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Last time I was in Blockbuster about 2/3 of the store is still VHS (mostly older movies). I know they have made great strides toward converting to DVD, but they have a ways to go.

Perhaps they are still renting enough tapes to justify the floor space. Or perhaps its due to the fact that what people want is only available on VHS, so thats why they rent them.

But I doubt it will last, I mean who would want to rent 3 DVDs and then just watch those over and over again? You'd still have to make a trip to pick up something new.. Could really save on those excruciating Blockbuster late charges though..

Doh....It is here and you actually are right...that should have been 1700 per minute. I guess the figures are slightly skewed. :)
So that should be 2.68 billion rentals per year. But that is of total rentals (VHS, DVD, etc). I would guess that they do less then 30% in DVD. So the number comes down to 804. 10% being 80.4 million. So that comes out to about .62 gallons per rental, maybe more depending on the percentage of DVD rentals. So my numbers are a lot smaller and make more sense, but I think that they are still very high. And it was 10 minutes from a store, not 10 miles.

That said, the hydrogen not only made the Hindenburg float, it was a big factor in why it exploded!

Theories abound, but the simple fact is that with any great amount of this gas, there is still a safety factor to be considered.

However, the same article discusses the actual things that burned, suggesting that hydrogen was *not* the culprit, only an accomplice. You decide.

Even though our own farts (mentioned in other posts - not my idea) are explosive to a point (some more than others ;-), the containment of hydrogen gas is still a relatively unregulated concern. Easily argued, it is not as dangerous as some fossil fuels, it is still not easy to handle. What do we do? Embrace it - contain it - or wait and see what Big Bro sez to do?

Georges: http://us.imdb.com/Name?Ser,+Georges

Nah, but playing Jane's Longbow/Longbow2, F-15, 688 Hunter/Killer will. And Fleet Action is a wonderful primer on fleet tactics....

First off, we're giving these simulation games a lot more credit that I believe they deserve. Computer simulations are amazing - and pack quite a bit of detail. But having worked on some of the systems portrayed in these games (and scammed quite a bit of time in real training simulators) - they tend to lack distinct details from the real thing. That's not to say these games aren't very cool. But they're not a perfect simulation either.

But even if they were exact simulations, they'd still only provide one aspect of the training required. First off, there's nothing like the real thing. The US Military understands this, which explains why soldiers still train in the field with MILES gear and airmen fly training sorties instead of spending time in a simulator cockpit. And even then, the systems pale in comparison to real combat experience.

And even once one is intimately familiar with the weapons system assigned, there is another level to being a member of the Armed Services. We've just touched on it with field training and combat experience - knowing how situations feel and being familiar enough with them to act. Being able to interact with other service members effectively (even if you've barely met). The ability to handle pressure. Knowing what makes up a lawful order and when one is bound to disobey an unlawful order. Knowing the common heritage, traditions, and symbols that bind all this (and more) togeather.

Technology changes the face of the battlefield and the weapons deployed on it. It might require shifts in tactics, training, and specific skills. But there is still a requirement for the kind of grit that made up WWII heros. Don't expect to see that replaced by twitch-gamers anytime soon.

all the ppl paying will only get 24 hrs to watch the film but all those clever crackers will get hours of enjoyment cracking the thing.

also why release the dvd before the download? lets face it if you download it cheaply, watch it and if you really like it you buy the dvd.

but uf you do it the other way; you buy the dvd and then decide to download it. WHY? becoz u cant be bothered to open the dvd case ?!? surely is a better option?

The JVC D-VHS deck, which should be available around May, will sell for approximately $2,000, while blank media will cost between $10 and $15.

The clincher for movies is always going to be what I call the Blockbuster factor. If your local video store thinks you'll have the machine, they'll carry the movies. If you think your local video store will carry the movies, you'll buy the player. But for $2000, nobody's going to start carrying movie titles when VHS and DVD are already practially guaranteed.

Digital VHS may stand a chance in the professional markets. It won't sell anywhere else, period.

I would say that Netflix is already better than its physical counterpart (Blockbuster). At least for me.

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Let's face it, "Pirates of Silicon Valley" was way too short. I taped it last night, editing out the commercials as it was showing, and my VCR displayed only 1 hour and 32 minutes of real footage! To order of copy of (the nearly 3 hour) Triumph of the Nerds from Blockbuster video for $42.49 (slighly cheaper than PBS's listing of $49.95), click here.