Netflix.com: A New Way to Rent DVDs Online

by James G. DeRuvo, Hardware Editor

    Usually, my arena is hardware reviews. But recently, I came across an online service called Netflix.com which allows registered users to rent DVDs and return them, all by U.S. Mail.

    The process is easy. First, you pick the DVDs you want to watch (safe shopping is guaranteed with Secure Socket Links). You pay by credit card with all majors accepted.

    About 2 or 3 days later, you receive your DVDs in the mail. You have 7 days to watch them and return them in a PREPAID mailer that Netflix.com provides as a part of the rental price.

    And that's it.

    Occasionally, Netflix.com has special offers through local electronics stores and that's where I came to know them. I have since ordered 15 DVDs to watch and they have come, as advertised, within a few days.

    Additionally, as you decide what DVD to rent, each title has an outline of what's on the disc, special features, and a listing of similar titles.

    Additionally, Netflix.com offers their "Marquee" program. If you're a frequent DVD renter this may be the deal for you. An innovative monthly DVD subscription program, Marquee gives you great DVD movies without a due date to return it or late fees for keeping the title for too long. 

    Like Netflix.com's conventional membership, all you do is pick any movie, though they will ask you to create a list of 10 films you want to see. You can pick any movies you want and modify this list at any time. They claim to stock virtually every DVD ever published. And from my experience, that may very well be true. 

    After you have subscribed, you get the first 4 movies on your list within 2 or 3 days in prepaid postage return envelopes, just like their conventional membership. But here's where the similarity ends.

    You get to keep the movies as LONG as you like. Though they limit the number of movies you keep to four at a time. Once you've watched one of your first four and return them, they ship you another DVD off of the list that you created. 

    The cost for the Marquee membership is Marquee Membership is $15.95 per month, with the first month free. The costs is automatically charged to your credit card each month. You can cancel your Marquee membership at any and there are no long-term commitments and no purchase requirements. This is about the same as a typical month of HBO. And unless you watch a lot of  cable programming, this may actually be a better deal considering the quality of DVD imagery and sound.

    If you watch a lot, and I mean a LOT of DVDs, you can really get the value from it if you have a high turnover of watching and returning the films. However, if you are an occasional DVD movie watcher who isn't planning on purchasing the film for your DVD collection, then the regular Netflix.com membership is probably more to your liking.

    Netflix.com is a great way to rent DVDs online, rather than driving to the local video store and having to deal with limited inventory and all copies of your favorite movies rented out.

    Give them a try at http://www.netflix.com and tell them you heard about them at Video Verdicts!!

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Revised: October 15, 2002 02:42 PM Pacific Time.