This is from the Style section of today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Read it and weap.

Typically inaccurate newspaper report.

But the brick-and-morter video rental store continues to survive in the midst of all these new technologies. Experts say its place in the market -- for the time being, at least -- is secure.

Tell that to Blockbuster who recently reported a 58 million dollar loss in the last 3 months.

...as video rental stores also sell pizza, ice cream and other goods and services.

They've been doing this almost since day one.

Meanwhile, DVD prices continue to decline and sales are soaring; new in-the-store, major-title movies are available for under $5.

In actuality, DVD prices for new releases are rising. A year ago, the average new release retailed for $19.95. Todays average price on a new release is $22.95. The $5.00 releases the article speaks about are mostly old films dating back 20 years or more. (Some DVD's of films made in the '30's and '40 can be found for $1.00 or less.)

The motion picture industry is and always has been paranoid when it came to new technologies. When TV came along, they wouldn't allow their pictures to be shown, for fear people would stop going to movie theaters (cinema). Never happened. Same thing when video (VHS/BETA) first came along, until they discoverd they could make a fortune selling old films on tape. Again they cried wolf, when the first laser disks came along. Today, its the internet. Movies you download off the net (for a fee) are purposely "degraded" as well as encoded to prevent duplication and resale. Their fear now is loss of DVD sales.

Today, video sales account for 60% of a pictures income/profit. Bad films which would, in the past have lost money in theatrical release, more often than not breakeven or make money through video sales and rentals alone.

Save you tears for the poor & hungry. The movie industry is neither.

cheers