Our generation has experienced more changes in the way we watch movies than any other. From VHS to Blu-ray, there has been a technology revolution in home movies.
All this change prompts the question of whether we are actually improving the movie-watching experience or just emptying our wallets to show others we can afford the next best thing in home entertainment.
For me, watching movies began with VHS tapes, the first of which were made by JVC in 1976, according to their website jvc.com. I wasn’t alive when the VHS was introduced but I definitely became familiar with them. I remember watching them throughout my childhood; all of my favorite children’s movies were viewed from a VHS tape.
We all remember that tag on library videos, “BE KIND REWIND,” which is a big reason why I think people were grateful when DVDs came along.
Rewinding is a hassle and no one wants to wait to watch a new movie, so DVDs seemed to be a welcomed change. However, being the sentimental kid that I was, I wasn’t all that keen to give up my cherished VHS tapes. It seems like I was the only one who felt that way, as soon my family did buy DVD equipment and several discs. Our transition was slow though, beginning with the compromise of a DVD/VHS combination and slowly progressing to just a DVD player.
After DVDs became so popular and much easier to watch and access, I thought changes in home entertainment were over. Boy was I wrong.
I think most people were surprised (and inwardly groaned) when, in 2003, the latest and greatest home movie phenomenon became the Blu-ray disc.
Honestly, I haven’t even wasted my energy looking into Blu-ray, what’s the big deal anyway?
According to blu-ray.com, we should all upgrade because Blu-ray offers “an unprecedented HD experience.”
This sounds like a marketing ploy to me, I mean high-definition may be a small bit better – but at what cost?
Also, with websites like Netflix, is there really any need to buy individual movies anymore?
I use Netflix and I have to say, I love it. I may not be super excited about every new technology sold at Wal-mart, but Netflix seems like the smart solution that has finally arrived for the un-technologically savvy and those of us who would rather save our money than spend it on new technology after new technology.
It may not be high definition (Ahem, Blu-ray), but Netflix provides an affordable solution to movie buying woes.
The next big change may be just around the corner and if consumers keep buying into new technology (that improves just a little), they’ll be surrounded with all those movies and an empty pocketbook – not to mention boxes of discarded perfectly good movies to watch.
So stop the stockpiling of unwatched, outdated technology, stop buying into each new way to watch movies at home – just invest in Netflix and save some money and storage space.