odd show just to test it is working. My remote also has Alexa so you can tell it to find X rather than scrolling. However after my nightmare last night which woke me at 4.30 I am shattered so will not be experimenting further, LOL. Still I am pleased that on the rare occasion I might use iplayer I can watch on the TV rather than the PC. CInema Paradiso have activated my account so I am now inundated with viewing options!!
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Post by geometryman on Aug 17, 2017 12:16:25 GMT
I've signed up for Cinema Paradiso and copied my list over now, also cancelled Lovefilm so they don't bill me one more time before it closes.
I watch iplayer and all the other channels' players via my Fire TV stick. As well as the BBC, ITV, C4 & C5 ones I've set up UKTV Play (for Dave, Yesterday, Really & Drama channels) and STV (limited choice because I'm not in Scotland).
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Post by marion on Aug 17, 2017 12:36:07 GMT
If you cancel Lovefilm how long do you have before you return their discs? I have three here I still need to watch and it won't be this week at the rate I'm going!
Just answered my own question and cancelled. I can use these discs as long as I get them back from 04/10.
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Anymore to come?
