3 Ways To Rent DVDs

This is the second in our weekly series comparing three ways to accomplish common tasks by price and quality. Next Friday, we'll compare three ways of getting a burger.

While box office numbers indicate that moviegoers' ticket-buying habits haven't drastically affected by the recession -- $10 seems like a bargain in comparison to tickets to concerts and sporting events -- there are still even cheaper alternatives to seeing your favorite stars: on DVD.

Thanks to some creative ways to get discs to movie lovers, the price tag per rental can range from $1 to $5, and in some cases, they can be obtained for a short viewing period for free.

Here are three options for getting DVDs:

1. Rent from your video store or online. Stores like Blockbuster, Mr. Movies and Hollywood Video are among your more popular brick-and-mortar video chains, and are often stocked with multiple copies of the hottest titles. Some of the stores require memberships, but they're generally for tracking purpose to make sure that the videos come back in proper time. The great thing is, the memberships are often free.

The average cost of a new release at a Blockbuster store, for example is approximately $5, which will get you the DVD for two nights. That's ample time to see a movie in comparison to the old days of VHS, when many companies required that all of their videos -- no matter how new or old -- had to be returned the next day. DVDs at Blockbuster past their "new release" runs cost about $4, but the rentals are good for a one-week stretch. The company also has an online rental service similar to Netflix.

If time is a crucial factor in your life and you need to see DVDs as your schedule demands, the online service Netflix takes care of everything online and through the mail. The service has a variety of subscriptions that allow you to rent a certain number of movies per month. The big incentive to go this route is that the service does not charge late fees.

Depending on which tier of service you enroll in, Netflix subscribers develop a list of movies they want to see. Depending on your subscription plan, you are allowed to have anywhere from one DVD to eight DVDs out at a time with most plans allowing unlimited DVD exchanges each month.

The DVDs come to you in the mail, and no matter how long you keep it, you mail it back to your local distribution center in a postage-free envelope when you are done. The company then automatically sends you the next DVD on your rent list.

Many of the plans, which range from $4.99 to $16.99 a month, allow up to eight discs a month. A bonus is titles can be streamed your television or computer (after you purchase a special device to be hooked up online), at no extra cost.

2. Rent on the run. While the selection isn't nearly as great as your brick-and-mortar video stores or online subscription services, vending machines like Red Box have proved to be quite valuable to renters who like their DVDs new and cheap. Located in fast-food chains like McDonalds and outside convenience stores at thousands of locations nationwide, Red Box rents new releases only –- with a $1-per-night price tag.

Housed in fully automated rental machines, Red Box units hold 700 DVDs with up to 200 new releases. Renters can either swipe a credit or debit card to get the film they want in about a minute's time, or reserve a Red Box selection online to pick up at their nearest location.

Like Netflix, Red Box offers the "no late fees" option, but with a little different spin. If renters don't return their DVDs after a full day, they are charged for another. The rental fees cease at 25 days and $25, after which time the DVD can be kept by the renter.

3. Check out your library. Books aren't the only things you can check out of your local libraries -- in fact, they're also great locations for a variety of media, including DVDs. The catch is, unlike your traditional stores, rent on-the-go and online retailers, libraries generally don't stock new releases. If they do, they're not there in multiple copies.

The biggest advantage, however, is that when check items out of the library, they're free. Remember, however, that like books, DVDs have due dates.

Various library check-out times vary, but library card-holders generally can obtain discs for a week at a time. And like books, get ready to pay a late fee if the discs aren't returned on time.

So, which route to DVD-viewing pleasure is the best bet? Here's a summary to help you decide:

Video stores
Price: $4 and up
Selection: New releases and older movies

Vending machine services:
Price: $1 and up
Selection: New releases only

Library:
Price: Free
Selection: Older movies only