http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-blockbuster-to-close-all-stores-20131106,0,2509893.story

Pretty much Blockbuster will be history by 2014.

It's the end of an era. I remember renting from Blockbuster in the 90s and the first half of the 00s.  :\'(

The Blockbuster near my house closed down recently. I guess I better get my Netflix account up and running again...

The Blockbuster near my house closed down recently. I guess I better get my Netflix account up and running again...


Yes. My dad likes videos, but started a Netflix because he had no choice.

Pretty much Blockbuster will be history by 2014.

It's the end of an era. I remember renting from Blockbuster in the 90s and the first half of the 00s.

Now we're living in the digital age, Blockbusters and video stores will soon be history.

Sad.  One of my dreams was to own a video store.  Guess it's a good thing it never happened.

Sad.  One of my dreams was to own a video store.  Guess it's a good thing it never happened.


Yeah, it's sad to me too.

Now we're living in the digital age, Blockbusters and video stores will soon be history.


I think so. The age of video stores are pretty much almost over. I think there will still video stores even in 2014 or after, but there are not as many as before.

http://thefuntimesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/blockbuster-video-stor-by-travdir1.jpg

Innovation kills business sometimes.

I didn't know there were any left.  ::)  And I know for a fact my Daddy still has his Blockbuster card in his wallet!

Between Youtube and Hulu, Tiffeny is a pleased young woman.

Before there was broadband, there was Blockbuster.  When we were limited to dialup speeds, the adage was to never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of VHS tapes, CDs, and DVDs. 

http://deathandtaxesmag.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/blockbuster_adp.jpg

Blockbuster died because they underestimated the bandwidth that copper wires and glass fibers would eventually bring.  Eventually, bandwidth got cheap enough that Netflix turned streaming into a viable business model.  P2P still has its place in the media ecosystem, but if you're only going to watch that 4-gigabyte 2-hour movie once, it may not matter that you have terabytes of local storage for it. 

I think so. The age of video stores are pretty much almost over. I think there will still video stores even in 2014 or after, but there are not as many as before.


and I think movie theaters might be history too. Now we have families watching Roku, Netflix, Hulu and Redbox.

Sad new indeed.

http://thefuntimesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/blockbuster-video-stor-by-travdir1.jpg


Back in the days when you could go to a video store and be there all day looking at movies titles, and also playing video games which they had in the store too.

I think what has happened within the past couple of years is that technology has killed the music and film industry, many people now are watching films via computer and via digital TV and listening to music via computer, iPods and laptops.

On the other hand, if you want some cheap movies and video games, it might be worth your while to go to your local Blockbuster outlet, they're trying to liquidate their inventories and you can get DVDs and PS3 and Xbox games for dirt cheap. And the sooner you go the better because all that stuff gets picked clean really fast.

I didn't know there were any left.  ::)  And I know for a fact my Daddy still has his Blockbuster card in his wallet!

Between Youtube and Hulu, Tiffeny is a pleased young woman.


Our family threw ours away just like three years ago. I guess we didn't want to let go so fast!  ;D

Sad new indeed.


It's going the ways of drive-in movie theaters.  :D

I think what has happened within the past couple of years is that technology has killed the music and film industry, many people now are watching films via computer and via digital TV and listening to music via computer, iPods and laptops.


I think the music industry is starting to bloom again though.

There used to be a small video store near me that had all kinds of odd, out of print stuff that was great.  The people knew their customers and they went out of there way to keep it unique.  It broke my heart when it closed a couple of years ago. :\'(

On the other hand, if you want some cheap movies and video games, it might be worth your while to go to your local Blockbuster outlet, they're trying to liquidate their inventories and you can get DVDs and PS3 and Xbox games for dirt cheap. And the sooner you go the better because all that stuff gets picked clean really fast.


How much for?  ???

and I think movie theaters might be history too.


No. Movie theaters are making lots of $

Our family threw ours away just like three years ago. I guess we didn't want to let go so fast!  ;D


But you could've maybe returned it? Maybe they could've gave you some money towards it? ???

It's going the ways of drive-in movie theaters.  :D


that's so 1955....

I think the music industry is starting to bloom again though.


that could be considered a good thing.

There used to be a small video store near me that had all kinds of odd, out of print stuff that was great.  The people knew their customers and they went out of there way to keep it unique.  It broke my heart when it closed a couple of years ago. :\'(



mine went out of business about 25 years ago.

No. Movie theaters are making lots of $


And they charge $10-15 dollars now, who wants to spend that kind of money when you have movies at home to watch.

And they charge $10-15 dollars now, who wants to spend that kind of money when you have movies at home to watch.


Lots of people Howard. Weekend Box Office, Nov 1-3, top 10

1 N Ender's Game LG/S $27,017,351 -
2 1 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa $20,010,303 -
3 N Last Vegas CBS $16,334,566
4 N Free Birds Rela. $15,805,237
5 2 Gravity WB $12,825,346
6 3 Captain Phillips Sony $8,407,725
7 8 12 Years a Slave FoxS $4,792,214
8 5 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Sony $4,150,983
9 4 The Counselor Fox $3,379,850
10 6 Carrie (2013) SGem $3,263,524

That's over 100 million dollars.

And they charge $10-15 dollars now, who wants to spend that kind of money when you have movies at home to watch.
if you go to the matinee shows, it's 6 bucks at least where I live. The price starts climbing when you add popcorn and sodas and all that.

Back in the early '80s, a buddy of mine opened up his own chain of movie rental stores near Chicago.

At the time he told me he made most of his money renting out porn :o .  He had the tapes in a nondescript wrapper and kept them at the back of the store.

He said that renting tapes was a great business because the IRS had no way of knowing how many tapes you rented out, so he was skimming money like mad.  ;D

He also made a lot of money selling VCR's on a "rent to own" basis which he said was a total scam. "LB, I can sell as a rent-to-own at interest rates that would put me in jail if I were lending money like that!" he told me.

Later he sold the stores because he saw that the party was soon going to end.

Lots of people Howard. Weekend Box Office, Nov 1-3, top 10

1 N Ender's Game LG/S $27,017,351 -
2 1 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa $20,010,303 -
3 N Last Vegas CBS $16,334,566
4 N Free Birds Rela. $15,805,237
5 2 Gravity WB $12,825,346
6 3 Captain Phillips Sony $8,407,725
7 8 12 Years a Slave FoxS $4,792,214
8 5 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Sony $4,150,983
9 4 The Counselor Fox $3,379,850
10 6 Carrie (2013) SGem $3,263,524

That's over 100 million dollars.


:P I have Crackle!

At the time he told me he made most of his money renting out porn :o .  He had the tapes in a nondescript wrapper and kept them at the back of the store.


good for him that no one found out until later on.

:P I have Crackle!


I have Snap! and Pop!
Together we can have Rice Krispies.

And they charge $10-15 dollars now, who wants to spend that kind of money when you have movies at home to watch.


What Warped said, and adding to that...movies that come out new aren't on video yet.  You have to see them in the theater.  Nothing beats a good movie on the big screen.

From the article...

Blockbuster's current owner, DISH Network Corp., said there will be about 50 U.S. stores operated by franchises not affected by the announcement.


I must remember to ask my local Blockbuster if they are a franchise or not... wonder if I get to keep my mailers when they shut down the service? 

Guess I better get some good movies in my queue just in case lol.


The only blockbuster in SB is 2.5 miles from my house. I walk to it regularly. I will miss the purposeful exercise and the nice employees who let me bring Effie in when I walk there.  Plus now i will have to beef up my netflix from 1 dvd at a time to 2 or 3

From the article...

Blockbuster's current owner, DISH Network Corp., said there will be about 50 U.S. stores operated by franchises not affected by the announcement.


I must remember to ask my local Blockbuster if they are a franchise or not... wonder if I get to keep my mailers when they shut down the service? 

Guess I better get some good movies in my queue just in case lol.


The only blockbuster in SB is 2.5 miles from my house. I walk to it regularly. I will miss the purposeful exercise and the nice employees who let me bring Effie in when I walk there.  Plus now i will have to beef up my netflix from 1 dvd at a time to 2 or 3


So there will be some Blockbusters left?

The one in my town might be a franchise then because I thought all the UK stores were shutting a couple of years ago.  I might just pop in and check the situation.

I have Snap! and Pop!
Together we can have Rice Krispies.


Crackle is a website or it's on my PS3 where you can watch TV Shows and free movies, It's all free, just log on with a password and you're good to go.

http://androidtvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mzm.yukbjgdp.175x175-75.jpg

What Warped said, and adding to that...movies that come out new aren't on video yet.  You have to see them in the theater.  Nothing beats a good movie on the big screen.


I don't go to the movies anymore. It just got too expensive.

So there will be some Blockbusters left?


Yes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V092fX76FLI

Blockbuster from 1988, Who remembers this?  :)

I'm of the VHS era, so lots of nostalgia here.  :\'( It truly is the end of an era.

We rented the Halloween movies so many times (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers wasn't even an idea yet).

http://cdn.bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Halloween-media-VHS-726x248.jpg

I remember renting Mom & Dad Save the World ;D, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Mortal Kombat, 80s Barney videos  :-http://www.filminamerica.com/Movies/MomAndDadSaveTheWorld/world-poster.jpg http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdtkspMKi71qcf9s5.jpg

I remember we also rented a few NES games, such as Friday the 13th...

http://c534909.r9.cf2.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Jason-Nes-1.jpg

I think we rented or owned the Beetlejuice and A Nightmare on Elm Street NES games.

4X1RCxzRGS0

In Memoriam

Net(flix) and Red(box) Killed the Video Store

Internet Killed the Video Store

Blockbuster to End (Parody of "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson)

And the precursor to it all...

peOHYtLCr1U

Just confirmed my blockbuster is not a franchise therefore it'll be closing in a couple weeks.

And before you know it, probably within the next couple of years or so there won't be anymore video stores around because people will be watching from the comfort of their home.

And before you know it, probably within the next couple of years or so there won't be anymore video stores around because people will be watching from the comfort of their home.


But that was the whole point of video stores...taking the movies home and watching from the comfort of your own home.

But that was the whole point of video stores...taking the movies home and watching from the comfort of your own home.


I meant Digital TV.

But that was the whole point of video stores...taking the movies home and watching from the comfort of your own home.


Karma.Witty as hell!  ;D

Did very shallow research and the era of the video store will be remembered as a late 20th century and early 21st century thing.

One wonders what people will be watching in the 22nd century? Like if there will be a Netflix, Hulu or Crackle?

The store local to me has just put up a "store closing" banner on it. I just noticed that today as I was driving past it.

It's sad to think that video stores were once a hot thing where you could go into one, browse, buy some snacks and play video games.