Renting videos from the store

[Capt Worley PE]

It occurred to me when I saw Blockbuster may declare bankruptcy, that I haven't been in a video store in almost five years. I use Netflix.

I love Netflix, especial with a distribution center so close. I put a movie in the mail yesterday afternoon, and they were shipping a new movie as of 9am this morning. You can't beat that. Add no late fees, you don't have to leave the house to order/return movies, and virtually limitless selection, and you have a real deal. Plus, it is actually cheaper than it was renting from the local video store, with the amount of movies we watch.

I do feel bad for all the mom and pop places that have gone under, but that's progress, I guess.

Does anyone on this board still rent from the store?

 

[snickerd3]

yep. we also red box.

there used to be a movie gallery in town along with a family video. Now there is just the family video. we only rent movies maybe 1 or 2 times a month so a netflix subscription is not really worth it. Also, aren't you at their mercy on the movie from your list? we like to be able to choose the type of movie we are int he mood for that day.

 

[picusld]

I have been a netflix subscriber for a few years now and I must say that I don't know how I lived without it. If I had it my way I would dump cable altogether and just go with flix and the free shows.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

we only rent movies maybe 1 or 2 times a month so a netflix subscription is not really worth it.

We usually watch two each weekend and then watch part of a series (Burn Notice right now) when there is a blank spot in programming during the week.

Also, aren't you at their mercy on the movie from your list? we like to be able to choose the type of movie we are int he mood for that day.

I haven't really have a problem with that. In five years, I don't think I've had but maybe two films that neither one of us was interested in when it got here.

 

[MGX]

The kiosks you can just slide your debit/credit card into and rent a movie for $1 are great! There's one withing walking distance and it works out really well for those movies I didn't see in the theaters. The brick and mortar video rental stores seem to be a thing of the past. I understand video games also can be rented either through netflix or something similar.

 

[FusionWhite]

I have used Netflix off and on now for a few years. One time while our subscription lapsed and my wife was laid up after surgeory (sp?) we rented from BlockBuster. Because we hadnt used it in so long we had to sign up for a new account. Holy shit, we had to jump through more hoops then a circus lion. Secondly it was expensive. Third, even though its less then a 5 minute drive down the street, I was so pissed when I realized that I had to take the movies back, which of course happened at about 10:45 at night as I was getting ready to climb in bed.

A large part of my childhood was spent in video rental stores, or watching rented movies, or play rented video games. It will be sad to see the brick and mortar movie stores go away. However I must say the new methods of renting movies (Netflix, On Demand, and even Redbox) are vastly superior on the price/convenience scale.

 

[roadwreck]

I signed up for Netflix recently and I'm pretty impressed. The turn around on their physical dvd's is pretty quick but what I am most impressed by is the streaming movies. I can watch movies (or television series) on my tv at home via my Wii. I was a bit skeptical about it at first since I don't have super fast internet service at home, but it works really really well and the picture quality is excellent. With the instant movies you don't have to wait for them to arrive in the mail and the service doesn't cost anything extra. The only downside is that their library of instant movies is relatively small and doesn't include the new releases for the most part. But I wouldn't be surprised if eventually that ends up being their primary means of distributing movies.

I can totally understand why a business model like Blockbuster's would be struggling.

 

[kevo_55]

I've been using Netflix for maybe 4 months now. I'm pretty satisfied with it.

Plus, streaming with the PS3 is pretty cool if you're waiting for a disc in the mail.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

We don't watch movies. Seems to eliminate most of the debate about renting online or at a store.

 

[csb]

We've had Netflix for years and we love the streaming. It's perfect for when there is nothing on.

Our local Blockbuster closed at some point. I just found it out when I drove by the empty store and I kinda felt good about it. The last time I had been in there I had to reopen my account, which did take a lot plus they charged me something like $10 for an inactive account fee. On top of that I had to rent the movies and then worry about getting them back there. Plus there was always some snobby kid working the counter judging my movie choices. I don't miss video rental at all.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Plus there was always some snobby kid working the counter judging my movie choices. I don't miss video rental at all.

Are you really renting Men Alone II: The KY Connection? Ugh, can I please get one customer who appreciates good theater? Jeez!

I love Blockbuster for renting Wii games. We rent one every month or two.

 

[csb]

Well, if I want to rent Beaches, I want to rent Beaches. I don't need to hear a 5 minute rant about chick flicks thankyouverymuch

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I understand video games also can be rented either through netflix or something similar.

I think there is one called Gamefly, which is basically Netflix for video games.

 

[roadwreck]

Our local Blockbuster closed at some point. I just found it out when I drove by the empty store and I kinda felt good about it. The last time I had been in there I had to reopen my account, which did take a lot plus they charged me something like $10 for an inactive account fee. On top of that I had to rent the movies and then worry about getting them back there. Plus there was always some snobby kid working the counter judging my movie choices. I don't miss video rental at all.

I'm a little surprised that the nice newer Blockbuster location a few miles down the road closed but the older, less flashy location right across the street from our neighborhood stayed open. Even though the store is easily within walking distance we never went to it. It was just to much of a pain to have to wait in the long lines they had, pay the exorbitant prices and deal with the attitude of the staff. My account was never active when we went it (they go inactive in the local system if you haven't rented anything in 6 months), and I don't carry my blockbuster card with me. I don't have to, I remember the number. I worked in a blockbuster for several years when I was in high school and my account number was only one digit different than my employee number. The account numbers don't change, they just get dropped by the local system, so if you have your card (or card number) they can enter it and pull up your account even if it has become inactive. That $10 charge is bogus, I've never been charged that nor was there ever a fee like that when I worked there.

I think the only reason I enjoyed renting movies from blockbuster for a while was to walk up to the counter and rattle off my account number by heart. It's an eleven digit number, so most people look at you like you are Rain Man or something. It's really funny. The employee stares at you blankly too. Kinda like hmy: . Usually I have to explain to the employee that if they just type the number in it pulls up my account. They are dumbfounded that I know more about their system then they do.

 

[maryannette]

I just started with Netflix. The closest place to get a video is about 25 miles from our house. Netflix delivers. No pizza delivery, but frozen pizza is improving.

 

[TouchDown]

Almost all the video rental places in town have gone away. There is one blockbuster left, sounds like I need to use up my gift certificates soon...

Redbox is pretty much all we use anymore. We have streamed a few over Tivo, but we still like to go to movies more often than we rent.

Streaming / Netflix / Redbox has taken the rental industry and flipped it on it's head. Pretty amazing changes in the last year or two. Wonder what it'll be like in another 10.

 

[MGX]

Years ago I worked for a telecom engineering company where we designed some hybrid fiber coax to do just this streaming video. Glad I never invested my $$$ into the technology.

Reminds me of when people were building large fiber optic rings right before cheap multiplexers came out and made most of the fibers vacant!

PS Blockbuster stock is 19 cents / share!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Blockbuster Inc. agreed to sell itself for $290 million to a consortium of its debtholders in a pact that gives the buyers the option to convert the video-rental chain's Chapter 11 bankruptcy into a Chapter 7 liquidation.
The agreement also calls for the company to close more than 600 stores by the end of the month.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...RDS=blockbuster

I wonder if that's 600 stores by the end of THIS month...

 

[roadwreck]

Ah man, that makes me just a little bit sad. I worked at a Blockbuster when I was in high school. I can still rattle off my blockbuster card number from memory. And in case your curious, yes the employee behind the register looks at you like you are Rain Man when they ask for your card and you respond by just spouting off an 11 digit number. Most of them think I'm full of it and don't believe the account they pull up will match my ID. It's a fun trick that I will no longer be able to pull.

To be honest, I don't know that I've rented a movie from Blockbuster in years. I'm a Netflix subscriber, so I guess I'm part of their problem.

 

[willsee]

We rent from a local chain video store (Family Video). We don't watch enough to make it worth it to get a Netflix, but we like the selection of Family video as opposed to Redbox.