We have all been there. It’s a Saturday night and you have nowhere to go, so you decide to rent a movie. It seems like a simple idea until you begin to consider where to go and rent it, what kind of movie you want to see, etc. Since there are a few rental options for students here on campus, I decided to survey each and decide which one was most convenient for the average college student. Here are the basics:
Netflix.com
How it works:
1. Go to www.netflix.com.
2. Create an account for $19.95 (plus tax) per month. You can rent as many DVDs as you want in a month(up to three at a time).
3. Select the DVDs you want from a selection of over 12,500 (including new releases and classics).
4. Netflix will send the selected DVDs to your house within 1-3 days, free of charge, and you can keep them for as long as you want.
5. To return them all you do is send them back in the pre-paid return envelope sent to you with the DVDs.
6. Netflix will continue to send you and exchange DVDs as long as you would like.
Advantages:
1. No late fees.
2. No return dates.
3. All movies are in DVD format, which allows you to view older movies (which are mostly found in VHS format at your local rental store) in better quality.
3. The movie you want is always available, 24 hours a day.
4. You can rent DVDs from the comfort of your own home, which means no driving to the rental store, waiting in line, or run the risk of not having the movie that you are looking for.
5. Your receive a free trial offer when you first sign up.
Disadvantages:
1. It takes up to three days to receive the DVDs and you always run the risk of shipping problems.
2. You are only allowed to rent three DVDs at a time.
3. You can only rent DVDs, which makes it difficult for those of us who haven’t caught up with technology yet.
4. You don’t pay as you rent. So if you don’t rent periodically, you waste $20 a month.
The selection is in fact quite extensive, with much more variety that your typical video rental store. When you select a movie, Netflix also gives you a customer rating (to see what other people who saw the movie thought of it) and a list of movies that might interest you based on your choice (aptly titled “People who liked (your movie) also liked these movies….”).
Norwick Center for Media and Instructional Technology
How it works:
1. Go to the NCMIT (located across from the Hughes-Trigg Student Center) and request a movie (DVD and/or VHS).
2. If the movie is not on reserve by a professor, you may check it out after 2:00 p.m. at no cost. If the movie select is on reserve it can only be viewed in class or in the carrels available in library.
3. Return it the following day.
Advantages:
1. The NCMIT is on campus and free to students and faculty.
2. Besides DVDs and videotapes, you may also rent software, audiocassettes, laser discs, and 16mm films, as well as the required equipment to use them with.
Disadvantages:
1. You can only rent a movie for a day, and if it is late you are charged $5.00 per day.
2. There are not many new releases available, but they do have a large collection of foreign films and old classics.
3. Their hours of operation are inconvenient since they close at 5:00 p.m. on Fridays and are closed on Saturdays.
The NCMIT is not the place to go if you are looking to rent the latest movies, but they have an incredible selection of classics and old favorites. Unlike the other two sites, the NCMIT also offers audiocassettes and software, and you can use the latest equipment to enjoy them for free.
Blockbuster
How it works:
1. Go to your nearest Blockbuster store, and select a video or DVD of your choice.
2. Sign up for a rental card, free of charge.
3. Pay for your selected movies ($4.32 DVDs and new releases, $3.24 VHS) and return them (depending on the movie) at noon on the due date.
Advantages:
1. You can rent movies on the spot, without having to decide beforehand when you will want to see a movie.
2. Most movies are available in DVD and/or format.
3. You pay as you rent.
4. Rent up to 10 movies at a time.
5. You can also purchase movies, rent video games, and stock-up on snacks and magazines.
Disadvantages:
1. If you forget a due date or don’t get around to watching the movie before the return date, you face late fees.
2. Most stores are open from 10:00 a.m. – Midnight.
3. To return movies, you have to go back to the original store.
4. The movie you want might not always be available.
5. The selection, depending on the store, is not always varied, and many stores do not have a large assortment of foreign and/or independent films.
Being a frequent Blockbuster customer I find that the overall convenience of being able to rent a movie when you want and being able to view it that same day is the largest appeal of video rental stores. Movie rental prices are fairly reasonable and the in most cases there is always a Blockbuster around. On the other hand, the new return time of noon, as well as the late fees, are a constant hassle and have caused me, on more than one occasion, to think twice before renting a movie there.
