Press Releases: 2004

'HE WHO DARES, WINS!'

ScreenSelect.co.uk announces 3 millionth DVD rental

ScreenSelect.co.uk - the UK's leading online DVD rental business, is celebrating the continuing success of their online DVD rental service by offering the customer who chose the 3 millionth DVD a special gift from www.ScreenSelect.co.uk. The 3 million mark confirms the phenomenal growth of the online DVD rental market in the UK, and are currently shipping more than one DVD per second.

ScreenSelect.co.uk provides customers nationwide with access to its unrivalled library of 27,000 titles, offering ten times the high street selection. Growing in response to client demand, the library includes the latest releases, documentaries, and world cinema. Interestingly TV series rentals account for 17% of all rentals. The DVDs are delivered straight to the door by post so it's perfect for people whose local rental stores are not that local. There is 24-7 online ordering, free delivery and returns, no due dates and no late fess ever. For an all-in-one subscription fee of just £14.99 a month, each subscriber keeps a revolving library of 3 DVDs out at any time, which can be exchanged as often as they like. A free 14 day trial service allows people to try out the ScreenSelect.co.uk service with no commitments.

The lucky customer, Amanda Barber from Ferryhill, Co Durham was surprised but thrilled to receive a free year's unlimited DVD rental. Mrs Barber, who has been a loyal ScreenSelect.co.uk customer since February, was renting 'Only Fools and Horses - Heroes and Villains' at the time. Mrs Barber says, "I received a phone call saying that ScreenSelect were going to offer me a year's free rental. All I did was choose a DVD that I wanted to watch. ScreenSelect is fantastic because there are so many to choose from. It's so convenient; I don't even have to step out of the house which is great. I'm always on the computer and I find online services efficient and easy to use." As a woman living in a rural village in the North East of England, who rented a TV title, she demonstrated the scope of the ScreenSelect service: easy to use, with universal appeal, providing the titles the consumer wants, as reliably to a rural user as a city dweller.

Video Island announces 3 Millionth rental

Industry record confirms growth in online DVD rental

London, 29 November 2004: Video Island today announced its 3 millionth rental, marking a milestone in the company's short history. A combination of rentals from Video Island's platform of brands including ScreenSelect, Tesco and MSN, the 3 million mark confirms the phenomenal growth of the online DVD rental market in the UK.

Currently shipping more than one DVD per second, Video Island has sent the equivalent of 15 million gigabytes of content since launching just over a year ago. Sending the equivalent volume by Video on Demand would bring down the current capacity of the UK's broadband backbone.

Video Island provides users nationwide with access to its unrivalled library of 27,000 titles, offering ten times the high street selection. Growing in response to client demand, the library includes the latest releases, documentaries, and world cinema. Interestingly TV series rentals account for 17% of all rentals.

Video Island celebrated the announcement with its 3 millionth user - Amanda Barber - by awarding her a year's free subscription. As a woman, living in a rural village in the North East of England, who rented a TV title, she demonstrated the scope of the Video island service: easy to use, with universal appeal, providing the titles the consumer wants, as reliably to a rural user as a city dweller.

Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island, said, "We are extremely excited to be celebrating such an enormous achievement in our short history. The 3 millionth rental exemplifies the appeal of the online DVD rental service in general and in particular the strength of the service we have developed. We are proud to be the market leader. "

Stelios chooses Video Island for 'easyCinema DVD rental'

London, 22 November 2004: easyGroup announced today it is entering the online DVD rental market. 'easyCinema DVD rental' will be a unique online DVD rental service, powered by the UK's undisputed industry leader, Video Island.

Due to be launched in January, the service will operate a new pay-as-you-go model, charging easyCinema customers only £1.99 per DVD rental and offering a 21-day return policy. Customers pay half the price - and can keep the DVD for 10 times longer than with traditional high street rental stores.

easyGroup's latest business diversification follows the success of the online DVD rental phenomenon that has taken the UK by storm. The 25,000 titles available to rent, including the latest new releases, documentaries, world cinema and TV series, offer ten times the high street selection. Additional benefits include 24/7 ordering, free delivery and free return postage.

The partnership is a logical link-up between two businesses - whose core values are based on value for money. The latest project for the easyGroup sees them joining existing Video Island partners, such as national brands Tesco, MSN and ITV. easyCinema will add further weight to Video Island's position as the industry rental platform.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the serial entrepreneur and easyGroup chairman commented on easyCinema DVD rental: "We're excited to be entering the online DVD industry with Video Island. Queuing in high street rental stores for a disappointing selection, only to be charged outrageous prices to keep a DVD for a few hours isn't entertainment. easyCinema offers a great service at unbeatable value and we aim to demolish consumer exploitation by high street rental stores."

Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island added, "We're delighted to be partnering with easyGroup and to enable this pay-as-you-go online DVD rental service. Stelios has pioneered the 'best value' model and the benefits of online DVD rental are abundantly clear. We are extremely confident, that easyCinema DVD rental will be an immediate success."

ITV to offer online DVD rental

UK's largest home entertainment brand teams up with Video Island to bring movie choice to UK film lovers with ITV MovieClub

London, X November 2004: ITV, the UK's largest commercial broadcaster, today announced that it is entering the online DVD rental market. Through ITV MovieClub, the media giant will be offering the selection, convenience and value for money of online DVD rental services integrated directly onto www.itv.com

The service will be launched later this year and will offer viewers across the UK the choice of over 20,000 DVD titles to rent, including the latest new releases, documentaries, world cinema and TV series.

The launch of the service, which will be powered by Video Island, the UK's leading online DVD rental platform, will see ITV joining existing partners and leading UK brands, such as Tesco, MSN and Dixons in offering online DVD rental services.

www.itv.com/movieclub will be following the success of the online DVD rental phenomenon that has taken the UK by storm. Entertainment lovers all over the country are rapidly discovering the benefits of online DVD rentals including 24/7 ordering, unrivalled selection, free delivery, free return postage and incredible value compared to the traditional high street pricing model.

Colin Ramsay, Head of Online Sales at ITV Sales said, "Online DVD rental has already demonstrated its success in the UK market and we are delighted to be teaming up with the UK's leading platform to offer this service to our viewers. By giving ITV MovieClub subscribers access to such a vast selection of movies and the opportunity to rate and review films, we are sure that the ITV Movie Club will quickly become one of the largest online communities of entertainment lovers in the UK."

Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island, says, "We are extremely excited about powering ITV's online DVD rental service. Our strategy has always been to team up with the UK's largest national brands to bring DVD rental to the masses. In the world of home entertainment, brands don't get much bigger than ITV."

ScreenSelect.co.uk delivers a great night in with Papa Johns/Perfect Pizza

Online DVD rental the latest topping for pizza delivery

London, 28 October 2004: ScreenSelect.co.uk is teaming up with pizza delivery company, Papa Johns/Perfect Pizza, in a massive festive promotion to create the perfect night in this winter.

Every Papa Johns and Perfect Pizza customer will be offered a free 3-week trial with ScreenSelect.co.uk, which will be promoted through 12 million menu leaflets, almost 2 million pizza box toppers and newly launched drinks carriers.

The promotion will be launched in early November and will offer pizza lovers across the UK the choice of over 25,000 DVD titles to rent, including the latest releases, documentaries, world cinema and TV series. ScreenSelect.co.uk provides far greater benefits than high-street rental - including an unrivalled selection, 24/7 ordering, no due dates or late fees, free delivery, return postage and above all considerable savings with unlimited DVDs for £14.99 a month.

Jean-Michel Fabre, Supply Chain & Marketing Director of Papa Johns commented: "Our goal is to supply a quality service to our customers and teaming up with the largest online DVD rental company in the UK helps us achieve this. ScreenSelect.co.uk and Papa Johns share the common benefits of convenience and great value whilst providing maximum entertainment within the comforts of the home'.

Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island, ScreenSelect's parent company, added. "We are delighted to be teaming up with Papa Johns, bringing together two great services, pizza delivery and online DVD rental to create the perfect recipe for a great night in. The scale of this promotion is a further boost to our objective of bringing online DVD rental to the masses."

ScreenSelect in massive Advertising Push

Largest advertising drive ever for online DVD rental market

London, 27 October 2004: ScreenSelect.co.uk, the UK's leading online DVD rental company, today unveiled details of the biggest advertising campaign in the online DVD rental market to date. Targeting the urban male population in London and the South East, the objective of the advertising drive is to maintain ScreenSelect.co.uk's leading position in growing online DVD rental market.

48 sheet cross-track underground posters - from Aldgate East to Wood Green - and a wide reaching radio campaign will be used to reach the target audience of urban film passionate men. Radio advertisements will be broadcast from Xfm, Virgin, Kiss, Magic and Jazz stations - ensuring blanket coverage across the capital. The campaign will also include a poster campaign across UK cinemas. Alternative awareness raising methods, such as sandwich bags and online advertisements will also feature in the campaign. The budget for the campaign is over £750,000.

In addition to the advertising campaign, ScreenSelect.co.uk and it's parent company Video Island will be announcing further significant partnerships with leading UK brands in the coming weeks, further underlining it's leading position in the online DVD rental market.

Creative company, Albion, and media buying agency, ARM, have been drafted in to design and manage the project. The advertising style will be witty and irreverent, to appeal to the targeted urban male.

Saul Klein, CEO of ScreenSelect.co.uk's parent company - Video Island, commented: "The advertising drive reaffirms our commitment to building on our number one position as well as actively championing film and entertainment in the UK. By creating a strong, British brand, we aim to stay in the top spot for the long run."

Screenselect.co.uk partners with Top Up Tv

Offering Top Up TV customers the largest DVD selection in UK

London, 25 October 2004: ScreenSelect.co.uk - the UK's leading online DVD rental service today announced that it has partnered with Top Up TV, the independent company that distributes low cost digital terrestrial pay television to homes in the UK, to offer Top Up TV customers an exclusive offer on its DVD rental service.

Top Up TV will promote the exclusive offer to its customers via the Top up TV website as well as through its ongoing communication to its customers including its welcome packs, starter packs and call centre. Top Up TV will be offering an exclusive free trial of the ScreenSelect.co.uk service and a discount to its customers on the standard monthly subscription fee. Top Up TV offers Freeview viewers a further 10 channels for a monthly £7.99 'no tie-in' subscription fee. By adding the ScreenSelect.co.uk offering to its customers, Top Up TV can add a great value movie proposition for its customers who have DVD players.

The partnership, which launched this week, will offer viewers across the UK the choice of over 25,000 DVD titles to rent, including the latest releases, documentaries, world cinema and TV series.

Top Up TV subscribers will be able to rent unlimited DVDs for a low flat monthly fee. With the average high street rental charge currently at about £3.13 per movie, this service will allow movie lovers to watch many more films for much less money.

The launch of the offer will see Top Up TV joining existing partners, such as leading UK brands Tesco, MSN, Toys R Us and Dixons, in offering online DVD rental services to its customers.

Top Up TV will be taking advantage of the success of the online DVD rental phenomenon that has taken the UK by storm. Entertainment lovers all over the country are rapidly discovering the benefits of online DVD rentals including 24/7 ordering, unrivalled selection, free delivery, free return postage and incredible value compared to the traditional high street pricing model.

Ian West, Vice Chairman and CEO of Top Up TV commented, "By teaming up with ScreenSelect.co.uk, we are excited to be able to offer our subscribers an even broader home entertainment selection at unbeatable value. The convenience of ScreenSelect's offer, and its low cost makes it a perfect partner for Top Up TV."

Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island, ScreenSelect's parent company, says, "We are delighted to be partnering with Top Up TV, one of the UK's most exciting new TV companies, to demonstrate how digital TV services and online DVD rental can work successfully together to offer even more choice to the consumer."

Let's Get Quizzical!

Your chance to Meetup' on your own Video Island

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Did you know that:

• 67% of the UK population watches quiz shows on TV?


• Over 16 million people who watch the top TV quiz shows also buy or rent DVDs?


• Video Island is the UK's no.1 rated online DVD rental service?


• If you love quizzes and films, you need to log on to www.moviequiz.meetup.com ?
  

As a nation of quiz and film lovers, Video Island has joined forces with Meetup to offer you the best of both worlds. Meetups will offer the perfect opportunity for people to get together locally to socialise, participate in quizzes and competitions and generally discuss and share their passion for film and home entertainment.

Meetup offers over 1 million people in thousands of cities and small towns in 58 countries, the chance to come together at venues of their choice with people they've never met but share the same interest. The website has become popular amongst a variety of communities including sport, music and politics, playing an important role in this year's Democratic presidential nomination.

The collaboration with Video Island is a great opportunity for film fans to get together. It's also a chance to see if you can beat the nation in the quiz, ‘Lights, Camera, Action' where you can win great prizes such as a year's free subscription to Video Island and the Halliwell's Film Guide. The quiz involves teams who will endeavour to claim the title of Movie Mastermind by answering questions in each of the different categories:

Lights   - showbiz and gossip

Camera   - general facts and knowledge within the film industry

Action   - a highly contentious round which may act as the ‘decider'

As well as the Meetups, Video Island is further focusing on the social element of home entertainment by building on their unique social navigational features. Members can rate, review and recommend favourites which can be used to feedback to other members.

So, whether you are a Lord of the Rings buff or a foreign film fanatic, you have the chance to discuss, compare, and test the knowledge of fellow enthusiasts. You can swot up with Video Island – with over 15,000 DVDs to choose from, you'll be sure to know your ‘Harry Potter' from ‘Dirty Harry' from ‘When Harry met Sally'.

For movie fans interested, all you need to do is visit www.moviequiz.meetup.com for more details about how to get involved.

Save a packet with ScreenSelect

ScreenSelect.co.uk saves it's subscribers over £500,000 a month.

ScreenSelect.co.uk, the UK's leading online DVD rental business, can save YOU hundreds of pounds per year. Since January 2004 it has saved the UK entertainment fans a staggering £4m and is currently saving its customers over ½ million pounds a month. ...and that doesn't even include late fees or fines!

Why put up with the late fees or fines, limited selection and inconvenience that come with renting from your ‘local' video store, when there is an alternative way to rent DVDs? Research[1] previously commissioned by ScreenSelect.co.uk showed that over a quarter (27%) of renters had been fined by a high street video chain in the past six months, with over 17% of recent fines resulting in a charge of over £10. A staggering 52% of DVD owners own discs that have never been watched!

Does this sound familiar?...you trudge or drive down to your ‘local' rental store, arrive to only get completely frustrated by the poor selection of titles, go home with your second choice of film and then end up returning it, without watching it, as the rental period has run out, or end up pay double the fee because you took it back one minute late. Arrrgggggh! Why put up with this? - don't get bogged down in old habits, bin the routine and step into the new age of i-Pods, e-Bay and plasma screens.

ScreenSelect.co.uk offers an 'all you can watch' subscription service for a flat monthly fee of £14.99 allowing you to keep 3 DVDs out at once with no contracts. Apart from all the money you'll be saving, ScreenSelect.co.uk offers 24/7 online ordering, free postal delivery and returns, with no due dates, and no late fines - EVER. What's more, they boast the UK's largest DVD selection of over 24,000 titles with the newest releases, hit TV and music shows, as well as a huge back-catalogue of all the classics to comedy acts, documentaries to world cinema, and much, much more. That's over 10 x the selection available at your local rental store.

It's simple, it's safe and you'll save loads – satisfaction guaranteed. If this seems too good to be true, why not judge for yourself and log on to www.screenselect.co.uk for your 14-day FREE trial. The only thing you won't believe is that you didn't try this months ago!

Video Island and ScreenSelect join forces

Merger creates largest online DVD rental player in UK market

LONDON, 23rd August 2004: Today, online DVD rental service ScreenSelect announced it is to merge with Video Island. The merger will bring together the market's two leading online DVD rental companies to create the UK's clear market leader.

The combined businesses will create the number one player in the UK online DVD rental sector and will establish a company that is both significantly bigger than Blockbuster's online rental service and a considerable competitor to Netflix's planned entry into the UK market. The businesses will ship over 300,000 rentals in September, equivalent to over 70 high street rental stores, and expect this figure to treble in the next 12 months.

The merger further validates Video Island's partnership strategy of teaming up with leading UK brands such as Tesco, MSN, Comet and Toys 'R' Us to bring online DVD rental to the mass-market. In less than one year of operation, ScreenSelect has successfully created the UK's largest branded online DVD rental service and has recently announced partnerships with Dixons and Wanadoo.

The management team of the merged company will see Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island remain as CEO. William Reeve and Alex Chesterman, founders of ScreenSelect, will take on the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial Officer respectively.

The move comes at an exciting time for the online DVD rental market in the UK, and creates a clear leader in this marketplace. According to Screen Digest, the DVD rental market is expected to be worth £376.1m by 2006, already 14.1m households own a DVD player and over 1 million of these households rent a DVD every week.

Entertainment lovers all over the country are rapidly discovering the benefits of online DVD rentals including 24/7 ordering, unrivalled selection, free delivery and free return postage and incredible value compared to the traditional high street pricing model. In September alone, the combined businesses estimate they will save their subscribers more than £500,000 compared to what they would pay in traditional high street rental outlets - not including money saved on late fees and fines.

Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island commented, "We are excited to have joined forces with ScreenSelect. The combination of ScreenSelect's excellent service and team, alongside Video Island's platform, studio relationships and strong VC backing, creates the undisputed number one in the UK market and accelerates our shared vision of expanding the market for online DVD rentals."

William Reeve, Managing Director of ScreenSelect added, "We are delighted to be teaming up with Video Island. The new business will boast the best of all worlds - partners, skills, backing, brand experience, an extremely sophisticated technology and operations platform and the happiest subscribers in the sector - and we look forward to together driving growth in the UK's dynamic DVD rental market."

Video Island introduce 'click to keep'

First online DVD rental service to sell ex rental DVDs

London 10. August 2004: Today Video Island, the no. 1 platform for online DVD rental, announced a unique new service to its site. The "Click to Keep" feature means that customers will now be able to buy many of the DVDs they have rented on the site.

Video Island is the first online DVD rental service to offer this service, which in its initial stages will offer over 1000 DVDs for sale. Titles such as 'Master and Commander', 'Love Actually' and the new remake of 'The Italian Job' will be on sale to users of the service. The cost of each DVD will vary from £4.99 upwards and users will have the option to purchase the originals sleeve and cover for an additional £1.99.

This initiative demonstrates Video Island's innovative approach to offering its customer an added value service as well as helping Video Island manage its stock more efficiently.

Saul Klein CEO of Video Island commented, "We are delighted to be able to offer our customers the chance to buy as well as to rent. Video Island is dedicated to delivering the UK's no 1 rated one DVD rental service, as well as value added features including first day releases, partnership offers, gift vouchers, personalised packaging, one of the UK's fastest growing interactive forums for film lovers and now 'click to keep.'"

The ultimate Father's Day gift that lasts all year

Just log on to www.videoisland.com

Last year it was socks, the year before slippers, before that a tie. It's easy to get bogged down in regurgitating the same, predictable presents year after year for Father's Day. So, why not show that you really do care and have given some thought and give something special this year. A subscription to Video Island, the UK's no. 1 rated online DVD rental service, acts as the ideal gift because although Father's Day is just one day in the year, dads should be appreciated all year round.

Give your father the luxury of putting his feet up donning his dressing gown and slippers from the previous years....There is no need for him to bother with the hassle of circling the block several times to find a parking spot or tackling others at the local film rental store only to find that the film he was after has been snatched up by someone else. Video Island has a library of 15,000 DVD titles to choose from, and with a free first class postal service, NO due dates, NO late fees, it's the perfect gift idea - you know that dads are the biggest culprits when it comes to late returns! Not to mention that Video Island provides 5-10 times the selection of a local video store and 30 times the choice available on premium movie channels with the newest releases, hit TV and music shows, comedy acts, documentries to world cinema, and much, much more. He'll be spoilt for choice.

There are a range of offers available from the Video Island website (www.videoisland.com) soon. All you need to do is choose from the following gift packages:

• 3 months:   £34.68    - 3 months for the price of 2 (1 month free) - save 33%


• 6 months:   £69.36    - 6 months for the price of 4 (2 months free) - save 33%


• 12 months:   £156.06    - 12 months for the price of 9 (3 months free) - save 25%

So, show your father how much you care, and perhaps your mother will also be thankful that she can now get a moment's peace. It's simple to do, and what's more, you can log on to www.videoisland.com for your own free 14 day trial and dream that one day your children will be that considerate.

Give football the red card

A winning service with Video Island (www.videoisland.com)

You may give sweet FA about football, but look upon Euro 2004 as the perfect opportunity for YOU time. When football is just a foreign concept to you, send off housemates, partners and parents to the pub whilst you get the girls round, have a bite to eat, gossip and treat yourselves to a good flick from Video Island, the no.1 rate online DVD rental service.

As well as the classics like Dirty Dancing, Bridget Jones' Diary and the series of Friends, you can catch the latest release such as Lost in Translation - where Scarlett Johanssen's character follows her husband and his work to Japan. She's left by herself and finds her own fun and companionship in the unlikely form of Bill Murray's character.

Not just for the girls, but also for those generally bored to tears with the football, Video Island offers over 15,000 DVD titles to rent - you're spoilt for choice. So, when there's nothing on the box except the footie, log on and enjoy the 14 day free trial that Video Island offers. After all, there's no substitute for a good film. Register with Video Island and understand the true definition of a spectator sport.

Video Island delivers blockbuster movies straight to your door on the first day of release - before the doors even open at your local rental store! You no longer have to experience road rage, racing for a parking spot or tackling others at your local film rental store only to find that your title has been snatched by someone else. Video Island offers a library of 15,000 DVD titles to choose from, NO due dates, NO late fees, and a FREE first class postal service. Not to mention that Video Island provides 5-10 times the selection of a local video store and 30 times the choice available on premium movie channels with the newest releases, hit TV and music shows, comedy acts, documentaries to world cinema, and much, much more.

So, log on to www.videoisland.com for your 14 day free trial.

Video Island secures £6 million ($10.7m) Series B funding round

Cazenove Private Equity joins Benchmark Capital and Index Ventures

London, U.K, June 10th, 2004 - Online DVD rental company, Video Island, today announced the closing of a £6 million ($10.7m) Series B financing round led by Cazenove Private Equity.

Series A investors Benchmark Capital and Index Ventures also participated in the round as Video Island continues to be the only venture capital backed online DVD rental service in the UK. The company will use the funds to consolidate its leading position in the marketplace and to ensure the best possible service for partners and customers. Hilary Meyrick, Investment Director at Cazenove Private Equity will join the Video Island board of directors.

Video Island is working in partnership with leading UK consumer brands such as Tesco, Comet, MSN, Toys R Us and the Postmasternetwork to deliver its services. With this pioneering distribution strategy, Video Island has forged ahead of the competition. Video Island's reach already extends across online and off-line channels and together with its partners reaches almost 6 million online shoppers (38% of all UK internet shoppers). Recent Hitwise ratings ranked Video Island as the most visited online DVD rental service in the UK.

Laura Wade-Gery, Chief Executive of Tesco.com commented, "DVDs by post has revolutionized the way people watch film in the United States so we were confident it was a service Tesco.com could bring to the mass market. When we move into new markets we partner with the best specialists in the sector so Video Island, with its high calibre of team and investors, was the obvious choice."

Tod Bensen, Chief Executive of Cazenove Private Equity commented, "When evaluating opportunities in this space, it was immediately clear to us that Video Island was the company best placed to take advantage of the explosive growth in online DVD rental. The combination of its unique partnership strategy, commitment to customer service and heavyweight management team is unrivalled in the sector."

Saul Klein, Co-founder and CEO added, "This new round of funding is a clear testament to the success of our strategy in an exciting market place. The online DVD rental business requires heavy investment in logistics and stock to be able to offer the customer a high level service such as day one releases. The support of these leading VCs and our unrivalled relationships with the studios alongside our expanding partnerships will help us to continue to distance ourselves from the competition."

The DVD market remains one of most exciting in the world. DVD players continue to be the UK's fastest growing consumer electronics item in history with already 46% of UK homes owning a DVD player (11.9m homes). This is expected to rise to 83% by 2007. Furthermore, according to research from Screen Digest, spending on DVD rental is now higher than VHS spending, for first time ever . The UK DVD rental market is expected to grow from £65m in 2001 to £400m in 2005.

The Video Island DVD 'Easter Egg Hunt' with a difference - we're after the golden nuggets!

Calling all DVD lovers, we are challenging you to join us in the Video Island Easter egg hunt. No, we're not talking about an Easter egg trail leading to a huge chocolate binge. We're involved in an Easter hunt of a different kind - we are looking for all you DVD addicts to e-mail us (eastereggs@videoisland.com) with those extra special features found on the menu page or other similar navigation area for a particular DVD. Whether you have revelled in the extra fight scenes, or enjoy being whisked away behind the scenes, or whether you finally understand what the director was on about, we want you to share all the good eggs. We will be publishing the details of all the information sent to us so that Film Fans who just can't get enough can get more.

Video Island (www.videoisland.com ), the UK's no.1 rated online DVD rental service, is revolutionising the home entertainment market by delivering the UK's ultimate online DVD rental library direct to people's homes. Offering a choice of monthly subscription packages for unlimited DVD rentals, Video Island charges no late fees, has no due dates and provides a free first class postal service. With a selection of some 15,000 DVDs, from the newest releases to TV and music shows, documentaries and world cinema, Video Island has 5-10 times the selection of a local video store and 30 times the choice available on premium movie channels. After a FREE 14 day trial, Video Island offers a choice of packages for unlimited DVD rentals starting from as little as the equivalent of £2.99 a week.

Video Island extends reach with Postmaster network

DVD rental by post to be available via local Post Offices

London, 13 April: Video Island, the UK's no.1 rated online DVD rental service, today announces an exclusive partnership with Postmasternetwork, a commercial group which supports local Postmasters. The partnership means that for the first time, independent Postmasters across the UK will be able to promote the Video Island online DVD rental service to millions of customers.

With 17,000 branches, the UK Post Office network is Europe's largest retail network. 90% of Post Offices are run independently, and Postmasternetwork's aim is to unite all independent Postmasters in a single commercial community, so that they can benefit from the buying power and economies of scale associated with large organisations. To date, nearly 8,000 Postmasters have become members of Postmasternetwork.

Postmasternetwork members will promote Video Island's online DVD rental service on their retail counters using specially designed Point of Sale and active promotion will be driven by a number of incentives. Initially, the service will be available from 500 Postmasternetwork members, and then rolled out nationally to the entire network.

The partnership supports Postmasternetwork's objective of offering value-added services to its members and their customers. Video Island online DVD rental gives Postmasters the opportunity to offer a fresh new service to their customers - and will be especially beneficial for those Postmasters and their customers in rural communities who do not have easy access to a video rental shop.

Commenting on their latest business partner Gary Coyle, Managing Director of Postmasternetwork said 'Post Offices are being given a real helping hand with the introduction of new initiatives and with Video Island they will be in at the start of a revolution in the rental market. We are excited by the potential this service offers our membership and are delighted to be partnering with the no.1 rated company in the market.'

Saul Klein, CEO at Video Island commented, 'Following on our relationships with Tesco, MSN and Comet, this partnership continues Video Island's mission of bringing DVD rentals to the masses. Post Offices have a unique role in the community and enjoy enormous footfall, and we are confident that both Postmasters and customers alike will enjoy the selection, convenience and value for money of online DVD rental.'

How to stop your children driving you potty over potter this easter

The Easter holidays...a long, relaxing weekend to some, but to others, it's the time when the kids are not in school and getting under your feet...but worry not...

Video Island - the UK's no.1 rated online DVD rental service, has compiled a special collection of children's titles to keep the little monsters entertained this Easter including Scooby Doo, Matilda, Spirited Away, Kangaroo Jack, amongst others. Plus, with the new installment of the Harry Potter stories coming up in the summer, there's Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to get your children seriously potty over Potter!

When the kids are finally tucked up in bed you can breathe a big sigh of relief! Instead of being slumped in front of the same old films that are regurgitated year after year on TV, those angels at Video Island provide you with the choice of over 15,000 DVD titles ranging from blockbuster films, to popular TV series, and music shows. Then after a couple of weeks of recuperation, you can reserve Freaky Friday for its release on 26 April - in preparation for the May Day Bank Holiday...

So log on NOW for your 14 day free trial - it can save you money, time and your sanity this Easter!

Tesco ends rental rip off

Tesco.com brings US film phenomenon to UK masses

London, 5th March: Tesco.com is entering the £520 million movie rental market, predicting it will revolutionise it by ending the "rip-off practices" of high street video rental stores by banning late fees.

The retailer is launching its own on-line DVD rental service, which will go live at the end of the month offering over 15,000 DVD titles to rent, including the newest releases, which would typically be 5 to 10 times the selection of a video rental shop.

The on-line service will see Tesco going head-to-head with traditional movie rental giants.

Tesco.com's new service will enable subscribers to rent an unlimited amount of DVDs for a weekly subscription that is cheaper than the average overnight rental charge from the high street.

Tesco.com will be following the success of the DVD by post phenomenon that has taken the States by storm. Already nearly two million film lovers subscribe to DVD by post services in the US and Tesco.com Chief Executive Laura Wade-Gery is confident the service will transform the way British movie lovers enjoy film. She said:

"DVDs by post has revolutionised the way people watch film in the States and we're confident by moving into the market we can do the same in the UK.

"Why struggle to the video shop with the kids when you can pick all the films you want from the comfort of your own home.

"We are confident that once consumers sign up for our on-line service they will discover a whole new passion for films opened up to them."

For a flat-rate monthly charge customers can order an unlimited number of films. They will also get the chance to earn clubcard points.

Customers can ensure they always have the DVD they want by maintaining a revolving library of two, three or five DVDs, with a new DVD despatched by first-class freepost every time one is returned.

The customer can, therefore, keep a film for as long as they like. With no due dates for return, there aren't any fines.

When customers sign-up to Tesco.com's new service they compile a 'wishlist' from a catalogue of 15,000 titles, which includes the latest best-sellers. This guarantees subscribers that they will always be sent a title they want to see from virtually the whole of cinema history.

In contrast, video shop customers frequently find they are not able to get the film of their choice with most video stores carrying only around two to three thousand titles on average.

The growth of the on-line DVD rental market in the US has been remarkable, reaching $480 million in subscriber revenues within four years.

The DVD by post phenomenon is really changing the way people enjoy film. By giving people access to all the films, documentaries, children's titles and TV series they've ever wanted to see the result has been a higher consumption of back catalogue movies.

For example, for every ten titles that are rented from a high street video store seven would generally be new releases, with DVDs by Post the trend is reversed with seven in ten DVDs rented coming from the back catalogue.

The Tesco On-line service will also give people the chance to rate and review films easily, which Tesco believes makes the service far more like the social experience of the theatre goer.

Subscribers to the service find themselves suddenly in a community of film buffs with people recommending films they actually want to see.

The supermarket believes that having the ability to review and recommend titles means film lovers are rarely left disappointed and the facility actually enhances the experience.

Tesco.com will launch the service later this month.

Video Island and Figleaves.Com forms the UK's sexiest marketing partnership

Video Island, the UK's number one rated DVD rental service, today announced that it has entered into a partnership with Figleaves.com, the world's largest online branded lingerie retailer.

Under a new agreement Figleaves.com will receive an on site presence, in addition to being featured within Video Island's subscriber newsletters, email marketing and DVD packaging.

Figleaves.com was attracted to the creative integrated solutions that Video Island offers its marketing partners. With a fantastic collection of over 15,000 DVD titles, Video Island can create bespoke film packages that are relevant to any business, demonstrating the flexibility and depth of their selection. The partnership gives Figleaves.com the opportunity to bring its customer offer to life through film.

Commenting on the partnership, Saul Klein, CEO of Video Island, said: "Video Island has built a business designed to bring subscription DVD rentals to a mass-market with the largest national brands. Working with Figleaves will enable thousands of internet shoppers in the UK to experience the unrivalled selection, convenience and value of unlimited DVD rentals."

Michael Ross, CEO of Figleaves, said: "The marketing partnership we are developing with Video Island is very exciting. Our customers can kick back at home, pull on their favourite loungewear or underwear, while watching a good DVD. Afterall, staying in is the new going out."