My Video Store is Gone, What Do I Do Now?

Originally posted on the Tree.com Arts Channel

So a couple of weeks ago I hopped in the car and drove over to the video store to rent a movie. I pulled up and there were three giant construction site dumpsters in front of the local video store, and workers were carrying out the racks that the DVDs had been on. The store was a shell. It was gone. I don’t know what happened, but I do know we had to find a new place to rent videos.

We’re already set up with Netflix via the Wii, and have our On-Demand selections. But, the reality of not being able to go to the video store really hit home with me. My first cool teenage job was working in a video store at the height of the VHS craze. This was the ea if the neighborhood Mom and Pop, video store. Then the big chain video stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video came along and killed a lot of the smaller stores.

Netflix has been around for a few years and is a fantastic model. You sign up for an account, and you can get a certain amount of DVDs for as long as you want. No late fees! This alone may have been the biggest death knell for Blockbuster! More recently, Netflix added streaming options. You can watch movies on your computer, mobile device or through your TV using your Wii, Playstation 2, XBOX 360 or computer. Netflix is trying to move away from the DVD via the mail model that made them famous, and trying to go more and more streaming.

Visiting Redbox is kind of like going to the video store if your video was a red phone booth. You can reserve a movie via the Redbox website, choose a location for pickup, and then rent your DVD from one of the handy kiosks. Basically swipe a credit card, and enter your email address and you can grab your movie and go! Redbox is going to offer streaming services starting some time in 2011

Cable providers supply many movie options, depending on the package you have. There’s always some movie on TV somewhere. Premium cable channels like HBO, Showtime, and Starz all offer on demand selections a well. Gone are the days when you’re stuck with whatever movie is being shown in a certain time slot on a premium channel. You can now go to the on-demand premium channel and choose from just about any of the films, special programs or series that are running on that channel that particular month.

Most cable providers now off their own on-demand programming options as well. Most of the major networks and cable stations offer popular programs on-demand soon after their premieres, most often for free. You’ll also find a variety of newly released films and other titles for a fee.

Click on over to TV.com to…well, watch TV online. Here you can watch popular TV series, talk with fans, and get news on your favorite shows. You can watch shows and videos for free, but if you register, you participate in a points system. Activity on the site gains you points, and the more points you have, the more recognition you get in the TV.com community.

Hulu offers some of the top TV shows, movies and videos. With Hulu Plus, you can stream the site content on your TV, mobile device, or computer. Mobile phone support is continuing to evolve, with the iphone fully integrated, and Droid compatibility coming soon.

iTunes offers streaming content as well, including the most current releases available. Apple TV is a related service that offers HD movies, Netflix integration, MLB and MBA games, as well as iPhone, iPad, and iPod integration.

So there are many options out there, once your local video store goes away. You just need to find an option that works for you. Consider how you want to view the content. If you only want to view content on your TV, look into Netflix, Redbox and your cable providers. If you’re a little more flexible or specifically want to see movies and TV shows on your computer or mobile device, again look at Netflix, but also don’t forget TV.com, Hulu, iTunes and even Apple TV.

I’ll be streaming, but still looking for a nice neighborhood video store.