A Product Service System: Peerflix
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09.20.05
Over the past year Netflix, and more recently Blockbuster, have both become so popular that almost everyone you talk to is signed up for their services. However, a new company called Peerflix might give them a good run for their money. Launched by two friends in California, Peerflix has been around for about a year now but in the past few months alone their user number has grown to about 40,000. Billy McNair, co-founder of Peerflix, said that the company’s research shows that 60% of the 4 billion discs sold over the past eight years were only watched twice. The difference between Peerflix and the other online services is this: Peerflix is a trading platform.
Now we did have to read through this a few times but we've realized this is a great way to get rid of DVD's we longer watch but at the same time see the latest ones as well. Users make two lists, a “haves” list and a “wants” list. For 99 cents a trade users can swap discs with other users and either keep that disc or swap it again. Just like other online services Peerflix provides a mailing label and shipping envelopes, however, users do have to pay the postage. With DVD sales expected to hit $21 million in 2006 and up to $29 million by 2009, this is one product service system that we might have to consider “swapping” our current service for. Via ::Yahoo News ::Peerflix
So. What do I do with the plastic packaging I don't ship off when I mail a DVD to someone? All that fancy packaging becomes waste. (Even if I re-use the case, the labels and pictures and papers go to the bin.)
If most DVDs are watched only twice, we all need to stop buying DVDs!
I actually started peerflix and it is worderful.
Oh yeah those plastic packaging (empty DVD case)
i reuse by placing in them the DVDs i receive.
I basically just search for the covers and insert on the net and print them on the other side of the covers.
I've written a bit about my experiences so far with Peerflix at http://foo.ca/wp/?tag=peerflix
I was suspicious of the quality of service that could be expected from what amounts to a Peer To Peer System not much different from Kazaa or other P2P systems. You're stuck relying on other people to log in and go to the effort of sending DVDs to you... it's not a business relationship, so there's no direct motivation to be quick or efficient.
The system needs work, but I've managed to recieve about 10 discs, watched them, and sent many of them along to others. Thankfully some of the duds (Oceans Eleven) were requested from me right away so I'm not stuck with them; it's like playing "Hot Potato" as a kid... don't get stuck with the bad movie when the music stops.
As for the cases, the paper and cardboard can hit recycling, and the plastic shells can be used for holding CDs, DVD-Rs, etc; especially if you send discs to friends, etc; they're a lot more durable to mail than jewel cases. Most people will be able to survive in the Peerflix system for a long while by sending in a dozen discs, so you're not going to be stuck with hundreds of cases...
There's another site that is similar but you can trade dvds, cds and video games and it's free...
http://www.switchdiscs.com
jay