Quick Links
For movie fans looking for titles that aren’t available to stream, or for people who live in areas with unreliable or slow internet access,DVDs are still an essential resource. Here are five services that offer monthly DVD subscriptions similar to the Netflix model.
GameFly
Try GameFly
Cafe DVD
During this period of transition, plenty of titles are listed as “checked out,” but Cafe DVD promises that its library is continuing to expand, and the company is actively soliciting feedback. Subscription plans start at $9.99 per month for a limit of two DVDs, and $19.99 per month for unlimited DVDs per month, two at a time. Cafe DVD also offers rentals on a per-disc basis, although that entails return deadlines and paid shipping, making the subscription option much more cost-effective.
Try Cafe DVD
3D Blu-ray Rental
Its website may look like a relic of an earlier era, but3D Blu-ray Rentalhas been offering rental subscriptions for fans of hard-to-find titles since 2011. As the name implies, the service focuses on Blu-ray titles, which includes both 2D and 3D releases, as well as4K UHD, but no standard DVDs. That makes this an ideal service for more discerning movie fans, who are looking for rentals that will take advantage of a high-end home-viewing set-up.
With more than 20,000 titles available, 3D Blu-ray Rental has an extensive library of high-quality releases, including mainstream titles and releases from boutique labels like Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome. Plans start at $8.99 per month for one disc at a time with a limit of two discs per month. 3D Blu-ray Rental also offers a limited selection of video games, and per-disc rentals are available, starting at $4.99 per disc with free shipping both ways.
Try 3D Blu-ray Rental
DVD Inbox
Once the service launches, plans will start at $9.99 per month for two discs at a time with a limit of two per month, including both DVDs and Blu-rays. DVD Inbox offers the chance to import your Netflix queue via CSV file, so your watch list can be fully ready to go once subscriptions are active.
Try DVD Inbox
Facets
Like fellow nonprofit local video store Scarecrow Video in Seattle, Chicago’sFacetsoffers its large library of often obscure titles for rent by mail. Unlike Scarecrow, which only rents titles on a per-disc basis, Facets offers a monthly subscription service, although it can be pricey for anyone who isn’t able to rent titles in person. Still, Facets may be the ultimate subscription service for hardcore cinephiles, with a library of more than 45,000 titles that includes out-of-print and foreign releases, and even movies on VHS.
Plans start at $10 per month or $100 per year for three rentals per month, but each mailing also includes a charge of $8-$11 for shipping, which can nearly double the monthly cost. Selections are grouped together to save on shipping, but that also means you need to watch three movies at a time before receiving your next shipment. For Chicago locals, membership also includes discounts to movie screenings and film festival passes at Facets.
