Movie Download Review

Internet rentals and online downloads

There are three kinds of online movie services. The first option involves online ordering from a vast inventory of DVDs and Blu-ray discs that arrive via mail. Movie downloads streamed directly to your computer are another option. The third type of online movie rental uses an electronic box or another device for receiving movies or other content over a broadband connection, but without the need for a computer.

Ordering DVDs online remains the easiest and most popular way to receive movies. Most people still find streaming movies to a PC for viewing less than appealing. According to experts, issues include iffy video quality, limited selection and unattractive pricing. Viewing options are also not the best since transferring video files from a PC to a TV can be problematic; most users do not find the option of gathering the family around the computer screen to watch a two-hour movie very appealing, and most don't keep an Internet-connected computer near their TV. If you're the technical type, there are ways to network your computer and TV, but you'll need to spend money on compatible hardware and software, and spend time on setup.

A third option -- streaming movie downloads directly to your TV -- is beginning to gather steam. Doing this bypasses your computer but does require some additional hardware, such as a dedicated set-top box for one or more services. Some other devices, including certain Internet-connected digital video recorders, Blu-ray players and videogame consoles, are also capable of receiving streamed movies for display on your TV. Additionally, some of the latest Internet-capable HDTVs are able to receive streamed movies from one or more services without any external hardware.

Downloading movies is still in its infancy, but some experts are already predicting it could eventually replace the DVD and Blu-ray disc as a medium for rented movies. Among those is Bill Gates, who in an interview with USA Today said that direct movie downloads over broadband will eventually become "the dominant way that people get their movies." Others aren't so sure.

Given the attention movie downloads have been receiving of late, it is not too surprising that we found the best and most recent reviews for that form of online movie rentals. PCMag.com, PC World and CNET have the most -- and most detailed -- coverage. We also found good head-to-head comparisons in Popular Science and at EngadgetHD.com.

Finding current feedback on disc rental websites is a bit harder. The report at Consumer Reports is by far the most helpful, but it's only available to subscribers. TopTenReviews.com is worth a fast look, but lots of the information there is outdated. EngadgetHD asks its readers for their opinions on the top disc rental websites, but doesn't provide much insight of its own. The HackingNetflix.com and HackingBlockbuster.com blogs don't actually review the sites, but are fun to read and offer valuable tips for users and potential users of the two major DVD and Blu-ray disc rental services.

The traditional DVD/Blu-ray online movie rental landscape is dominated by the two giants -- Netflix and Blockbuster Online. While a few smaller and niche sites, such as GreenCine -- which specializes in more esoteric foreign, art and indie titles -- continue to survive, most other competitors have left the arena.

With most of smaller services now out of the way, Netflix and Blockbuster have been a little freer to set pricing to more accurately -- or profitably -- reflect the cost of doing business, engaging in a bit of a race to the top in setting subscription fees. Blockbuster's pricing was relatively stable in 2008 and so far in 2009.

Netflix hasn't instituted massive price changes for most of its customers recently, but has heavily targeted those who request Blu-ray discs. In November 2008, the service added a $1 surcharge per account if Blu-ray access was enabled. In late March, the company took things one step further, increasing the Blu-ray surcharge to $1 per tier, or as much as $9 for someone with Netflix's top plan, which allows you to borrow eight DVDs at a time. For those on Netflix's most popular three-DVD-at-a-time plan, the surcharge is $4, representing a 20 percent hike in subscription costs. These hikes only affect Blu-ray subscribers, which Netflix says represents around 10 percent of its customers.

Needless to say, most commentators and consumers are not pleased. Many posts -- including lots of comments at Netflix's own official blog -- quoted users threatening to drop Blu-ray access altogether in protest. Others are contemplating switching to Blockbuster, which does not charge extra for Blu-ray discs -- for now.