thePULSEYour DVD is in the mail…
Online rental services make getting the movie you want even easier
October 2004 – What would be the ultimate way to watch a movie at home? How about using a killer search engine to search a database of every movie ever made, select the flick you want and start watching. Unfortunately, the internet isn’t quite there yet, so you’ll have to make do with the next best thing.
So what is the next best thing? It certainly isn’t driving to the rental shop hoping that something decent is left on the shelves. Pay-per-view is getting better with many movies to pick from and the ability to start a movie when you want. But the selection offered at any one time is still limited and you only have 24 hours to finish watching the movie.
A much better “next best thing” is DVD rental services. You pay a monthly subscription fee, select the movies you want and get them in the U.S. Mail. You can have two to eight movies out at the same time and keep them out as long as you want. When you’re finished with a movie, you just put it into its postpaid envelope and pop it back into the mail. While snail mail is certainly lacking in the instant gratification department, having multiple DVDs out at the same time and no time limit on their return means you always have one or two new movies on hand.
The big providers in the online DVD rental business are Netflix, Walmart and Blockbuster. Netflix is the biggest player with over two million subscribers and over 25,000 titles. They have 27 distribution centers, including one right here in Worcester that has over 90,000 DVDs in stock.
If you are a heavy user and like only new release blockbusters, you may run into a wait period with Netflix. On your queue, it will say “now available,” “short wait,” “long wait” or “very long wait.” I haven’t run into that very much, but I tend to rent some pretty obscure movies. I often get my next batch of DVDs only two days after my mailman picked up the last batch!
Walmart and Blockbuster are recent entries into the field and both offer better pricing than Netflix. Blockbuster also has over 25,000 titles to select from, while Walmart offers a more limited selection. I don’t know if Walmart includes movies it deems “objectionable.” Remember: they don’t sell “Parental Advisory” CDs. Neither Walmart nor Blockbuster have as many distribution centers as Netflix, and neither lists a Worcester distribution center, so you may encounter longer turnaround times.
Of course, the big three aren’t the only game in town. There are smaller operations that offer similar services and pricing, such as DVD Barn and DVD Avenue. There are also sites that cater to niche markets, such as GreenCine that specializes in indie and arthouse flicks. Look around and see what fits your needs, but remember that NetFlix is hiring your neighbor here in Worcester.
