Movie Downloads Reviews, Best Online DVD Rentals

Best online movie rentals

Netflix

*Est. $5 to $60 per month Compare Prices

Most reviews choose Netflix over Blockbuster Online because Netflix has more movie titles (100,000 compared to 90,000) and more distribution centers (for quicker delivery). Netflix also offers unlimited viewing of… streaming movies free with all but the least expensive of its online DVD rental plans. DVDs are delivered by mail and return mailers are included. There are no late fees. Netflix also rents Blu-ray discs, but adds a surcharge of between $1 and $9 per month for that service.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports includes Netflix in this report on ways to get movies to watch at home. Discussion isn't terribly detailed, but ...

TopTenReviews.com: Netflix earns TopTenReviews.com's Gold award for 2009. We'd be more impressed with that recognition if so much of the information ...

EngadgetHD.com: Darren Murph doesn't have an opinion about which by-mail rental service is best, so he asks his readers. Not all responses are ...

CNET: Reviewer John P. Falcone appears to like Netflix better than Blockbuster Online, but never actually says so. There is a decent ...

HackingNetflix.com: There are no reviews here, but there is plenty of information. Topics covered include new or discontinued features or policies, ...

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Best set-top box for movie downloads

Roku Digital Video Player

*Est. $100 plus rental costs Compare Prices

Originally introduced as an inexpensive way to see Netflix streaming movies on your TV, the Roku Digital Video Player has been transformed into a more versatile set-top box with the addition of Amazon Video on Demand, and… indications are that movies and video from even more sources is on the way. While picture quality is not perfect, it is pretty good, and the ability to stream HD movies from Netflix is newly added. Reports say the player is feature rich and easy to use. Watching Netflix streaming movies is free for Netflix subscribers. Amazon Video on Demand titles can be rented (*est. $3 to $4) or purchased (*est. $9 to $15), but are standard definition only.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: CNET has the most comprehensive, up-to-date report on the Roku Digital Video Player. The editors say that it is the least ...

PC World: While not as detailed as the report at CNET, this PC World review also does a nice job describing how the Roku Digital Video ...

EngadgetHD.com: This shootout looks at how different solutions -- including the Roku Digital Video Player, Xbox 360, TiVo digital video recorder ...

Popular Science: In this three set-top box shootout, reviewer Sean Captain rates the Roku Digital Video Player alongside Apple TV and Vudu. He ...

PCMag.com: Though this review is a little dated, Tim Gideon does a great job evaluating the Roku Digital Video Player (called the Netflix ...

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Best quality video downloads

Vudu

*Est. $150 plus rental costs Compare Prices

Vudu earns kudos from experts for delivering the nicest looking movie downloads. Three quality levels are offered. Standard def and high-def movies look slightly better than similar fare offered by other movie download… services. However, Vudu's high-quality HDX format is widely praised for producing the only movie downloads that significantly outperform standard DVDs, and approach -- but don't quite beat -- the video quality of Blu-ray discs. Vudu requires a proprietary set-top box that does not work with other video download services, though Pandora Internet radio support is now standard.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: This is an update of an earlier review provides the most in-depth coverage of the Vudu BX-100 set-top box and the Vudu video ...

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports addresses Vudu and other high-definition video streaming services in this blog posting. Information is relevant ...

The New York Times: David Pogue appreciates the higher quality of the HDX format, but says that the jump in quality between standard-definition films ...

PC World: PC World rates several means of procuring online movies and comes away most impressed with three devices, including Vudu. A table ...

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	Apple MA711LL/A TV with 40GB Hard Drive from Amazon.com New: $199.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Xbox 360 Pro 60GB Console from Amazon.com New: $298.95 In Stock. Average Customer Review:

Movie Downloads and Rentals: Reviews

Best online movie rentals

Best set-top box for movie downloads

Best quality video downloads