JumpStart by Robb Armstrong for January 21, 2024

Can remember waiting in the evening on new release day to see if anyone dropped off the new movies from earlier in the day .

…video stores were a great thing. Then the Covid Overreaction finally killed them. Family Video: Gone But Not Forgotten, Last Survivor of the Chain Video Stores.

But they could also Netflix and Chill

There is one Blockbuster left. It’s in Oregon. I assume they rent DVDs nowadays.

Netflix started as a mail order DVD rental service.

Videodrome with Debbi Harry and James Woods is a movie that demands to be watched on a VCR

https://Youtu.be/v8BUXKcp8zE

The house I’m renting still has a VCR player – and a few tapes!

In addition to cars, I wonder if Charlene is skilled in fixing VCR’s…because I don’t see those things last 30-40 years…

I actually think that their idea IS rather romantic myself. Great job Clarence & Charlene!!!!

Always preserve VHS tapes and DVDs. You never know when a streaming service might remove your favorite show or never add it at all.

(almost)priceless!

I think there’s one Blockbuster still in business somewhere out West.

there IS one last Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon; but I have no idea if they still use gift cards

I’ve heard about the underwound economy.

Be Kind. Rewind.

The cards should still be good at the last remaining Blockbuster store in Bend, OR

BENDblockbuster.COM/ABOUT/

LOL it’s a win-win.

I believe that there is a Blockbuster open in Bend, Oregon

How cool is that!!! Great wedding gift!!! Hopefully there are movies that they have never seen!!

Anyone remember when they tried to make laser discs popular? But they never caught on. Too big and cumbersome.

Way to cash in on nostalgia and get rid of old tech.

Last time I’ve in a Blockbuster (probably 12 years ago) they only had DVD.

This is really cute! I love this!!!

I saw a report that VHS is actually making something of a comeback, although unlike vinyl albums, VHS has absolutely no advantage over DVDs or digitial formats. It’s primarily a nostalgia thing I think.

When husband and I got engaged in the late 1970s he insisted on and bought me a ring (which I really thought a waste of money – it was an antique dinner ring not a solitaire as a settlement of the question – and I knew, it sits in our safe deposit box very rarely worn).

But I insisted on buying him an engagement gift also which I knew would have use much longer the ring – the latest thing – a Beta video recorder. We built up a library of movies on Beta tapes – still have a later Beta recorder (original one eventually died) and the tapes.

When Beta started to die out, he bought a VHS recorder also and we acquired a library of movies on VHS – some are overlaps between the two. Eventually we had a VHS recorder for each of our TVs.

Then it became hard to get tapes due to DVDs. So we also have a DVD player for each TV and an even bigger library of movies on DVD. And, yes, there are favorite movies which we have on all 3 media.

He built a piece for our 18th centuryish decorated living room which looks like what now would be called a hope chest, but instead of the top lifting up, the front pulls down and it has 3 drawers in it for DVD storage. This is a huge piece and easily holds 60+ DVDs in each drawer. Overrun of DVDs are in another piece of furniture also in the living room, another piece in our bedroom and some in our basement.

We are not getting rid of them and we buy more of them. While movies are available online and cable – we can see the movie we want when we want to see it no matter if it is carried by or is available at that point in time by the various services.