I think I see the big difference in the Times writer's viewpoint. When he rents a video, it's because he's thinking "what do I want to watch tonight." When I rent a video, it's because I want to see that particular video, and a two day wait is terribly convenient, actually. (He also totally overstates the incidence of errors. Yes, sometimes I get the wrong disc or a disc that doesn't play, but I'd estimate that happens about 1% of the time.) See, Netflix makes you plan ahead. What a horror.

You want instant gratification? I think that's what pay per view is for. Or, you know, that whole streaming thing that Netflix also does.