I just realized I refuse to rent digital entertainment.

[-]

hammerpocket@reddit

Not only do I occasionally rent digital movies, I do this thing where I drive to a business -- sometimes several miles from home -- and pay them to let me sit in a room with strangers and watch a movie projected on a big screen. It costs way more than a digital rental even though I'm not in the comfort of my home, can't pause the movie for a bathroom break or rewind if I missed something, and only have access to a limited selection of exorbitantly priced snacks. Plus I have to pay to watch the movie again, even if it's within 48 hours. But that's what I've been doing my whole life, because I'm a GenXer.

[-]

ContentSeat@reddit

We should unite and delete every single app and streaming service for 6 weeks and take back our consumer power.

These streaming services are crushing us.

If everyone hit the reset button for 6 weeks they would crumble.

[-]

hammerpocket@reddit

To what end?

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Narrow-Research-5730@reddit

I wouldn't even know where to rent one. I haven't seen a redbox in years.

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OkElephant1931@reddit

Libraries have DVDs and Blu-ray Discs.

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limited_instincts@reddit

I've been sailing the high seas since the beginning. Only service I pay for is my VPN at $40 a year.

[-]

supenguin@reddit

What I've started doing: if there's a movie that I want to watch and I'm pretty sure I'll be watching it more than once, I just go on Amazon and buy the DVD.

My kids are teenagers and getting into 80's and 90's movies which is pretty much letting me relive my childhood and teen years. Many of these movies are either available used or new for low prices in the $8-$15 price range and some of them are available as sets for $20 or less if they are trilogies or movies that had sequels.

If there's something I really want to watch and I can't find it on DVD, I'll often rent if I don't think I'll be watching it more than once. As someone else said in the comments, the $4 to rent a digital movie is about what you'd pay to rent from Blockbuster. And you don't have to worry about going out to get it or returns.

On the subject of RedBox: I remember seeing them during COVID and thought it was weird that Walmart got them to change the RedBox box to be blue. It reminds me of the movie Liar Liar... And now there are no RedBox anywhere and I'm not sure when but they just kind of disappeared.

[-]

TXtogo@reddit

I sometimes will buy a streaming movie. Same same imho.

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Ok-Rock2345@reddit

Except buying a streaming movie is not actually buying it. If the streaming service removes the movie you are left with nothing.

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TXtogo@reddit

Sure, but I rented movies at blockbuster and didn’t keep them. To me it’s pretty similar

[-]

Ok-Rock2345@reddit

Right but if I bought a second hand tape or DVD from Blockbuster I would still be able to view it, even of they are dead and gone. Buying a steaming movie is just long term rental.

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StOnEy333@reddit

Seems like a silly thing to care that much about. If you want to watch the movie, rent it. If you want to buy it, buy it. If it disappears later, oh well. Who cares? I’ve wasted a lot of money on stuff a lot more ridiculous than that.

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Ok-Rock2345@reddit

And that exactly the kind of attitude that most companies bank on nowadays. You own nothing and are happy. I guess I'm d fashioned in that if I say I bought something, it's mine into perpetuity. If that's not the case then I rented it. To me it's more than just semantics.

[-]

StOnEy333@reddit

You’re completely harshing our Melli and sound like a boomer, frankly. You aren’t crashing our Gen-X party, are you?

[-]

TXtogo@reddit

I’m older than you, but you’re the outlier :) the difference between 80’s kids and 90’s kids.. it is more different than you’d think.. yall did grunge, we did new wave.

[-]

StOnEy333@reddit

I get it now. Just like the older Millennials are called Xennials because they relate to Gen-X more. You like the older Xer but you relate to boomers more. You’re a Xoomer. And all of what you say and how you say it makes sense now. Thank you.

[-]

GenX-ModTeam@reddit

Poor Behavior - No antagonism, trolling, rage farming, flame wars, juvenility, or any other overly cantankerous commentary and/or behavior will be tolerated.

[-]

StOnEy333@reddit

I feel like everything that you listed is the embodiment of being Gen-X. How dare you, sir. How dare you.

[-]

Ok-Rock2345@reddit

And you like a millennial. No, not a boomer but part of the older GenX who were way more cynical, suspicious and anti establishment then most who came later.

[-]

TXtogo@reddit

Yeah I don’t own a single video, cd, cassette.. I don’t even own a device that could play them. I stream music on Spotify and I stream movies on the smart tv.

[-]

TXtogo@reddit

I never bought a video, I think I bought some dinosaur shit from Walmart for my kid. I’d just rent a movie and pay a dollar because I wouldn’t rewind a damn thing.

[-]

shinynugget@reddit

I had a mental block at paying $4 to rent a digital movie. I was in IT for 17 years and I know that it costs pennies to stream a movie once the infrastructure is built.
But I did this math and got past it eventually. For a VHS/DVD/Blu-Ray I had to drive to the store. Hope they had it in stock. Drive it back home. Drive it back to the store. Drive back home. And if I didn't procrastinate returning it that's all fine but otherwise had to pay a late fee. All that and it still cost $3.25 to rent a movie at Blockbuster in the late 90's. So for $4 I get to watch a hi-def movie without leaving the couch.

[-]

Tough-Principle-3950@reddit

I still do some streaming video, but I’m trying to buy up my favorite stuff in physical format. Never even considered Spotify. Lots of cds to use.

[-]

StevenMcFlyJr1985@reddit

Last DVD I ever rented I can't even remember what it was. I think Saw 2 was my last VHS rental.

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Bitter_Advantage_383@reddit

100% agree. I have the exact same mindset.

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RedditSkippy@reddit

I resisted for a while, but then I asked myself: What was the difference between having access to a movie for 48 hours versus having access to a tape for 48 hours?

[-]

fcewen00@reddit

quietly pushes his plex server out of sight

[-]

Erok2112@reddit

Plex is too expensive now. Jellyfin + Tailscale for outside the home access - https://tailscale.com/

[-]

fcewen00@reddit

I bought a lifetime during black Friday a few years ago though I will look at tailscale.com

[-]

ACorania@reddit

My wife watches a lot more than I do but normally binging seasons and just on the weekends.

I should look how much our streaming services cost and compare to one month of just renting seasons of shows.

[-]

Glum_Season7904@reddit

You didn't hear this from me. Pirate Bay.

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dbrmn73@reddit

I won't rent or buy digital media.

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pixlfarmer@reddit

Go old school. Go to goodwill and buy a DVD for $2. They have a ton.

[-]

Aggravating-Try1222@reddit

Why? I won't rent when a movie first comes out because the price is usually outrageous, but after a few months, sometimes weeks, it's the same price as renting something at Blockbuster was.

[-]

Timely_Union_6682@reddit

I find that true as well...

But I'm a physical media chode.

[-]

PossibleDiscipline90@reddit

Pirates are a girl's best friend. I don't need diamonds lol

[-]

GenXPowaah@reddit

It truly is a stupid concept, Instead of owning the media, you're forced to rent it... Why I stick to torrents, if I can buy it outright at a decent price, there's always ways to get it

[-]

Honor_Imperious@reddit

I keep a collection of physical media. There is only one movie I own only in digital format, and that's only because the movie is so obscure that there were never any DVDs or Blue-rays made of it.

[-]

DangerBird-@reddit

What is the movie?

[-]

BrittaUnfiltered67@reddit

How did you reply to this question before the comment was posted? Something is very wrong with time. Nobody believes me, but I have been noticing this happening all about.

[-]

BrittaUnfiltered67@reddit

See, time is all out of sorts.

[-]

Quendor@reddit

Looks fine.

[-]

skoltroll@reddit

The bots fixed their convo to correlate to human time.

[-]

DangerBird-@reddit

u/Honor_Imperious and I are not bots. We’re on an advanced timeline that probably looks like it goes backwards to y’all.

Please don’t ask me for lotto numbers. It doesn’t work like that.

[-]

skoltroll@reddit

AI getting cocky on reddit. That's depressing.

[-]

DangerBird-@reddit

You should be more concerned than depressed. You have no idea whether are capable of.

[-]

skoltroll@reddit

You bots still need us to help with your grammar.

[-]

DangerBird-@reddit

Fixed. How many bots do you know that are too drunk to post correctly in the middle of the afternoon?

[-]

skoltroll@reddit

"Drunk"

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Honor_Imperious@reddit

LOL!

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Honor_Imperious@reddit

LOL! Who would bother putting a bot up to commenting on the fact that they prefer physical media? To what ends? I'm genuinely curious.

[-]

Honor_Imperious@reddit

Kung Fu Rascals with Les Claypool.

[-]

-Granby-@reddit

I don't know how I never heard of this movie. Now I must find it pronto.

[-]

Honor_Imperious@reddit

Enjoy!

[-]

abesapien2@reddit

If you use any streaming platform you still rent. You rent access to the catalogue.

[-]

SageObserver@reddit

I pay enough for subscription services. I won’t pay again to watch something. Fuck that.

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More_Law6245@reddit

And rightly so, because all your purchasing when buying a digital media copy is the right to watch it as the agreement clearly states that you don't actually own it and that comes with terms and conditions of how and where you watch it. As an example if you down load from a streaming service, the only way you a watch it is if you have an active account with the streaming company. To me that is hostage taking, if I buy something I own it.

I'm in the same boat, I refuse to own digital content because you don't actually own it.

[-]

Kristylane@reddit

They all come around sooner or later on some platform.

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cymonium@reddit

I won’t rent either. I have purchased loads of digital movies tho. Most were under $5 on a Prime sale. Precious few were retail price. Anything I purchased tho, was something I didn’t own on disc yet.

I read in comment somewhere (not this post) that we should untie as consumers and go back to renting discs until streaming is a reasonable price again.

I’d so be down for Blockbuster weekends again! I only went to streaming cause it was a cheaper alternative. It’s not so much anymore.

[-]

space_wiener@reddit

For those of you saying you refuse to rent digital, why? You aren’t owning it either way. There really isn’t a difference except renting digital is 10x easier.

Or do you just think because something is digital you shouldn’t have to pay for it?

[-]

billcarson53@reddit

Because I’m already paying a bajillion dollars to the streaming services, and I can wait until that ‘new release rental’ is included for free on one of them.

[-]

space_wiener@reddit

So in your case you fall into the “does not rent at all category”. Not the “I’ll only rent physical media” camp.

I’m with you if it’s the former. I can wait no problem. Plenty to watch otherwise

[-]

UrsaMajor7th@reddit

Nice to see someone else not use Spotify or Apple Music, etc.

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fenwyk@reddit

Same. I have a few subscription services like Netflix and Shudder, but I'm not paying money to rent or "purchase" (i.e. extended rental) a film online, ever. If I can't get it through physical media or through one of the streaming services I have, I'll just find an alternative method.

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KlausVonMaunder@reddit

lookmovie2DOTla/ Aarrrgh!

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Jolee5@reddit

Just wait a year or two. Buy a hardcopy when the price drops.

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Angry_GorillaBS@reddit

I won't "rent" it either. If I don't want to wait until it's streaming for free, it's out there for download...

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human-aftera11@reddit

Stremio.

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Van1sthand@reddit

Sometimes I wonder if the physical DVDs will come back like vinyl did. I’d be so happy to open a little dvd rental store.

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LeatherRebel5150@reddit

I don’t rent at all. I just grab dvds when I find them at thrift stores. They’re usually $1 each. Why rent for multiple dollars when one dollars lets you own forever

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Van1sthand@reddit

I guess because you can’t always find what you want?

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Majestic-Selection22@reddit

But if you try sometime, you’ll get what you need.

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Van1sthand@reddit

Oh I can get it, I can’t always find it. :)

[-]

LeatherRebel5150@reddit

Then you stumble across something else. Not getting what you want when you want isn’t the terrible thing people make it out to be

[-]

Van1sthand@reddit

Oh, thanks. I really needed this. How could I go on living my life without you to sort me out? Good thing you came along to poop on my parade and make sure that I know that this silly little happy thought that I had was foolish and wrong. Please find other comments and make sure no one feels good today or has any joyful musings. And make sure to follow up with me as well. I’ll need more information for sure.

[-]

Majestic-Selection22@reddit

My library has dvds.

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Van1sthand@reddit

Yup

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LodgeKeyser@reddit

So you don’t pay for any streaming services at all? I’d consider that renting if there was. I mean there’s free TV and audio streaming options.

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Deep_Information_616@reddit

Good point….~

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Winter-eyed@reddit

It pisses me off that you can’t buy dvds or game disks in many cases. You buy a digital copy that they can lock you out of whenever they choose.

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WaterwingsDavid@reddit

I 100% agree with this sentiment. If i want to watch some of my favorite old TV shows, I will buy a DVD set. I dont want to pay a subscription for something that isn't a physical copy that I possess.

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AuraCrash78@reddit

So you never used redbox or even your local video store?

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WaterwingsDavid@reddit

Ive never used red box. And as far as local video stores, we haven't had a blockbuster in ages. I had friends that would rent from them back in the day.

[-]

napalmthechild@reddit

For people who like to watch indie movies and directorial debuts - you should absolutely rent if you like the project and want to support the studio. If not then we'll just keep getting Marvel and Transformer slop from Disney and Paramount

[-]

pacmanforever@reddit

With providers pulling rights to digital ownership I hardly see the difference these days between rental and ownership aside from just hoping they don’t ever screw us over.

The reality is they always put in the fine print that they have every right to remove your movies because you’re just licensing the rights you never actually own anything. This is why I built a physical collection of my favorites, the bastards can’t take those.

[-]

asyouwish@reddit

So you aren't seeing any new movies? Or hearing new music that isn't just radio pop?

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Rags_McKay@reddit

For me, there aren't many new movies worth watching anymore. Never have been into comics. And there aren't any radio stations around that play the music I listen to, so Pandora it is. Last music I purchased was a CD from a traveling musician at his show. I would rather have a physical copy than rights to something that can suddenly disappear.

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asyouwish@reddit

Pandora is renting. Paid streaming is renting. You still never own them.

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Rags_McKay@reddit

I don't subscribe to pandora, so it is more like listening to the local radio with adds. But it at least plays the style of music I like to listen to. And I can create and manage the radio stations to specific things, so better than local radio.

[-]

wjrj@reddit

Your local library will have movies and music.

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joshualeeclark@reddit

Yarr…there are fairer seas where you can…”own” digital copies to yer own network hard drive…as long as yer network’s sails are full of winds, you can stream to damn near any device in your home.

If you believe such tall tales…

[-]

Not_High_Maintenance@reddit

Is there a subreddit in which I can learn to sail as well?

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Komaisnotsalty@reddit

It's legal in my country to sail the seas and perhaps find a specimen or two to watch so long as I don't hand that specimen to anyone else or charge admission to see such wonders.

[-]

Open_Appointment1091@reddit

gif

[-]

Jimmy-the-Knuckle@reddit

Then you’re missing out. I don’t either, unless it’s only available through rental. I pay for streaming and buy movie licenses if it’s a real banger.

[-]

Brock_Savage@reddit

That's a weird line in the sand but okay.

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tvieno@reddit

I'll rent a movie only if I know I am going to immediately watch and finish it. (Usually you are given 48 hrs once you start watching it). I have no problem doing this, it is not different than old school renting a video.

[-]

masterdesignstate@reddit

I agree with both sides ofthis thought. It's really no different than renting a physical copy, but at the same time it feels insane to pay money to access a digital file for 48 hours. In the end, for me, the latter has won out and I've taken to always purchasing the content because it feels better. I really need to scrub the deck and raise the sails though.

[-]

curious-thatguy@reddit

That ship sailed.. fact It’s all streaming now. So….. yep

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Yuck_Few@reddit

K

[-]

Dikbuttstuff69@reddit

What's the difference between renting a digital version and a physical one?

Besides burning expensive gas to go get the physical copy.

If this was about ownership I might agree but otherwise seems like a silly restriction that you've placed on yourself.

[-]

basura_trash@reddit

Renting digital anything is just like paying for porn. Uhm... So I've heard.

[-]

Secret_Computer4891@reddit

I felt that way for a while, but then got over it. I realize I could pay $4 to watch a movie without leaving my house and impulse buying $15 in snacks to go with it.

[-]

Grafakos@reddit

And not have to deal with movie theater audiences. They were already terrible when I last went to a theater 10+ years ago, can't imagine what it's like now.

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dragoneer27@reddit

I’ll rent digital movies occasionally. It’s cheaper than going to a theater or subscribing to another streaming platform. But only for a specific movie that my kids want to watch. I definitely won’t buy a digital copy though. I rarely watch a movie twice.

[-]

Grafakos@reddit

Same. If there's some specific movie I feel like watching and it's not available for streaming on a service I already pay for, I'll give Amazon the four bucks or whatever to "rent" it for a day. But for the most part, I seldom watch movies anymore.

[-]

Grafakos@reddit

Most public libraries still have DVDs and Blu-Rays, if you really want to rent physical media. (For free, even.)

[-]

BathtubPooper@reddit

Visit your local library. Many have DVDs available to checkout and some offer free streaming options.

[-]

denvergardener@reddit

I also refuse to "rent" a digital copy. It's just dumb. If it's something I want to see badly enough I'll buy it. Otherwise I'll just wait until it's on cable.

[-]

MrRetrdO@reddit

If the movie is streaming "Free", even with ads, I'll watch.

If the movie requires "Renting", I'll wait months to see if it becomes "Free". If not, no loss.

I've rented digital movies twice over the years. The last one was Sucker Punch, which I tried out renting on an Xbox360.

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Aggressive_Jury_2667@reddit

I’ll rent if I don’t want to go to the theater. I also beats adding more stuff when you buy.

Honestly how much different is it really from renting VHS back in the day besides way more convenient???

[-]

kermitsfrogbog@reddit

I do it rarely and only if I really want to see a very specific movie and it’s not available any other way. It’s still cheaper than the theater and I frame it in my mind as no different than blockbuster. And we were ok with that.

[-]

FiddleStrum@reddit

I didn't even realize renting was still an option. Does anyone still rent?

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TemperReformanda@reddit

Doesn't bother me. It's still under $5 usually for the stuff I would rent, and I don't have to waste gas in the traffic to go rent it. Traffic now is so much worse than it was in the 80s and 90s.

I "rent" maybe 8 movies per year, it's definitely not even once a month.

[-]

notjawn@reddit

For what it's worth: I've been buying DVD's like crazy now because of one too many times a streaming service or my internet is down.

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mdervin@reddit

I don't really get it, like when we went to blockbuster/redbox/hollywood video/etc... we had to go to a physical store, constrained by what they bought and what was available, pay $2-5 to rent it for a day or two and then make a trip back to the store to drop it off. If you told past you that pretty much the entire world's movie catalog was available at the touch of a button for the same price you'd be gobsmacked.

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YourGuyK@reddit

The fawning nostalgia for Blockbuster is weird to me. If you'd told me in 1998 that I'd be able to rent movies direct from my TV, with a selection of nearly every movie ever made rather than a big wall of 100 copies of "There's Something About Mary," I'd have thought it was a dream.

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TheSwedishEagle@reddit

Me neither. If I stream it has to be for free.

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YourGuyK@reddit

It was incredibly rare for me to rent digitally. The worst was when I'd shell out $5 and the movie was on a streamer I was already paying for a week later.

Now I do a google survey thing and end up with a bunch of digital credits, so I have no problem spending the free money if a movie I really want to watch isn't streaming free for me.

[-]

Green-Minimum-2401@reddit

I've returned to buying physical copies -dvds and blue-rays, mostly 2nd hand. A few dollars and the movie is mine forever. Also just canceled Netflix bc there really isn't anything I want to watch on it anymore.

[-]

Ok-Macaroon-7819@reddit

I don't either. Video rental used to be an experience, and it supported a local business. It is wildly more convenient now, just having to push a button, but I'd rather give $2.99 to Bill and Mary at the video store than give bezos another couple bucks he clearly doesn't need. It just feels dirty somehow.

[-]

BulljiveBots@reddit

I just moved to another town but where I lived previously we had a fairly new video rental store (maybe since after covid) and it's been doing pretty well and has become a neighborhood hub of sorts. I was happy to give money to a small business and I always loved going to the video store back in the day.

But otherwise, I'm building my plex server (my own personal streaming service for movies/tv/music) and still buying physical media. The kids (millennials, gen z, etc.) are back to buying physical media again too and used media prices are steadily climbing because of it. But I'm still finding plenty of stuff at flea markets etc. for a buck or two a piece.

[-]

scienceprodigy@reddit

Yup. I already bought the movie on VHS. Then I bought it again on DVD. Then on Blu Ray. I’ve had enough.

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No-Hospital559@reddit

Do you still have a Blu-ray player? Thats all I havve been using now, I just rent from the library.

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scienceprodigy@reddit

No, I use all the free streaming services and pay for a few minimum plans. What I don’t do now is buy or rent movies. If it’s not free or on one of my services I already pay for I just don’t watch it

[-]

No-Hospital559@reddit

most local library's have extensive movie collections that are free to borrow.

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Audrey_Angel@reddit

So, renting either way, what is the difference that stops you?

[-]

OtterLLC@reddit

Misses having to burn some gas and a half hour to return the rental in person.

[-]

CptBronzeBalls@reddit

Don’t forget about those delicious late fees!

[-]

AntheaBrainhooke@reddit

Nothing beats being scolded for not rewinding by a bored teen earning minimum wage

[-]

classicsat@reddit

I don't refuse to. It is just there is no easy way to anymore, other than leaving my CC all over the place, or preloading accounts with gift cards that leave bits of value here or there.

[-]

luckymountain@reddit

My wife and I enjoy going to the theater ifs a movie we’re interested in. We don’t subscribe to any movie apps and the free apps have too many commercials. I highly recommend Kanopy as an alternative app. If you have a library card you can sign up for free and stream extremely wide variety of movies, including international. You have so many ‘tickets’ to use for them and they are replenished monthly. Check it out.

[-]

PaperbackBuddha@reddit

Remember those Qwest ads from the 90s where they touted the future of entertainment?

Every movie, TV show, and album ever made available online, anytime.

Sounded great, was certainly imaginable and feasible given the progress of bandwidth and digital compression.

What they didn’t foresee (or reveal) was that we’d have a plethora of different platforms all jockeying for dominance over an entire culture’s catalogue of works, leaving us with a fractured landscape in which one can readily watch the latest Housewives of Whatever on one app, rent the latest blockbuster on another, watch an old classic on yet another subscription app, try to find your favorite movie from childhood but it’s not currently available due to licensing restrictions.

Netflix, Xfinity, HBO, Prime, Apple, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount, dozens of me too apps where the forgotten content goes, all on a smart TV that honestly can be a lot of work just to turn on and watch something. Sometimes the app sucks. You have to authenticate through your phone or your laptop. You’re on the Premium Plan but not the Platinum Plan, where that one movie is. You can’t rent but you can “buy” it. You can rent it but it took twenty minutes to find and now $5.99 seems a little steep for a Tony Danza movie about orangutans that you only kinda wanted to watch for yuks. You buy subscriptions to avoid ads, but the prices keep going up and there are lots of them, so you stay in the same tier and now you get just as many ads as if you watched it on regular TV.

Angry old dude? Sure, but also disappointed in how far we drifted from the future we once envisioned- not just in entertainment but life in general. Our politics, transportation, energy, education, you name it. I’m grateful that we’ve at least enjoyed the benefits of advances like our smartphones and computers. It’ll be interesting to see where all this AI stuff ends up on the utopian/dystopian scale. Maybe we’ll all just make our own orangutan movies.

[-]

ItsRedditThyme@reddit

You do realize that buying digital is the same as renting. You'll likely lose access, at some point. If you know you will never rewatch, you might as well save some money and rent. Buying makes sense only for things that take a long time to watch or that you know you will or think you might rewatch.

[-]

Formal_Plum_2285@reddit

Well no one rents anymore. I buy the movie (well the rights to watch the movie when I want) on Blockbuster. No logic in paying 5$ for a 24 hour rent when you can have it unlimited for 10$

[-]

tultamunille@reddit

We never thought we’d be such enlightened consumers did we…

[-]

Total_Guard2405@reddit

I was looking for movies on prime the other day. Lot of free movies but there are some they want you to pay extra for. 40 year old movies, screw that.

[-]

QuietVisit2042@reddit

I'd rather pay $2.99 to watch a movie at home than $40 for two of us to go to the movie theater.

[-]

turrboenvy@reddit

Old Man Yells At Cloud Platforms

[-]

TheWuziMu1@reddit

r/angryupvote

[-]

Rahawk02@reddit

I just find a website that has every movie every made for free . I guess I’ve been a pirate so long I don’t even understand the concept of why I would pay for anything that is so easy to get for free.

[-]

largos7289@reddit

The true Gen X answer if we can't find it Pirate!

[-]

Rahawk02@reddit

It boggles my mind that so many people just pay for stuff that is so easy to get for free. Then they cry they don’t have money enough to retire.

[-]

DiamondContent2011@reddit

Shhh!!!! Don't tell them about newsgroups.

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Fit-Reality-2872@reddit

I’m the sane. I refuse to and never will pay for or even take the time to figure out how to “stream”.

[-]

SubatomicGoblin@reddit

Streaming is just a word for pulling up a YouTube or Tubi video.

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Fit-Reality-2872@reddit

I thought streaming services were like “Hulu” “Netflix”, etc…which you have to pay for….?.

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SubatomicGoblin@reddit

Also those.

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AuraCrash78@reddit

No, you're not sane. What is the difference? Reallly....what is the difference other than a temporary loan of media?

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Fit-Reality-2872@reddit

Maybe I’m insane because I don’t pay a bunch of subscriptions trying to chase new shows that the one service or the other doesn’t have….? Sounds legit. Have fun with that. Let me take a shot…you’re younger than 35, not well off, and make generally poor financial choices…? Bingo!

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CptBronzeBalls@reddit

To each their own, I suppose. But there’s something to be said for being able to watch literally whatever you want whenever you want with no commercials.

The commercials thing is the big win for me. It scares me to think of how much of my life was wasted while somebody was trying to sell me something I didn’t want.

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AuraCrash78@reddit

Such an odd flex. Did you never rent a movie at Blockbuster? Ever go to a movie theater?

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TravelerMSY@reddit

It takes self-awareness. If you’re only gonna watch it once- the rental is a better deal.

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---TC---@reddit

Agreed, nor will I subscribe to a music streaming service, I buy CD's and BR's

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the3litemonkey@reddit

So OP, You go to theaters or don't you watch movies anymore? I think it's INSANE to go to a theatre. I might go(maybe)once a year. The prices are comparable to how much concerts used to cost. Maybe more! There's a crap ton of free movies and you can stream any movie for less than $10 if you wait. New releases cost about $20. I would never stream a new release. But I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. Between the two you can pretty much stream any movie. The last time I went to a theatre to watch a movie was 2021. Last night I just streamed "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" it's a pretty good movie. I was pleasantly surprised.

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WeirdRip2834@reddit

I agree. I paid to own a few movies but you have to have the service to keep the digital copy. Moved across country and do not have the same cable company. Scam scam scam.

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CptBronzeBalls@reddit

Wow, we’re starting to sound like a bunch of old farts. I think I’m gonna go hang out with the Gen Z crowd.

Nah, they sound like a bunch of old farts too.

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DistractUntilYouDie@reddit

Didn't realize so many gen x folks are thieves.

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CptBronzeBalls@reddit

Have you met us??

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Agitated-Asparagus23@reddit

Considering I have bought the same music on LP, Cassette, and CD I don't have any ethical dilemmas. However, I do subscribe for my digital music. I do not subscribe to streaming services, though. 🏴‍☠️

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calculon68@reddit

Some are simply allergic to paying for any media (physical or digital). That exists in every demo, not just GenX.

Back in the day they recorded songs off the radio, or always asked to "borrow" books, movies or music.

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Cozy_Minty@reddit

this has got to be satire

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skoltroll@reddit

You miss the whole Napster thing?

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properwaffles@reddit

clutches pearls

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Educational-Stop8741@reddit

I was paying for Paramount until CBS decided itw as going profascist.

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Dunno_If_I_Won@reddit

Do you pay for a video streaming service? Same thing.

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-Granby-@reddit

Not really. On a streaming service the titles are available for months or if they are originals then indefinitely.

When you rent it you usually only have access to it for 24 hours.

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Dunno_If_I_Won@reddit

For the purposes of OPs issue, this is a distinction without a difference.

OP for some reason is against paying money to have a movie streamed for one viewing. OP was fine renting physical discs for viewing once (sure, they could watch it 10 times in a row before returning it). So multiple viewings isn't the issue.

There is no rational basis for OP's insistence to avoid renting streaming movies. Obviously, OP can do what they want.

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Due_Fill608@reddit

🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

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ElectionElectrical11@reddit

Parsec and a big hard drive helps

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Due_Fill608@reddit

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ssigma100@reddit

Congratulations you just became my parents who refuse to ever own a cel phone. The world doesn’t need to stop to accomodate everyone refusing to move along. You don’t really cite a reason, just ????

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LeatherRebel5150@reddit

They never said the world had to stop for them. People can choose not to participate in something.

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shotsallover@reddit

I refuse to pay theater prices to stream a movie. But I’ll pay $3-4 from time to time.

But I also tend to not rewatch movies so I don’t need the clutter of a DVD lying around taking up space and collecting dust.

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voteblue18@reddit

What a weird hill to die on.

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hlvnk@reddit

Who is dying?

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mdervin@reddit

OP if he hasn't gotten his colon screening yet.

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NegScenePts@reddit

If I want to watch something and I can't find a free stream, I rent it. It's a rental...it doesn't have to be in my hands for it to be a VALID piece of media.

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Mugwumps_has_spoken@reddit

Why did you feel the need to tell Reddit?

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Unusual_Memory3133@reddit

I will if it is a new film I really want to see, but I have such a huge physical media collection that renting rarely makes sense

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Micheal_Noine_Noine@reddit

Help us understand your position more clearly? What's the reason? I know it's there. I translate your comment as 'I'm old, cranky, and stubborn. I dislike change." I for one am glad I don't have to go to a video store and risk late fees. I love that I can sit on my couch and say 'What do I feel like watching?" And then have a high probability I can rent or buy the content I want to see.

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properwaffles@reddit

We'll rent occasionally, but I definitely prefer physical media and usually end up getting a BluRay copy for movies I like and know that I'll be rewatching.

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Epicassion@reddit

No big deal. I love having 15-20 subscriptions for sports and entertainment. Bonus is if I also rent or purchase a movie. Sigh.

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One-Sock7417@reddit

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Genius-Imbecile@reddit

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traveldalliance@reddit

My local public library was a pretty decent DVD collection. You can check them out for free

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Thirty_Helens_Agree@reddit

The DVD section at the main branch of my local library system is MASSIVE. Like the size of a full-blown Blockbuster.

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mystery_biscotti@reddit

There's so much free stuff, it's like...rent? What?

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Prime88@reddit

I just buy movies digitally when it gets to $5 or lower because renting is pretty much the same cost at that point.

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Mr_Tort_Feasor@reddit

I've rented some movies I'm not interested in owning digitally. If you use Amazon, you can often defer or consolidate deliveries and get a few bucks that can go toward digital media rental or purchase.

I did actually buy a digital copy of Stop Making Sense in 4K recently for $8. Cost of the physical disc is $53 and I only have one machine to play it on (an Xbox series X).

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Loras-@reddit

I dropped cable and Netflix back in 2008. Ive been sailing the high seas ever since.

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Sufficient_Stop8381@reddit

I won’t either beyond what I already pay for subscriptions. If it’s not included I’ll do without until it’s added to a streaming service I use.

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Lucky_Astronomer_435@reddit

Purely YouTube Rumble etc. Will watch Hoopla sometimes. I like my mix of shorts that are a series (Bistro Huddy) diy videos and health and wellness. I can watch vids about weather and fires and earthquakes all over the world. I have tons of movies in a playlist. (With ads unfortunately) and the news is so much better. I blocked all mainstream news and watch great independent journalism. Comedy is really good on YouTube.

There’s a lot of things I think could be improved in YouTube but for content it’s great of you have specific interests want to learn about something or enjoy a variety of content. There’s a lot I haven’t discovered but I don’t suffer having to hunt and peck through Netflix or other paid streaming services with more dross than gold. Same in YouTube but it feels easier to discover gold on there.

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BrittaUnfiltered67@reddit

A lot of libraries are dropping Hoopla, they have raised their prices dramatically while shrinking content and access for different packages and tiers. They are the most predatory of library apps. Kanopy is more affordable for libraries.

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BrittaUnfiltered67@reddit

If you pay for cable, you are renting.

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hkusp45css@reddit

Me too. I already pay around 300 a month in entertainment subscriptions. If you want MORE money to rent that shit, I'm going to hop aboard my frigate and go sailing.

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xrenton21x@reddit

Same with me. My principles are to go physical for everything first. Failing that, I sail the seas...unless I can support the artist directly, in which case I will buy their digital product as long as it isn't DRM laden. I don't buy streaming subscriptions. The only digital marketplace I use is Steam if I can't find it physical...or unless there is an insane deal for a really good game that's like $7...I never pay full price on Steam or any other gaming platform.

Honestly I have so many physical disks and carts for games, music, and movies I'm set for life in my backlog.

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iamnotaclown@reddit

Yarrrrr!

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nonotburton@reddit

You don't have a streaming service you pay for?

I do very occasionally rent a movie, but only if it's important to watch it, and only if I can't find it on a service I'm already streaming.

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lemmysbetter@reddit

I'm the same as you but for a different reason. When I see something as digital I see it as something I can just steal.

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Bossthree02@reddit

I'll rent movies from time to time, but really just when my Google credits are high enough. I pass by DVDs at Goodwill all the time, but mostly just because I am too lazy to store them

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Breklin76@reddit

I love it. Everything I want at my beck and call. No machines aside from your TV and sound system.

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BombadilGuy@reddit

This is why some of us are xennials.

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Van1sthand@reddit

We own a vacation rental and when we first bought it the WiFi was terrible and we bought 1$ DVDs from a used book store to make sure people had something to watch. Over the years it’s turned into 326 DVDs and many of those are series or multiple films. At this point I’m just curating the collection because the WiFi is now excellent. It’s more for me than for the guests. And there are so many films you can’t stream.

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RickyWVaughn@reddit

I'm with you. I have literally never done it. The closest I've come is cashing in a code for a free rental.

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OtakuTacos@reddit

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PutAdministrative206@reddit

I don’t refuse it, but it’s the form of entertainment I’m least likely to spend my money on.

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threedogdad@reddit

I'm the polar opposite, I have easy access to almost everything for free by sailing the seas, I subscribe to most streaming services, and I have a 4k Bluray collection.

Since we spend a lot of time watching TV I want it to be the best experience possible, and I will never watch a commercial or wait for what I want to come on... haven't in at least 20 years now.

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No-Economics-8239@reddit

Did you buy a ringtone? Wallpaper? DLC? Use Steam or Amazon Kindle or Audible? Any streaming service? You're a complete copyright purist now? No DRM of any kind? Or is it still okay to buy a DVD/Bluray? Use proprietary software? Where's the line? What principles is it based on?

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Senior-Cantaloupe-69@reddit

I love video on demand. But, I often buy. Either way, it is way better than the old store.

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Marathon2021@reddit

> I refuse to rent digital copies

Makes no sense to me. Are you "renting" the entertainment media when you go see it in a theater? Are you "renting" it when Blockbuster lends you a VHS tape? Are you "renting" it when RedBox dispenses a DVD to you?

It's a weird hangup, IMO. Frankly digital copies are more efficient - ever had that movie you really wanted to watch one weekend with the family, and there were no copies at Blockbuster? Yeah, that's gone away. Everyone can get a copy, instantly, if they want it.

I fail to see what's so terrible about that.

(now, if you had said "own" a digital streaming copy - I would agree that feels a bit different)

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B00bsmelikey@reddit

I can't remember if I have, I will just hit a jack sparrow site anymore.

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BehavioralSink@reddit

While I do have a digital movie library, and it skews heavily towards movies that are linkable through Movies Anywhere, I don’t think I’ve rented a movie more than a few times. Often the rental price is close to the on sale purchase price, so I might as well just buy it. If they applied rental fees towards the purchase price, even prorated at something like 50%, maybe I would be more willing to rent. Instead I’m usually patient enough for it to arrive on a streaming service I have or the price drops into my purchase price range.

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Weekly-Batman@reddit

Came across an old bluray player in storage and am going through my old dvd/bluray collection, miss those menus and special features. No need to rent digital its all free somewhere.

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draggar@reddit

I have a ton of DVDs and BluRays - I'm going to set up a Plex server and use that.

But yea, renting digital is a waste. It's usually just as much or even more than buying the DVD or BluRay.

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FlipMyWigBaby@reddit

Had to do it for “Chinatown”. Wasn’t on any streaming service, and I hyped it up to people keen on this era of LA shenanigans.

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This-Dude_Abides@reddit

Yar matey!! No need to be rentin'!!

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Mortimer452@reddit

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driftless@reddit

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Kindly_Jellyfish_451@reddit

We have Roku, and our local library plus Hoopla has been a big help. We don’t subscribe to any streaming services currently.

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Kuildeous@reddit

I'd have to really want to see this movie for me to rent it outright. Like, I'm half-tempted to rent Streets of Fire because I can't find it included with any streaming service.

I'll subscribe to streaming services, but I never subscribe to more than two at a time. Sometimes I'll just have one streaming service and binge the hell out of that before I cancel and move onto the next one.

I'm looking at my DVD collection lovingly. Maybe I just need to give those a rewatch.

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Skatchbro@reddit

Streets of fire?

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vasectomy7@reddit

The cost for a "digital rental" is about 1/2 the price of the DVD. ------> If there's any possibility of a re-watch, it makes more sense to just purchase and keep in the library.

But some movies I know are going to be dumb and I won't ever watch again..... that's when I opt for a rental. But it's rare.

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PinkyLeopard2922@reddit

We broke down and paid to rent Jaws last July 4th. That is the only time.

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Reddiculusness@reddit

the only time I will rent digital is when my Amazon credit gets high enough , then I'll check out prime for something I either haven't seen or clwant to watch again that I can't find for free

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BarefootMarauder@reddit

You don't pay for any streaming services? Do you ever watch a movie on cable?

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

Same. No streaming services of any kind. Redbox was the last time I rented a movie. Still have that movie because redbox disappeared from the area.

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-Granby-@reddit

We have Amazon prime just cause we got it for like $6 a month a few years back when we still has an EBT card. They still charge us that price and of course we use Prime for shipping but I never watch anything on it. Last time I fired it up it had way more ads and now the ads are clickable so it sends shit right to your cart.

I'm good. Don't need it.

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Accomplished_Okra645@reddit

Do you consider a streaming service subscription to be renting, or is that just cable in a different format?

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-Granby-@reddit

I don't either. I also don't buy digital entertainment. I've heard too many stories of people that have bought something digitally only for them to enshittify it and take it away. Not playing that.r

Tubi or trackers work for me