Movie rental stores

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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Are movie rental stores a thing of the past?

About five years ago, the town about five miles north of me (I live in the middle of nowhere), had a Blockbuster and a Hollywood video. McDonalds had their Red Box rental kiosks, and the local gas station/eatery chains had their own rental kiosks (something similar to Red Box). Netflix was getting into full stride. A local mom and pop operator had three rental shops, and a full crew running all three.

Today, Blockbuster and Hollywood video are gone. Red Box rental kiosks are everywhere. Grocery stores, gas stations, fast food places. I am being dragged into the 21st century slowly but surely, as I am actually looking to upgrade from CD's to an iPod (I know, I know I'm always late to the party). Last but not least, I am trying to get onto Netflix from my Blu Ray player, but right now it's just Youtube.

The video shop is doing business hand over fist, but he closed his two locations, and now only has one about five minutes north of me. He works there about 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. I guess he's saving money, being as he is the only one there. In the Baltimore area, he is the only video rental store I know of. The only other one I can think of is the Wonder Books used bookstore chain, with locations in Frederick, Hagerstown and Germantown MD.

Are video rental stores a thing of the past? This guy has tons of used DVDs for sale, and unless I really want a DVD, I rent from him first. His Bluray collection is limited, he said it is not cost effective for him to get them, but he has a few of the new releases. He's also behind Walmart in new releases, but he gets the el cheapo schlock horror and scifi movies I like.
 
The stand-alone retail general movie rental store is all but gone. Between TVO, Netflix, and Redbox, any left are walking-dead. There are some specialty video rental stores still going, but they're also on borrowed time.
 
Dead and gone. I think that there is one left in the small city where I work. It is 25% of the size it used to be. The other 3 are completely gone. Gone also are the little movie sections in gas stations, convenience stores, etc. Right now, the kiosk's are seeming to do a good business but that I think will be a short to medium term proposition as everything goes electronic. My son has 3 HDTVs in his apartment all hooked up to the internet and computer and no dvd or vhs. He gets everything off of netflix or other sites.
 
The last of the Blockbusters in my area have "going out of business" banners over the Blockbuster signs.

Netflix and redbox are doing well but the big cable companies here (Comcast/WOW/AT&T) are really pushing their On-Demand offerings so folks are just ordering through the cable and staying home.


For what it's worth, I recently picked up Troy, The Usual Suspects, The Ringer, and The Dark Knight for $5 each on DVD at the big box stores. I used to pay that much for one night rentals.
 
I only have network TV and rarely watch that at all since just about anything on it from the news to these stupid reality/talent shows are mindless junk.

We have the Netflix streaming +1 DVD at a time plan and it's more than sufficient. I think that runs about 8 bucks a month.Apart from Redbox, everything else in

area that rented DVD's has closed up
 
They closed our Blockbuster and turned it into a mattress store of all things.
 
They are doing ok around here. A lot of folks don't have internet (I just use my phone) and there is just something I like about perusing the sections. The one place I go let's you rent 7 movies for 7 days for 7 bucks. It is nice to have a stck to choose from.
 
Definitely gone. The blockbuster 1 minute down the street from us, that we've been going to for about 13 years is finally closing. We went there Friday to catch any good deals on movies. But man, when they say they're selling everything they mean it! Everything from toilet paper to the front counters. :D
 
They are going under everywhere that I know of. I liked walking around the stores and reading the movie descriptions. Oh well...progress maybe?
 
I have a few Blockbusters still around. I use Netflix, Hulu and occaisonally Redbox. The few stand alone video stores are on borrowed time.
 
It'll be interesting to see where Netflix and Cable prices go when all the competition is obliterated.
 
Retail video rentals are going the way of the dinosaur, but its not a big deal since one only has to wait a few months before most movies shows up on Satellite dish providers. Most movies today are just flashy junk with poor acting and pale when compared to the old ones
 
Yeah, its the same here. I haven't seen a video store in sometime now. Kinda sad really, I liked going to them but that being said I have been renting everything off itunes and the Playstation store for a few years now. Its just so convenient. So, does this mean people who don't have credit cards are screwed in the entertainment department? how do you rent or buy anything anymore with out one? I think DVD and Blue-ray are going soon also. I was just at the Mac store and the new Macbooks don't even come with DVD/CD players in them. Everything is going straight digital download.....God help us if the internet crashes!
 
Bufford said:
Retail video rentals are going the way of the dinosaur, but its not a big deal since one only has to wait a few months before most movies shows up on Satellite dish providers. Most movies today are just flashy junk with poor acting and pale when compared to the old ones
Click to expand...

which you can get on bluray at kmart for like 8bux -cheaper than renting.
 
Perhaps it's just a shift in balance between the two types of movie renters: those who enjoyed going to the store and interacting with people and those who would rather download it and store some more calories. The "digital progress" just gives some of us even more reason to spend more time outdoors (fishing, hunting, hiking...etc).

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1014&sid=23241639
 
I signed up for Netflix DVDs in the mail when our local video store closed. I wish I had done it much sooner.
 
Ever since Red Box, Netflix, HuLu. Stuff like that came out I've seen a decline in movie rental stores. The Blockbusters's in my town and a few towns over, and the Hollywood Video, have all closed. Havent seen too many since then.
 
I got stabbed in the back in the parking lot of a Blockbusters when I was 19. Good or bad it was a Sak with a short blade 7mm from hitting my cord. To top it off it was a mistaken identity case all I wanted to do was flirt with the girl that worked the counter. I have not been back to a video store in almost 20 years now.
 
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