I can’t verify that the software behind WhatToRent.com is as sophisticated as its makers claim. I can, however, attest to the fact that the system is uncannily good at recommending movies you’ll enjoy.
The survey — an attempt to build a personality profile — is lengthy but enjoyable, with a cool slider-based interface instead of the usual “a, b, c, or d” answer boxes. Create a username, answer the questions, and indicate your mood, and you’ll have a list of great rental titles in no time.
The interface could be better. Currently, the system suggests only one movie at a time. Users then indicate, “Thanks, I’ll watch it,” “Thanks, give me another pick,” “I’ve seen it,” or “I never want to see this!” The result? As the system learns your tastes, you must repeatedly reply “I’ve seen it” to dozens of movies.
(An upside to this: all the movies the system suggested that I’d already seen were, in fact, movies I enjoyed. Had any of them been new to me, I would have been delighted to discover them.)
The fix? The results screen should offer a long list of titles which the user could rank. After ranking, a single click should allow me to rate up to twenty or more titles at one time.
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