Two months after announcing it would split its mail-order DVD and video streaming into two services and charge for each separately, Netflix is making another change. Its DVD-by-mail service will be renamed Qwikster in a few weeks, CEO Reed Hastings wrote on the Netflix blog.
Hastings also apologized for the way Netflix announced the separation of its DVD and streaming services and new pricing. "It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility," Hastings wrote in response to the thousands of comments posted on Netflix's blog since the company said in July that customers would have to pay extra for unlimited video streaming starting September 1. Previously, Netflix members received unlimited streaming and unlimited (mailed) DVDs for $9.99 a month. Now members have to pay $15.98 a month to get both services ($7.99 for unlimited streaming and $7.99 for unlimited DVDs).
When Qwikster launches, members will also have access to mail-order video games. However, Qwikster.com and Netflix.com will not be integrated. So those who receive both services will have to manage their DVD and streaming accounts separately.
Vudu. This streaming service has a wide selection of high-definition movies available the day they are released on Blu-ray. And it's one of the cheapest alternatives to Netflix. You can stream movies to Vudu-enabled HDTVs or Blu-ray players, your computer, iPad or PlayStation 3. You can also watch Vudu movies at Walmart.com. COST: You pay $2 to "rent" a movie for two nights.
Apple TV. This device lets you stream thousands of movies and TV shows directly to your TV. Many movies are available the day they're released on DVD. You have 30 days to start watching but, once you start, you have only 24 hours to finish viewing. COST: $99 for the Apple TV device; 99 cents for TV rentals, $2.99 and up for movie rentals.
Hulu. The Web site known for online streaming of TV shows also has hundreds of movies -- older releases, though. COST: Many of the movies are free, but you can gain access to more with a Hulu Plus membership for $7.99 a month (the same as what you'd pay for Netflix unlimited streaming, which offers a lot more movies).
Redbox. This DVD-rental company has kiosks at more than 27,000 locations nationwide -- from restaurants to grocery stores to national landmarks, such as the Empire State Building. The kiosks feature up to 200 titles (630 actual DVDs). Redbox isn't nearly as convenient as the instant video streaming or mail-delivery DVDs that the services above offer, but it's cheap. COST: $1 a day, but you can find codes for free Redbox rentals at Insideredbox.com.
Public library. The DVD selection at your local public library probably won't match what the services above offer, but it's a good source of free or dirt-cheap entertainment. COST: Free or a minimal fee.
Many young viewers know Netflix as a streaming service that produces numerous original TV shows and movies. Netflix, however, was initially founded in 1997 as a DVD rental company; they were the pioneers of DVD-by-mail rental service.
Unfortunately for DVD lovers, starting on September 29, 2023, Netflix is ending its DVD rental business, citing difficulties maintaining service quality due to ongoing business decline. So if you're searching for alternatives to Netflix's DVD rental service, here are options to consider.
Redbox is arguably Netflix DVD's biggest direct competitor. Established in 2002 to drive more customers to McDonald's, it now operates tens of thousands of DVD-rental kiosks (essentially vending machines for DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K UHD movies) throughout the US. The DVD-rental company has stands in gas stations, grocery stores, eateries, and retail outlets for instant movie rentals.
Keep in mind that first-time customers can rent three discs at a time, while returning ones can rent up to five movies at once. Beyond DVD rentals, Redbox offers online streaming via Redbox Free Live TV and Redbox On Demand.
GameFly features multiple movie subscription plans priced between $17.95 and $46.95/month, depending on the number of movies you can get out at a time. It also provides a one-month free trial and three-month promotional rates on all plans.
3D Blu-ray Rental claims to specialize in rare Blu-rays. Despite its website looking dated, it boasts an impressive film catalog, including new releases, available in 2D, 3D, 4K UHD, and Blu-ray formats. In addition, unlike GameFly, it features entire TV show seasons.
You can opt for a monthly plan or pay per-disc rental for movies and PS4 or Xbox One games. Subscription plans range from $9/month to $53/month, depending on the number of rentals you can have out at once.
Scarecrow Video claims to be the world's largest video rental store of several video formats, including Blu-ray, DVD, and PAL. The Seattle-based non-profit has a rent-by-mail program and boasts a disc library larger than that of Netflix DVD. It offers over 145,000 titles for rent, including a huge collection of hard-to-find films.
You'll find titles like French films, Italian horror, and Japanese animation. However, it doesn't rent the latest movie releases. To order, visit their website and email them your address, phone number, and video formats. They'll email you a link to the RBM (rent-by-email) site to start renting movies.
Facets is a non-profit national media arts organization that helped pioneer DVD rental by mail. It allows you to rent by mail or buy films from a collection of over 65,000 titles available in DVD, Blu-ray, and VHS formats.
Numerous DVD rental companies boast huge catalogs of classic movies, many unseen by the new generation of online movie streamers. Thus, Netflix ending its DVD rental service doesn't just impact non-streamers; it also denies us thousands of films.
Netflix's DVD rental service, after 25 years, is shutting down on September 29th this year. Since 1998, more than 40 million customers have rented over 5.2 billion DVD movies from Netflix. With the end of Netflix's legacy by-mail DVD/Blu-ray Disc movies rental service, where to rent DVDs? For people who still love renting DVD movies are seeking for alternatives to Netflix for DVD rental, don't worry. There are many other options offering an equivalent DVD rental services for former Netflix DVD users.
Redbox is one of the largest DVD rental companies in the United States. It's a cheap and convenient Netflix DVD rental alternative by installing kiosks (it now has about 38,000) in retail stores and renting DVDs out at a low-price point. Users can rent DVDs from a local Redbox kiosk where you live. Compared to Netflix's by-mail DVD rental, the low-cost and convenience of renting from Red Box is unmatched, though it doesn't provide many movie choices in a kiosks.
3D-BlurayRental.com is specialized in offering 3D & 4K Blu-ray DVDs and games for rental. This site can be the best alternative to Netflix DVD rental if you have some DVD titles in your Netflix DVD queue that cannot be found elsewhere. It has some hard-to-find titles and you can even email them to help you find a movie. You can rent a DVD from the service via two ways: pay per DVD rental for $4.99 to $8.99, and return the DVD within 7 days (an extra $2 per day will be charged after 7 days), or subscribe a plan starting at $8.99 a month with no due dates and no late fees!
GameFly is well-known for providing games for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Wii, and more, however, there is a less-known DVD-by-mail rental service like Netflix. You can find a huge number of new and old titles available in DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K UHD formats. It's also a place where you can rent DVDs that are newly released movies and you can't stream on Netflix. You can choose from different plans and there are one-month trials for its Blu-ray and DVD or 4K Elite plans, and discounts are available in other plans for the first 3 months.
Horrorpack is a good alternative to Netflix for DVD rental where you can rent horror DVD movies. Every month, 4 horror movies in DVD or Blu-ray formats will be shipped to customers in mystery boxes. You can't request a specific movie title, instead, the site will pick four best titles for you. The movies in the boxes can be a hit or miss but overall it's pretty good value considering you're getting 4 brand new, shrink-wrapped movies. The DVD plan starts at $24.99/month while the upgraded Blu-ray option will cost you a bit more at $29.99.
Cafe DVD is another DVD rental service just like Netflix. It's based in San Francisco and is able to send DVDs to users anywhere in the United States. It offers a massive selection of over 60,000 DVDs, focused on high-quality movies that Netflix doesn't carry. You can subscribe for $9.99 to $27.99 a month and 2 or 4 movies added in your Movie Queue will be shipped to you. If you don't want to become a subscriber, you can also pay $3 or $4 per DVD or Blu-ray rental (plus shipping). But note that pay per rental allows a maximum rental period of 8 days, and $3 per DVD per week late fee will be charged after that.
4KBLURAY4U is a good alternative to Netflix where you can rent Blu-ray discs. On the site, you can find 4K UHD movies in various genres and some newest 4K movies are available. If you can't find something you want, you can ask them to add it to their selection via a simple request. Compared to another UHD rental service 3D-BlurayRental, this services offers more competitive and lower price, with 4 discs rental priced for $16.99. The monthly price decreases considerably as you increase the amount of monthly disc rental.
Some users are asking where to rent DVDs near me. The public libraries are the answers. If you live in a big city, check if there is a public library. For example, Hoopla and Kanopy are offering movies for free rental via local library. In general, these libraries have a wide range of physical DVD or Blu-ray selection that you can brorrow. For example, Kanopy offers more than 30,000 films, including Hollywood classics, foreign films, indie flicks, shorts, and documentaries. In order to rent or borrow DVDs from the library, you usually only need a library card. In addition, you may also stream movies via apps on iPhone or iPad, Android device, Fire TV, Roku, or Apple TV.
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