DVD Talk Forum - Redbox Leaving Canada

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan (Post 12387813)

Maybe I'll just run a DVD & Blu-ray rental service out of my basement.

I suspect a lot of people here could do that. But seeing the condition the discs come back in would probably be something of a deterrent. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by taffer (Post 12387972)

Does your library have a waiting list? Some people aren't aware of this. My library has an online waiting list where you can reserve a movie. They have a few copies of a movie they put on shelves for anyone to grab, but then they also have a few more copies that are prioritized to people on the waiting list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by taffer (Post 12388172)

It's funny how libraries were created for renting books. Most people today however use them for renting movies and video games instead. :lol:

I really do wonder what the ratio of book rentals to movie/game rentals is at libraries.

BIG supporter here of libraries for borrowing movies, but I certainly still see plenty of people signing out good old fashioned books. Granted, as far as DVD offerings go, the bigger the city the bigger the selection, but even in my old home city (pop. 75,000) the library system (which also serves the smaller communities across the outlying county) has a substantial collection of movies, series and documentaries. Regardless of the size of a library's DVD collection, it's a great way to both fill in gaps on a "to see" list AND curtail at least some of the blind buying that most of us on forums like this are invariably known for, both during the era when video chains never had the kind of curated breadth of selection most of us wanted -- or already had -- on our shelves at home, and today, when having a tangible physical collection is still preferential to streaming, downloading, stealing, etc.

Frankly, no video store in my 30-some years of personal renting/buying experience ever had the kind of selection this city's library system does. Even the Family Video store I mentioned above only has "catalogue" titles dating back to, at best, the 90's (excepting a precious few bona fide hits and/or classics from earlier decades. The library method has also changed the way I view movies, and when. Instead of watching based on whims or moods, I watch whatever comes up next in my queue -- which is anywhere from 5 - 20 discs a week -- and I've applied that thinking to my own stacks as well; just plough through 'em, for the most part. The time investment's a bit heavy, but the cost savings has been sizeable. :)