Okay, so the title was a little misleading, as I can’t say that I’ve completely written off buying DVDs just yet. However, I have set some stipulations that I may not have cared about in the past.
In the world of Netflix, Blockbuster Online and $4 rentals – cheap is king. I’m currently paying $18 a month to Blockbuster for 3 online rentals at a time, plus 5 in-store rentals, plus 2 other coupons that can be used for a movie or game. Considering that I sometimes go through 3 “mailing cycles” in a month, we’re talking about 15+ movies a month for that $18…or about $1.20/rental.
Now let’s compare that to the cost of buying a brand new movie. First, how many movies in your collection can you honestly say that you’ve watched multiple times? I know that probably half of my movies have been watched once and haven’t seen a DVD player since. The others have been seen 3-4 times at most. There are very few that I have even bothered watching the special features on. It’s kind of sad, really.
Assuming you bought the movie on the week it was released, you probably paid $15 or more. I personally would have to watch the movie 12 times just to get the same value out of it that I do from renting. With the quick turnarounds these days (and the in-store rentals), I can hardly justify buying anymore. Sure, it’s nice to have it on the shelf if you get spontaneous, but that rarely happens for me nowadays.
Secondly, the HD formats are already out and a new player will be on the horizon for many folks in the next 2-3 years. While upconverted DVDs don’t look bad, it’s hard to justify putting too much money into a format you may not be using in a few years. I have no doubt that DVD will be around for many years to come, but most geeks and home theater enthusiasts will have replaced their equipment long before it dies.
Like I mentioned, I don’t want to sound like I have completely written off buying DVDs, just that there are conditions now. If it’s a movie that I’m dying to see, but can’t find it to rent, I’ll drop the $15 – after all, it’s still cheaper than going to the theater. If I know that I’ll want to see the special features, or watch the movie multiple times, I’ll also buy. Finally – if I can find the movie for $5 in one of the bargain bins or pre-viewed movies at a rental store, I’ll sometimes buy.
This isn’t to say that my habits won’t change when one of the HD formats emerges, but I am happy with renting for now.
Why I’ve Stopped Buying DVDs
August 23, 2007Okay, so the title was a little misleading, as I can’t say that I’ve completely written off buying DVDs just yet. However, I have set some stipulations that I may not have cared about in the past.
In the world of Netflix, Blockbuster Online and $4 rentals – cheap is king. I’m currently paying $18 a month to Blockbuster for 3 online rentals at a time, plus 5 in-store rentals, plus 2 other coupons that can be used for a movie or game. Considering that I sometimes go through 3 “mailing cycles” in a month, we’re talking about 15+ movies a month for that $18…or about $1.20/rental.
Now let’s compare that to the cost of buying a brand new movie. First, how many movies in your collection can you honestly say that you’ve watched multiple times? I know that probably half of my movies have been watched once and haven’t seen a DVD player since. The others have been seen 3-4 times at most. There are very few that I have even bothered watching the special features on. It’s kind of sad, really.
Assuming you bought the movie on the week it was released, you probably paid $15 or more. I personally would have to watch the movie 12 times just to get the same value out of it that I do from renting. With the quick turnarounds these days (and the in-store rentals), I can hardly justify buying anymore. Sure, it’s nice to have it on the shelf if you get spontaneous, but that rarely happens for me nowadays.
Secondly, the HD formats are already out and a new player will be on the horizon for many folks in the next 2-3 years. While upconverted DVDs don’t look bad, it’s hard to justify putting too much money into a format you may not be using in a few years. I have no doubt that DVD will be around for many years to come, but most geeks and home theater enthusiasts will have replaced their equipment long before it dies.
Like I mentioned, I don’t want to sound like I have completely written off buying DVDs, just that there are conditions now. If it’s a movie that I’m dying to see, but can’t find it to rent, I’ll drop the $15 – after all, it’s still cheaper than going to the theater. If I know that I’ll want to see the special features, or watch the movie multiple times, I’ll also buy. Finally – if I can find the movie for $5 in one of the bargain bins or pre-viewed movies at a rental store, I’ll sometimes buy.
This isn’t to say that my habits won’t change when one of the HD formats emerges, but I am happy with renting for now.
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