How to Rent a Movie

Despite a drop off in rental stores, renting a movie is easier than ever. Without leaving your chair, you can stream high-quality content for reasonable prices. If you still want a physical copy of a DVD in your hands, you there are also a wide variety of options that run from cheap to completely free. You can learn to stream movies instantly, watch them on mobile devices, computers, and televisions, and rent physical copies of DVDs. Sea monsters, superheroes, tragic love, and Pulp Fiction await.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Streaming Movies Instantly

1
Make sure you have the necessary connection speed and plug-ins for streaming movies. The most common way of watching movies is usually streaming them instantly on the Internet, or downloading movies temporarily for a rental fee. You can watch on a mobile device, your computer, or by hooking up a Network Media Player to your television (discussed in the next method). You can watch high-qualify video without even leaving the house, provided your computer is outfitted with the following:
- 1.5 megabits per second speed is usually necessary for regular viewing, while 5.0 is needed for HD viewing. If you want to upgrade the speed of your Internet connection, talk to your cable provider.
- The HTML5 plug-in is also necessary to use Netflix and most other streaming services. This should come standard with the most recent update of most browsers. Update your software to the most recent version, if necessary.
2
Check your system requirements for video. Make sure your computer has the right system requirements for streaming high qualify video quickly, or you may end up watching slow-buffering grainy VHS-quality movies. 1080p content on most streaming services should be compatible with iPads 3rd generation or later and Apple TV 3rd generation or later. Mac and PC requirements are discussed below:
- Mac Requirements
  - Mac OS X v10.5 or later
  - iTunes 10 or later
  - 2.0 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo or faster processor
  - At least 1 GB of RAM
  - A display that supports HDCP with a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher
- Windows Requirements
  - 32 or 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows 8; Windows XP and Vista don't support HDCP
  - iTunes 10 or later
  - 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or faster processor
  - At least 1 GB of RAM
  - A video driver that supports HDCP (you may need to check with the manufacturer to determine if your video driver supports HDCP)
  - A display that supports HDCP with a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher with a digital connection (DVI, DisplayPort, or HDMI)
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3
Subscribe to a video streaming rental service online. Renting a movie is a snap if you subscribe to a video streaming service, for a monthly fee. Many of them have a huge variety of new and old content for you to browse, and playing the video is as easy as selecting and pushing play. All you need to do to get started is navigate to the homepage of the streaming service you're interested in and open an account. Common streaming services include:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime
- Vudu
- Hulu Plus
4
Rent movies directly from iTunes or GooglePlay. If you've already got an iTunes account, you can rent a movie right now. The biggest difference between renting from iTunes or GooglePlay and a streaming service, is that you'll download the content for a limited period of time to watch it, before it will disappear. You can view the content on the computer and other mobile devices you've set up to be compatible with the service.
- If you don’t have an account and want to start one, start one by navigating to the website and adding your ID and billing information. You'll have to download the software to get started, and then you'll be ready to select among the music and video available.
- Since you’re downloading, this is typically a better option if you’ve got a relatively slow Internet connection. It might take you a while to download the content, but you’ll be able to watch it without having to pause while the video buffers and catches up.
5
Select a video. Whether you're using Netflix, iTunes, or some other streaming or online rental service, you can browse through the available options and select a video of your choice. Most services allow you to read a synopsis, user reviews, and browse recommended content based on your prior viewing choices and your own reviews. Look for something interesting and select it to play.
- If you've got a particular title in mind, you can search for it in the search bar by title, names of the director or the actors, or a specific genre if you want to browse around.
- If you don't have a title in mind, look at the most recent popular options for new videos you might not have seen yet. Take a few minutes to rate some of your favorite movies to give the service a chance to recommend a lost classic you may have missed.
6
Let the video buffer, if necessary. If you're streaming your content, it might need some time to load, depending on how fast your Internet connection is. At peak periods–in the early evening–lots of basic Internet connections will slow considerably, and streaming multiple devices at the same time can also slow the speed by a substantial amount. If you're struggling with your speed, talk to your cable provider to learn about upgrades, and take steps yourself to improve the streaming quality.
- Try to only stream one device at a time. Pause any other downloads or online browsers you have open and let all the streaming capacity go straight to the video you're watching. If you're still experiencing struggles, pause the video and leave it a lone for a while to catch up.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Streaming Video to Your TV

1
Set up a Network Media Player to watch streaming video on your television. Network Media Players are like conduits that allow you to connect to the Internet and also interface with your television, allowing you to watch streaming video on the big screen. Roku and AppleTV are examples of these devices, but new video game consoles also come with the technology installed. Most of these devices are connected via Ethernet cables, or wirelessly. Each will involve a slightly different set up process, depending on the device. Examples of Network Media Players include:
- Apple TV
- X-Box 360 or higher
- Playstation 3 or higher
- Roku
When you've installed your Network Media Player, use the remote that came with it to navigate to the streaming service to which you subscribe and log in. If you need to start one, you can also use the Network Player to do that, entering your billing information, or hooking it into a pre-existing account.
Navigate around the options like usual, using your remote. It should work in almost exactly the same way, and should include the same basic content that your online account includes when you access it on your computer. If you watch half of a Netflix movie on your laptop, you can pick it up right where you left off on the TV.
The classic way of renting movies is to rent pay-per-view directly from the cable provider, or purchase on-demand video options through your cable company. You can usually already see the movies available on your menu screen, select one to purchase, and tune in instantly, or when the allotted time arrives. This will be billed to your cable statement.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Renting Physical Copies

1
Start a Netflix DVD account. If you want a physical copy of a DVD, the most common way of renting discs is to use Netflix, or some other DVD delivery service. Netflix allows you to select a queue of movies that you're interested in, which will be packed into envelopes and mailed directly to your door in a few days. You can keep the movie for as long as you want and return it for free in the envelope included. You can use this service in addition to your streaming account, if you want, or you can select one or the other. To sign up to receive DVDs from Netflix:
- Select a billing plan. There are a variety of options for packages, some more expensive than others. If you just want the streaming service, that's the cheapest option. If you want the streaming service and the occasional DVD, that'll be slightly more expensive. Check with Netflix for the most up-to-date billing options.
- After you include your billing info and shipping address, you'll be able to search among the DVDs available and put them into your queue for shipping. There are many thousand more movies available on DVD through Netflix, compared to streaming.
2
Consider alternatives. Other services offer similar experiences to Netflix, but may have a slightly different variety of films available for DVD delivery. If you're unhappy with Netflix, try one of the following:
- Blockbuster
- DVD Avenue
- DVD Barn
- Walmart DVD Rental
3
Find a RedBox in your area. If you don't want the commitment of a monthly fee, the next most common way of renting a movie is to find a RedBox close to you. Common outside of fast food restaurants, inside grocery stores, at malls, and in other locations, RedBoxes are touch-screen kiosks that allow you to select between a small variety of movies, pay for it with a credit card, then get the DVD instantly.
- To find a RedBox, you can search on Google maps to find the closest one, or you can check in with their corporate website to enter your zip-code and find a list of RedBoxes in your area.
- You can keep the DVD for as long as you want, but the cost will add by a dollar a day, so it's to your advantage to return it quickly. You can also return the disc to any RedBox kiosk, not just the one you rented it from.
4
Visit the local library for DVDs. If you want a DVD without paying for it, the best option is definitely the local library. Most libraries have a large selection of new and old DVDs available for rent. While they may not have the newest films, libraries are a great place to find old classics and foreign films you may have never heard of. Plus it's free. How great is that?
- Most libraries allow DVDs to be rented for up to a week at a time, and the late fees are usually slightly higher than that for books. You can usually check out up to five, but the specifics will depend on the library.^{[1]XResearch source}
- If you don't have a library card, you'll usually need to provide proof of residence, but you can sign up for a card and usually check out at least one movie right away. Go to your library and talk to someone at the circulation desk for more information.
5
Find indie rental stores in your neighborhood. While some franchises like Family Video and Blockbuster are still hanging on, online streaming has made it tough on local rental businesses, though some rental joints that cater to cult films and other obscure titles are still successful in certain cities. If your tastes run toward 50s drive-in monster movie schlock, babysitters slasher flicks, and Italian neo-realism, you might be able to find a treasure-trove in your city. Here are some obscure classics:
- Plan 9 Film Emporium in Bloomington, IN
- Scarecrow Video in Seattle, WA
- Glebe Video International in Ottawa
- Le Video in San Francisco, CA
- Odd Obsession in Chicago, IL
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