Blockbusters

The one closest to us is gone.

The one a quarter mile away is still open.

The one a half mile away is gone.

The one a mile away is gone.

They kinda had the same business model as Starbucks ....... no store more than a stone's throw from another.

Netflicks is still doing okay.

Video on demand will kill them all, I suspect. We're renting a movie from or set top Verizon FIOS box. Tonight. Because we can and it is easy and instant. No returning. No rewinding.




I remember the neighborhood mom and pop video store.












One copy of each movie. You had to be a 'club' member. They had porn in the back room; mostly soft core. Most movies on VHS tapes. Some on Beta. Who remembers the video laser discs (CDs the size of LP vinyls)? You could rent the player along with your movie.

The very last VHS tapes shipped this week, from a warehouse in Palm Harbor, Florida. That's it. The End. Finis. No More. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-vhs_bddec28,0,492307.story





Some businesses are worth saving. Some are not. And some simply run their courses.

all these and more will put Blockbuster out of business unless they find a new angle.

I remember when VHS first came out and the first stores opened.. seems like another lifetime ago.

That's an expensive prospect if you only want an occasional movie. I hope Blockbuster hangs in there... Netflix is fine, but I like being able to run in and get something, even if you have to go online for most selection.

So, yes, I am mourning the loss of this and so many similar business models.

It's all included inthe monthy price. You can view them on your PC or through a tv box.

Only problem for me is I have a mac, so will need to get a pc just to view movies. sigh.

Mac offers movie at $3 per viewing, which is much more expensive and doesn't offer the benefits of netflix that I like.

6 months ago, they weren't streaming to macs

That's the way I've been watching my movies now. I can stream films all day long and never pay an extra penny over my monthly fee. Their selection got better when they hooked up with the Starz channel but it's still not as good as their rental catalog. Just the same - moves.all.day.long.not.a.penny.extra - Netflix is one smart company.

You can even select and reserve titles online.

Unfortunately, they don't offer a very wide range of films, and very little that's older than three or four months.

That is what people will soon EXPECT. And NetFlix sometimes seems damn close to that.

There are very few movies I've searched for that they don't have. And in those cases it is usually just because they are not available on DVD yet.

There was one next to the local K-Mart that we rented from for a few years until that store closed down. We then used a local gas station that rented out videos, but there selection was rather limited. Eventually I talked mom into going to Blockbusters and we've used them ever since. Although I can't remember the last time I rented a movie from them - it's been a couple years now.