[Triumvark]

> If you had to pick between DVD and streaming service, and make one of them phenomenally better than what it is now, which one would you pick? DVD, because everyone knows and loves it? Or streaming, because it's growing rapidly? You get to pick one.

Depth of catalog is the most important feature for me. I especially like watching HBO shows without paying tons of money for cable. I also sometimes like watching really obscure films. Films which were released on DVD at one time, but where it may be hard to track down anyone to authorize licensing for streaming.

Which should I pick?

Before Netflix, I satisfied my tastes at the independent video stores around town. Netflix killed those. Naturally, I'm sensitive to any changes that might undermine the DVD service.

The best solution, as I've mentioned before, is to just allow obligatory licensing. Let Netflix convert its entire DVD catalog to streaming. Make it pay a fair statutory fee whenever it streams anything. If a content owner cannot be found, allow the fee to be collected by a designated rightsholder organization (something like ASCAP) until claimed by a verified owner of the content.

[hdctambien]

Did Netflix kill independent video stores? Or did Blockbuster kill them?

[Triumvark]

Fair question.

We had a few video stores that really specialized in the long tail. They sat right across the street from Blockbusters or Hollywood Videos. Stuck around a few decades, thrived on the indie image (sorted movies by director, that sort of thing). They made it through BB's reign, and passed away only recently.

But eh, that's my limited experience. I'd welcome more data. Call it a hunch for now, and an open question.

[WalterBright]

The local video store owner around here told me when it closed that it was netflix that did her store in.