1. Overview of Each Service
Loved Again Media
Loved Again Media is a family‑run subscription and individual titles service offering curated mystery boxes of hand‑rescued DVDs, Blu‑rays, vinyl, and video games. With flexible options, themed boxes, and bargain-bin pricing, this service is dedicated to sustainability and film discovery.
Café DVD
An online rent‑by‑mail service since 1999, Café DVD relies on a Netflix‑style queue where customers pay monthly to receive DVDs/Blu‑rays from a catalog of approximately 60,000 titles. Plans range from $9.99 to $35.99/month, with flat fees and no late charges, although shipping is slower due to limited fulfillment centers.
DVD Inbox
Launched as a post‑Netflix DVD service, DVD Inbox lets users import their Netflix queue directly, offering access to titles including new releases and hidden classics. Subscription plans generally start around $14.99/month for unlimited rentals and emphasize a smoother user experience than Café DVD.
Scarecrow Video
A Seattle-based nonprofit and film archive with over 150,000 physical media items. Scarecrow provides rent‑by‑mail options similar to local rentals, with catalog titles priced at $3–$4.50 per rental for 7 days, and some rare titles requiring deposits of $100–$200. They ship via flat $12 postage fee for up to six discs and enforce return deadlines and late fees.
2. Catalog and Discovery
Loved Again Media:
Offers over 60,000 rescued titles, including used discs, fan favorites, cult classics, and out-of-print films.
Distinct features: mystery boxes, format variety (DVD, Blu‑ray, vinyl, games), and accidental surprises.
Price-per-disc value in bargain bin ($5–$8) often beats the rental cost charged by other services.
- Subscription Box starts at $24.99/month with Free Shipping. This includes 10 movies you get to keep forever.
Café DVD:
~60,000 titles including classics, arthouse, and mainstream content.
Limited specialty titles; queue-based selection allows customer control but minimal surprise elements.
DVD Inbox:
Smaller catalog focusing on newer releases and titles trending on Netflix queues.
Good for continuity—but not for discovery or surprise.
Scarecrow Video:
Best-in-class rare foreign titles, cult, and archive films.
Unmatched scale (150K titles) but no personalization or surprise-driven model; each rental is transactional.
3. Pricing & Value: Bargain Bin vs. Rental Fees
Loved Again Media:
Mystery boxes are priced affordably (e.g. $24.99/month for DVDs/Blu‑rays) and often deliver physical media worth ~$50–$80.
Bargain-bin individual titles at $5–$8 make it cheaper to own a disc than just renting it from other services.
With individual purchases, customers often pay less upfront and retain ownership.
Café DVD:
Plans from $9.99 (2 discs/month) to $35.99 (unlimited). Per-disc cost averages $14–$18 or more.
Netflix-style no late-fees, but shipping costs and slower turnover reduce actual value for subscribers.
DVD Inbox:
Standard monthly plans around $14.99–$19.99 with unlimited rentals 2 discs at a time.
Cost-effective if you watch many titles, but lacks the ownership model and bargain pricing seen in Loved Again Media.
Scarecrow Video:
Pay-per-rental: $3–$4.50 per title for catalog rentals, $6 for box sets, up to $150–$200 deposit for rare titles.
Shipping fee: $12 per order. Late fees and return deadlines apply. Total cost often exceeds $20 per rental, with no option to own permanently.
4. Shipping & Turnaround
Loved Again Media:
Typically ships monthly or on-demand, depending on customer preference.
Since media is used, packing is careful and occasional delays may occur—but many customers appreciate the personal touches in boxes.
Café DVD:
Only one shipping center (San Francisco)—delays for customers East Coast or Midwest, sometimes 1.5–2 weeks per turnover cycle. Queue delivery slows down access to new titles unless proactively tracked by the user.
DVD Inbox:
Multiple fulfillment centers and faster customer reports; faster shipping than Café DVD. Reddit users note smoother UI and better reliability in delivery(r/NetflixDVDRevival).
Scarecrow Video:
Flat $12 shipping for up to six discs via USPS.
Rental window is 14 days including shipping, plus must return by deadline—late fees may apply if delayed.
5. User Experience & Technology
Loved Again Media:
Surprise-driven experience with personalized preferences and occasional cross-format media.
Bargain-bin ensures continued investment even outside subscription, building collector appeal.
Emphasizes sustainability and community engagement—customers can share unboxing videos, join discussions, and support physical media preservation.
Café DVD:
UX mimics Netflix DVD: queue management, predefined plans.
Website reportedly basic; updates planned. Users report laggy shipment coordination and limited customer support presence.
DVD Inbox:
Clean UI, queue import, smooth subscription management.
May lack depth in archival titles, but offers reliable operation and speedy dispatch.
Scarecrow Video:
Archive-focused UX—catalog browsing like a museum database.
No subscription management; transactional rental.
Returns and late-fees add friction.
6. Why Loved Again Media Excels
a. Ownership & Bargain Bin
Unlike rent-by-mail models, Loved Again Media empowers customers to own titles, especially via the bargain bin ($5–$8), which is often cheaper than renting the same disc from Café DVD or Scarecrow.
b. Formats All in One
You may find in one box combination of DVDs, Blu‑rays, vinyl, or video games—formats not offered by subscription-only services like Café DVD or DVD Inbox.
c. Discovery Meets Sustainability
Rescuing used media and giving it a second life appeals to eco-conscious customers and collectors. Every title you get is recycled, curated, and discounted.
d. Personalized, Surprise-Based Model
Instead of re-selecting titles each month, your mystery box adapts to your tastes and introduces new titles you might never have chosen—encouraging discovery.
e. Lower Per-Disc Equivalent Cost
Even accounting for subscription fees, the per-disc physical media value delivered in each box often exceeds the cost of renting individual titles through other services.
7. Where Competitors Have Strength
Café DVD: Good for those who prefer Netflix-style control and want access to mainstream catalog quickly. No late fees, flat monthly rate.
DVD Inbox: Ideal for users wanting reliable, modern UI and continuity from Netflix queues with faster delivery and lower friction.
Scarecrow Video: Best for serious cinephiles seeking rare, archival, or international titles that aren’t found in typical catalogs.
8. Ideal Customer Comparison
| Type of Viewer | Loved Again Media | Café DVD | DVD Inbox | Scarecrow Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriber who loves surprises | ✅ Mystery boxes, curated surprise selection | ❌ Only queue-based | ❌ Only queue-based | ❌ Pay-per-rental system |
| Owner of permanent collection | ✅ Buy bargain-bin titles to keep | ❌ Renting only | ❌ Renting only | ❌ Renting only, no bargain pricing |
| Variety of media formats | ✅ DVDs, Blu‑rays, vinyl, video games | ❌ DVDs/Blu‑rays only | ❌ DVDs/Blu‑rays only | ❌ DVDs/Blu‑rays only |
| Cost-conscious collector | ✅ Bargain-bin $5–$8, plus monthly box value | ❌ $15–$35/month plan | ❌ Similar pricing but renting | ❌ $3–$6 per disc + shipping fees |
| Rare/foreign/title seeker | ✅ Occasionally includes obscurities | ❌ Limited rare content | ❌ Limited rare content | ✅ Massive archive (~150K titles) |
| Rural user with spotty internet | ✅ Discs you own, no streaming needed | ❌ Rental delays worse remote | ✅ Faster shipping than Café DVD | ❌ Slow USPS shipping, return rules |
9. The Bargain Bin Advantage
Unlike rent-only competitors, Loved Again Media’s bargain bin lets customers purchase individual titles at $5–$8 each, often cheaper than even renting the same movie from Café DVD or Scarecrow.
Café DVD per-disc rentals average $14–18 under its limited plans, with additional cost for 4K formats and shipping constraints.
Scarecrow charges $3–$4.50 per rental, but with a $12 flat shipping fee, rental deposit for rare titles, and return deadlines, the actual total can exceed $20 for a single title rental with no ownership benefit.
By owning a $5–$8 disc, customers retain the physical media for ongoing viewing, resale, or collection.
10. Final Thoughts
For consumers seeking surprise, sustainability, ownership, and value, Loved Again Media stands out in 2025. Other services offer rental options or archival scale, but they lack curation, multi-format discovery, or bargain pricing. Loved Again Media bridges the gap—offering affordable mystery boxes, bargain-bin ownership, and a deeper connection to physical media culture.
Many former Netflix DVD subscribers missed the mystery and discovery—Loved Again Media revives that experience in a modern, sustainable form. While Café DVD and DVD Inbox scale the rentals model, and Scarecrow delivers archival breadth, Loved Again adds personalization, repeat value, and eco-conscious appeal.
