A Comparison of Online DVD Plans

Online DVD rentals are becoming more and more popular. We see banner ads on the websites we visit, as well as TV and radio ads. All of the plans provide DVDs delivered to your home, but not every plan does it the same way. Some plans send DVDs from a warehouse, some allow you to go to a local store, and others allow you to swap DVDs with other members.

By far, the most common plan is DVDs rented and delivered from a company’s warehouse. Netflix, DVD Avenue, and Intelliflix are just three of the companies that provide this service. One you are a member of the company, you select the DVDs that you wish to view and those titles are shipped directly to your home. Once you are finished with them, you return the DVD’s in the prepaid envelopes that came with the DVDs. Once the company receives those titles, they will ship the next one to you. The program is easy to understand and a favorite of many customers. There are some things to keep on mind with this style of plan. You must wait for DVDs to arrive, usually by US Mail. This means any non delivery days, like Sundays and holidays, will delay you DVDs arrival. A DVD can get lost in the mail when being shipped to you or back to the company. Most companies will not penalize you if this happens, but it will further delay getting the title you want.

The only way to avoid these delays is by choosing a plan that allows you to also visit a local store. Blockbuster is the leader is this option. The Blockbuster model starts out the same as the others, you sign up online, choose movies, and they arrive for you to watch. From there, you can send movies back via mail or you may exchange the movies instore at your local Blockbuster. This is especially handy when you need a movie immediately. The number of times you can swap movies in store is limited each month and is determined by your plan. Also, this feature does cause Blockbuster’s plans to be a little more expensive than comparable plans from other companies.

If you would rather buy movies than rent, swapping sites like Peerflix may be for you. Peerflix is not a DVD rental company. Rather, they host a database that members create and edit. Members list titles that they have for sale and titles that they would like. Members then send DVDs to each other using printable envelopes from Peerflix. When the movie arrives, you own it; it never has to be returned. Of course if you send a movie to someone, you will also never get that movie back. This model appeals to many, though some do not like the idea of having to give up movies that they bought.

Whatever model you choose depends on you personal likes and dislikes. If you don’t mind waiting a couple of days, traditional online DVD rental plans are the best choice. If you need the ability to have movies today, choose a plan associated with a local store. If you are looking to keep the movies you receive and want to purge your titles, then choose a DVD swap plan.