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 Moviestar was only launched in summer 2006, but with significant financial backing, excellent customer service, and the cheapest prices in the business, it has swiftly become the favorite alternative to Screenclick. Moviestar swiftly amassed 26,000+ customers in its first year and won the Eircom Golden Spider award for best new website in 2006.
Unlike Screenclick, which doesn't divulge how many titles it has, Moviestar claims to have the most titles in Ireland, 30,000. We can't judge which has more, but to be fair we note Moviestar does appear to have a very active new release acquisition program. For instance, they were the first to stock new, High-Definition Blu-Ray discs, which have their own section on the site. In fact, they seem to have set out to outdo Screenclick in as many aspects as possible, for instance, with a whopping 27 genres (vice the competition's 18) to browse. These are very helpful for ambling through the site, as they cover detailed niches like Foreign Language, Documentary, Martial Arts, etc. We did note with disappointment that they ceased offering video game rentals to focus on their core mission of DVD rental.
Moviestar is also known for neat technical innovations, like allowing you to access your queue from anywhere in the world on your mobile and the ability to watch trailers online for popular films. We were also impressed with their animated walkthrough of the system, which shows the process in pictures much easier than words. Unlike Screenclick, you can even freeze your account if going away on vacation, twice a year, for up to 60 days in total. Moviestar also plans on adding movie downloads in the coming months. We also understand download/streaming/video-on-demand (VOD) service is nearly ready to launch as of late 2008. They also introduced a new user "home page" which gives a brief synopsis of the queue, what's been rented, friends, site news, and collections.
Moviestar's title information is also excellent , complete with hyperlinked director and actor listings, as well as run time, genre, aspect ratio, sound format, language, and studio, though we'd really like to see certificate enclosed as well. The film descriptions vary widely, with some on the short side, but others multiple paragraphs. We especially like the customer comments, which appear to be widely used, and average customer rating is displayed prominently. There is also a "Customers who liked this also liked ..." section under each film, which is excellent for browsing and getting new ideas.
We're very impressed at their customer service phone line, a feature many international rental companies omit to keep costs down, but lack of which can cause great frustration. They also have a facility allowing you to report discs lost in the mail after four days, though they require you to file a claim form with the Post Office. If post in your area is unreliable due to multiple lost discs, they reserve the right to cancel the subscription, which is fair enough in our opinion.
To cancel a subscription, it is essential you click on Cancel Membership under My Account no later than the day before your next payment date, and before returning your last DVD, so they don't send you another. You must return all remaining discs after canceling, getting a receipt of posting as proof of return, to ensure you are not charged for another month--they give you an extra two days beyond the subscription end for these returns. As with all DVD rental companies, disputes over ending free trials and subscriptions are among the most common problems, so be sure to follow Moviestar's policies precisely.
Moviestar was launched by young entrepreneurial brothers Gavin and Iain McConnon, with a series of high profile ads on the theme "Will Moviestar Kill the Video Store." There was some press controversy after the launch, including use of non-rental discs for rentals, but this appears to have been cleared up and overshadowed by the company's meteoric growth and success in its first year. The company has clearly grown swiftly with the influx of some disgruntled ex-Screenclick subscribers, who previously saw no good alternative, as the only other Irish DVD rental company, Busy Bee, simply isn't in the same league as the top two.
Prices: Moviestar has a 14-day free trial before you commit to subscribing. They recently put their prices down to match Screenclick, and now have one limited tariff, one disc out at a time, for a total of two rentals in the month for €7.99 (an average of €4/disc). Much more popular are their unlimited rental tariffs: a single DVD out-at-a-time rental package is €12.99 per month, two-discs out for €17.99, and their three disc package is €24.99.
For price comparison, assuming even a modest rate of watching only one DVD per week (you should be able to turn them around slightly faster depending on the swiftness of post to your area), you'd pay an average of €3.33 per disc on the one-disc package, €2.26 per disc for the two-disc plan, and an impressive €2.14 per disc for the most popular three-disc plan; far cheaper than in any rental store.
Moviestar even has annual plans which are even further discounted if you pay a year up front.
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Rental Basics