This one in West Los Angeles. Right across the street is a Red Box outside a 7-Eleven.
Another Blockbuster bites the dust....
- Thread starter Blade_Jones
- Start date
The Internet is killing a lot of physical businesses besides DVD's and CD's. I buy a ton of stuff online including music production gear, clothing, computer gear, and more. Who wants to battle traffic, pay to park and then walk 2 miles through a mall if you can just order through Amazon.com and have it delivered to your door?
It's also kicking phyisical DVD sales in places like Wal-mart: The Walmart where I am is shrinking the DVD department-unless it's a new release (or one released in the past 6 mths), there isn't much "older" stock. Alot of the DVD's are 2 for 10 dollars, 3 for 15, FWIW, they had all the Matrix movies AND Animatrix package for 10 dollars (heck just The Matrix and Animatrix alone is worth that, even if you don't like the sequels).
It's weird, someone who's been through the VHS/Beta days, seeing what's going on now is eye opening-part of it too though, I use internet, but I don't do a lot of shopping on it. The downloads of music/movies/books ect, is really not part of the culture I understand, and find myself having to go to places in town that order things to get what I wish. I guess I'll have to figure out how to work Netflix, ect for me to go forward lol.
It's weird, someone who's been through the VHS/Beta days, seeing what's going on now is eye opening-part of it too though, I use internet, but I don't do a lot of shopping on it. The downloads of music/movies/books ect, is really not part of the culture I understand, and find myself having to go to places in town that order things to get what I wish. I guess I'll have to figure out how to work Netflix, ect for me to go forward lol.
The lawsuit verdict that apparently has come down will help. Studios sued Redbox for dumping used product.Part of the settlement was a new 28 day window (thus the new ads from Blockbuster). Redbox is going to have to wait 28 days for certain titles while blockbuster and others get them day 1.
I think that the DVD/video market was always a mystery. Why would people spend $15 on a movie that they'll only arch once (in all likelihood). I can see that people, myself included, will buy DVDs of their favorite movies, but despite the factor that I'm curious about The Expendables, I'm not going to pay 12 quid for the privilege.
I just can't abide watching movies on a computer monitor. I'm sure there's a million ways to hook it up to my telly screen, but I don't really get the point. It's part of why I go to the cinema so much.
Blockbuster was never so big in the UK I don't think, but if someone says 'i'm going to rent a movie' we all still assume they'll be going down to Blockbuster. I don't know anyone over here who regularly uses Netflix...
I just can't abide watching movies on a computer monitor. I'm sure there's a million ways to hook it up to my telly screen, but I don't really get the point. It's part of why I go to the cinema so much.
Blockbuster was never so big in the UK I don't think, but if someone says 'i'm going to rent a movie' we all still assume they'll be going down to Blockbuster. I don't know anyone over here who regularly uses Netflix...
As far as movies, I buy what I know I'll watched repeatedly-those I'm not sure of, I'll rent for 2 nights for 1.99 at the local store.
As far as Montior/computer-I'm planning on getting a Flatscreen(well aren't they all now?
) and hooking it up to the computer. I can download from Itunes for a couple of bucks, Netflix(if I figure it out) whoever, and watch it on the telly-and if I want to watch a TV program-I can go to the official site of whichever studio/network has the rights (pretty much all of them now advertise watching shows on the site), and subscribe to VOD-who needs cable/sat-right from the computer.
I agree though Cinema, despite my earlier misgivings, still has a place- though that place I think now is in the Realm of 3D Blockbusters and less on smaller scale fare.
As far as Montior/computer-I'm planning on getting a Flatscreen(well aren't they all now?
) and hooking it up to the computer. I can download from Itunes for a couple of bucks, Netflix(if I figure it out) whoever, and watch it on the telly-and if I want to watch a TV program-I can go to the official site of whichever studio/network has the rights (pretty much all of them now advertise watching shows on the site), and subscribe to VOD-who needs cable/sat-right from the computer.I agree though Cinema, despite my earlier misgivings, still has a place- though that place I think now is in the Realm of 3D Blockbusters and less on smaller scale fare.
I just worry this maybe too little too late for Blockbuster...
Probably so.
As far as price, you guys should have lived in the Rental/sell thru video days of the 90's.
1. Movie is released in theatre, and has theatrical run.
2. Movie is released as "Rental" video, about $50 to $60 EACH.
3. After window of 90 days or so it's released on PPV.
4. After a couple months it comes to premium cable.
4. After another 90 to 120 days it's released it's re-priced as "Sell Thru" video, and the price drops to $14.95 or whatever.
If you wanted a video of a new movie as soon as it "Streeted" you where paying as much as $60 for it.
Obscure movies like foreign films NEVER went to sell thru. They remained rental priced.
The studios let this system collapse with DVD because they wanted to drive the format, so they did away with "rental" pricing on DVD.
I remember those days all too well(and "cheap" music CD's were around 20 dollars LOL)
I still shake my head when I see the VHS tapes selling for a buck a piece at pawnshops, Salvation Army stores, ect-was just unreal. Remember though too-those were the days (where I lived) where the movie theatre was 5 bucks most nights (2.50 tuesdays, I remember it well!) so it was more affordable to make multiple movie runs.
I can no longer afford to go to the theater, and don't like it anyway as the folks around me have much less respect for the rest of the audience than they used to - talking, very noisy with food, etc...
So with my tax returns this year, I will get my HD projector downstairs and my home theater will be complete. I have a screen from a roll-down projector screen that the roll down part was broken, I'm going to remove it and frame it on the wall. I have a big surround system. I'll be adding a Blu-ray player to it (with netflix streaming - I love netflix, still prefer the DVDs though as there are no BTS on the streaming ones).
I will continue purchasing DVDs and BluRay DVDs moving forward as I still prefer to own the media (I still purchase CDs as well - I've had too many catastrophic machine failures to trust that I'll be able to recover all the online purchased content if something bad happens).
Theaters boomed in the last huge recession/depression cycle as the screenings were much more affordable (as a percentage of income)... and the ticket to the cinema was a ticket for the day if you wanted. Short term profit strategies are losing out in the long run (again). By maximizing profits per seat per screening, the theaters are going to drive their attendance numbers down, that will in turn drive prices up as they try to keep their margins at the same point... bad news.
We need fewer cineplexes and more second run theaters (cheap seats)!
So with my tax returns this year, I will get my HD projector downstairs and my home theater will be complete. I have a screen from a roll-down projector screen that the roll down part was broken, I'm going to remove it and frame it on the wall. I have a big surround system. I'll be adding a Blu-ray player to it (with netflix streaming - I love netflix, still prefer the DVDs though as there are no BTS on the streaming ones).
I will continue purchasing DVDs and BluRay DVDs moving forward as I still prefer to own the media (I still purchase CDs as well - I've had too many catastrophic machine failures to trust that I'll be able to recover all the online purchased content if something bad happens).
Theaters boomed in the last huge recession/depression cycle as the screenings were much more affordable (as a percentage of income)... and the ticket to the cinema was a ticket for the day if you wanted. Short term profit strategies are losing out in the long run (again). By maximizing profits per seat per screening, the theaters are going to drive their attendance numbers down, that will in turn drive prices up as they try to keep their margins at the same point... bad news.
We need fewer cineplexes and more second run theaters (cheap seats)!
We need fewer cineplexes and more second run theaters (cheap seats)!
I expect an explosion of screens in general with digital projection. My last visit to a new multiplex I was shocked at some of the TINY (like 50 seat) theaters. You can't do that with expensive film prints, but a digital copy costs nothing.
I expect an explosion of screens in general with digital projection. My last visit to a new multiplex I was shocked at some of the TINY (like 50 seat) theaters. You can't do that with expensive film prints, but a digital copy costs nothing.
Oddly Blockbuster Canada did not file for bankruptcy and is doing fine here.
R,
R,
I work for a distributor, and we had been taking on and off "Credit Hold" for several years now, and shrinking their credit line in anticipation of them going belly up.
Do you know where I could find a list of physical stores (still in existence) that sell DVD's in the US?
I buy a lot of DVDs from Big Lots (they have oldies at great prices) and Target.
Walmart and Best Buy have a good selection of DVDs. If they don't have it I normally try Amazon.com.
I remember the rental priced VHS. One time I was late bringing back a movie and they wanted to Charge me $50 for the late fee saying the movie cost $50 to buy or something like that. I thought it was crazy to charge that much considering that movie would later only be like $15 at a store. Plus I brought back the movie so I figured it was insane to charge that much for a late fee. I never did pay that late fee.
I remember the rental priced VHS. One time I was late bringing back a movie and they wanted to Charge me $50 for the late fee saying the movie cost $50 to buy or something like that. I thought it was crazy to charge that much considering that movie would later only be like $15 at a store. Plus I brought back the movie so I figured it was insane to charge that much for a late fee. I never did pay that late fee.
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