A $2,000 programming upgrade to the Residence Hall Association's computer systems will allow students to open online movie rental accounts and see if, where and when flicks are available.
RHA is the student-run residence hall governing board and offers free movie rentals to on-campus students who pay a voluntary $22 RHA tax assessed each semester.
RHA's previous system required students to either telephone or go to RHA movie rental locations to check a movie's availability, which was dependent on a paperbound membership system.
The move, like RHA's changeover to all DVD formats last year, is meant to keep the group competitive with its competitors, said Kevin Newman, RHA chief of staff.
The improvements will let students monitor late fees and due dates for rentals and offers e-mail due-date reminders for those who choose them.
"We want to one-up Blockbuster and other movie stores," Newman said. "It'll save students time."
RHA has offices in Holden, Brody, Mason, Gilchrist and East Akers Halls and stocks about 525 DVD movies in each location, with plans to add another 300 each by the end of fall semester.
"We're free, we're in your hall and we're going to have online capability," Newman said of the group's competitive advantage over its commercial counterparts. "We're constantly updating our movie selection."
However, RHA's movie selection pales in comparison to that of Video To Go, 300 N. Clippert St. in Lansing, which stocks about 18,000 different titles, according to owner Tom Leach.
"We're a film buff's movie store," Leach said. "We have a selection of foreign films that's two to three times bigger than anything in town."
Even though the store is about two miles from campus and outside of short walking distance for some, it didn't stop Kate Baldwin, a 2003 MSU graduate and current Lansing resident, from frequenting the shop when she was living on or near campus.
"I used Video To Go when I had no car for three years," she said. "It's a quick bike ride or you can take the number one bus."
Closer to campus, however, are Blockbuster Video and Hollywood Video, though on-site management cannot speak to the media and their corporate offices could not be reached for comment.
"I buy a lot of used movies at Blockbuster," said Max Miller, a 2004 MSU graduate and East Lansing resident. However, like Baldwin, Miller prefers the selection at Video To Go.
"They're cheap," he said. "They have a selection of all different genres."
