Blockbuster must be hurting...

[Guest LeoWalker]

Back in October while I was in Denver I rented a couple movies and then left them at my friend's for him to watch (the one I didn't want to see) and then return them. He didn't...and I got a phone call saying they were late...so told him and he returned the movies.

 

Now, I got a notice in the mail from some company...appearing to be a collections notice...trying to get their $20 in late fees.

 

Honestly, I really don't know why it's $20 in late fees to begin with.

[+ Lucky]

Leo, what do you suggest Blockbuster do to get people to return the DVDs on time? When they are not, the company loses revenue, plus the cost of the DVD.

[Guest LeoWalker]

Leo, what do you suggest Blockbuster do to get people to return the DVDs on time? When they are not, the company loses revenue, plus the cost of the DVD.

 

I agree with late fees. The $20 may not have been inappropriate...as it seemed to take my friend too long to return the videos. But, I think I got the phone call the day they were late...so I don't really remember the complete length of time. Just, $20 late fee on a $10 weekly rental seemed a bit much. In perspective, I fully agree with zipcar's $50 late fee...but they generally give you a 10-15 minute late window, it seems (the fee would only be imposed if someone else had the car rented).

 

The major issue I was focusing on about blockbuster: that they sent $20 to collections...or posted it in a way to make it seem that way. I've paid the fees already. Just surprised. It's an aggressively new tactic...in the past, you'd get the fee when going to rent from the same location...they weren't network recognized.

[josephga]

the blockbusters in Atlanta had members credit cards on file if a dvd wasn't returned in 1 week the price of the dvd would be charged to your card..

[+ deej]

The major issue I was focusing on about blockbuster: that they sent $20 to collections...or posted it in a way to make it seem that way. I've paid the fees already. Just surprised. It's an aggressively new tactic...in the past, you'd get the fee when going to rent from the same location...they weren't network recognized.

 

Collections of any form are labor-intensive so a lot of companies (and more every day) are outsourcing to specialists who are set up to do just that and only that.

 

But to the subject of this thread, I'd imagine Blockbuster IS hurting. They're stuck with a chain of brick-and-mortar stores that (f'rinstance) Netflix doesn't have. Netflix probably has a smaller inventory cost because they don't need to stock every movie at every store.

 

I can get movies online from both Netflix and Blockbuster using my blu-ray player but I already had a Netflix account so you know which one I actually use.

 

That chain of retail stores is a real millstone around their necks when the whole business is rapidly moving online.

[Kevin Slater]

It's an interesting industry. Redbox is also taking market share with their unstaffed kiosks. But if Netflix is second generation, G3 isn't far away: why are we sending data (that's all a movie is) physically through snail mail? It's not yet clear who will win the war once movie downloading becomes the norm.

 

Kevin Slater

[GoodFella69]

Bye, Bye Blockbuster...

 

You are right, Leo: Blockbuster is hurting big time.

The local Blockbuster in my North Chicago neighborhood is liquidating and closing its doors for good in a few days. A friend of mine in Dallas says the local Blockbuster in Oak Lawn (Big D's gayborhood) is closing its doors permanently in a few weeks, too.

[+ deej]

It's an interesting industry. Redbox is also taking market share with their unstaffed kiosks. But if Netflix is second generation, G3 isn't far away: why are we sending data (that's all a movie is) physically through snail mail? It's not yet clear who will win the war once movie downloading becomes the norm.

 

Kevin Slater

 

Redbox has been in the local news a lot recently. Studios are whining that it's cutting into profits so much they'll have to start cutting productions. (Not good news in the LA area, for sure!) The entire story sounded like a big, collective "waaaaah" from the studios to me. They're just pissed they didn't think of it first.

 

But yes, Hollywood is facing the same "new media" threat that's taking down newspapers and other print publications. "Same old" won't last for very long.

[+ g56whiz]

But yes, Hollywood is facing the same "new media" threat that's taking down newspapers and other print publications. "Same old" won't last for very long.

 

Newspapers, the print media AND the music industry. I took a bus today up Broadway in New York pass Lincoln Center and the hugh space once occupied by Tower Records is now a furniture store.

 

And Kevin, Netflix still uses snail mail because not everyone has sophisticated cable access to the internet. Remember the spike in internet shopping on the Monday after Black Friday when everyone goes back to work and logs on?

[NYTomcat]

I still agree outsourcing or internal $20 in collection which they are sending letters to collect is odd and not cost effective. We all know they aren't going to bring action for it so a number of these wont pay. It would seem wiser to just collect the fees at the next time the person uses the account. or perhaps an email notice. But snail mail and telephone collections is odd and I doubt fiscally appropriate for these small amounts

[+ deej]

I still agree outsourcing or internal $20 in collection which they are sending letters to collect is odd and not cost effective. We all know they aren't going to bring action for it so a number of these wont pay. It would seem wiser to just collect the fees at the next time the person uses the account. or perhaps an email notice. But snail mail and telephone collections is odd and I doubt fiscally appropriate for these small amounts

 

You're assuming the business will be around for the "next visit".

 

On small amounts like this, collections are really effective. The debt is usually paid on first contact. Just the ticket to clear up outstanding debt if you're folding the tent.

[NYTomcat]

You're assuming the business will be around for the "next visit".

 

On small amounts like this, collections are really effective. The debt is usually paid on first contact. Just the ticket to clear up outstanding debt if you're folding the tent.

 

TRUE, which just supports the time to fold the tent idea

[JoshAB]

Doh!

 

It's not yet clear who will win the war once movie downloading becomes the norm. Kevin Slater

 

Probably about 5-7 years ago there was an episode of "The Simpsons" where Homer is walking through the city dump. He first passes a pile of tapes marked "BETAMAX", then a pile of tapes marked "VHS", then an empty space with the sign "RESERVED FOR DVDs".

 

In the grand scheme of the viability of these businesses, it doesn't really matter how much they are hurting, and what they do about it in the short term - DVDs will be gone in most of our lifetimes.

J.

[+ g56whiz]

In the grand scheme of the viability of these businesses, it doesn't really matter how much there are hurting, and what they do about it in the short term - DVDs will be gone in most of our lifetimes.

 

As the less than proud owner of a library of Laserdisks, I wince at the truth of this observation.

 

If anyone knows who can or how to replicate a laserdisk to DVD please contact me. Most of my collection is available on DVD - for a price, but there is one rare Weavers laserdisk, I cannot find in any other format and dearly want to preserve it. Thanks

[+ honcho]

As the less than proud owner of a library of Laserdisks, I wince at the truth of this observation.

 

If anyone knows who can or how to replicate a laserdisk to DVD please contact me. Most of my collection is available on DVD - for a price, but there is one rare Weavers laserdisk, I cannot find in any other format and dearly want to preserve it. Thanks

 

Laser Disc encodes analog signal, so you have to actually play them and then digitize the output.

 

[and I am *proud* laser disc owner, it is/was a very high quality medium and really excellent for its time. The picture it produces is on par with a lot of DVD's - you'd have to have a really large TV set and sharp eyes to notice the difference]

 

You might have a standalone DVD-Record that accepts a composite or S-Video signal.

 

Some mini-DV camcorders (like the sony VX-2100, or panasonic PV-GS250) have a pass-through mode that would either let you use them to record from another VCR, LaserDisc Player, and send the output to tape or even just out the firewire

connection, where you could directly capture it in iMovie on a mac, for example.

 

Adolf Gasser,s is a professional audio-video supply house in San Francisco that rents equipment to local movie shoots, etc., and rents out the VX-2100. It's likely that you could find an equivalent buisiness in any major metro area if you don't have a friend with a

camcorder like that.

[Lookin]

If anyone knows who can or how to replicate a laserdisk to DVD please contact me. Most of my collection is available on DVD - for a price, but there is one rare Weavers laserdisk, I cannot find in any other format and dearly want to preserve it. Thanks

 

If you don't feel like doing the conversion yourself, there are folks who will do it for you. Here's one:

 

http://t2dvd.com/dvd_from_ld.htm

 

And if you don't trust the mails, there are probably some where you live. Just Google 'laserdisc dvd conversion services', and your city.

 

Good luck!

[BewareofNick]

Most of our local Publix stores have installed Blockbuster kiosks inside their stores. We have two brick and mortar stores within 2 miles and odds are one will be closing here very shortly much like a lot of others here in the ATL.