Is Video Rental Dead?
from the if-so,-why? dept
Some people are suggesting that video rentals are a dying market. There are all sorts of theories as to why, and some suggestions of alternatives. Some people are blaming all the other choices people have for their leisure time. Others are blaming DVDs (and the fact that people tend to buy DVDs more than rent them).
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They really have gotten a good business model. OTOH, if broadband gets fat enough I'd much rather stream the movies then wait for them to be shipped to me. Too bad it requires an average of 5 MBit burstable to 10 Mbit for DVD...
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Some of us still rent
a) don't live in the US and can't subscribe to netflix
b) don't have high speed connections to download movies off the internet, and
c) haven't felt the need to go out and buy a DVD player yet / can't afford one.
Sure, I wouldn't mind all these things, but with the cost of going to see a movie in theatres being $10-$12 now (in Canada), I either visit the second-run theatre, or simply run over to the video store and rent a movie. A decent VCR can be had for $50, even less if you can find a good used one, and as a student, I can't afford a DVD player, nor do I really need one. Until DVDs drop in price and invade the current market as VCRs have, I think video rentals will still have their place.
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Video rental is Dead?
I never have figured out why people buy movies. How many times are you going to watch the damn thing? Two showings and I have pretty much figured it out for life.
When I have my 16:9 aspect wall screen sized 3D broadband HDTV receiving its signal from orbit then I will worry about not renting.
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