Not Dead Yet: How Some Video Stores Are Thriving | Hacker News Reader

Not Dead Yet: How Some Video Stores Are Thriving

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The Family Video chain hasn't slowed down adding stores.

Believe it or not, a lot of people don't have broadband, smart TV's, or the credit card required to sign up for streaming internet services.

Even with Hulu+ and Amazon Prime I will still rent new releases at either the store or RedBox.

For that matter, the streaming services don't really have a great selection of movies. And Netflix's DVD selection has been rapidly degrading, too. And even if you do have broadband, I've discovered since moving back to Chicago a few months ago that streaming during prime time can be rather. . . difficult. . . in certain markets.

Sometime in the past year I noticed that my local video store in my old neghborhood, while being slightly less convenient, was less expensive (for my level of media consumption) and offered a much better selection than Netflix or any other online streaming or rental service.

Family Video also reacted to the rise of online streaming in a interesting way: they started a FTTH ISP called ITV-3 in their home market.

We just saved my neighborhood's old video store, Video Fan, which is going to transition to becoming a non-profit. It's pretty exciting!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/videofanforever/video-f...

Here in Nashville, TN I'm amazed by how many people I see using RedBox kiosks/vending machines. http://www.redbox.com/ They're outside most grocery stores here and seem to be in constant use. Strikes me as a great middle ground between the "brick and mortar" video rental store, and "techy" online video rental options.

if you love straight to dvd sequels, redbox is the place for you!

Redbox is not that bad. Yes they have a lot of crap but their selection is growing (they even have games). There are some bigger budget movies that I wanted to see but didn't feel like paying full price when it was in theaters.

Or if your into B and C tier christian movies.

Who isn't, really?

or Netflix streaming.

Reminds me of I Luv Video when I lived in Austin, TX. That place was the ultimate hangout. All movies have little reviews written on the case by the staff. Some movies are organized by director. Free beer on Tuesdays. It mocked every Blockbuster and Hollywood Video that popped up and disappeared over the years.

To me, an outsider to the media industry, this seems very similar to what I perceive to be trends in the book industry:

http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/as-big-chains-fold-triangle...

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/04/6-nyc-independe...

Is boutique and indie the response to commoditization of popular and mainstream media? Reminds me of a passage in The Innovator's Dilemma where established steel companies progress from producing commoditized low-margin rebar to the greener pastures of niche and boutique sheet steel.

It certainly seems to be a response to the commoditization (wow had to look up the difference between that and commodification) of manufactured goods. As cheap plastic stuff made in China becomes the norm, producing something better almost requires going boutique & indie to pay for the work required.

This is an example of the phenomenon that once something is invented by people, it virtually never disappears completely.

Le Video in San Francisco was as good a candidate as any in the world for a saveable video store: they have a huge selection of movies curated by a profoundly knowledgeable staff who can talk cinema for days. They made heroic efforts to point out many worthy but obscure titles to the public. They've spent decades cultivating a loyal clientele. They're located on a main street with heavy foot traffic in a well-educated progressive-yuppie neighborhood with lots of disposable income. They braved the Netflix revolution by doubling down on all these things that made them unique. And yet none of it worked.

A few months ago, they barely escaped closure by merging their retail space with a bookstore. Most of the floorspace is now given over to books. The place is a shadow of its former self.

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Le-Video-survives-tha...

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