A new site called Peerflix.com seeks to blend two trends: online DVD rental sites like Netflix and music-file-sharing services like Kazaa.
Peerflix users maintain a list of DVDs they want and post a list of movies they own that they are willing to trade. Once a member makes a commitment to send a disc to a fellow user in a Peerflix prepaid shipping envelope, that member will receive a disc or discs from other members. (Some DVDs are worth more than others, based on such factors as popularity and retail price.)
As in a file-sharing network, Peerflix manages the flow of content; traders do not select their partners. "Your movies are doing nothing for you on the shelf," founder and CEO Dan Robinson told The New York Times.
Peerflix charges members a monthly $10 fee or a per-trade fee of $2 (there is a 15-day free trial). It plans to add video-game trading in the fall.
Peerflix website:
peerflix.com.
