So you want to join the masses and rent your movies and DVDs online huh? And you don’t know where to start? Well, there are plenty of options out there after all. Just to name a few of the many, you can choose from Netflix, Blockbuster, Intelliflix, and Gameznflix. They all offer different features and benefits, as well as different selections and prices. Don’t worry, I’ll try to make your choice a little easier.
Movie and DVD rental companies began offering their services online in 1998, with Netflix leading the way. They were the first in the US to offer the basic business model of:
o Customer joins and then creates a queue of movies they want to rent
o DVDs are mailed to the customer
o Customer returns DVDs when done with them
Generally, the number of DVDs mailed to the customer depends on the service plan purchased. The more expensive the plan, the more DVDs can be rented at a time (usually 1-.3 DVDs at a time). Some service plans may also limit the total number of DVDs you can rent in a month, while with others you can rent as many movies as you can watch per month. Plus, you can keep the movie for as long as you want with no expiration dates or late fees.
So that’s the first thing you should think about: how many movies and DVDs do you think you’re going to watch?
o Rarely / A few movies a month: Consider a plan that only rents one or two at a time and may impose a monthly limit. No need to spend more when you won’t see all those movies. Blockbuster has a $9.99 plan that offers unlimited movie rentals, one at a time. Netflix has an identical plan, but also has a $5.99 plan that limits DVD rentals to two per month.
o If you plan to rent a lot of DVDs, consider a better plan that is likely to cost around $20 per month. In general, you will get unlimited monthly DVD rentals with three outputs at a time. This is the type of plan I recommend for the average user.
What else will you want to consider?
o Speed of delivery: Netflix and Blockbuster are the kings of online movie and DVD rentals. They have the most distribution centers, therefore the fastest shipping times. However, Netflix has received a lot of negative press for “speeding up” the speed of DVD deliveries for customers who rent a lot of movies. In other words, the more movies Netflix customers rent, the slower they will arrive in the mail.
o Selection and variety: Netflix and Blockbuster are also kings here. They have been in the game longer and will have more to choose from.
o Game rentals: Interested in video game rentals with your DVD rentals? If so, you will need to opt for Intelliflix or Gameznflix. Intellilix offers game rentals for a higher monthly price. Gameznflix rents video games included in the rental price of the DVD.
o Adult Titles – If you are interested in adult movie titles, your only option is Intelliflix. For an additional cost you can rent adult movie titles there.
Blockbuster offers a new program called Total Access that allows its customers to return DVDs and movies they received in the mail to their neighborhood store. Then they can pick up a new movie or even a video game right away. This is an obvious competitive advantage over Netflix, and you might want to keep this in mind if there’s a Blockbuster store near you.
Netflix responded to Blockbuster’s Total Access by allowing customers to watch on-demand movies streamed through the Netflix website. This service is still new and available only to a limited number of customers and movies. This feature has great potential to keep Netflix at the top of the DVD rental industry and help guide them into the future.
So what will you choose? My personal recommendation is Blockbuster for the Total Access program. When I’m done with the films I received in the mail, I can return them to my local store and pick up a new one right away. I can even choose a video game if I want. I am very interested in Netflix’s streaming video feature, however it is still in its infancy. But in the future it may make Netflix my favorite choice. The other two options (Intelliflix and Gameznflix) have great potential and could be a great service for you, so don’t rule them out.
