Netflix suffered its biggest disruption ever this week. And while they now report that they're back on track, they still have to clear a backlog. Bottom line: that DVD you were hoping would add excitement to your weekend or staycation is likely delayed.

There's no need to hop in your car for a video rental, though. Below are five easy, low-emission and mostly no-cost suggestions to keep your mind off that tardy red envelope...

Hulu

I was a skeptic at first, but Hulu has really won me over. The site streams video of acceptable quality and offers an ever-growing selection of TV shows.

Why not catch up on some buzz-worthy or dearly missed shows like 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Burn Notice and The Office? Better yet, click on some pre-Moore/Eick Battlestar Galactica and watch in awe (and a little bit of horror).

SIGGRAPH 2008

Here's a sneak peek at the visual effects and CG that you'll experience in those future Netflix rentals. Head over to YouTube, search for SIGGRAPH 2008 and marvel at the ingenuity of those computer artists.

The quality is typical YouTube and some of the footage is shaky, but many of the demos are simply mind-blowing.

NBC Olympics

This year, the NBC Olympics site is an impressive beast. Watch live competitions or catch up on the ones you've missed. Packed with interactive multimedia, there's no shortage of coverage from Beijing.

There is, however, a downside. You have to download and install Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in. On the bright side, it is cross-platform.

Spore Creature Creator

The video game the world's been waiting for has finally gone gold. Unfortunately, you still have to wait until September 7 to get your hands on it.

In the meantime, why not temper those pangs of anticipation by piecing together you own goofy life forms with the free Spore Creature Creator? (Windows XP/Vista, Mac OS X Leopard)

Video on Demand

When was the last time you gave your cable box some love? Open up that video on demand menu and see what's playing.

OK, this is the lowest tech tip of the batch, and it will cost you some money, but it beats getting in the car and picking up DVD, only to have to return it later. Think of all that gas!

Even better, see what freebies are playing. I know, there's a lot of straight-to-DVD nonsense but there's usually one or two good classics. For instance, I can watch Men in Black in HD (Comcast here). Pretty neat, and it won't cost me a dime.

I hope these suggestions made the wait a little more tolerable.