Netflix recently announced price increases that upset a lot of customers, to say the least. Whether or not you're planning to cancel your own Netflix account, it's good to know what alternatives are out there. Here are seven Netflix alternatives:
DVD rental
Redbox rents physical discs through strategically located kiosks inside retail stores. You may have already seen them in your local drug store or grocery market; the all-red kiosks are hard to miss. To rent a title, you walk up to a kiosk, make your selection and pay for it. For added convenience, you can also use the Redbox Web site or its mobile app (iPhone and Android) to reserve a movie at a specific Redbox kiosk. A search for Redbox kiosks showed six kiosks within 4 miles of us and two kiosks were within a mile. Prices can vary slightly depending on your region, but it's right around $1 plus tax. The catch with Redbox rentals is that they have to be returned by 9 p.m. the following day.
Web site: www.redbox.com
Mobile apps: iPhone and Android for reservations
Cost: $1 plus tax, per title
Greencine
Like Netflix, Greencine movies are delivered and returned by mail without any late fees. However, Greencine caters to a more selective moviegoer crowd than Netflix. Greencine has a large collection of indie, foreign, anime, and documentary films. That's not to say that it doesn't have mainstream movies. A quick search showed "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part I," "Battle: Los Angeles," and "Little Fockers," among its available titles. It should be noted that Greencine happens to offer adult titles as well, unlike Netflix. Greencine also offers a limited number of video-on-demand titles, but they are not a part of the subscription and are charged a la carte. Greencine doesn't typically offer free trials, but prices start at just $9.95 for the one-DVD-out plan. Greencine isn't a better deal than Netflix, but if you're a fan of the genres it specializes in, you might want to give it a shot. Keep in mind that its service is for the U.S. only.
Web site: www.greencine.com
Mobile apps: N/A
Cost: From $9.95/month for 1 DVD-out up to $49.95/month for 8 DVD-out
Public library
Have you been to your local public library lately? If not, you may be in for a surprise. Many libraries lend out DVDs for a week at a time. While they won't always have the latest releases or the largest selection, you may run into a movie you wanted to watch that was released just six months ago. Many libraries even have online access, allowing you to search for the title before going in to borrow it.
Web site: Search Google
Mobile apps: N/A
Cost: Free
See The Rest
