Renting DVDs

When VCRs became popular back in the 1980s, video rental stores opened everywhere. They were very profitable, but customer convenience was minimal. Customers still had to go to the stores to rent and return movies.

Even in the 1990s, as a flood of DVD movies hit the market, many of these stores would still not have certain movies in stock when customers wanted them, especially new releases on DVD. Not only that, it was easy for customers to forget to return their DVD rentals, resulting in a mountain of late fees.

DVD Online Rentals

In the first part of this century, movie rental companies realized that customers could receive their films via mail with little effort. Since DVDs are light and can fit easily into pre-made envelopes, they can be sent inexpensively.

Using their computers as ordering tools, customers can now order DVDs online and beat the rush. Not only that, but most online movie rental companies do not charge late fees. In fact, Blockbuster realized that the popularity of online movie rentals was so great that it waived late fees on both online and traditional DVD rentals.

How Online DVD Programs Work

Most DVD online rental places have the same four-step plan.

1. The customer creates a list of what movies that he or she wants to view, selecting from thousands. Companies usually use a personal user-friendly database that customers can access after creating an account.
2. The company then ships the movie via mail to the customer. DVDs arrive as quickly as one business day after they are requested.
3. The customer watches the movie at his or her convenience. There is no need to worry about late fees or due dates. The movie could remain in a customers home for days, weeks or even months.
4. The customer puts the DVD in the prepaid envelope and mails it back, and the next movie in the customers list is then sent.

Of course, the customer has to pay fees for this service, but they are usually lumped into a monthly payment. This fee can be $10 to $30, depending on how many movies a customer wants to rent at any given time.

Popular Online Rental Companies

Online rental companies are a great source for DVD rentals, especially when you want to watch a TV series DVD. You can also buy DVDs online through these same companies. Some of the most popular online DVD rental companies include:

• Blockbuster is one of the biggest in-person movie rental businesses, and it has recently gone online as well. The company offers its online rental customers unlimited movie access and one free in-store movie or video game rental every month. You can return the online rentals via prepaid envelope, or you can drop them off at the nearest Blockbuster location and make exchanges in-store.
• Netflix has been around since 1999, and has a huge shipping network. The customer creates a queue, which allows him or her to create and rank a list of movies to rent, and Netflix sends the first available one. When the customer sends the DVD back, the next available one on the list will be sent.
• QuikFliks provides DVD rentals with an interesting twist. The company has a plan where it ships your next movie to you while your first movie is being sent back. This services fees are different, and are on a pay-as-you-watch plan.