Powered by LOVEFiLM - what does it mean?
What does "powered by LOVEFiLM" mean?
Powered by LOVEFiLM means that the service is run by LOVEFiLM but brought to you through a third party. For example, Tesco DVD rental is powered by LOVEFiLM. This means that you sign up to Tesco through the Tesco website but behind the scenes the service is actually provided by LOVEFiLM.
Should I avoid these types of DVD rental service?
There are advantages and disadvantages to picking a service that is powered by LOVEFiLM including:
Advantages
• The plans can sometimes be cheaper. For example, Tesco's unlimited plan with one disc is £1 per month cheaper than LOVEFiLM's
Disadvantages
• You often don't get the full range of features that LOVEFiLM offer such as the ability to watch films online through the LOVEFiLM player
• The website experience is generally not as good as the one you'll get on LOVEFiLM's site because it hasn't had the same level of investment. Also, the third party sites aren't updated as regularly with new content.
• The free trials and special offers don't tend to be as generous as the ones that LOVEFiLM offer. See LOVEFiLM's latest special offer
I've also seen "powered by Outnow" - what does that mean?
It means that the DVD rental service is run by Outnow but bought to you by a third party. Outnow partner with Lidl and Empire to bring you alternative DVD rental options.
So should I consider a site that's powered by Outnow?
It might be worth considering the Lidl DVD rental option if you're on a tight budget. Through their partnership with Outnow, Lidl are able to offer the cheapest DVD rental in the UK. The Lidl Movie website is actually very good too and remarkably similar to Outnow's. Since you'll be getting the same service we can't see a reason not to test Lidl out in this case. You'll also get a 30 day free trial.