Netflix
has the jump on most of the other online DVD rental services in the USA by being the first to market with subscription rentals back in 1999. Heavily and aggressively advertised since then, they have grown from strength to strength and today boasts over 4,900,000 satisfied customers.
We were impressed by the standard of service offered by Netflix to their customers. Experience obviously shows through in all areas of their website and services offered. With over 60,000 titles to choose from, this is the most comprehensive online movie rental catalogues giving you the chance to rent not only the latest blockbuster movies but also more obscure titles and foreign films you might otherwise struggle to find elsewhere.
Where Netflix really scores in favour over the main US competition is in the speed at which it is able to process orders and get your next DVD selection to your home. Netflix operates 39 distribution centers across the United States which means that turnaround times are often much shorter than their competitors are able to offer. In fact Netflix claims to reach around 90% of its DVD rental subscribers with a one-day delivery service and with plans to open more delivery centers this overnight service can only get better.
Most of Netflix's competition has just the one distribution center so you can be waiting anything up to 5-10 days or more for delivery if you happen to live at the other end of the country to where they are located. With Netflix, you are almost guaranteed a fast turnaround time (baring postal strikes!) which means you can effectively rent more DVDs each month and therefore get more out of your monthly subscription fee.
Netflix is almost a complete service but for one thing: it is solely an online DVD rental provider and has yet to incorporate video game rentals into its catalogue of services offered. If you also like to rent console games then you'll still be making regular trips down to your local video store with a Netflix membership. There are alternative online rental companies out there however which offer the option to rent both games and dvds including the excellent GameZnFlicks which allows you to rent up to 6 titles at a time from a combination of game and dvd discs and Blockbuster is cheaper than Netflix plus gives you two free in-store vouchers whcih you can use to rent games of DVDs you simply can not wait another second to see.
In all, Netflix offers a solid, experienced movie rental service and whilst a little bit more expensive than others may still be the best choice for you, unless you live on the doorstep of another company's distribution center or want more than just DVDs from your subscription services. Either way, you can check out the free 14 day trial if you are still unsure.
Some interesting facts about Netflix:
"Nine out of 10 Netflix members say they are so satisfied with Netflix that they recommend service to family and friends."
"If Netflix members, instead of receiving movies by mail, drove two miles each way to a rental store, they would consume 250,000 gallons of gasoline per day and release 750,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually."
