Dvd rentals are easier than ever. It
used to be that one had to go to the
local store and pay a rental fee, and
then return the dvd quickly or else
be charged fees which accumulated every
day. Watching dvds was potentially expensive
and rather anxiety-provoking at times.
Now, there are many companies that
offer unlimited time dvd rentals for
a low monthly fee. The largest companies
are Netflix and Blockbuster online.
There are companies online that are
starting to offer lower fees than
Netflix and Blockbuster, but they
offer a smaller selection.
Once a person signs on for a monthly
contract, he can make a wish list.
The first 3 dvds on his list will
be sent in the mail form the warehouse
with a postage-paid return envelope
right to the person’s house.
Whenever the person is done watching
the dvd, he can send it back in the
envelope and the next dvd on the list
will be sent to his house. Participants
can have three dvd rentals at a time.
Companies are currently competing
for monthly rates, but most cost between
$10 and $20 a month.
We were paying late fees and rental
fees that ended up totaling at least
that amount, so we tried the Blockbuster
online dvd rental service. We’ve
been very happy with it. The day after
movies are mailed back, Blockbuster
sends an email saying that they have
received the movie, and sent the next
one on our list. We are able to manage
our list at any time, and they have
good children’s dvds too. Dvd
rentals are easy for us this way.
We don’t worry about keeping
a dvd as long as we are still interested
in watching it. Also, Blockbuster
sends us coupons for 3 free dvd rentals
in Blockbuster stores per month. If
we are interested in getting a dvd
that is not yet available online,
we sometimes use these coupons.
There are other online options for
dvds, as well. There are clubs that
a person could join where each member
agrees to buy one dvd a month, watch
it, and send it to the next person
on the list, and so on. So, the cost
for participating in the club is the
same as the cost of a new dvd a month.
It seems, though, as though it is
cheaper to join one of the rental
programs online. The club boasts that
it’s better to own the dvds
than rent them, but when you send
them away, you don’t own them
anymore.
Some people copy dvds on their computers.
The FBI warns against that, and are
interested in prosecuting those who
do this. It is a crime. Movies can
also be obtained online through file-sharing
programs and saved on one’s
computer. Be sure, if doing this,
that you are not downloading illegally.
Movie piracy is often being tracked
and prosecuted.
Dvd rentals are much more convenient
than they used to be, and there are
more options available to today’s
consumer at low prices.
