I pay about $4 each for DVD rental from Video-EZy. Newer shows are 1 or 3 days, and older shows are 7 days rental period. For me I don't think I would take the $35/month option from the DVD store you linked, because there are only that many shows worth watching, and I only usually watch maybe 2-3 DVDs per month, tops. Also, I don't think they will let you keep new releases for a long period, because it won't be good buisness sense, what if many customers wanted to rent that DVD also? If you have lots of time to watch, then maybe $35 would be a bargain for you.
For DVD player wise, I bought a Pioneer brand one (region-free) for around $150. Cheap and plays very good.