Renting Movies: Part 1

The video rental business has been through a whirlwind the past ten years. Movie rental providers have come up with numerous methods for you to get your movie fix. This blog we will be about the numerous ways to rent a movie and we will finish with my pick of the cheapest and most convenient.

1. Video Rental Shop (Blockbuster, Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video, etc.)

These guys have been around for a long time. They've had to change their shelves out from VHS to DVDs and now Blue-Ray DVDs. The positive about this place is the person-to-person interaction you get with renting a DVD. You can ask for a recommendation or find a specific movie, and these places usually give you deals for renting a movie for up to 5 days at a time, which is great if you're a procrastinator like myself. However these places can charge up to $4-5 for new releases, and late fees can ruin a tight budget. Not to mention you have to have a membership, where they keep your card information on file.

2. DVD Mailing Service (Netflix, Blockbuster by Mail, etc.)

If your gas budget can't get you to the shop, these mailing services offer a great advantage of not having to leave your house. There is usually a great selection of hard-to-find movies and all of the new releases. The price is pretty good. The standard service is about $10 a month for as many movies as you can receive, watch, and mail back. Since you can't just say "Let's rent a DVD!" and it appear in your hand, most of these services include an online database of movies for you to choose from as well. However, the selection isn't as good. So the catch with this service is that you have to wait about 2 days for the DVD to come to you and about 2-3 days for the next DVD to come.

3. Pay-Per-View

If you have cable or satellite, then you probably have the ability to use pay-per-view services. There isn't anything much more convenient than selecting "buy" on your remote and start watching. However, the movies cost about the same as the shop at $4-5 for new releases. Not to mention you don't see the charge until it is posted to your cable or satellite bill, which can screw you up if you aren't careful.

To be continued...

Stay tuned tomorrow for two more methods and my suggestion for the cheapest way to rent a movie!

Chris