Friday, March 26, 2010

How We Watch Movies

I caught this article yesterday about Blockbuster video and their financial woes - Blockbuster is Bleeding to Death

I'll provide a summary:
Blockbuster is one billion dollars in debt. In a last-ditch effort to avoid declaring bankruptcy, they are in the process of placing Blockbuster kiosks across the nation, have signed a deal with Warner Bros. Studios to offer those movies one month before NetFlix, and have launched mobile movies through T-Mobile. However, this may still not be enough.

Most of the video store chains have vanished. Will Blockbuster be next?

The way we watch movies is changing - fast.

I can't remember the last time I rented a DVD from a store. Most of my 'rentals' come from NetFlix. Shows I watch on Hulu. Occasionally I watch a movie on one of the movie channels. Soon I will have the adapter for my Bluray, and I'll be able to watch NetFlix movies on my TV as well. A NetFlix app for the iPhone is in the works, and it won't be long before mobile movies are available on every phone.

Of course, my first choice is still the movie theater. With the advancements in 3D, it's an incredible experience and the theater is the only place to see it... or is it? The first 3D movies are now hitting the market, and this June several stations will begin broadcasting in 3D.

Has the way you watch movies changed in the last 5 - 10 years? Are you a NetFlix junkie like me? Will you purchase a 3D TV within the next year?

26 comments:

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Redbox is the big thing in my area. Most everyone I know here uses redbox exclusively, even more than netflix. Me, I like to buy DVD's at the $5 Walmart bin, many are nearly new releases.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

We haven't rented movies in a long time, either. Our big screen TV is fairly new, but I can see us getting a 3D screen when the price comes down.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Karen, I should have mentioned Redbox, because Blockbuster's move with the kiosks is to compete with Redbox. My bad!

Jamie Gibbs said...

Since moving to another city I've used Blockbuster a lot more often than before, usually because I've found a lot of freebies and offers recently (no doubt because of the financial trouble they're in). I haven't used Redbox or Netflix yet, but I imagine that this is the way movies are going to be watched by everyone pretty soon.

I've seen a lot of hype about the 3D TV thing recently (Sky are bragging about their amazing 3D digiboxes at the moment)but I'm still unconvinced by it. 3D in the cinema is great, but if we're exposed to it on that level it ceased to be a novelty and I think people will get tired of it pretty quickly.

Summer Frey said...

We are Netflix junkies, signed up for the 3 at a time. We didn't even get cable hooked up when we moved to our new place; we watch everything on Hulu anyway, when it suits our schedules.

We still haven't been able to afford a flat-screen TV, but hopefully by the time 3D televisions are for sale, we'll be in a better financial place. My husband is such a movie buff, I'm sure he'd want it!

By the way, I wasn't sure if you saw the award I left for you on my blog yesterday...

And I also changed the rules for my contest so the haiku isn't required, if you'd like to enter anyway. :-)

Sarah Ahiers said...

i've been usuing netflix for... about 10 years now, and we also get netflix streaming to the TV due to our xbox 360. I don't know when i last rented a movie, but we still occasionally use the On Demand option through comcast if there's something we want to watch RIGHT NOW

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Summer, I did see it and I will mention it tomorrow!

Netflix and Hulu are the way to go.

Summer, most of the flatscreens have really come down in price over the last year.

Arlee Bird said...

Blockbuster pissed me off with rising prices, unfriendly rental policies, and bad service and lost me years ago. And now its like why waste my time going to a video rental place when I can just do it at home and have it delivered to me for less the cost. And now I have this Roku box to get videos on line. With our big screen tv and don't even like the hassle of going to theaters anymore and dealing with rude patrons and having to go to the bathroom and other inconveniences. 3-D TV? Maybe someday, but not on the radar right now. What I really need is more time to watch movies.
Lee

Glynis Peters said...

I think Blockbuster became greedy and lost a lot of customers, arlee bird summed it up well.

We have so many chanels with free films from around the world, that we do not need to hire DVD's anymore.
DH has 3 satellite dishes, a huge TV and surround sound system it feels like the local cinema, so I only go out for popcorn. ;0

Julie Dao said...

Same! I've been getting DVDs from Redbox and recently I signed up for a Netflix account, which I love. Blockbuster was always expensive, as I recall, and the mandatory membership to rent was off putting. I never rented from them even in the past.

Helen Ginger said...

We did Netflix for a couple of years, then dropped it. Now we either buy DVDs (my DH will watch the same movie a gazillion times) or just watch what comes on TV. We can't get cable where we live, so we end up not watching many movies.

Helen
Straight From Hel

B. Miller said...

I use Netflix as well, because of its convenience. It doesn't surprise me that Blockbuster is going out of business... they've been struggling for a while.

Alex, I gave you an award on my blog today! You should swing by and check it out when you get a chance.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Arlee, you're right - Blockbuster did themselves in.

Glynis, what do you charge for movies at your theater?

Miller, thanks!

Glynis Peters said...

LOL, it is free viewing on Fridays, bring wine on Saturdays and bring your own popcorn on Sundays!

Anonymous said...

We haven't got a mass-market version of anything like Redbox in the UK, although I think I've seen some DVD rental machines in the arrivals hall at Heathrow... unless I was just too tired to know what I was looking at :)

If I really want to make time to see a movie, though, it still has to be at the cinema. Too many other distractions at home - and I can't even watch a hour-long tv episode on DVD without trying to check my email at least once... I actually meant to sign up to Netflix when I moved here but once I realised what my viewing habits were going to be like I decided it wasn't worth it.

Hulu has yet to take off here either although we do have the iPlayer for BBC stuff...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Glynis, it would be rude of me not to bring a gift, so I'll be over on Saturday!

Hampshire, maybe it will take off there. However, you are correct in saying you need the time and attention span first.

Brenda said...

All of the video stores around here are closing. I just recently signed up for Netflix, and I'm not sure I love it. Before that we used Redbox, or I'd get movies from the library.

DEZMOND said...

Ah, I see you've changed the image of your blog :)) It's very refreshing, I always like changes.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Brenda, like all new things, give it some time.

Thanks, Dez! Been meaning to do this for a while. It looked pretty sad for someone in graphics and website design, huh?

DEZMOND said...

you're in graphics and website design???
I've never asked you what do you do in your life beside writing :)

Jemi Fraser said...

I love the new look! And I'm jealous that your transition appears effortless - or at least not universe-threatening. Nicely done :)

I don't watch tons of movies - but I have quite a few favourites on DVD.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jemi, it's a slight of hand thing...

Yeah Dez, something has to pay the bills!

Lola Sharp said...

I like the new design you've got here. Fancy.

We used to netflix for years but we just weren't watching them, never enough time. So, we stopped it a few months ago. We have direct TV dish and get everything, fully loaded, so we can watch movies that way.

We haven't done redbox.

Anonymous said...

I just purchased a Netflix account a couple weeks ago. I love it. I get my movies in a day or two. I'm very happy. Although I do miss walking the aisles of Blockbuster and talking to real people.

Stephen Tremp

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lola, I'm good at multi-tasking, so I watch them at work and at home while I'm doing stuff on my computer. Otherwise, I wouldn't have time either.

Stephen, doesn't NetFlix just rock?

Hannah said...

I've had Netflix for 7 years now and I love it and won't cancel my membership for anything! I have 5 queues and 3 of them are completely full. I don't even know how many discs I've gotten from them in the past 7 years. INSANE!