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Movie Downloads and RentalsYou are here: Internet >> Movie Downloads and RentalsUpdated March 2008Online DVD rentalsOnline DVD rentals are convenient and simple. You order DVDs online by creating a list of choices; the rental company then sends the titles on your list by U.S. mail. Prepaid return mailers are included. There are no late fees. When you send back the DVDs, the company sends out another title on your list. Netflix
(*est. $5 to $25 per month) offers about 90,000 titles at last count, which
is roughly 10,000 more than Blockbuster Online (*est. $4 to $35 per month) Netflix offers an unlimited amount of bonus movie downloads to your computer in addition to the mailed DVDs on all but its cheapest plans. The company has also partnered with LG to produce a forthcoming direct-to-TV streaming service and rumors abound that it is eyeing partnerships with Microsoft and Sony to bring its streaming video libraries to the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 video game consoles. Blockbuster Online is also rumored to be on the verge of offering movie downloads as part of its subscription plans. See The Buzz below for more information. Both companies draw praise from reviewers. Some give Blockbuster Online the nod based on its free in-store rentals on some plans, but Netflix gets more positive recognition overall. For example, TopTenReviews.com chooses Netflix because it carries more titles than Blockbuster Online. CNet.com's side-by-side comparison chart of the two main online DVD rental services doesn't explicitly name a winner, but appears to give the advantage to Netflix based on better selection and its customers' ability to interact in an online community. TopChoiceReviews.com picks Netflix as the best online DVD rental service but qualifies that by saying, "If you live near a Blockbuster video store, Blockbuster Online's Total Access plan is probably the best option available." Although reviewers give both companies high marks for customer service, we do see a few complaints as well. In 2006, Netflix settled a class-action lawsuit without admitting wrongdoing over allegations of "throttling" – giving priority on hot titles to new customers and infrequent renters, essentially penalizing those that use the service most heavily. Netflix's "terms of use" now specifies that it gives allocation priority to those who rent the fewest DVDs. Blockbuster Online's terms and conditions state that it also determines allocation priority by "various factors," including a customer's history of use. In 2005, Blockbuster settled a lawsuit accusing it of deceptive advertising over a marketing campaign that promised no late fees. There currently are no late fees for online DVD rentals for customers of either service. Both online DVD rental services offer several subscription plans. The cheapest plans stipulate that you may rent one movie at a time with a maximum of two per month. Unlimited plans for both start at $9 per month. More expensive plans allow you to rent more than one movie at a time. Once you return a movie, the service sends you the next available title in your preference queue. Neither Blockbuster Online nor Netflix allows you to rent a single movie – you have to get a subscription (though you can rent single movies at Blockbuster's brick and mortar stores). Neither service offers adult movies. Movie downloadsElectronic delivery of movie rentals, either by download or broadband streaming, is still experiencing some growing pains. One issue is content. Netflix, for example, only offers 7,000 titles for broadband viewing. CinemaNow is the best of the movie download services according to reviews. CinemaNow's library currently includes more than 4,500 titles. Both of those catalogs pale compared to the number of DVD/Blu-ray titles carried by either Netflix or Blockbuster Online. Downloading a movie depends on your Internet connection, but generally takes about an hour. Once downloaded, you can watch the movie offline, which is a nice feature for travelers. If you choose streaming, you can watch the movie immediately, but you'll need to be online. One reason for the small libraries of downloadable content is the studios' apparent reluctance to release titles for this type of distribution. Fear of video piracy is certainly an issue. "We believe DVDs will have a long life because the studios are not licensing vast amounts of content to anyone," said Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey to Joe Hutsko of The New York Times in June 2007. The movie download services, of course, offer one key advantage over the online DVD rentals – you don't have to wait for the mail to bring it to you. Movie downloads can be a good choice if you usually don't plan your movie watching days in advance and you don't want to visit a video store. However, keep in mind that downloading a movie can take a good chunk of time, depending upon which service you choose, the speed of the Internet connection and the capability of your computer. CinemaNow offers a real mixed bag of options. You can buy, rent (*est. $3 to $4 each), download to watch later or watch the movie via streaming broadband. In addition, you can purchase certain movies and burn them to a DVD. Some TV shows are available for purchase only (*est. $2). Subscribers (*est. $30 monthly, $100 annually) get access to a separate catalog of 1,500 free movie downloads. However, most of the titles offered in the subscription section are B-grade or worse material. In addition, PC Magazine reports that the image quality of the free movies isn't very good. The magazine's advice is to stick with the rental options. Most content from CinemaNow will play on a computer, Archos Series 4 and Series 5 portable media players and the Samsung P2 ( though the last requires optimized videos downloaded from a special section of the site). Purchased or rented videos, but not subscription movie downloads, can also be shared with an Xbox 360 via a home wireless network. At this time, movie download services don't work for Mac users unless they are running Windows. Rented videos must be watched within 24 hours. While Netflix and Blockbuster Online don't offer adult movies, CinemaNow offers mature films through AllAdultChannel.com. If you buy a year's subscription to CinemaNow, you also receive unlimited viewing on CinemaNow's AllAdultChannel.com. You may set parental controls to block access for minors. TopTenReviews.com, which is among those that rate CinemaNow as the best movie download rental service, acknowledges the availability of adult films but notes there are "no graphic images on their regular pages." It takes about an hour to download a movie from CinemaNow. You'll need a fast broadband connection and Windows XP or Vista. Movielink was purchased by Blockbuster in August 2007, but remains an independent service -- at least for now. It is still rated as the number two movie download service by TopTenReviews.com. The review says CinemaNow edges out Movielink because it offers more movie downloads, along with the option of burning movies to DVD. PC Magazine also gives CinemaNow a slight edge. Set-top movie download boxesThough downloading movies to a PC has its attractions, the viewing experience falls short when compared to seeing movies on a big-screen TV. To bridge that gap, there are now four different ways to stream movies, TV and other video directly to a set-top device, including video game consoles, digital video recorders and dedicated boxes, and more appear to be on the way. Vudu (*est. $300) is the only set-top box whose sole function is to download movies to your TV. Reports say that it is a significant improvement over previous attempts, but it's not yet trouble-free. Reviewers don't like the high initial cost and movie downloads are not particularly inexpensive (*est. $1 to $4 for standard definition rentals, $3 to $6 for high-def rentals and $5 to $20 for purchases). There is no monthly membership fee. CNet.com's John P. Falcone reports Vudu is "light years ahead of earlier similar attempts in this arena." The New York Times' David Pogue compares Vudu to the three other direct-to-set movie downloading options and finds it best overall. "The interface is pure and clean, picture quality is tops and the remote has only four buttons (plus a terrific scroll wheel)," he writes. One big advantage is speed. Vudu is a peer-to-peer system and partially relies on other Vudu boxes connected to the network to shorten delivery times. Each box stores the first 30 seconds of each of the system's 5,000 movies. While you watch those 30 seconds, your Vudu system communicates with other Vudu consoles to grab already downloaded segments. "It's the first dedicated Internet video-on-demand unit that delivers a worthwhile combination of content, convenience, and quality at a reasonable price," Falcone says. At 5,000 titles, content offerings are slim compared with the Netflix library and, while Vudu offers many popular films, "many of those 5,000 movies are pure direct-to-video dreck (anyone for ‘San Franpsycho' tonight?)" Pogue writes in The New York Times. To use Vudu, you will need at least a 2 Mbps cable or DSL broadband connection (you can test your connection's speed on their website). Vudu's content is constantly being updated, but old titles are dropped -- usually without warning -- as new ones are added. Vudu has begun offering a limited number of 1080p HD movies for download, but reviewers report some problems. Associated Press technology writer Peter Svensson says the image quality "looked very good" in HD, but he notes some picture flaws. He adds that the movies take around four hours to download. Wilson Rothman at Gizmodo.com is even more critical. He compares similar scenes from Vudu SD, Vudu HD and HD DVD versions of Transformers and says "it was awfully hard to see a vivid difference" between the SD and HD Vudu movie downloads. Rothman adds, "The so-called HD experience from Vudu wasn't one that could come close to comparing with the HD DVD playback." Microsoft and Apple have also begun offering movie and TV downloads using existing products. When it debuted, Apple TV (40 GB *est. $230; 160 GB *est. $330) was simply a set-top box that let users stream content from their iTunes collection of music and video from a computer to their television. You could not connect directly to the iTunes store, and there were no movie download rental options. PC Magazine described it as "a niche product for the terminally iTunes-addicted." Given its lackluster sales, consumers, it seems, tended to agree. Fast-forward to this past February and the debut of Version 2.0, a firmware upgrade that lets users get content directly from the iTunes store without the need for a computer. At the same time, Apple upgraded video content to include many more movies, including some in 720p HD, and added rental options (*est. $3 for "library titles," $4 for "new releases" plus $1 surcharge for HD). TV shows are also available for purchase (*est. $2 per episode). Renters have 30 days to view a downloaded movie, but only 24 hours in which to finish viewing it once they've started. The New York Times' David Pogue writes that, "In a couple of years, Apple TV may be the box to beat." He adds that "The movie store is fun to navigate, picture quality is high and wireless networking is built-in, unlike its rivals." For now, however, the big downside is selection. Although Apple had promised a library of 1,000 movie download titles for rent by the end of February, Macworld's Christopher Breen found that less than 400 were available as of the last day of that month. Gizmodo's Wilson Rothman says that the total is even less -- he estimates it at around 300 -- and adds that a true count is hard to come by because many films are listed in multiple genres. Less than 100 titles are available in HD. Owners of Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console (*est. $280 to $450) also have a convenient way to rent movies and TV shows online and have them downloaded direct to their TV. Movies and TV shows have been offered on the Xbox Live Marketplace since late 2006, though they still seem to take a backseat to the game-related offerings there. Movie content is meager -- just 332 titles according to Gizmodo.com, with 158 HD titles. Gizmodo.com adds that there are far fewer TV shows available than via Apple TV (316 vs. 609 at last count). Rental pricing at the Xbox Live Marketplace is unnecessarily confusing thanks to the use of Microsoft points, which must be bought in advance (*est. $6.25 for 500 points). For example, a new-release HD movie costs 480 points, or about $6. Most prices are comparable to those from other online movie rental download services (*est. $4 for SD "new releases," $3 for SD "classic" films and $4.50 for HD "classic" films). TV programs are available for purchase only (*est. $3 for HD, $2 for SD). HD movies and TV are delivered in 720p resolution. Downloaded movies expire in 14 days, compared to 30 days with Apple TV. Video quality for movies and TV programs downloaded via Apple TV and the Xbox Live Marketplace is pretty good, but not perfect. Rob Pegoraro at The Washington Post says that standard definition fare for both "looked blurrier and fuzzier than DVDs." He adds, however, that HD rentals look "magnificent, with far less evidence of the compression used to squish a movie into a downloadable file." Gizmodo.com's Wilson Rothman says the Xbox 360 offers the best pure video quality, and readers on the site agree, according to an unscientific poll that's posted there. Amazon Unbox is a video download service that's received rather mixed reviews, especially among those who tested the service in its infancy. Early on it was plagued by issues such as launching every time Windows started and being notoriously difficult to uninstall. CNet.com's Troy Dreier says those issues have been left behind, leaving it with only those shortcomings common to other movie download services. Although Amazon Unbox is an unremarkable movie download service, it has partnered with TiVo to give owners of Series 2 (*est. $100), Series 3 (*est. $600) and TiVoHD (*est. $300) models some fairly easy options for getting downloaded movies to display on a television. Amazon Unbox/TiVo's biggest strength is the size of its library compared to Apple TV and Xbox 360 Live Marketplace, but at 3,350 rental titles, it falls short compared to Vudu, let alone traditional online movie rental services like Netflix or Blockbuster Online. Amazon Unbox does not charge a subscription fee, you pay by the movie. Fees are on a par with other services (*est. $4 per movie rental, $2 per TV episode purchase). Rentals are good for 30 days, with a 24-hour viewing period. No HD movie downloads are currently available. Critics aren't overly impressed. Owners of newer TiVos can begin watching a movie about ten minutes after the download begins, says The New York Times' David Pogue, but with older machines, you need to wait until the entire movie has downloaded. Matthew Moskovciak at Webware.com says that downloads actually took longer than runtime in his tests. Moskovciak was also disappointed by the lack of a true widescreen format -- widescreen films needed to be viewed window-boxed (black bars on all four sides) to preserve their aspect ratio. Video quality falls short of DVD quality, according to reports. Independent and foreign filmsWith movie collections in excess of 80,000 titles, Netflix and Blockbuster Online do a good job covering independent and foreign releases, and certainly those releases that were released in the U.S. market. However, there are a few online DVD rental options that specialize in certain film genres. Jaman offers movie downloads of foreign and independent films for rental (*est. $2) or purchase (*est. $4). According to reviews, the library isn't overwhelming (around 1,000 titles) and the website is harder to use than others. Jaman.com uses peer-to-peer networking, which robs a little bandwidth from users when they are downloading films to help distribute content to others. This relieves strain on Jaman's servers, but slows downloads down considerably. Still, a review in The Wall Street Journal likes the fact that the service "introduced me to new films that I wouldn't otherwise have found." GreenCine.com (*est. $10 to $50 monthly) is an online DVD rental service similar to Netflix and Blockbuster Online, but with a concentration on independent, art house and foreign films. Unlike Jaman, subscribers receive a DVD via the mail, and there is a selection of mainstream titles as well. With a library of 80,000 titles, it dwarfs Jaman.com and compares favorably with both Blockbuster Online and Netflix. Important Features: Online movie rentalsReviewers say the following are important considerations when shopping for an online movie rental service:
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
* Also see our Comparison Chart.
Reviews say that Netflix and Blockbuster Online are competitive when it comes to online DVD rental. Netflix usually gets the edge because of its slightly larger collection. The two compete vigorously with each other on pricing and offer a variety of service plans, as well as ever-changing perks. CinemaNow is the best choice among movie services that stream to a PC. This kind of service provides you the convenience of faster delivery, but far fewer choices, and you'll have to either watch the movie on your computer or network your PC and TV screen. Critics say that Vudu is the best solution right now for those who want the convenience of watching downloaded videos on a TV, but that Apple TV might be the one to beat if it begins to offer more movies. The Xbox Live Marketplace is also worth considering if you own an Xbox 360 videogame console.
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Actual brick-and-mortar video stores may be decreasing, but that doesn't mean renting in person is dead. Renting from a local video store still has appeal, including the ability to get movies to view at the spur of the moment. In addition, DVD vending machines located in convenient spots like supermarkets and fast-food eateries are proliferating, according to reports. Netflix and Blockbuster Online may offer what Netflix calls "steamy" movies, but if your taste runs to more explicit depictions of affection, GreenCine.com offer rentals of adult movies by mail. CinemaNow also offers streaming broadband of this genre. While most movie download services have met with mixed reception, more are in the offing. For example, Netflix has partnered with LG to create a box that will bridge the gap between its Watch Now broadband Internet service and your TV. It is expected to ship in the last half of this year. Netflix is also negotiating with other consumer electronics manufacturers to expand the reach of its movie download service even farther. "We want to be integrated on every Internet-connected device, game system, high-definition DVD player and dedicated Internet set-top box," said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings in an interview that appeared in The New York Times. While Xbox 360 owners can download full movies and TV shows via the Xbox Live Marketplace, owners of Sony's competing PlayStation 3 (*est. $400) don't have that option -- yet. A spate of Internet reports say that Sony is on the verge of releasing its own PlayStation video store, and that parts of it were shown off to major retailers at a recent conference. Few details have emerged, though speculation is that initial content will be drawn from Sony Pictures. XStreamHD is another new movie download service that's in the planning stages. Scheduled to be launched at the end of 2008, the service will download 1080p HD movies with 7.1-channel surround sound direct to set-top boxes. New releases will be downloaded via satellites, though older catalog titles may be distributed via the Internet. The service will require a subscription and per-movie rental fee, though details are not yet available. Equipment costs are estimated at $400. Netflix and Blockbuster Online are rather secretive about the locations of their distribution centers. That's unfortunate because your distance from a distribution center can greatly impact turnaround time for rentals and subsequent satisfaction with a service. Blockbuster Online's website says there are 38 centers with two more to be added in 2007. The Netflix website says it has "more than 100," although news reports out of Columbia, Mo., say the new center there was Netflix's 46th site. Another news report in October 2007 claims that Butte, Montana is home to the 46th outlet. One independently compiled list shows total of only 60 Netflix distribution centers. You can find some information on distribution centers for Netflix here, though it is not necessarily up to date. You can find some shipping location information for Blockbuster Online. Popular Mechanics explains how to transfer downloaded movies from your PC to your TV. The New York Times provides a good summary of the various movie rental options available. PC World has published a useful guide to video on the Internet. Download Movies 101 is a frequently updated blog that keeps up with news about downloading movies. Afterdawn.com has a wealth of instructions about burning DVDs and converting files. Screen Digest publishes a report discussing the direction it feels the industry is taking. Macworld has a detailed article on how to rent videos from iTunes using the newest update of Apple TV. Online movie rental websites:
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© 2008 ConsumerSearch, Inc. A service from 
, a part of The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
