Oh there's nothing quite as fun as going to the video rental store – unless, of course, you have a problem with late fees, teenage staff with an attitude and over-picked rental choices. On the wrong day it's a migraine waiting to happen. Then in 1998 a company called Netflix gave us all an alternative – forgo the video rental store and order our DVD rentals online.
It may have taken a bit of time for the online video rental concept to catch on, but eventually it did. After all, with brick-and-mortar stores like Blockbuster charging about $4 per rental, an unlimited number of movie rentals for a flat fee of $20 or less (and no late fees to boot) is definitely more attractive – especially when you consider you never even have to leave your home to get them.
Of course, as the demand for services like Netflix grew, so did the supply. Now even Blockbuster is in on the action with their own online DVD rental program. So far, however, there are few serious contenders. Research sites like StarReviews.com indicate that Netflix still tops the charts as the best DVD rental service available.
The question lately is whether or not pay-per-view services and instant-download movies that you can order directly from your TV will beat out the online video rental services. Is online DVD rental going to go the way of BETA and HD-DVD? Analysts don't think so. These instant-gratification options may be faster, but they are still a more costly pay-per-movie option, which makes them less attractive in the long run. In today's economy, the unlimited monthly subscription plan seems to be in favor with the majority of consumers.