Peerflix Reviews

Editor's Star Ratings:

Costs:

• $0.99 per DVD (transaction fee) plus cost of mailing.

Features:

• Innovative system for renting/selling/buying DVDs with other members
• Hang on to DVDs as long as you like – or just keep them
• No minimum contract
• No late fees
• Cancel anytime
• Website is secure

Editor's Verdict:

Here’s something a bit different, either a very new idea or a very old one depending on how you look at it. In essence Peerflix members compile a list of the DVDs they want to see and a list of the DVDs they own but don’t want anymore. The website tells you which films you can buy/rent from whom and tells other members which movies you are offering. Members sell the DVDs to each other and are then free to either add them to the list of DVDs they want to pass on or simply keep them. You use the money from selling the DVDs you don’t want to buy/rent those you do, which costs a 99 cent transaction fee, or redeem it for cash. That’s right: it's essentially an online DVD swapmeet. Or a cross between Ebay, trading stocks online and an internet matchmaking service for DVDs.

On one level it's ingenious to use the collections of the members as a DVD library rather than buying a lot of stock and sending them from a central depot, although this does this raise the question of what Peerflix actually DO. It seems the role of Peerflix is in facilitating the whole operation and optimising the way it runs. It's more a virtual trading post than a rental operation per se. Their stated aim is to encourage people to watch more, and more diverse, movies. Simple as that. The website reflects this and is a considerable resource for film reviews, chat and information in its own right.

The website provides you with printable labels and instructions of how to turn them into packaging envelopes, though this has the disadvantages being a bit flimsy and not having room for the DVD packaging (call me superficial, but isn’t part of the joy of a DVD collection having it all nicely packaged on your shelf?). Plus you need to have a printer (that works) to produce the label. That done, all you have to do is post it, which can cost as little as 37 cents because it's so gorram light (the flimsy has an upside)! This has the advantage that rather than having to wait for another member to return a DVD you want to the depot and then for the depot to send it on to you, the last viewer simply sends it right to you, meaning you get it much quicker and its only half as likely to get lost in the mail!

No doubt you can really save money with this clever system, but the selection is surprisingly limited, missing some must-see titles. This is partly to be expected, as who’s going to want to part with the films they really love (unless they’re replacing their collection with Blu-ray, of course), plus being able to get hold of hot new releases depends on someone owning the DVD, eventually becoming bored with it and deciding to get rid of it, by which time they are most likely neither hot or new. For these reasons its easier to get hold of middling/mediocre fare than the really good or current stuff. Real DVD fiends might want to consider trading on Peerflix and either buying and/or renting from a traditional online operator as well. Either way, you’ve certainly nothing to lose by trading with Peerflix and you may save a whole stack of greenbacks. Another benefit is that as a byproduct it creates networks and communities for people who like to see and talk about films, which has to be a good thing.

Less a DVD rental website than a medium for trading movies you’ve tired of that others might like (and vice versa), you can see a lot of movies very cheaply with Peerflix, but where’s that nice, shiny slimline case up there on the shelf?

Please note that Peerflix has now been discontinued.