 Your place for top online DVD video rental options... |
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Top Online DVD Rental Service Reviews: Blockbuster - www.blockbuster.com We like Blockbuster as our top pick for a few reasons. We tried the service, and it was pretty good. The delivery was as fast any anyone else, and the selection was better than in the store. The added benefit of getting 2 free rentals each month at a Brick-and-Mortar Blockbuster was a big plus for us. Since we live right down the street, if the mail was a day late, and we really want a movies, we can get it, with no problems. Blockbuster also comes in at the lowest price point. All things being equal, Blockbuster's price gives a few extra dollars in the pocket each month. A good use for those dollars could be an occasion rental purchase, which Blockbuster offers on rentals. Blockbuster seems to be coming out of the gate as the new industry leader in the online DVD delivery market. They are doing what everyone else is doing, but cheaper, and they are rolling out new features all the time. We have heard some rumors that Blockbuster will soon be adding games to the service, and that you will be able to use Brick-and-Mortar stores interchangeably with the online service. That is a cool service. It's got a free trial, so no harm done if you decide you don't like it. top of page Netflix - www.netflix.com No doubt about it, Netflix is a good service. It is a little leaner than Blockbuster on features, but it does beat it on experience and customer base. Netflix basically invented the business of online DVD rental delivery, so you can really trust that they know what they are doing. Since Netflix is fairly well established with distribution centers across the country, you may get slightly fast delivery than Blockbuster in some cases, but not most cases. Netflix offers weekend support by telephone, which is a pretty nice feature, but at the same time kind of useless since the post office is closed. Netflix comes in a few dollars more expensive than Blockbuster, so you are probably paying for those extra distribution centers, and those weekend telephone operators. If you are a big time movie freak, and you have decided that you absolutely need more than 3 rentals at a time, Netflix does have a high volume plan at an increased price. Netflix has a free trial, so you can test out the distribution versus Blockbuster. top of page Walmart - www.walmart.com Walmart comes into the online DVD rental market with the best known brand name, and the best distribution of any retailer out there. The huge upside to Walmart is that you know there will not be any customer service issues, and they will always do what they say they will do. The video selection at Walmart is a little smaller than most others. They do have all the big hits and all the major and minor movies that most people will want to see. Like their brick-and-mortar stores, Walmart only chooses to sell and rent titles that pass their "family" test. Depending on who you are, this can be either a big positive or a big negative. If you are looking to rent for your family, Walmart is a system where you can be sure that if your children log on, they cannot rent inappropriate titles. The general feeling is that Walmart is a good service, and it will be getting much bigger and better as they explore all the possibilities that this new market offers them. Walmart has a free trial, so it might be worth giving them a try before you make your final decision. top of page DVD Overnight - www.dvdovernight.com DVD Overnight is a bit different from the other programs that we have reviewed. DVD Overnight is a rental pay-as-you-go program, available by mail order, through the Internet. DVD Overnight has a little more selection of titles that are not as "family friendly", like some cult classics and adult videos. Depending on your renting habits, DVD Overnight could be a great solution for you. DVD Overnight will be a big winner for you if you are a lower volume renter, or you are a avid purchaser. DVD Overnight offers great prices on purchase DVDs, and great per rental prices. There is no membership fee, or subscription, so if you are planning to be out of town for a few weeks, you don't lose any benfit to wasted fees. The pricing is great, just $2-$ per movie for a seven day rental, shipping included! Remember, because DVD OVernight is not a subscription program, you can use it together with any other subscription program to augment your rentals. The most interesting part ov DVD Overnight is that they are the only service that we can find that will provide customers with Adult titles as part of the plan. There is a wide selection, and the pricing is considerably cheaper than conventional Adult rentals. That being said, the site itself in not offensive, and the service is entirely suitable for everyday use for all genre's. top of page Qwikfliks - www.qwikfliks.com Qwikfliks is a another interesting program. They like to run their business, based out of California, like a small business, so you can expect a greater degree of customer service and satisfaction from Qwikfliks. In return for that extra care, you might, depending on your geographic location, need to wait an extra day to get your deliveries. Qwikfliks does a good job at overcoming the geography problem by using a more innovative program than most other service providers. The "Rapid Return" program; one you place your movie in the mail to return it, you can jump online and let them know. Once they get your notification, they'll send out the next set of movies. That is definitely a service that you cannot get at Blockbuster or Netflix. Qwikfliks offers several levels of membership, each with a different number of simultaneous rentals. Qwikfliks allows you to change your membership each month to align your renting habits with the most cost effective program for that month. That is a pretty cool service! Qwikfliks offers, at an additional $4.95 per month, access to the "Late Night" section. You must get a separate access code to access Late Night titles. top of page |
