Having grown up in the VHS era, I don't don't think this is quite right. While VHS was initially pricey, by the 90's, they had dropped to about $20 a pop, well before the DVD era. Everyone I knew had a small library of favorite movies on VHS, we went to Blockbuster because even at $20, not everything was worth purchasing. The reason we rented from Blockbuster was that not everything was worth purchasing and/or storing underneath your TV.
When Laserdisc came out, it was back to pricey copies, ostensibly in exchange for improved quality. The price was the reason Laserdisc never took off and subsequently why DVDs were a revolution. They were cheap, small (compared to the LP-sized laserdisc) and a substantial tech upgrade from VHS. Netflix was revolutionary because you didn't have to get off your ass and go to Blockbuster, rather you could peruse and order from the privacy of your own home computer. They also offered a more comprehensive selection compared to the local video store.
But in the end, yes, it was streaming that killed physical media. I too had no idea the mail order service was still hanging on. I suppose it would be worthwhile for those odd rural places that still lack high speed internet.
As someone who does still have a DVD plan through Netflix, the reason I have it is that there are some movies that aren’t not available through streaming. Looks like I will be saving $5/month now…
Yes I don't know who the market was for discs by mail at the end. As you say, poor internet maybe, but even browsing the library to order would be a chore with a poor connection.
Having grown up in the VHS era, I don't don't think this is quite right. While VHS was initially pricey, by the 90's, they had dropped to about $20 a pop, well before the DVD era. Everyone I knew had a small library of favorite movies on VHS, we went to Blockbuster because even at $20, not everything was worth purchasing. The reason we rented from Blockbuster was that not everything was worth purchasing and/or storing underneath your TV.
When Laserdisc came out, it was back to pricey copies, ostensibly in exchange for improved quality. The price was the reason Laserdisc never took off and subsequently why DVDs were a revolution. They were cheap, small (compared to the LP-sized laserdisc) and a substantial tech upgrade from VHS. Netflix was revolutionary because you didn't have to get off your ass and go to Blockbuster, rather you could peruse and order from the privacy of your own home computer. They also offered a more comprehensive selection compared to the local video store.
But in the end, yes, it was streaming that killed physical media. I too had no idea the mail order service was still hanging on. I suppose it would be worthwhile for those odd rural places that still lack high speed internet.
As someone who does still have a DVD plan through Netflix, the reason I have it is that there are some movies that aren’t not available through streaming. Looks like I will be saving $5/month now…
Yes I don't know who the market was for discs by mail at the end. As you say, poor internet maybe, but even browsing the library to order would be a chore with a poor connection.
Maybe the people still paying for AOL? Who knows.
I do know someone who still has an aol email
Me, too. But paying for it? No. And, yet.. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/aol-1point5-million-people-still-pay-for-service-but-not-for-dial-up-internet.html