I'll party the day Blockbuster crumbles to its knees

[ht_addict]

SOme maybe wondering why such a bold statement? Went into my local BB to rent a movie. Taking a tour around the store I noticed that most if not all the movies I wanted to rent were in FULL SCREEN. What the #$#@ is going through their heads at BB head office? Do they not understand that more and more people are moving into HT? Sure not everyone has a widescreen set, but alot of us do and we should be given the opportunity to watch the movie in OAR. So I figured I'd look at what they had forsale. I was interested in Lion King 1.5, knowing that FS had it for $23.99. Since I didn't want to drive to the mall to get it I figured if BB is close in price I'll pick it up. $29.99 was want they wanted. I almost passed out. The top brass at BB have got to get their heads out of their asses and smell the roses. Satellite, PPV, cheaper DVD's elsewhere, and not offering proper aspect ratio dvd's to all customers can only spell disaster down the road. Sorry I had to vent my anger.

ht_addict

[Lex]

Well, the full screen thing is the product of "Joe DVD". What do I mean by that? I mean the total stupid uneducated DVD watcher now. DVD is mainstream now, and what that means with that is, the people who bought the 49.00 VCRs for rental movies, are now buying DVD players for 49.00. They've got a 20-25" TV, and they see one widescreen movie on that little set and say, what is this! They don't care that they are missing part of the movie, even if someone told them they were. All they care about is seeing their piddly a$$ TV screen full. end of story.

BB is hurting. Why? Because those of us that always liked films and rented VHS, no longer rent VHS. Nor do we rent DVD as a whole. We buy our movies for the price of 3 rentals and we don't have to worry about it being out of stock. Movie stores used to have a monopoly. It was probably less than a 25% chance a film you rented at BB was ever mass produced for purchasing. Even if it was, it's 6 months to a year after it is introduced in the video stores. We are a world based on immediate gratification. We want it NOW. Thus, we paid BB 5 bucks to take it home and see it. So did many other poeple within that 6 month to year window. So, BB paid maybe 80 bucks for a VHS movie back then, but rented it 400 times at 5 bucks a pop, and made 2000.00 on a hot movie probably. Now, they are paying 15 bucks maybe, but only rented a DVD 100 times now. So, their 2K gross has been cut to 500. Now, this is all purely speculation. I don't know specific numbers. Those were just guesses. The point is, those other 300 poeple, now buy the movies they want. Thus BB is looking for any way they can to make a buck. If that means raping the public on movies for sale conveniently, so be it.

I may have missed something in the above, but I bet I didn't miss much.

Lex




Cable Guy DVD Collection

[Bam!]

Hi Lex! ol buddy ol pal (referring to a post I have in TTP...)

I was going to reply pretty much what you said...Joe six pack farmer basta** rules the earth and the poorsalami like us gets screwed. It is just the way it is. I remember when I use to choose my movie only if it was in DD or DTS! Now that is no longer an issue.

Imagine this guys..you are bothered by widescreen...in my area they sometimes have movies in FRENCH only! Beat that!

They should all be shot!


Anyway Salut la!

Oh and Lex make sure you read the following two posts in TTP after the one I am reffering to here..if that makes any sense!





Bam!

[Rock Dog]

Addict, I am 100% behind the thought the BB crumbles. I look forward to the day that I see "Out of Business" signs in the windows.

Pricing of new movies is not the only problem. Their rental prices were raised drastically a while back, and having 2 sons (13 and 10) their game rental prices are just nuts.

Then there's the fact that the staff (aside from the insincere greeting when I walk in the door) are rude, and for the most part slow and incompetent. On any given Friday or Saturday early evening, they allow 1 person at the register, with a line of 20 patrons waiting to check out. While 2 or 3 others stand behind another counter yapping or slowly checking in returned tapes. And this goes for the BB near my house as well as my friend’s, my mother's and (according to a couple of coworkers), their's as well

I only go there if I'm really desperate. The BB by me is within walking distance, but I'll get in the car and drive 2 miles, not so much to save money, but for the simple fact that I just won't do business with them anymore if I can help it.

Here's to BB going down the tubes





-Thomas-

The easiest way to find something lost around the house, is to buy a replacement.

Hey You! Make sure you stop by the HTguide Off-Topic section. It's FUN!!!

[Bam!]

I have replied this one but....

The main thing that bugs the living gageena`s outta me is this GUARANTEED or it is free....when they run out of the movie well they remove the sign. That REALLY pisses the living guacomole right outta me.

Anyway in all fairness they are the only video club to carry so many DVD`s because if not neither you nor I would be shopping there right?!!!!


Anyway Salut la!




Bam!

[George Bellefontaine]

Thank God I have a Movie Gallery in my town. They carry everything that's widescreen in widescreen. BB has lost most of my business because of this OAR thing. For awhile there they were carrying much everything in widescreen and things were looking up. But lately the studios have been releasing both WS and P&S titles and when this happens, look out. As Lex has already stated, they are thinking of good ol' Joe 6 Pack. Pretty damn shortsighted of them.




My Homepage!

[gd]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact that they carry movies that are edited for content, based on their objections to certain material (usually sexual)...not labeled as such... they actually arrange for the studios to create and deliver edited versions to their specifications... and many of their customers are unaware that these movies are tampered with, and are thereby paying for damaged goods.

This is far more appalling than the widescreen dilemma, as BB assumes the misguided role of secret moral arbitor.

Just make it your business to not patronize BB.

sentence removed by moderator.

[aud19]

I too am a card carrying BB crumbling to it's knees supporter. This is fueled by reasons everyone has mentioned, the catering to joe 6-pack instead of educating him and the edited content which offends me and should offend film makers even more. Also in my teens I worked at Rogers Video, a competitor to BB here in Canada. Though Rogers has or at least had it's own issues as a company, when I was employed there, we strived to give the best products to our customers and offer them the choice of which screen formats they'd prefer. I personally also made an effort to educate the customers and the rest of our staff on the bennefits of widescreen viewing. Combatting BB's practices backed up by there billions of dollars and huge conglomeration of companies behind them with a comparitively small Canadian company's resources was never fun either.

Jason




Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTguide

[Brandon B]

I think I heard the other day that viacom spun BB off as it's own company due to just the diminished revenue due to purchasing's popularity.

So this hoped for knee-bound crumbling may soon happen.

BB

[ht_addict]

Well I went one step further and fired of a letter to BB. DOn't expect much or any response. Here's how it went.

To whom it may concern,

Please pass this message on to those above, especially those who made the decision that lately the new releases should only be rented in Full Screen Format. In the next couple of months my membership comes up for renewal and I see no reason to renew it if you keep releasing movies in only one format. I have invested many thousands of dollars into a hometheater so I can experience the movie at home the way its intended. But why the hell would I want to watch a movie on my 16:9 RPTV in Full screen mode? Do you want me to burn in the picture? Should I zoom in so I lose even more of the picture just so I can fill in the screen? Want do you want me to do? Why can't you offer the movie in both Widescreen and Full screen formats? They are readily available. I'm no joe six pack with half a brain, that just bought a DVD player to use with my 27" TV. Though at one point I was watching Widescreen movies on at 27" then 32" TV. I understood the concept of Original Aspect Ratio. DO YOU?

On another note what is it with your HIGH PRICED DVD's forsale? Do you not have the buying power to offer them at a reasonable price. Take for example Lion King 1.5. My local BB sells it for $29.99, Jumbo Video $24.99 and FS/Best Buy $23.99. And this is not the only example. Most if not all your DVD's you sell new are $5 more than the competition. So even with the $1 off with the membership, its not worth it.

So to sum things up. Instead of renting a movie, instead of buying a movie from you, I ended up purchasing Lion King 1.5 from Jumbo video. And wouldn't you know they have the movies for rent in both formats.

ht_addict

[David Meek]

I'm so glad you are all re-inforcing my decision to wait-and-buy rather than rent DVDs. :yesnod:

One question though. If you want to rent, why not use Netflix? I'm not trolling here - I'm not a member, just curious.




David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

[Bam!]

ht_addict

I guess all I can say is

tell me if you get any response...personally I think they will wipe their kahooty with it :LOL:

Anyway nice try...I hope the reader is not Joe Six Pak cause they will look something like this :??




Bam!

[George Bellefontaine]

The last time I sent an e-mail to BB CA. their reply stated that when both widescreen and full screen formats are offered, they will make both available to their customers. However, such is not the case. I told them this and am still waiting for a reply.




My Homepage!

[Jason Brown]

Last time I spent money in Blockbuster was when Cape Fear was a new release. After returning the movie, I was hassled over the phone on several occasions by several employees to return it. Explaining that I already had was always met with comments like, "Will you check your collection to make sure it's not there?".

I've been hoping for their demise for over a decade.

[Lex]

actually, the last time I went there, I copped a deal for 30 movies in 30 days, or some such for like 20 bucks. that was sort of fun.

You know, I nor the management of this forum wish any business badluck. (disclaimer) But a big slowdown is just a sign of the times.

People are seeing value to owning large numbers of movies. I am amazed frequently by the number of DVD shoppers in my end of town. Traditionally, my end of town is the backwoods area where the people are somewhat behind. This is not the hot end of town where Best Buy is, and DVDs practicallly fly out the door. So, it is quite shocking. There was a period there, where I was a DVD guy, but hardly anybody else had went that way. Boy, those days are over!

It may come to the point, the only video stores left are a few mom and pop stores here and there, and those you find inside grocery stores or such, thus reducing the overhead.

Lex




Cable Guy DVD Collection

[spiffnme]

I'm a lucky guy, being in LA, I've got at least half a dozen video stores in my area to rent from. Why on Earth anyone goes to Blockbuster is beyond me. The only times I've been there in recent memory was with a friend. He rents everything from there. WHY??? Everytime I've been with him, they've not had what we wanted, and then we get to wait in line for a good 15 minutes. I'm not kidding. The line goes to the back of the store! There are SO many other places to go in the area, I just don't get it. This same friend of mine uses AOL as well, so there you go...I bet if you were to do a poll there would be a very obvious trend between AOL users, and BlockBuster renters.

I do all my renting from a store at the end of my street. They have a larger selection than BB, cost less, and there's never a line. I do tend to rent new releases that I'm not so sure about. I buy DVD's of films I've seen and am sure I love, and would watch again. Living in a big city sure has it's advantages...Best Buy is also only 5 minutes from me.




www.funnyfarmcomics.net
All Daredevil, All the Time!

[gd]

Netflix is a nifty option also, especially if you rent regularly...

http://www.netflix.com/LearnMore?etype=2

[aud19]

This same friend of mine uses AOL as well, so there you go...I bet if you were to do a poll there would be a very obvious trend between AOL users, and BlockBuster renters.

I'm sorry, I found this VERY funny...LMAO :rofl:

Jason




Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTguide

[Bam!]

I`m with aud19...
that was quite funny! :LOL:

How about a poll To all AOL users....Do you rent movies at BB?
I like the sound of that...

As I always say Joe Six Pak RULES THE EARTH!

Salut la !




Bam!

[aud19]

I bet a lot of them listen to those movies on those "cute little Bose systems" too...lol

Jason




Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTguide

[H.T.C]

The online rental stores is the best bet if you want to avoid not getting your movies in widescreen ? they most likley stock those.

There is a question mark after widescreen because most widescreen movies are flat not anamorphic as such.




Robert

[LEVESQUE]

I can't remember the last time I have been in a rental store...

BUT I'm so angry at my local Wal-mart for the same reason I had to vent in here! They just inform me they will now only sell full screen DVD's, and they will not keep any Widescreen anymore! I said WTF! So we are going backward in here! Will not sell it anymore. LOL.

They were the only one still selling (yes... still selling...) widesceen DVDs locally. So now I have to order any widescreen DVD I want by internet...

Behold! The power of Joe-6-pack! :evil:

[Bam!]

Alain!

Je le sais mon chum....Joe 6 Pack rules the earth!!! That`s it that`s all!




Bam!

[beyond 1000]

Post deleted by Owner due to personal attack.

[David Meek]

?????

[aud19]

Like, what he said....

????

Jason

[sbank]

Down with Blockbuster

To continue on with this thread,

Just last week, my G.F. went to BB to rent a movie. She knows to rent widescreen (because that is what we both prefer), so she saw the movie she wanted to rent (Gothica I think was the movie). And the clerk behind the counter kept trying to rent her the full screen version saying that it was better, etc.

She was at the counter almost arguing with the clerk for a good 15 minutes. If I was with her, I would have just left and took my business elsewhere.

I think the last 3 or 4 times she was at BB, she had some sort of (different) problem.

Oh yeah, and she doesn't use AOL (grin), BB is just very convenient to where we live (walking distance).

[aud19]

Just so long as you don't have one of those Bose systems sbank :B :rofl:

Jason

[Charl]

You've gotta be kidding me!!!! Here in South Africa we also have Blockbusters but surely they can't be the same crowd? Sounds like they have the same modus opreandi, which is rather uncanny.

Now get this - although widescreen TV's aren't even available here yet (except plasmas) 99% of BB movies are all widescreen version!

Blockbusters insist on offering ws versions only, so we have all become used to watching movies in 1/3rd size, with lovely black bands top and bottom.

Up to a few months ago we were being ripped off with cheap 2 channel copies of latest dvd's! SK, the local movie importer and distributor, was buying / renting the rights to release the movies in SA, then making these ripoff copies and distributing to the likes of BB.
This caused huge waves all the way from the HT enthusiasts to the suppliers of HT equipment and all the way through the entire industry, eventually making headline news!

Yes, that's right folks, we're all the butt of some evil BB joke.
Someone's gotta be yanking our collective chains here, like someone's watching us and howling with laughter. All's been revealed now, down with BB!

[John Holmes]

You've gotta be kidding me!!!! Here in South Africa we also have Blockbusters but surely they can't be the same crowd? Sounds like they have the same modus opreandi, which is rather uncanny.

Now get this - although widescreen TV's aren't even available here yet (except plasmas) 99% of BB movies are all widescreen version!

Blockbusters insist on offering ws versions only, so we have all become used to watching movies in 1/3rd size, with lovely black bands top and bottom.

Up to a few months ago we were being ripped off with cheap 2 channel copies of latest dvd's! SK, the local movie importer and distributor, was buying / renting the rights to release the movies in SA, then making these ripoff copies and distributing to the likes of BB.
This caused huge waves all the way from the HT enthusiasts to the suppliers of HT equipment and all the way through the entire industry, eventually making headline news!

Yes, that's right folks, we're all the butt of some evil BB joke.
Someone's gotta be yanking our collective chains here, like someone's watching us and howling with laughter. All's been revealed now, down with BB!

Wow! This is a scary post. How in the world, does any one person/company, get so much power that they can, manipulate an entire industry in a counrty?! Especially, the movie industry! We live in a sick world! :P :bash: :nutkick: :frypan: :B

[aud19]

That is frieghtening :E

Jason

[JonMarsh]

There's a very easy way to send the right message to BB, the only way the corporate types will understand.

I cut up my BB cards (several local stores) four years ago, haven't rented from them since.

That's called setting boundaries on what you'll tolerate.

~Jon

[beyond 1000]

What did I say that was so personal?

If it was about a comment gd made, his anti religious comments don't belong in an open forum either.

So much for a forum.

And you guys are afraid of BB for censorship.

What a laugh. :lol:

[David Meek]

Crickets. Yep, I hear crickets. . . . :W

[Lex]

Beyond 1000, It doesn't matter to me if you agree with my judgements. As owner of this forum, you are my guest here. It's not really a public domain place. The federal government of no country pays for this space to make it public domain. You have no God given rights here to down, poke, push, or otherwise say mean or crude things, no more than anyone else does. If you don't agree with something strongly, then you have the right to:

1. Email me or another modertor about it. If we see fit, we will take action.
2. Take the high road and avoid commenting and leave it alone.

But you do not attempt to take matters into your own hand and become judge and jury. Sorry, it don't work that way here!

Finally, actually, I hadn't read that sentence that I believe you objected to, and frankly, I didn't agree with it either as belonging on this board once I saw it. This board neither expresses or favors views toward or against religion as a general rule, and in fact we ask that Politics, religion, and all demonic things be left at the doorstep when you enter HTGuide. I've in fact asked a few members to take on new names that could be construed as expressing an interest one way or the other for or against religion.

Now, your say on this matter has been said, kindly leave this thread behind, and this forum too if you choose to do so. But your welcome to stay and become a good member without a chip on their shoulder about religion, politics, or this board's rules, regulations, and procedures. If you can do that, the forum will embrace you as one of it's own. It's really your choice. But if you continue in the way you have here, your fate has already been determined.

Lex
Owner
HTG

[DennisR]

Now, back to our story...

I purchased my first DVD player in early '98 during one of the post-Christmas sales ("I picked up a DVD player for UNDER $600!!!") No one in this area rented DVDs so I had to purchase everything. A thread in a different HT-related forum stated that BB was considering introducing DVD rentals and encouraged people to call or write their local BB store and inquire about the availability of DVDs. I did so and received a terse reply not only from the pimple-faced teen behind the counter but from his manager as well. I don't recall the exact words of the manager but it was basically "We will NOT be renting DVDs at this store. There is not enough demand and the discs are to easily damaged. Its not MY fault that you bought into the next LASER DISC technology." I have not stepped foot inside that store, nor any BB, in nearly five years.

Within 3 months of that discussion the Hollywood video just down the street began renting DVDs. What began as a meager selection of 60-80 new and old releases quickly grew. My wife and I both laugh thinking back a few years when we could walk into the store and within 10-15 seconds see if anything new had been added!

[H.T.C]

It seems the corporation (blockbusters did no what dvd tech really was) and yes tape was still being rented more since compact laser disc was new on the market and most still had video tape.

Oh,and it does take time for a new format to become popular.

As far as renting tape before i had dvd i stopped going to video stores and rented by the mail for uncut horror films,many which are just appearing on dvd now or were released cut on video.

I think the mail order company is called videowasteland.com,they also hold or did horror conventions. They have rented by mail since early 90s.

[Alan A]

In the UK, I have to say BB do in the majority of cases have Widescreen as the standard format. But there is a high take up of WS TV's over here.
However, we pay a lot more for DVD's so rental is still a big market. Many people have found the internet and are buying form the USA, both DVD's and CD's however the UK version of the RIAA is clamping down on music cd's/videos and a couple of popular sites have had to stop selling music from the USA/Canada, frustrating for us who want to buy SACD/DVD-A!
BB have a virtual monopoly in renting terms.

[Brandon B]

In the spirit of this thread, hope this effort fails. Looks as though it will, since they aren't leveragin any advantages, like allowing returns at the stores or something.

BB

[NMyTree]

Wow, I'm amazed at all the similar experiences, so many have had at Blockbuster. Many, are exactly the same as mine.

Although, they haven't gotten my business in years, and will never again.

I have to ask the question.

Does Blockbuster implant some kind of Behavioral Modification Chip, in their employees heads? A chip with the option to set the algorithms to "Dumb"......"Dumber"......."Braindead".......a nd " Can't Out-Think A Brick" ?

I mean, it seems all these employees have the same behavior.

Sad.

Anyway, they'll never ...ever get my business. So screw them!

[JOY DIVISION]

Well I think Blockbuster now has FS/WS DVD being added to their WS only rentals. They're probably been listening to renters complaints why is it on WS format.Little by little they are adding up the titles, I rented "Johnsons Family VAcation and Taking Life" and they were both on FS/WS format and I was surprised to see it that way. And they have this deal for a month you pay $15.00 for unlimited rentals, no late fees, you could exchange 2 movies at a time after watching you could return it and get 2 more over and over again, it's like having your own library, but in this case you could increase your stash of movies being copied, just an idea. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: