Eish!!: Online DVD deal launched in SA

I like, wherever possible, to try the services and products I review or even just give a mention here on Eish!! I want my readers to know that what is mentioned here is not a done so because the author has been has been paid or couldn't find anything else to write about.

With that preamble in mind let me review an online DVD rental service I found at CherryPicka, a site I reported mentioned earlier this month. Pushplay is the DVD rental solution we have been waiting to be offered here in SA for a long time. The online DVD rental market has essentially been stifled by the prevailing broadband environment, but now as the broadband uptake is rising exponentially the time has come.

Actually contrary to Tuesday's News24 article Online DVD deal launched in SA stating that the recently launched BigPix is the first of it's kind in SA Pushplay was launched nearly a year ago and started delivering in October 2006, so I guess their time came a while ago.

Ok, now I've gotten that out of the way, let's explain the concept. We are used to going into a DVD rental store, searching through the movies, carefully keeping our gaze away from those movies that have no empty DVD case on the shelf so as not to be depressed by all the options we don't have. Those two fo you who are really proactive may have remembered to book a DVD you really wanted to see, but then you still have the stress of firstly fetching the thing and then remembering to drop it off before the return time the next day. Pushplay takes the stress out of the game. They offer various monthly packages, and you can watch as many movies as you like during the contract period, and take as much time to watch them as you like. (I guess how long you take depends on how polite you are as you will be holding up the queue) You browse online and select the movies you want to watch. Not one, not two but upwards of 20! And their selection is pretty damn large. So the moment you hear of something you want to see you can quickly go online and select it. When selecting you decide on how much importance you want to place in it. Then as it comes available they send you the DVD by post. No fetching. Once you have watched you return it into one of their various drop-off bins and they send you the next movie available in your queue.

As always, let's look at the catch. Actually there are two. Firstly, while they are on the verge of launching nationwide, they currently service Cape Town only. So, knowing there are a fair whack of readers in Gauteng, you guys are going to have to wait just a little while longer. Deborah @ Pushplay assures me your areas will be serviced very soon. Secondly, they deliver via SA Post Office. I have found that this can mean delivery times can vary. Thankfully PushPlay empty their boxes very regularly and are very quick in acknowledging receipt and sending the next DVD in the queue. I have been testing their service for a few weeks now and have found that it can take anything from 2 to 5 days from date of sending to you receiving the DVD in your grubby paws.
There is a way around it, however. Simply take the 2 DVD option. That way you can cycle the DVD's and always have something to watch.

They are currently offering a 2 week free trial, so again, it's an opportunity to try something new and not be out of pocket. And if you want to show Eishman your appreciation, drop me a mail or comment and I will send you a referral. That way you get your two weeks free trial and Eishman gets to extend his contract for another month! (as per the preamble, this is not the reason for the post, merely a added bonus for Eishman) Thereafter you can do your own referrals and you to can get a month's free DVD watching for each new PushPlay member. Ah, the beauty of viral marketing.

Labels: dvd, eish, entertainment, pushplay