With the growing popularity of high end home theaters and the rising costs of going out to see a movie, it's not surprising that more and more people are looking to save money by staying home. This is where Internet services like Netflix come in. Since 1999, Netflix has been making renting DVD's easier, eliminating trips to the movie store and frustration with trying to find lesser-known films. Netflix is benefiting customers as well as filmmakers by creating a greater awareness of different genres and film studios. As of now they're the largest online DVD rental service, boasting millions of customers and 55,000 titles. They credit their success to their simple business philosophy of offering a great selection that includes fast and free delivery (most customers receive their movie selection within one business day).

Netflix customers are guaranteed fast, convenient service starting at about $10 per month (this includes unlimited rentals for one DVD at a time). And delivery with Netflix is always free, there are never late fees or due dates, and postage is already paid, making returning movies more hassle free than ever.

Netflix has been rated the #1 website for customer satisfaction for two years running (according to ForeSee Results and FGI Research surveys), Fast Company magazine also recognized Netflix last fall with their "Customers First Award," proving that shopping online doesn't have to be frustrating or confusing. Perhaps the most important award for Netflix is all of their loyal customers; they report that more than 90 percent of their users say they recommend their service to others, and more than 85 percent of new customers say they joined because of a referral from someone else (Netflix.com).

Netflix has big name movies, hard to find documentaries and independent films, and TV shows in more than 200 genres that include Action, Anime, Classics, Horror, Foreign, Sports, Science Fiction, Kids, Romance, Documentary, and Special Interest. They also have a neat recommendation feature that lets you choose to rate the movies you've seen, and then based on those ratings Netflix makes recommendations about new movies you might enjoy. This seemingly simple service has opened the eyes of Netflix customers (85 percent of all of their titles are rented every three months), exposing them to films they otherwise would never have seen.

If you still aren't convinced, Netflix wants you to know that their members rent "twice as many movies per month than they did prior to joining the service," and watch an estimated 90,000 trailers for films each day on the website. They've also calculated that renting through their service saves 500,000 gallons of gas and 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every day. Sounds like a good deal to us. Here's to Netflix for disrupting the movie rental market by creating a new niche, and for developing a worthwhile customer experience that people around the country can take part in.