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By Helen Storey Staff Writer
Friday, 26 June 2009
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Featured DVD Rental Sites This Week
Read our reviews of:
LoveFilm DVD Rental
Blockbuster DVD Rental
Other DVD Rental News
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Online DVD Rental News Roundup (19 JUN 2009)
Helen Storey looks back at the week's games rental and DVD 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.
Online DVD Rental News Roundup (12 JUN 2009)
Helen Storey weekly roundup of DVD rental news (and games rental news!), featuring odd punishments for the late return of a DVD in Texas, more questions over the subject of legally streaming movies for free, and Blockbuster's list of the best Woody Allen films.
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THIS week we look at the speculation surrounding the sale of LoveFilm, find out who fared well in a poll of the favourite film dads and we get all scientific finding out about DVD rental.
Netflix to cross the pond?
WITH last week's announcement that LoveFilm are to sell up the rumour mill has been in overload trying to predict who might be the ones to buy the online DVD rental giant.
Some fingers are pointing towards US company Netflix. Netflix currently boast the majority of the market share for online DVD rental in the United States and recently rented out its billionth DVD.
Other sources suggest a much more fragmented buy-out scheme. FT.com reported: "Discussions are focusing on new investors acquiring a majority stake rather than a full buy-out of existing shareholders".
The sale of LoveFilm is estimated to net the current owners a cool £14m. Not bad in a recession, really.
We'll keep you updated on the progress of LoveFilm's sale.
D'oh! The UK's favourite film father
HOMER Simpson has been named as the nation's favourite film dad, in a poll conducted by Blockbuster for Father's Day.
The yellow one topped the poll with 28% of the vote, despite his unorthodox methods of strangulation to keep his son in check.
Although Homer's penchant for binge drinking hardly seems to qualify him as the ideal dad he pulls through when the family need him most.
Coming second in the poll was Jim's Dad from American Pie. Played by Eugene Levy, the cringeworthy dad makes a worthy appearance near the top of the poll. Famed for finding Jim in a compromising position with an apple pie, and that awkward chat about the birds and the bees, his toe-curling, eye-scrunching antics have made him a clear favourite.
Other dad's featuring in the poll were Keifer Sutherland's Jack Bauer, as seen in 24, Robin Williams' Mrs Doubtfire, and the frankly odd choice of Darth Vader.
Speaking of the dark throaty one, he topped a poll of 'Baddest Dads', conducted by LoveFilm this week too. Who came sixth? None other than Homer Simpson.
Make up your minds, Britain!
Highbrow films more likely to gather dust
ARE you ready for the science part? Apparently renting DVDs isn't just about kicking back on your sofa with popcorn. The boffins over at Harvard Business School and the Analyst Institute have been looking into the science of DVD renters.
The article, which appears in the not-so-exciting sounding Management Science journal, discusses the relationship between highbrow and lowbrow films with the length of time it will take for the renter to return the DVD.
It reports that highbrow films (films with more 'should' characteristics, like documentaries) are kept for much longer than lowbrow films (films with 'want' characteristics, like action movies).
It also discovers that highbrow films are left until last to return when ordered before lowbrow films.
The study is expected to help online DVD retailers to determine which films should always be available for immediate delivery, and to predict when they will be returned.
We have to question the scientific merit of the study, but whatever you prefer, you can compare DVD rental here for all your high or lowbrow needs.
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