Webflix went out of business in 2005.

Webflix has a slick looking site, if a bit simple compared to some. Webflix has over 10,000 films, about a third of what the top companies stock, but, that said, this selection will probably more than satisfy mainstream customers. They have an interesting percentage-based film score unlike most sites' star rating system--ratings are based on reviews from a select pool of respected film critics. Their search engine isn't bad--allowing queries on genre, critic rating, classification, and decade produced--though there are better ones out there. But best is their massive genre page--each genre is subdivided. For instance, Sci-fi/Fantasy is broken into no less than 23 categories, ranging from Time Travel to Robots/Cyborgs. Site design aside, we have heard some complaints about their availability. In their favor, they do have a phone line for customer service.

Webflix is the UK version of the wildly successful Netflix, which pioneered the DVD-rental-by-mail industry in the US and which remains the largest such company in the world. While the UK version is good, we'd expect Webflix to distinguish itself more than by the sleek look of the website. In our own opinion, we'd prefer one of the better homegrown services.

Prices: Their 14-day free trial is only available with a 1-disc subscription, which costs £9.95 per month; they also offer 3 discs at £14.95 and 4 discs at £19.95.