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We've been running Australia-DVD-Rental-Guide.com as an independent, unbiased review of the Australian DVD and game rental-by-post industry, which we hope allows you the customer to make informed choices. We're still going strong in 2009 after our blog relaunch and hope to maintain the high standards our readers have become accustomed to over the years.

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February 2010 Australia DVD Rental Guide Update

We've completed our annual major scrub of the site, going through and checking all the prices, inventory sizes, etc. are correct. Very little changes to report actually.

One thing we are dissapointed with is Blu-Ray inventory sizes--none as yet are over 1,000 for any company, which is a poor in our opinion given uptake and new releases are rapidly increasing.

As ever, we'll continue to track the market for future changes and opportunities for the consumer.

13 Feb, 2010 | Category: Site Announcements |

Quickflix Releases 2009 Update

Quickflix has released its 4th quarter 2009 update, noting a 48% growth in subscribers over last year, up to 41,027. December has been a record month, adding 7,800 new subscribers following an agressive Christmas campaign. Of note, 5.8 of customers cancelled (so called churn) during the 4th quarter, a figure DVD companies rarely release. The company noted churn was higher this period as they'd begin enforcing a policy of cancelling member accounts were over 60 days in arrears.

They also noted free trial conversion to member was 53%, another figure we rarely see released.

Finally, Quickflix recently updated their search and functionality for TV series (which represent 20% of all rentals), and an iPhone app is under development which will make managing queues on the go much easier.

20 Jan, 2010 | Category: DVD Rental News |

RIP V2 Direct

As of September, V2 Direct is out of the DVD Rental business, though the company hasn't gone bust and still sells DVDs. This Brisbane-based company was the online arm of the Video 2000 rental shop chain, and had long ranked a distant fourth on our charts. Nonetheless, it had many fans, and with so few DVD rental companies left in Australia (four by our count), we mourn its passage.

However, ex-V2 Direct customers can rest assured that the market leaders, Quickflix and Bigpond, offer an excellent alternative (better in our opinion), so there's no reason the convenience of online DVD rental has to end with V2 Direct's passing.

17 Sep, 2009 | Category: DVD Rental News |

Bright Prospects for DVD Rental

Various tech analysts have written that US giant Netflix, whose shares have slid recently given competition from DVD kiosks and the threat of digital movie streaming, remains a strong company with a bright future, and these lessons apply just as well for Australian DVD rental. As described in this Barrons piece, analysts note the lifespan of the DVD rental market will be longer than many believe. The rental-by-mail sector will be the biggest beneficiary of the drawdown in bricks and mortar stores which has been going on for several years.

One survey found that 20% of all current Amercian non-subscribers to a DVD rental service say they plan to subscribe in the next five years. Assuming Australians are similarly inclined, that's a few million new customers likely in the coming years.

07 Sep, 2009 | Category: DVD Rental News |

September 2009 Australia DVD Rental Guide Update

Nothing new to pass on this month--really looks like the DVD rental market has matured since we launched the site, which is probably a good thing for consumers, just as long as we keep some healthy competition. We don't want what happened in New Zealand last year where all three DVD rental companies merged into a monopoly, to happen here. But that seems very unlikely, as the three way battle on for top quality in Australian DVD rental between Quickflix, Bigpond, and Webflicks (with a couple others in the game) is still going strong. As customers, we should be willing to vote with our feet and send our dollars to the best outfit, further encouraging competition. We hope visitors will post both positive and negative reviews of their experienced here at Australia-DVD-Rental-Guide.com so others can make the best choice possible.

07 Sep, 2009 | Category: Site Announcements |

August 2009 Australia DVD Rental Guide Update

We continue to track the world of Australian DVD rental, but there's nothing new to report.

08 Aug, 2009 | Category: Site Announcements |

Most Popular Posts

DVD Rental Growth Continues Despite Recession [3]
Quickflix Ends Unlimited Plans [2]
How Long Do Customers Keep Their Rentals? [1]
Will DVD Rental Firms Adjust, or Will They Die? [1]
US's Netflix Mulls Deliveries on Saturdays [1]

News on the ever-changing world of Australian DVD rental.