After a formidable 25-year run, Netflix has introduced that it’ll shutter its DVD-to-mail rental service, DVD Netflix, aka DVD.com. Citing the shrinking DVD enterprise, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos instructed shareholders on April 18 that the rental service can be transport its final DVD on September 29, 2023.
And whereas many of the 230 million Netflix subscribers gained’t miss the service — or even perhaps knew it nonetheless existed within the first place — DVDs and Blu-rays are nonetheless a most popular technique for watching films and TV collection should you actually care about high quality or simply don’t have broadband web.
But now that DVD Netflix is out of the sport, the place can individuals flip to hire DVDs and Blu-rays?
Well, because the information hit Twitter, two of the very best options chimed in, reminding their followers that they, too, nonetheless existed. GameFly — which primarily rents video video games, but in addition has a number of films for hire — tweeted at common kiosk-rental firm Redbox with a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gif and the textual content “Out here with @redbox like … .” The two providers exchanged intelligent gifs and tweets (Redbox and Blockbuster even exchanged jabs) about being the final ones standing, however it nonetheless is perhaps unclear to many DVD Netflix renters the place they’ll go to fill the void.
That’s the place we are available in with this rundown of the place you’ll be able to hire DVDs and Blu-rays now that Netflix is shutting down its DVD rental service. Oh, and should you want a Blu-ray participant, take a look at our roundup of the very best ones to purchase.
Redbox
It’s just about a assure that you simply’ve seen Redbox’s massive, purple phone box-style kiosks at your native grocery retailer, pharmacy, or fast-food joint — the corporate was really began by McDonald’s in 2002 with kiosks outdoors its eating places. And whereas it’s not the identical DVD-by-mail service as DVD Netflix, the corporate boasts greater than 34,000 kiosks nationwide. Furthermore, its homeowners, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, not solely simply revealed plans so as to add 5,000 kiosks at Dollar General Stores by the tip of subsequent 12 months, however within the wake of the DVD Netflix announcement, Chicken Soup CEO Bill Rouhana instructed the Hollywood Reporter that he’d like to purchase it, saying, “I wish Netflix would sell me that business instead of shutting it down.”
Basically a merchandising machine for DVDs and Blu-rays, you will discover a kiosk location by utilizing the search software on the Redbox web site. Then you’ll be able to both head straight there and take a look at your luck by shopping obtainable titles on the field’s touchscreen, or use the web site to discover a DVD and reserve it for pickup at a close-by kiosk that has it obtainable. Redbox kiosks do provide a number of 4K UHD films, not like DVD Netflix. Sorry, avid gamers — Redbox stopped renting video video games in 2019.
Most DVD and Blu-ray disc leases are $2.25 per day, they usually should be returned by 9 p.m. the following day otherwise you’ll be charged for one more day. The service additionally provides multiple-day leases and even cheaper costs on sure titles. If you retain the video for greater than 21 days, you’ll get charged the utmost rental payment, and the disc is yours to maintain.
And, if all else fails, you’ll be able to at all times take a look at the Redbox On Demand service, the place you should purchase, hire, or stream films on a wise TV, streaming machine, or pc for the same worth.
GameFly
Widely generally known as a subscription-based video-game-by-mail rental service, it’s a lesser-known indisputable fact that GameFly additionally provides DVD and Blu-ray films as a part of its service (a reality it took to Twitter to remind individuals of upon the Netflix DVD announcement). It additionally consists of 4K UHD titles, which DVD Netflix doesn’t. If the subscription and mail-it-to-me model of Netflix DVDs is extra interesting to you than the kiosks of Redbox, then GameFly is perhaps extra suited to you.
With pricing much like Netflix’s DVD service, GameFly provides a bunch of month-to-month plan tiers. If you’re a gamer, a number of of their plans embody film leases as properly, so win-win for you. But if it’s simply films you’re after, there are six choices that vary in worth from $9 to $19 per 30 days. They all embody limitless film leases and new releases, however then break off into plans that enable one or two leases at a time, and plans that provide DVD and Blu-rays solely, in addition to one with 4K UHD discs for these in search of a greater video and sound high quality. You can check out the Blu-ray and DVD or 4K Elite plans for 30 days totally free, and all different plans provide discounted costs for 3 months if you wish to examine them out a bit first. If you do join, you’ll be able to cancel anytime.
How does it work? Easy. Head to the positioning and discover your film, which might be despatched to you by way of U.S. Postal Service first-class mail in roughly 2 to 5 enterprise days, with no transport charges. Your bank card is billed and, should you don’t just like the film, you’ll be able to ship it again they usually’ll even rush you a distinct one. You can maintain the film for so long as you need, there aren’t any late charges, and, as with its sport leases, you’ll be able to select to maintain the title at a preowned worth.
3D Blu-ray Rental
While the positioning isn’t a lot to have a look at, 3D Blu-ray Rental is an efficient DVD-by-mail possibility much like GameFly and DVD Netflix in that it provides month-to-month subscription plans, in addition to pay-as-you-go leases for each films and video video games. Specializing in hard-to-find Blu-rays, as its website states, 3D Blu-ray Rental has a stable assortment of flicks (together with new releases) provided in 2D, 3D, 4K UHD, and Blu-ray codecs.
The subscription plans are much like GameFly in that costs are based mostly on the variety of leases you’ll be able to have out at a time, starting from the $9-per-month “1 Disc at a time” plan to the $53-per-month “8 Discs at a time” plan. There’s an exception for specialty film and sport leases priced above $8 per rental, although — for these, you need to pay the complete worth of the rental. You can cancel the service at any time.
Your public library
While many public libraries throughout the nation have shifted to on-line streaming providers comparable to Kanopy and Hoopla for cardholders to entry films and TV exhibits, there’s nonetheless one thing to be mentioned for heading to your library to browse its bodily DVD or Blu-ray choice.
While the choice won’t be nearly as good as DVD Netflix or among the providers on our record, for probably the most half, they’re both free or grime low-cost to borrow with a sound library card. You may even ship your youngsters to get films with their playing cards, and a few libraries will allow you to reserve films, like books, to be the following in line for his or her use. To discover a public library close to you, there’s a search software on the U.S. authorities web site.
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