Blog about Gaming, Computers and Technology

The DVD rental industry as a whole has endured a parting of the ways ever since a way to rent movies online became available. The days of the customer being limited to going to the video store and standing in line has made way for sites such as Netflix who provide movies to rent online for a flat monthly fee.

Now Blockbuster, which has been the marquee name of the rental industry for many years, has decided to offer online movie rentals too. Just about all of us have rented a movie from Blockbuster and know the pros and cons of the service.

Why choose an online movie rental service? As convenient as it can be to get your DVD ?right now? as opposed to waiting a few days when you rent movies online, it can be just as disappointing when the movie you want is out of stock. You may also prefer the convenience of renting online from the comfort of your own home. And another great benefit is there are no late fees!

You can find movies easily and quickly. There are more titles to choose from online. No late fees. Options to watch movies instantly too on your TV, PC, PS3 and Xbox. These are just some of the great benefits on offer at online movie rental sites.

You may have thought about renting online and if you are an avid movie watcher the prices are quite appealing.

How much do they cost? There are rental plans available to rent from 1 to 3 movies per month. And there are never any late fees. You can return a movie whenever you like. You just need to return one movie to get the next one on your list.

Netflix plans cost $8.99 (monthly) for 1 movie, $13.99 for 2 and $18.99 for 3. Blockbuster charge $8.99, $13.99 and $16.99 for the same plans. Blockbuster also offer the option to rent and return movies in store too.

What are the differences between Netflix and Blockbuster? There are some differences between the two; services like Netflix were one of the first to introduce a revolutionary way to rent movies online and to counter that, Blockbuster offered the unique option for their customers to choose between renting and returning in store and being able to rent movies online using their online movie rental account.

Blockbuster also allow their customers to purchase movies with some at discounted prices while Netflix doesn?t offer such a program to date. Blockbuster also offer game rentals. And, with all the innovations taking place in the online movie rental industry, there is still a lot more to come!

Do you hate football but love film? If the answer is yes then online DVD rental could be for you during the world cup.

Some online DVD rental services are offering special promotions during the period.

Lovefilm, for example, is offering online movie player to all its users during the football tournament.

The promotions will look to take advantage of the expected downturn in business for all rental chains and cinemas during the world cup.

Some online streaming libraries boast a library of over 3000 films and TV shows, enough to keep the hardened football haters entertained for the month.

Some of these online libraries also include new releasers such as Sherlock Holmes plus classics such as The Godfather and much much more.

Since the World Cup is a month long this could also be a good time to take advantage of DVD rental free trials.

DVD rental free trials can last as long as a month although some don’t last for that long and just offer a certain number of DVDs to rent for free that are subsequently sent to your address through the post.

As long as they’re cancelled before they’re finished they offer the opportunity to watch films for free.

Note that you must provide the company with your credit card details so

So for anyone looking to escape the world cup DVD rental may well have the answer and with 3000 films on offer deals generally start from £3.99 and increase from that point so it would be rude to say no.

Other packages are also available with unlimited packages starting from just £9.99 a month and unlimited film and game rentals start from £14.99 a month.

The new DVD rental promotions for the world cup could offer a considerable distraction for the football challenged.

The event has also been seized upon manufacturers of televisions who have noticed that people want to watch the football on a big screen and use the same product to enjoy the DVD rental service.

Sony Bravia and Samsung TVs now have DVD rental services available direct to the TV meaning the new wide screen can be put to good use after the world cup has finished.

World Cup haters can now rejoice with a new DVD rental online service thousands of films can be streamed direct to your computer, and even if England win or lose should still put a smile on anyone’s face.

There are two possible (or at least two major) interpretations of the headline above: that this article will be about getting DVD rental from which kids can benefit and that this article will be so simplistic in its explanation of DVD rental that even a child could understand it.

Actually, both interpretations are correct. I will turn to the first one first: that DVD rental is ideal for kids.

There are a few problems with this statement which may not be immediately obvious.

The reasons that make DVD rental suitable for children, on the other hand, are eminently obvious. They are those that make it suitable for pretty much anyone else.

Namely, that a rental service is cheaper than shelling out for DVDs or blu ray discs, probably much more convenient and includes extras such as discounts on other services and game rental.

The DVD rental free trial, long a money-saving tool for many scrimpers and savers, is also a distinctive draw to the sector and, again, it hardly matter whether we’re talking about adults or kids in this context.

This is all well and good. Still, as previously mentioned, there are two main problems with dvd rental for kids.

First, since we’re discussing online DVD rental sites here, giving kids access inevitably needs them to get onto the internet where all sorts of nasties lurk.

Luckily, some sites already offer parental controls on DVD rental services which, for example, hides the adult selection of films for rent. Consult a good review site to see which sites do this.

The problem can also be solved by supervising children when they use the sites.

Second, DVD rental might not to be suitable for kids for the same reasons that excessive TV watching is not suitable for them, that it discourages exercise and takes away time that they could be using to interact with their peers which is one of the best ways for children to learn.

The same precautions that apply with TV should apply to DVD rental, however, and those are up to parents to decide.

In any case, as I will go on to say, the benefits could potentially outweigh these issues.

Educational films are often much more expensive to buy than normal children’s films and could benefit kids significantly. For example, DVDs that help children to learn makaton – kids’ sign language – could help them to communicate with other better.

To go onto the second part of the title of this article, finally, renting from an online site requires minimum commitment, minimum money, compared with high street rental, and offers huge choice.

In short, it’s childs’ play.

I remember when signing up with Intelliflix for $188 a year thinking what a great deal I just gotten, and how much money I was saving compared to the competition. Intelliflix claims to have over sixty thousand movie titles, rent video games, and also rent adult titles. I sincerely doubt that they have anywhere close to sixty thousand movie titles, and they have recently suspended their online game rentals. They still claim to rent other movie titles, but a couple of movies every few months, and it hardly seems like they even do that anymore.

For the first couple of months I received movies regularly, but then they stopped sending me movies. I went almost sixty days with well over a hundred movies in my queue without receiving one movie! They do not provide a customer service number and you have to open tickets through their email system. Of course when you get a response it will be about hoe they understand your frustration and will try to do better, but they still do not send movies on any timetable that could be considered regular. I go weeks without getting movies. I requested a refund more than once, but they claim they cannot refund annual memberships for any reason whatsoever. If it was not past the ninety-day mark I would dispute it with my credit card company. I even emailed the President of the company who boasted about publishing his email so regular customers could contact him. I received no response.

I have recently joined two other Online DVD Rental companies to see which one would work for me. I only will join at a monthly rate; I learned my lesson with annual plans. They are both excellent companies and actually sent me movies, and carried a wide variety of titles.

First let us look at Blockbuster Online. They have a tremendous amount of movie and television tiles and always have the newest releases. I usually received my movies in one business day. They also allow you to turn in your movies at local Blockbuster stores and give you free in store movie rental coupons every month. Their site is easy to navigate, and they also offer a trial period at a reduced fee. I took advantage of this offer to try them out.

The second company Netflix has just about everything put on DVD available for rental and all the new releases. One unique option they have is instant viewing online, and they are adding new titles to this service every month. I usually get my movies in one to two days. They also recently announced they will be offering a new service to play movies directly to people’s televisions at home through the Internet in the near future. Their site also has easy navigation and they also have the American Film Institute all time movie list which is great for movie buffs.

In summary look around at all the plans available, and do not sign up for an annual plan. Avoid Intelliflix at all cost. Both Blockbuster and Netflix are great companies, but in the end I stayed with Blockbuster simply because of their speed in sending me movies.

The new year brings with it new challenges and new resolutions but also, unless we are very lucky indeed, a lot of the old frustrations and routine of the old year, whatever that consists of.

Making new plans is difficult, though, whether it’s a plan to save money or weight it takes work to change and more to make the change stick.

So why DVD rental for the new year?

A number of reasons spring immediately to mind but let’s break them down into three main areas before going on to examine them further.

The first area is that it changes daily habits with a minimum of effort.

In the case of DVD rental, it’s a service which is delivered to your home eliminating the need for you to make any particular effort away from your norm in order to receive it.

Thus it immediately creates its own norm and standard – it’s a game changer within just a few clicks and with a minimum of willpower required, always a plus when it comes to the New Year.

There are even credit only online DVD rental services such as Lovefilm which offer a limited number of rentals rather than a rolling monthly contract which can be ideal if your plans for the New Year don’t stretch past January or February.

The second area, and perhaps the most important, is the fact that DVD rental can aid and abet all manner of new years resolutions.

Cooking DVDs, for example, are now more widespread than ever and can teach even a novice to whip up new dishes much more easily than books can.

There are also DVDs which teach hobbies as diverse as sewing and acting techniques.

Since many rental sites also offer huge world cinema and foreign language film stocks then the service is also a great way to help people to learn a new language or brush up on their skills for speaking and understanding an existing one.

For those that are hoping to do more travelling in the coming year it could also be an opportunity for them to get to grips with the culture, customs and history of the country that they will be going to.

Last but by no means least it’s worth noting that exercise DVDs are often available to rent from these services and there is no resolution so widespread as the one to get in shape.

The third area is that DVD rental can help to inspire a whole new direction for the new year.

Many sites offer games rental services if that’s a new hobby that strikes you and the inducemenets above could equally be taken up as a novel hobby.

For the TV addict, paying extra to rent films may seem like a false investment, if not a downright shoddy idea.

With hours of free or prepaid entertainment available without any effort at all, why would the television freak pay extra for even more content and, worse, have to put more effort into getting it.

For those people who would go and say something like that I have three words: DVD box set.

The box set, has become, for many TV addicts the perfect way to indulge in must-see series, especially those that are often moved around in the schedules.

The big problem with the box set, however, is that big price. That’s where DVD rental comes in.

For as little as a few pence a disc you can watch the episodes you missed on DVD and then post back and get another the next set.

However, for TV addicts, not all DVD rental sites are created equally.

As well as the things that concern the film-lover looking for a DVD rental deal – the length of the rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.choosedvdrental.co.uk/compare/free-trials.asp”>DVD rental free trial, for example, or the customer service reputation of the service – TV addicts should be aware of the way that their service sends out box set discs to avoid disappointment.

A rental deal with more than one disc allowed out at a time might be ideal for TV addicts trying to gobble up a series as quickly, not all services offer this to new customers.

In addition, DVD rental services have different policies in the way they send out discs.

Some only send out discs in the correct order when you order a box set while others will just send out whatever is free.

In addition, some services send out any additional features discs with the last disc of a series while others will only send it as an additional rental disc or not at all.

A good rental comparison site will help to tell you the difference between the packages.

Availability can also be an issue, although most of the big sites will have popular box sets smaller series from obscure places can be more of a problem with some sites.

Again, check that your favourites are in the film catalogue before you sign up.

TV addicts who aren’t film addicts but do like their games might want to look for a service that also offers game rental too.

Halloween is one of the great secular holidays. In the UK it’s never caught on in the same way that it has in the United States but, partly as a result of movies, it’s definitely getting there.

Spooky, scary movies are a huge part of Halloween now and there are plenty to choose from when the end of October rolls around.

In this article I’m going to argue that the best way to terrify yourself is with DVD rental and then suggest some movies that’ll be spine-tingling no matter what the occasion.

So, why DVD rental for Halloween?

The first reason is DVD rental free trials.

There are now many of these available from different companies and, for just renting DVDs at one time of year, they can’t be beaten since it’s possible to borrow movies free of charge for the whole of the month and then simply cancel the subscription so all your films will have been free.

Now, that’s a scarily good idea.

The second reason for wanting to rent DVDs for Halloween as opposed to buying is that Halloween DVDs are rarely the ones you want to keep.

I have several pristine horror films in my collection – classics of the genre, all – looking shamefully well cared for beside some much-watching romances and comedies. I love them, maybe I’ll watch them once a year but it wasn’t really worth buying.

This is doubly true for blu ray discs because there’s so expensive but don’t cost any more to rent.

The reasons behind going for DVD rental for Halloween sorted, then, what should you watch?

I’ll make three suggestions here: one for children, one moderately scary Halloween classic and one genuinely terrifying film for adults only.

A Halloween film for kids seems like a bit of a bizarre concept especially in the UK where the day is more for adult costume parties and teenagers throwing eggs at people’s houses.

In the US, it’s a lot more wholesome but this film pick is still a British one. ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ from 2005 is a funny jaunt through the English countryside which doesn’t even attempt to be genuinely frightening.

Fun for all the family and you’ll only be keeping one eye on the family rabbit for a few days afterwards.

See also: ‘Hocus Pocus’ and ‘Gremlins’.

The second pick is a true Halloween classic.

‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ has had about a billion sequels but none have held a candle to the original. Look out for Johnny Depp’s first film appearance.

See also: ‘Candyman’ and ‘Scream’.

Third shout out goes films that leave you genuinely unable to sleep: ‘Wicker Man’, ‘Event Horizon’ and ‘Antichrist’ three random salutes in your direction.

A special mention should also go out to any film rental service that also includes game rental.

There are many scary games out there to rent so it’s sometimes worth switching to a film and game package for October to take advantage of this.

Online DVD rentals are becoming more and more popular with consumers as people move away from VHS, become more comfortable generally with buying online, get sick and tired of paying for higher and higher movie ticket prices.

Online DVD rentals are both a fast and convenient way to rent movies.  Online DVD film rental companies allow a person to rent and buy DVD movies online through the mail. Normally, a customer interacts with the DVD rental company via the Internet and receives the films ordered via regular mail.

How DVD film rental works

Natalia Osorio Editor of the “Watch Movies Online For Free” website — http://www.WatchMoviesOnlineForFree.tv — pointed out;

“…DVD film rental companies operate on the following model: A new customer joins the DVD rental service and creates a list of good movies they will like to rent, This is called there Q or Queue, and next the DVD rental company sends movies from the customers list by regular mail, finally the customer receives the films, views them and sends them back and receives another film from list…”

The two top companies right now are Blockbuster & Netflix. Both of them have there avenges and offer basically the same thing. But in my option I love Blockbuster, just for the mere sake that after I watch the online rentals I can go to the Blockbuster right across the street and exchange them for more movies or games.

But for more details you should check out both of them and decide which one is will meet your needs better.
Both Blockbuster & Netflix offer a free DVD film rental trail, but at the end of this article I’m show you how to try the free trial.

Blockbuster DVD Film Rental

Although the first online rental company has to be Netfilx. Netflix quickly became popular with the renting movies by mail, but when Blockbuster start there movies by mail service, they quickly over took Netflix. By offering an easy to use, quick and affordable solution to Netflix.

My 3 Reasons Why

The reason I don’t use Netflix and won’t advice anyone to use its service is because their service is expensive, DVD delivery is slow and they don’t provide coupons as often as Blockbuster does.

Another reason I use Blockbuster to rent and buy DVD movies on-line is because they provide free movie and game rental coupons to users each month.

The last reason I love Blockbuster’s service is their fast and efficient delivery of DVD rentals, they have an arrangement with USPS that enables Blockbuster to electronically register DVD’s refund before they actually arrive their office. This saves time for both Blockbuster and their users benefit from greater turn-around time for their next DVD rental.

“…If you are looking for an efficient, reliable and affordable way to watch high quality movies, I highly recommend MoviesCapital.com…” N. Osorio added.

Further information about how to watch movies completely free by visiting; http://www.FreeMoviesToWatchOnline.tv

For people that don’t love sport, and I must count myself among them, the perennial enthusiasm of the seasoned sports fan is a sight to behold.

There’s little else any more that would induce the general population to turn out, wave banners, discuss previous and likely future performance with an Aristotelian seriousness and buy pies in such large numbers.

Match after match and season after season, whether they’re particular fans of football, rugby, ice hockey, baseball, basketball or darts or some other even more obscure pastime, the glee taken in the game itself remains.

So, if being a sports fan is about the joy of that present moment, the familiar rules of the game being bought to life again in a novel way, what good is DVD rental to sports fans?

There are three primary reasons: one practical and two to do with the films and match DVDs that sports fans can watch.

The practical reason is that sports fans are out and about – watching sport and playing it – and that means that they can appreciate a service which delivers by post and from a long list of pre-selected titles.

There are a number of DVD rental services in the UK but none that cater specifically to sports fans.

However, most of the sites such as Lovefilm include a big selection of sports related films.

Finally, since they often tend to be one and the same person, the sports fan and the game fan, note that many DVD rental services also have a game rental service.

The importance of a good DVD rental service for the sports fan thus assured we can move on to what these sports fans will actually be watching.

We can all name a few sports related films that have become classics. Look at chariots of fire, for example.

However, there are far more movies that, while they might not be as famous, still have the power to get the heart of any rabid sports fan racing.

Sandra Bullock’s Oscar winning performance in The Blind Side is a good recent example. As is the film The Wrestler from the same year.

Ring-based films in general have a good pedigree from Russell Crow in Cinderella Man to Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby.

Finally, there are hundreds of DVDs which simply document the matches themselves.

In the UK, where football rules, there seems to be a DVD for every club.

Depending on where you live and how old your children currently are, you may have as much as a week without school during Thanksgiving break. Many families are avoiding vacations this time of year – not only for the expense, but also for the inconvenience of crowded airports, dense traffic and premium holiday travel fares.

If you’re planning to stay at home (or perhaps create a family “staycation”) this Thanksgiving break, don’t let the kids sit around getting bored and working on your last nerve – instead, why not rent a projector, use some of these creative ideas, and let the fun times begin!

Family Movie Fest

A movie fest is truly the perfect way to entertain the kids (and maybe a few of their friends) without spending a fortune on going out to the movies. You can choose from new release DVDs or select family favorites from your collection or from the local movie rental store. Choose a theme or let each family member pick one flick – it’s your call! Remember to pop lots of popcorn and plan a movie-friendly feast for everyone’s enjoyment.

Wii Tournament

The family that plays together stays together – and what better way to avoid the chilly outdoors or gloomy fall weather than with an indoor gaming tournament? Game rentals are a convenient way to explore new games without spending a fortune. Plus, when the family competes in a brand new game, it levels the playing field considerably. Consider a cost-free (yet highly valuable) prize for the winner: a special age-appropriate privilege (such as staying up late, special time with Mom, no chores for a whole day, or perhaps a driving lesson). Alternatively, the winner could get to choose the next movie for that evening’s family movie night!

Memory Lane

In the days preceding the arrival of your rental projector, each family member could create a photo montage, or collection of favorite clips from films or family movies. Then you can set aside special time as a family to watch everyone’s creations, and vote on the best. Winner gets a special prize – but, honestly, everyone wins with fun, creative family time like this.

This list is only the beginning — when you put your thinking cap on, you can think of many more ways to spend Thanksgiving break with a fun and family-friendly rental projector. How will you spend your family’s Turkey Day this year?