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A Third of Americans Still Buy and Rent Videos (qz.com)
An anonymous reader writes: One-third of Americans still buy and rent videos, in addition to using streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, NPD Group found in its annual Entertainment Trends in America report. The research firm surveyed more than 7,000 members of its US online panel about their entertainment consumption during August 2017. Family films are still popular buys because kids will watch them over and over again. Spotty broadband service in rural America makes buying and renting more reliable than streaming for some. And some people just like to own and collect movies. Overall, 54% of people surveyed said they still buy or rent video.
... but buying can still be really really cheap. It takes very little time for a movie - especially on DVD - to hit the $10 or even $5 bin now. They've put so many movies into the "impulse buy" category now that it's no surprise a lot of people still buy. On top of that if I want something I can't stream I can often get a copy on DVD through an online seller.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Agreed, if it's some latest crazed blockbuster movie, stream all the way. IF by chance it's good and I want to see it again. I'll buy it. I have all my favorite movies on Blu-ray, the problem has become once you see newer movies, that's it. You saw it, told people you saw it but never have interest to see it again.
It was nice while it lasted.
Thanks, Ajit.
Have gnu, will travel.
I still rent and buy discs, in addition to cable/DVR and also streaming. I consider it a perfectly valid content format for a variety of reasons:
1) A disc never stops working (when treated right) :) )
2) Disc has best picture quality.
3) Disc has 3D capability (which I like, so shove it
4) Disc requires no internet access (which is important to many who have no, limited, slow, or capped Internet)
5) Disc rentals cover almost ALL movies out there, not just a sub-set available through streaming.
6) Purchased discs gives me the option to save it in varies different formats, resolutions, etc, and use it on any device I like, immediately, with no outside connection.
7) High-quality video on disc with no impact on network quotas.
8) Purchased discs give me the option to sell it later, or lend it to family/friends.
9) Discs have extra content- some of which is very interesting.
10) If you wait a while, prices on discs can be surprisingly, even shockingly cheap.
Of course, there are a some issues with discs:
* "Unskippable" content on discs I buy, which is infuriating (and they are shooting themselves in the foot.
* And discs CAN be damaged when not treated correctly- but I have never had that issue (except on some rentals, not discs I own).
* Rental discs often do not contain the "extra" content and sometimes have limited audio choices.
* Some [even natively shot] 3D titles are not being released on 3D discs, which is a shame.
* Having to physically store them... although this is hardly a big deal if you are willing to depart with the large, stock cases.
Netflix has both streaming and physical movies. But the catalogues are not identical, so there are many movies that you can get on disc that you can't stream.
In addition movies on Netflix come and go with their streaming service. Thus it is possible that a movie you watched previously is no longer available for streaming.
And that doesn't consider that I have had my Netflix streaming service seemingly disappear for days at a time, only to mysteriously re-appear for no reason at all.
So in reality the Netflix situation is just another example of a cloud service ebeing "someone else's computer".
Hell I once had a streaming movie on Netflix disappear while I was watching it. Got glitched out halfway through the movie, by the time I got back to the main menu the movie was gone from my list and from the search.
I do not use the library. However, I donate DVD and bluray to them all them time. I have well over 3000 discs (1200 movies and a few tv shows)
Sometimes people will get me a movie "YOU JUST GOT TO HAVE" and I find sometimes I already had it so I am nice and accept the gift and donate it. Or I upgrade to a better version or bluray or something like that. Every once and awhile I buy a movie and forgot I had it already. So with as many as I have, duplicates happen. I donate them. Someone I knew bought a large batch of DVDs from ebay. They kept the 50 or so they didnt have and donated the 10 or so they already had.
I personally buy all of my movies. Streaming services are nice however they come and go with what is available and the quality is very variable. Many times you can tell they are re-sampled DVDs. Which is fine if you want to just watch it once and never come back to it. But if you like the movie you probably want a bit better quality and on your terms.
Companies come and go. But I still have my movies. Remember Blockbuster at one point had stadiums named after them. Some of my stuff I would love to upgrade to a better version. But they do not have a better version and they are not even on streaming.