I've been a NetFlix member for nearly two years now and up to Monday of last week I have had no complaints. I noticed however, that BlockBuster has a similar online DVD rental service but goes beyond NetFlix by allowing its user to also be able to return movies to their local Blockbuster store. Netflix DVDs must be mailed to them and even though there is no shipping charge, the difference in time between driving to a store to return a rental and mailing the rental via the post office is more than a day. That is why I decided to sign up as a BlockBuster Online user and try out both services. As I will show in this review, even though NetFlix invented the online DVD rental service, Blockbuster is right at its tale.

I can only guess that Blockbuster had to come up with a creative way of persuading people to try their online DVD rental service and at the same time stay away from the negative publicity their retail store received. What Blockbuster came up with was genius in my opinion: ?Let users receive the DVD rentals over the mail, similar to NetFlix, however, unlike NetFlix allow users to return the DVDs to their local store?. This was probably the selling point BlockBuster was going to use. Another feature that BlockBuster implemented to allow it's customers to receive movies faster was by initiating an agreement with the Post Office. An article from the Boston Globe describes how the company has asked the US Postal Service to scan Blockbuster return envelopes and send the firm an electronic notification so customers don't have to wait until the envelopes are actually delivered before having the next movie on their to-see list sent out. What does this mean? Basically here is the advantage to the renter:

1. Monday: You receive your DVD movies through the mail, 1 from BlockBuster and 1 from NetFlix.

2. Tuesday: You drop off both movies at your local Post Office. The Post Office Scans in both movies. However, the difference is that BlockBuster HQ is electronically notified that their movie has been returned to the Post Office. BlockBuster knows that you have returned the movie, so they send out your next movie. NetFlix has not yet received their movie so they have not sent out there movie.

3. Wednesday: You receive your second movie from BlockBuster Online. NetFlix has just received the movie you sent on Tuesday. They ship your next movie.

4. Thursday or Friday: You receive your second movie from NetFlix.

Anyone can clearly see how BlockBuster movies arrive at least one to two days sooner than NetFlix.

Another reason why I switched is that BlockBuster sends me coupons that allow me to rent 1 movie per week from their retail store. This definitely comes in handy on a Friday night when you assumed you would have received a movie in the mail but realized you wouldn't get it till the next day.

If you are interested in renting DVDs online, I recommend you try both services. You can try them both free for 1 month (BlockBuster Online or NetFlix) then decide which one you want to stay with. For me however, I have already decided.