New Products and Technology: Movies by Mail

You can add trips to the video store to the list of errands—like getting your typewriter serviced—rendered obsolete by the digital age. With the advent of online DVD services, you can get the movies and TV shows you want to see delivered to your home. Netflix was a pioneer in the field, but Blockbuster now does a significant portion of its business online, and there has been a proliferation of services that focus on independent films, horror flicks, kung-fu movies, and other subcategories for fans.  

Paying by the Month, Not by the Movie
While most of these services offer traditional rentals, most people opt for their subscription services. For a flat fee per month, you can have up to four movies sent to your house based on a list you create online. When you’ve viewed a DVD, simply slip it into its prepaid envelope and put it in the mail. When the subscription service receives it, it will log it in and send you the next DVD on your list. Besides the convenience and the vast selection these services offer, you can keep the DVDs for as long as you want without paying a fine. Pricing for the subscription service depends on how many movies you decide to have in your home at once. 

Check Out the Alternatives
If you’re interested in getting an online DVD subscription, take the time to compare several of the services before making your decision. Since the pricing is virtually identical, your choice will be based on a number of other factors:

• Does the service have the movies you want to see? Create a list of movies, including some obscure titles—and see how the services stack up.
  
  
• Are these movies easy to find and add to your list? Can you search on categories like director and studio in addition to the film’s title and star? Can you add movies to your list with a single click?
  
  
• Does the site provide information about individual movies as well as lists of award winners? One of the pleasures of a DVD subscription is the ability to enlarge your preferences. 
  
  
• Does the service offer a trial membership? Is there an introductory period where you can determine if the site works for you? 
  
  
• How long does it take to get your next movie? Find out how many distribution centers the service owns—and how far away they are located.

Interestingly enough, a decade from now DVDs by mail will be a thing of the past. Thanks to advances in broadband communications, many online subscription services already deliver a selection of their movies over the Internet directly to your PC!