Movielink Online Movie Rental -- movielink.com

I’ve used Netflix and was TERRIBLY unhappy with their delivery schedule (read my review at http://www.epinions.com/content_67897888388) and I like my local movie vendor so I didn’t think I’d be interested in...

So am a total tech geek who tries every service and gadget. I am a partner in a software company. Millions of people use my software, though many don't know they are. I have never publicly complained about an online service though I have often been ...

I'm not one to repeat what has already been competently written in the other reviews of Movielink. Consider this review more of an addendum to the others. I'm going focus on the features which most colored my experience of this service.

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This is actually a great service for its convenience rather than quality. I found it just a hair below VHS for video quality but tolerable overall. Audio quality is excellent. Definitely not a replacement for DVDs though. Some of the prices for ...

I have been using DirecTV Standard Definition (SD) pay per view on a Tivo for the last few years, so this is what Movielink has to compete with for my PPV dollars. Limited Time to View--The Show Stopper: On Movielink, once you start watching the ...

I really liked the service. The only improvement they can make it is to expand the number of movies ...

I followed their instructions on my media center extender. An hour and a half later and things still aren't working, and the jack@!$ on the other end of the computer chat from movielink says he won't refund my money. What a bunch of con artists. I ...

A complete waste of time. I tried Movielink twice, and both times, the download stopped after about 1 and a half hours, and the movie completely disappeared. I know of no problems with my computer or internet service so the screw-up is at Movielink's end. 5 hours of computer time (signing-up, downloading software, trying to get a refund, trying to download movies) and absolutely nothing to show for it. I certainly wouldn't risk wasting time with this awful service until they get the bugs out of their program. Movielink is claiming the problem is with my satellite service. However I have downloaded music and software before with no problems. Furthermore, at the same time I was attempting to download a movie I was online with another computer with the same satellite hookup. There was no disruption on the other computer. The fact that Movielink is making bogus excuses rather than trying to fix their software problems is just one more reason to avoid them.

Good concept, bad implementation. I successfully used Movielink to rent movies about 9 times over the past couple of years. The selection is limited, but at times it was handy to rent something without leaving the house.
When I recently rented a movie (after I paid), I was told that I had to update my 'MovieLink Manager' software. The software distribution software was awful, and subsequently required me to download 'Movelink-Ready' software. Some unknown security changes were apparently made to my Windows Media Player software. The whole download/upgrade process took about 4 hours (over relatively fast DSL) and several reboots.
I used the phone and on-line chat to get access to customer support, who were friendly but did not seem interested in process improvements. I attempted to give some constructive feedback via email, and just got platitudes and a generic support email address. Since I will never endure another forced upgrade I will no longer be a customer.

Terrific is the first word that comes to mind! Movielink has made it possible for me to hold to my "Kill your TV" pledge. No Cable, no video store returns, hey.. no TV! And I still get to watch cool movies with a pretty good quality picture. Now with the higher def movies being included, it will be even better.

So far I have used coupons and a contest prize (a contest on their website) and not paid at all. It will be worth it though when the prize money runs out and the coupons are all gone to rent at their reasonable prices. My favorite? The Mon - Thurs 99 cent specials!

Perhaps some of the previous negative reviews were written before upgrades to Movielink's software, but I have had no problem with it. I find the software very user-friendly and simple and have experienced no glitches or problems.

The best aspect of Movielink is that, unlike Netflix or a local rental, it's very convenient to just click and watch the movie. Movies usually take twenty minutes or fewer to download, which is faster than running to your local Blockbuster. You never have to worry about returns, either. Also, the movies run off your hard drive, so you never have to worry about CDs skipping. The movies are almost, but not quite, DVD quality.

On the down side, you don't get any DVD bonus features (commentary, subtitles, etc.) with your download, and the selection on the site leaves something to be desired. Movies tend to come out a little later on Movielink than they do on DVD, so if you're looking for a new release, you probably won't be able to find it there.

I am really puzzled at all the high ratings for this service. The website is extremely buggy - 3 out of 4 times that you click on anything it times out (even on my super fast broadband connection) or throws up an error. There are *very* few good titles - any time you search for a movie, it is consistently "not found". An additional frustration is that there are even fewer previews or trailers. I've just tried watching clips for 7 movies and not one was available. Lastly, the $4-$5 price per movie is quite high, considering that there is no human overhead or rental locations to support. Yes, there are $1.99 titles available, but they are mostly the kind you would not watch for free. To be fair, I did have a good experience - the one single time that I found a semi-interesting title and was desperate enough to persist through the time outs and the errors.

Overall, the idea is great - but until Movielink works out all the technical problems and expands its catalog, the site is essentially non-usable. I am definitely keeping my Netflix subscription for now.

UPDATE: We've vastly improved our network speed. ITunes will download a movie in record time. The resolution is even good for our HDTV. One year after our first attempt, we tried ordering over MovieLink again. It's been 3 hours, and only 5.1% of the movie has downloaded. Why can we get an iTunes movie in an hour, but MovieLink takes so long to download that it's faster to order order a DVD and have it shipped?
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Prior to this, we tried ordering movies and had the same response - SLOW SLOW SLOW.

Movielink is substandard. I tried to use it three times. Each time I had at least one complication. One time I had to download the entire movie before beginning to play it, even though the "start movie" icon was highlighted almost the entire time. Once it crashed my system and lost the movie. I got charged for it anyway and couldn't begin downloading it again because it was already "in progress." All told, I've spent several hours dealing with problems caused by this software. Customer service wait times were fairly long as well. The selection of movies is mediocre. In essence, movielink is a nuisance that I've uninstalled. I would not recommend it.

I really like the service. Very handy not having to run out to the local Rental Shop. Fast and good quality downloads. Just wish they had more of a selection. Also prefer the pay per movie deal better then paying a flat fee per month.