iTalkies

[corbie]

I still love ITalkies. They have great service and I have yet to have a problem. I still have Netflix as they have quite a few Hindi movies, my sister watches the Italian and my husband likes blow-em-ups.

[dormeg]

I finally gave in and signed up with iTalkies, and I couldn't be happier! I signed up on Monday and received my DVD on Wednesday. It helps that I only live four hours east of where they're based. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[delia]

Maybe if all of the europeans on this forum got together and requested an office based in, say, Germany (close enough for everyone, hai na?) we could have as fun as you guys? (I haven't bothered to check any of the rental places, guess they don't ship overseas, right? )
*hopeful*

[dormeg]

I couldn't find any specific info on their site about their shipping area, but I just e-mailed them so hopefully they'll get back to me with an answer soon.

[dormeg]

Hi,

At the moment our service is only available in the United States.  Your friend
can check back occasionally on our web site to see our latest offerings and
whether they include Europe.

Thanks
Shaiwal

[delia]

Well thank you! 
Now I'll have to check their website, then...

[Dil Bert]

Maybe if all of the europeans on this forum got together and requested an office based in, say, Germany (close enough for everyone, hai na?) we could have as fun as you guys?

Have all y'all Europeans tried getting LOVEFiLM to carry more Indian films outside the UK? http://www.lovefilm.com/browse/overview.html?node_id=6104

[headless chicken]

To iTalkies users, past and present: when a film in your queue is listed as "short wait" which the site indicates as a 1-2 week wait time, how quickly did you usually receive the short wait films at the top of your queue?

I'm interested in only a select few titles which are all listed as short wait.  Would adding these to my queue with no other less-desired but readily available movies be a sure way to get the films I want even though there is a supposed wait time?  This tactic works with Netflix.  I don't want to add movies I'm not so keen on seeing to my queue and have them immediately in lieu of those longer wait items.  However, I don't want my trial subscription to go to waste either.  Kindly advize.

[etu]

Dor was on long-wait, and we got it immediately because it was on the top of our list. So, I would risk your tactic and not add movies you don't want to see. Perhaps, as a fail-safe, you could add a low-priority movie to the bottom.

[corbie]

When one says short wait, I just put another one I want to see at the top. Since they are so very cheap and such a wonderful service, they get my money. I see how much they charge me, how much the postage is and sometimes I will hang onto them a couple of days extra so they will make some money from me.  I don't want them to go away!

[Dil Bert]

[...] sometimes I will hang onto them a couple of days extra so they will make some money from me.

Corbie is responsible for your short wait. 

A year like this, with a bunch of films one doesn't really want to own, is when a rental service seems the most valuable.

[headless chicken]

Thanks for the heads up, etu.  I'm going to go minimalist on my queue for now.  It doesn't help that tomorrow is a postal holiday, but I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

corbie, if you sign up with Blockbuster Online, you don't have to worry about hanging on to the movies for an extended period of time.  Unlike Netflix, I haven't experienced throttling from BB.  In fact, this summer I saw an amazing 1 day turnaround time which led to about 26 rentals/month!  Kudos to BB and their excellent service to consumers.

[corbie]

I haven't checked this thread for awhile due to an injury and illness, all going away now, and spending all my time watching movies. Blockbuster on line? Oh my. I already belong to two rentals. My husband now has a tendency to order stuff off of Netflix now that he figured out what all he could see! I will have to  look. We are such die hard watch movies all the time types it is scary. I think it could count as an addiction. Is there a recovery group? But do I want to go into recovery? Nope.

[Dil Bert]

Pre-register For Free Service
https://www.italkies.com/FreePreReg.aspx

A Vision: Freeing the South Asian DVD Rental Industry
http://italkies.blogspot.com/2008/01/vision-freeing-south-asian-dvd-rental.html

With the "Free DVD Rentals Forever!", we will make movies on original DVDs available to our customers at no cost. This is unlike any service in the world. There is no duration after which the service will turn into a paying service. There is no requirement to refer friends and family to continue to get free movies. You just simply get free movies! You will get free movies from the time you sign up. We will only stop sending you free movies only if you ask us to.


No idea what this is about, though I hope it's not ad-filled DVDs.

[corbie]

I just got the same notice. I sent it to my husband to decipher. It seems to say on line. I don't like watching movies on a computer so I am not sure what it is all about. I like putting a DVD into my player and watching the film on my 57 inch tv.

[corbie]

What the hey. I went and signed up anyway. Even though I have no clue what I just signed up for! 

[Dil Bert]

I like putting a DVD into my player and watching the film on my 57 inch tv.

There are ways to hook a PC up to your TV.  Some video cards have the right connectors.  Some PCs are sold pre-packaged to do the job, called HTPCs, Home Theater PCs.

[corbie]

Hopefully whatever it is he can put it on a DVD for me to play on my TV. I bought that tv in 2001 and I am still waiting for buyers remorse to happen.

[tanya]

What the hey. I went and signed up anyway. Even though I have no clue what I just signed up for! 

I did too. Seems safe enough since they ask for minimal personal information (i.e. not my street address).

The survey listed Joost and the iTunes store as sources for Indian movies -- there are Indian movies on Joost and the iTunes store?

[filmifan]

The survey listed Joost and the iTunes store as sources for Indian movies -- there are Indian movies on Joost and the iTunes store?

that particular question was asking what sources you use to view both Indian and English films.


i'm so behind with this...just happened to check that particular Inbox today and saw the e-mail. it sounds to me like iTalkies will still be sending DVDs--at least for the time being. but besides wondering about how this is financially feasible for them, i also wonder if it's a direct response to the recent Netflix and Apple announcements (Netflix allowing instant viewing via PC of its entire catalogue and Apple going with movie rentals via iTunes). the timing can't be coincidence.

i recently started watching internet content on my HDTV via my laptop...haven't tried out Netflix yet though. but i'm all for online streaming, especially with iTalkies, because its mail turn-around rate is not that great for me. although i'd like special features to be made available as well.

[Andromache]

So I signed up for this just this week, and I've been impressed so far. They got my DVDs to me faster even than Nehaflix and they have a very good selection. I recommend this site.

[corbie]

To iTalkies users, past and present: when a film in your queue is listed as "short wait" which the site indicates as a 1-2 week wait time, how quickly did you usually receive the short wait films at the top of your queue?

I'm interested in only a select few titles which are all listed as short wait.  Would adding these to my queue with no other less-desired but readily available movies be a sure way to get the films I want even though there is a supposed wait time?  This tactic works with Netflix.  I don't want to add movies I'm not so keen on seeing to my queue and have them immediately in lieu of those longer wait items.  However, I don't want my trial subscription to go to waste either.  Kindly advize.

I am always getting movies when my old ones return even though it  always saying short wait. The only exceptions so far are a Govinda  movie and a Shammi Kapoor. Both old, no subs. Would whoever has them please return them???

[corbie]

I have to take my last statement back. I think maybe they are growing fast. I now have about 8 on short wait. Two have now been that way for several months. So my queue is wait, not released yet, out of stock etc.

[phul]

I am thinking of subscribing to this service, but I am not 100% clear on how it works.  From what I understand, you pick a plan for 1, 2, or 3 DVDs at a time, and then you are charged per DVD, per day you have it, up to your maximum monthly charge, correct?  So then if you went a whole month w/o renting a movie, would you not be charged at all?

[johndeeevans]

I am thinking of subscribing to this service, but I am not 100% clear on how it works.  From what I understand, you pick a plan for 1, 2, or 3 DVDs at a time, and then you are charged per DVD, per day you have it, up to your maximum monthly charge, correct?  So then if you went a whole month w/o renting a movie, would you not be charged at all?

This is how it works for me.  I have the 2 out at a time long distance plan.  It costs me $10 per month regardless of how many movies I watch a month, zero or a dozen. 

For example, let's say iTalkies sends me the top two DVDs on my list that are available on September 1st.  They will arrive around September 5th.  I will send disk 1 back on the 8th and disk two back on the 10th.  They will get disk 1 around the 12th and send me disk 3 which will arrive home around the 16th.  They will get disk 2 around the 14th and send me disk 4 which will arrive home around the 18th.  I will watch disk 3 and then send it back about the 19th.  They will receive disk 3 around the 23rd and send me disk 5 which will arrive home around the 27th.  Disk 4 will be mailed back around the 22nd and iTalkies will receive it around the 26th.   They will send me disk 6 which will arrive around the 30th.   By then I will have watched disk 5 and sent it back.  So in a typical month I will have watched 5 movies and have a 6th waiting for me.  At the end of September, I will be billed $9.99.  It works out to an average of $2 per movie.  But if I am busy in September and only watch 1 movie, I will still owe 9.99.