The Future Of Film Rental?

When it comes to film rental, with new services springing up all the time, which provides the best value for money? We look at the pros and cons of each...

If you've had a long day, or simply fancy a night in, sometimes there's nothing more relaxing than curling up on your sofa to watch a film.

But, with the face of film rental changing, going down to your local DVD rental store is no longer the only option you have to watch the latest titles.

So, as new technology attempts to oust the traditional route of renting from the top spot, which option provides the best value for money? Are downloads the way forward, or should we keep hold of our Blockbuster memberships for now?

Here's a quick look at what's currently available.

Tune Into Tradition

The first and probably best known method of renting a film is to pop down to your local rental store. You can rent a DVD (or in some cases a VHS cassette) for anything from overnight for the latest releases to around three nights for longer rentals. When you've finished, you simply return it to the store you rented it from.

Pros: This is the traditional and most tried and tested method, allowing you pick and choose the film you want in-store. There are also usually some good deals to be had, and sometimes you can even buy ex-rentals for a fraction of the price. In addition, if you fancy making a night in of it, you could always save money by spreading the cost of the rental between you and your mates.

Cons: With convenience being the name of the game these days, the biggest downside may (shock, horror) be that you may actually need to leave your house to get the DVD and give it back. Perish the thought eh? Online deals are also generally cheaper, providing you make full use of the service, that is.

Download Generation?

Last month, Apple launched its movie download service in the UK, enabling you to download some of the latest rental titles straight onto your PC or Mac.

When you rent a film using the iTunes service, you have up to 30 days to start watching it. Once you start, you must finish it within 48 hours -- although you can pause, fast forward, and rewind the film as many times as you wish.

Pros: Unlike some rival sites, the beauty of Apple's service is as soon as you've clicked the `rent' or `buy' button, you can start watching the movie straight away. You don't even need to move from your computer to do so, and can buy and rent films with a few clicks of a mouse. You can also transfer the film straight onto your iPod -- handy for those long commutes.

Cons: I must confess, I am an Apple fan, and have been guilty of being rather foolish (notice no capital) when it comes to buying their products. But in this case, I fail to see any real benefits. With the latest rentals costing £3.49 each, the service is a bit too pricey for me. What's more, some titles, particularly newer ones are only available to buy. At £10.99 per movie, personally I'd rather buy a hard copy knowing I can play it anywhere.

In addition, titles are limited. When Apple launched their service last month, they only had around 700 titles in their library. That's nothing compared to online rental rival Vizumi, which has Europe's biggest online rights collection and a much bigger range of titles to choose from. Downloads start from £2.95, rising to £3.95 for the latest releases, comparable to the iTunes service.

There is also the issue of download limits. If your broadband service is not particularly fast, not only will the download speed be painfully slow, but you could quickly reach your monthly download allowance.

For example, Vodafone's broadband dongle comes with a 3GB monthly download allowance. With the size of a film reaching around 1GB, your download limit could quickly evaporate. If you exceeded your limit, your rental would cost you an extra £15 with Vodafone. If you were unlucky enough to do the same with a 3 broadband dongle, that extra rental could end up costing you £102.40 - possibly the most expensive film rental you've ever made.

So, I would only recommend you take advantage of these services if you have landline broadband with a generous monthly download limit. You can read more about dongles, together with their pros and cons in my article, The Best Broadband Dongle.

DVDs Delivered To Your Door

If you enjoy watching films, but don't want the hassle of having to go and get them yourself, joining an online DVD rental company may provide the perfect solution.

LOVEFiLM is probably the best known provider of this service. Prices start from £3.99 for a maximum of two DVDs per month, rising to £15.99 per month if you want access to unlimited DVDs, plus three rentals at any one time.

Pros: Unlike Apple, you won't have to spend your time hunched over your PC watching the film. The DVDs come straight to your door and you don't even have to pay postage to send them back, as pre-paid envelopes are provided for your convenience. Rentals are also relatively cheap compared to downloading, and easier than popping down to your local store.

Cons: Although LOVEFiLM manages to combine convenience with value, personally I only think this service is good if you really are an avid movie fan. This is because regardless of whether you watch the DVDs or not, the money will continue to be debited from your bank account.

For this reason, unless you know you'll make full use of the service, it may be wiser to choose a pay as you go option. For example, easyCinema gives you credits which last 90 days instead of a set amount of DVDs each month, giving you bigger freedom over how often you watch them.

Trust Terrestrial

If the latest movies don't interest you but you'd like to add to the channels you have already, you could always upgrade your standard television with a digital box.

Freeview boxes cost about £30 and provide you with loads of extra channels to keep you both entertained and ready for the switchover to digital in 2012. Alternatively, you can even pay-per-view for films with Sky or your cable service, with movies also costing £3/£4 per showing.

In my last article, Make The Most Of The Movies, several Fools posted some handy hints as to how to save money on the movies, whether in the cinema or elsewhere. Any more recommendations would be welcome.

And, if all else fails, you could always stick to watching the telly! After all, you should make the most of the £139.50 you have to fork out every year for a TV Licence.

More: Make The Most Of The Movies / The Popcorn Investing Strategy