Legal Ways to Watch Movies Online

By The Guru | May 13, 2008

Verdict: The best legal way to watch movies online is with Netflix. Netflix has thousands of movies and TV shows available to watch instantly on your PC or Mac. You can sign up for a 2 week free trial of Netflix here.

It’s Friday night, and movie lovers across the land are feeling the same panic. There’s the tightening of the chest, the rush to the car after work, the hurried attempt to get to the video store in time. Alas, as the moviegoer makes it to the video store and peruses the shelves, all of the favorites have already been checked out. With sagging shoulders, the beaten down DVD lover leaves the video store, resigned to watching another night of Masterpiece Theater in bed.

It doesn’t have to be that way. As the demand for movie rentals grow, so does the enterprise that distributes them. Now, movie lovers don’t need to go to the video store and pick up their third or fourth choice. Instead, there are many places online to legally download movies and watch them at home, without ever having to leave the house.

Netlix

Netflix has over 8,000 movies available for download right now. While it is different than the previously mentioned retailers, it does have its perks. Netflix is a subscription service. Therefore, consumers cannot simply go to the Netflix website and start downloading. Still, a subscription to Netflix would be well worth it for the frequent movie watcher. For $16.99 a month, customers can download as many movies out of the database they want in a months’ time. Since the going rate is $3.99 a movie at most sites, consumers that watch more than four movies a month would be wise to sign on for the Netflix subscription service.

iTunes

No one has capitalized on the entertainment needs of people as much as Apple’s iTunes Store. Music wasn’t enough, nor was television shows. Now iTunes is making a name for itself as one of the industries leaders in online movie rentals. With downloadable movie rentals priced from $2.99 to $3.99, consumers are guaranteed a safe, legal movie download. Movies can be downloaded and played on an ipod, computer, or television. There is no contract or obligation. iTunes offers consumers the ability to rent the movies they want, when they want.

Movie Link

Movie Link offers the same ease of use as iTunes, and also allows movie watchers the ability to rent movies without signing a contract. Movie Link has a wide selection of movies, from new and old, that consumers can download and watch. There is no catch or hassle. While new releases run $3.99 for a download, old movies can be found for as little as $1.99. The site offers a great deal of movies that are sure to fit everyone’s needs.

With all of the tools out there, there is no need to stand in the lines at the video store and then come home disappointed. Choices are at all of our fingertips; we just have to know where to look. Movie downloading is fast, secure, and legal as long as the videos come from a reputable source and are purchased. It is the best way to rent all of the movies that you want without having to worry about titles being in stock.

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