Netflix vs Blockbuster: Which DVD Rental Service is King?

Online movie rental services are the way of the future. While many still roam the local movie mart, whether blockbuster or otherwise, many are switching to the conveniences of online DVD rental service. Simply order a DVD online, and with the click of a button your movie is queued in for delivery. No late fees, and competitive prices between the two companies make it a great time to sign up. So, which DVD rental service is the best?

Netflix was the company that really started this trend, and so a good look must be given to them. The Netflix service was so popular, that Blockbuster considered it a big threat and launched the Blockbuster online DVD rental service in response. Netflix offers over 55,000 titles, nearly 5,000 more than their competitor, and has about the same turn-around time, for now. I would like to point out the impossibility of finding their phone number online, they expect you to go through their online FAQ's first, whereas Blockbuster has "contact us" tab that makes it easy to contact them. That aside, Netflix has a reputable name built up from the speed, and quality of their service. So can Blockbuster stop the march of this DVD rental service behemoth?

The answer is yes. While Netflix may have "gotten there first", Blockbuster has and plans to remain a store-driven service. In this way, Blockbuster has a huge advantage over Netflix, and knows how to manage their customer service team. Blockbuster has plans in the immediate future to begin using their stores as distribution points, which means delivery could be extremely quick, and make their stores a possible drop off point for the online DVD rental service. While priced about the same, Blockbuster gives free in-store rentals. This is very important to me personally, as it allows me to grab the new release I've wanted immediately for free and then put the older classics on the backburner.

Between the two, it's so neck-and-neck that the Blockbuster free rentals are the deal breaker for me. I'd go with Netflix only if you really don't care about free in-store rentals. Otherwise they are mostly the same price, the same speed, and consumer appreciation is about equal for both DVD rental services. I'm not sure if Netflix just hopes their customers won't notice, but Netflix should take a price dive if they expect customers to pass up the free monthly in-store DVD rentals from Blockbuster.

by Jonathan Baldwin