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By Helen Storey Staff Writer
Friday, 3 July 2009
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Featured DVD Rental Sites This Week
Read our reviews of:
Blockbuster DVD Rental - 1 Month Free Trial
LoveFilm DVD Rental - 1 Month Free Trial
Other DVD Rental News
See our other recent related DVD rental and Games rental news stories:
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Cheapest Online DVD Rental
Find the cheapest online DVD rental deals on the web and recession-proof your little luxuries with Julia Kukiewicz's simple guide.
Blockbuster closes the gap between online and in-store DVD rental (6. 3. 2009)
Blockbuster has launched their new package this week, which offers game and DVD rental in their high-street stores as well as online. Helen Storey looks at the ins and outs of the new service, and highlights what you get, how much it costs, and why Blockbuster is a good choice for your online DVD rental.
Online DVD Rental News Roundup (26 JUN 2009)
Helen Storey looks back at the week's games rental and DVD rental news, featuring an update on who might be the ones to buy online rental giant LoveFilm, who was recently voted favourite film dad, and the results of some scientific research into online rentals.
Online DVD Rental News Roundup (19 JUN 2009)
Helen Storey's weekly roundup of DVD rental news (and games rental news!), featuring the latest on LoveFilm's decision to sell up to the highest bidder, the gossip on which MPs have been claiming their DVDs on expenses and the chance to win with a brand new competition from Blockbuster.
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THIS week it's reports galore as the decline of DVD sales becomes apparent, alongside new reports from financial experts about where the DVD business is headed in the next five years. We also check out the best DVD rental services for Catholic priests and give you some of the best Farrah Fawcett movies to add to your online DVD rental queue.
Despite HMV success, DVD sales fall
Retail giant HMV recorded a recession-busting rise in profits this week, despite reports that DVD sales are falling for the first time since their entry into the British market in 1998.
The reasons for both of these changes in retail habits are being attributed to the demise of media sales outlet Zavvi, and everyone's favourite pick 'n' mix store Woolworths.
HMV, which also owns book-chain Waterstones reported an 18% rise in pre-tax profit from £52m to £61.3m, giving a kick to the chops of the credit crunch. It bought out 25 Zavvi stores when it went into administration and reopened them under the HMV brand.
The fall in DVD sales is also being attributed to increasing levels of piracy and faster broadband speeds. Over 253m DVDs were sold last year, but sales in the first half of 2009 have shown that sales have dropped by 10%.
Oddly enough, the rise in online DVD rental hasn't been mooted as a reason for the decline in DVD sales, but we have our sneaky suspicions it may have had some effect.
Financial experts say DVD downturn is just a Dip
Following on from the slump in DVD sales, PriceWaterhouseCoopers predict that this trend will continue until making a comeback in 2012.
They also predict that physical DVD rentals will also dip 0.4% before returning full-speed in 2013.
The big losers in the report are Blu-ray discs, which are seen as too much of a luxury in the economic downturn.
Luckily, the winners are the online DVD rental companies. The online DVD rental business is expected to double in the next five years.
More DVD choice for Priests
Put your rosary beads away following good news for Catholic priests everywhere this week.
To celebrate the fact that Pope Benedict XVI declared this year the Year for Priests, catholic DVD rental company PiusMedia.com has added a special category to their catalogue of movies to rent.
PiusMedia.com, which goes by the slogan 'Entertainment your mother approves!' have added such flicks as Everybody Got 2 Suffer and Pope Fiction.
We have to confess, you're far more likely to get a bigger selection of DVDs at one of the mainstream companies like Blockbuster or LoveFilm.
Farrah Fawcett flicks to add to your list
Following the news this week that original Charlie's Angel, Farrah Fawcett, lost her battle with cancer, here are some of her best films for you to add to your rental queue:
- Extremities - This sees Fawcett taking revenge on an intruder in her home. Nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actress
- The Apostle - Fawcett stars as the wife of a preacher who leaves town for Louisiana. Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
- Logan's Run - The cult sci-fi dystopian future classic.
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