hmv's DVD and blu-ray sections have got hundreds of the latest titles and a huge inventory of older ones as well. The site is easy enough to get around, though the bright colours and ads tempting you to buy the latest items are a tad distracting. Many titles have trailers and reviews by both hmv and customers, which helps decide which titles to buy.

Standard delivery is free and takes 2-5 working days. If you really must have the flick urgently, you can arrange express delivery, but that costs a hefty £6.60 per item. When we made a test purchase with the regular delivery, our DVDs arrived in three days which was fine. All in all, hmv's online store provides a good experience and is definitely worth checking out.




WHSmith's web presence is so-so. The selection is not as great as Amazon's or hmv's and the site has an idiosyncratic layout, but what WHSmith lacks in pzzazz it makes up in price. We bought two Disney classics on DVD and they were 10% cheaper than at Amazon.co.uk. The delivery is now free which is big plus.

The major qualm we have with WHSmith Online is their reputation for poor customer service. This is as bad as ever after the managers (whilst upping their own salaries) cut down on the number of staff in their warehouses as part of an efficiency drive. When WHSmith.co.uk say 'delivery within 48 hours' it sometimes means triple that length of time. To test out the site we bought two DVDs separately from their bestseller charts and both of them took a week to arrive even though it stated 'delivery within 48 hours'. We recommend you check out their special offers section where there are some real gems this . You also get WHSmith Clubcard points on all your purchases. Worth using if you don't need a DVD urgently.




SendIt, based in Belfast, have been selling movies online for nearly a decade. At the turn of the Millennium, the store used to be a mecca for film enthusiasts. They stock all DVD on release in the UK and offer free postage and packing to customers in the UK and Ireland. Most items are supposed to be delivered within four or five days. There are a whole host of extras including a 'hunt' service for those hard-to-get titles, gift-wrapping, gift certificates, and competitions.

Those are the pluses. On the downside the website is beginning to look increasingly cluttered with annoying links to their DVD rental service, electronic products, etc. Prices have been sneakily increasing over the few years and customer service is sadly in decline: not one of our emails to the complaints department was actioned upon. Sad to see a formerly great site reduced to this.




TheHut.com are based in Cheshire. They sell home entertainment products such as books, DVDs, games, and have recently expanded into other areas such as memory cards. Founded five years ago, the company generated £14 in sales in the last financial year, selling a product every 10 seconds through its own site or one of its partners. Last year they ranked No. 8 in Britain according to the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league table published in the autumn.

When you visit TheHut.com the garish technicolour appearance will make you think you've visited the Cbeebies site by mistake. However, if you try to ignore the revolting aesthetics, you'll discover a site is easy to find your way around and stocks thousands of DVDs at prices that eyebrow-raisingly low. Delivery is free in the UK. Top dog.




After achieving their ambition of dominating the online DVD rental business, in 2008 LOVEFiLM set-up a heavily marketed store to sell DVDs, games and memory. They have a massive range of new and existing DVD, Blu-ray, HD-DVD and games titles.

The shop has cluttered look, with ugly bright banners on the top and right-hand side, but four USPs help it stand heads and tails above the rest: trailers of many DVDs and games, keen prices, free delivery, and the buying process has been made an absolute breeze (though don't forget to unsubscribe from being bombarded with promotional emails). Our movies arrived in only three days. Love film? You'll love to shop at LOVEFiLM Shop which we have rated 5 out of 5.




Amazon.co.uk is often recommended by journalists. Amazon manages to win over many hacks because it's the only online store they have bothered to order from. The site is full of distractions, bland and unashamedly commercial. Little effort is made to provide visitors with movie news, features, actor interviews or anything other than trying to take your credit card number. This is not necessarily a sin, but the prices are high compared to DVD specialist stores. Whereas other online retailers realize they have to offer substantial discounts to lure customers, buying DVDs - especially non-bestsellers - from Amazon UK can end up making a big hole in your pocket.

Unlike most other DVD stores, there's a hefty postal charge to pay unless you order a couple of items. Disappointing. The one advantage over other retailers is that customer service is good; though, like many bigger companies, they do make it difficult to find their contact details.