Blockbuster has joined the online DVD rental scene with some great new ideas but they fail to hit the mark. In addition to renting through the mail and return by mail, you can also walk into your local Blockbuster store and drop them off and pick new movies. Sounds great if it were done right.  The problem is this -- First, you rent online, get the DVDs, and watch them.  Then, you have the option to go to your local Blockbuster store and return them to rent movies there.  However, you MUST have the return envelope and sleeve (which they never tell you and most people won't think to bring it).  If you were lucky enough to bring the return envelopes, you can pick out new movies from the store.  Once you have the store's movies at home, you would think you could mail them back, or return to the store for more movies.  Instead, you need to return them to the store and can't mail them back.  If a trip to the store doesn't bother you, this might have been OK, but it gets worse.  Once you go back to the store you would think you could simply pick new movies to replace the ones you just returned.  You can't.   Instead, you have to go home empty handed and wait for the next movies to be mailed to you.  These extra trips to the store and confusion basically negate that part of the service because once you try it once, you won't bother again.  That leaves you with just on online service. And with that, Blockbuster is just not as good as Netflix.

For a low flat rate per month you can rent all the movies you want, with a limit of 1, 2, 3 or more movies out at one time. When you're done you just slip the DVD back into the envelope that's provided, with postage paid nonetheless, and send it on its way. Once Blockbuster receives that DVD, they'll send you another movie that you handpicked and put into your rental queue. Blockbuster also gives you a coupon for one free in-store rental per month, but it's confusing because the way the service should work is that you could add movies to your queue, get them, return them by mail or to the store.  While at the store you should be able to pick DVDs and be given mailing envelopes so you can either send them back via mail OR return to the store and get more movies.  Until they do this, Netflix simply is the easier, faster, better service.

Blockbuster offers Unlimited Rentals  and Limited Rentals .

Limited rentals start at $5.99 for two DVDs per month with limit of one DVD at a time, and range up to $7.99 per month for 3 DVDs per month with limit of one out at a time.

Unlimited Rentals start at $9.99 per month, one out at a time. Maximum plan: $23.99 for 4 DVDs out at a time. These pricing plans offer something for every user. If you are the type to only watch on weekends, and don’t need a constant flow of movies through your door, try one of the limited plans. If you’re a movie fanatic and rent new releases hot off the shelf you will be suited for an unlimited plan.