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DVD rental has evolved from physical rental shops to mail-in subscription programs like Netflix and Blockbuster. These plans offer unlimited rentals for a monthly fee, but may limit the number of DVDs or have a smaller selection. Local rental shops may offer competitive deals and support the economy.
Renting a DVD invariably meant going to a rental shop to pay 3-4 US Dollars (USD) to rent a single DVD. Renting a DVD usually meant renting it for one night, and some of the smaller shops required large deposits to become a member. While this type of DVD rental is still available, rental shops now rarely require deposits, because DVDs are relatively cheap. Also, most stores have expanded the number of days you can keep a DVD. New releases can be rented for up to seven days at some DVD chain stores.
The expansion of DVD rental has been fueled in part by a new trend in DVD rental, started by the Netflix company. Just a few years ago, Netflix started a mail-in subscription program, which allowed, for a monthly fee, unlimited DVD rentals with no time limits or return delays. The DVDs were shipped to the home, with up to three rentals allowed at a time, and when the renter was done with the DVD, they shipped the DVDs in a prepaid envelope to Netflix’s warehouse.
Many appreciate the ease of renting DVDs of this type. Blockbuster, a major retail chain, soon followed suit with their own rent-by-mail version. Additionally, Blockbuster has offered a similar plan for its DVD rental stores. With a monthly fee, just over $20 a month, you could have unlimited rentals.
Some have found the Blockbuster DVD rental plan in stores easier to use. If you wanted to rent a number of DVDs for weekend viewing, this was easily achievable. Conversely, DVD rentals on Netflix and Blockbuster’s mail plan limited the number of DVDs you could rent. If you were watching a series, for example, it could take several days to get the next discs, so the mail-in DVD rental plan wasn’t for everyone.
Netflix has responded to the demand for more DVDs at a time by offering rental services at higher prices. You could still buy a three DVD plan, and it’s one of the cheapest plans among the current plans, less than $20/month. Netflix often offers free trials or at very low prices. They also offer 1 or 2 DVD rental plans at a time, but these plans often limit the number of DVDs you can rent in a month.
Blockbuster’s plan is now identical in price to Netflix’s, although they also send out 1 to 4 monthly coupons for in-store rentals. They boast a slightly smaller DVD collection, claiming to have around 55,000, while Netflix claims to have around 60,000. The selections of some types of movies can be more limited than you would find in a video store. Some DVDs such as foreign films, special series or concerts may be less available.
These mail-in DVD rental plans probably aren’t necessary if you don’t rent DVDs often. Many DVD rental outlets now have competitive offers, such as special free days for renting children or discounts if you rent multiple DVDs at a time. These may prove to be more convenient. There is also the benefit of renting from local businesses instead of large chains, which can help improve the economy of your hometown. You could save your receipts from a DVD store for a month to see if a mail-in DVD rental plan makes financial sense, compared to your monthly expenses at DVD rental stores.
