Netflix was a commitment. Redbox was a whim.

In the years before streaming netflix, I often did Redbox. Pick up a DVD on the way home form work on Friday. Return is Saturday when I go out shopping.

Do it twice a month, spend $2 (or $3 when they raised the price).

Netflix was 9.99 or more, and you basically had to watch 5 or 6 DVDs a month to "get your monies worth". So I often found myself watching a DVD when I didn't want to because I had already paid it, so I could send it back and get the DVD I actually wanted but didn't get because it was out of stock.

Netflix DVD is solving a different problem. The issue with Redbox or streaming services is they frequently have absolutely nothing I want to watch. I tend to go to the movies enough to have seen any new releases that I had any interest in. However, with a vastly larger selection I can load up on classics or random recommendations. It might not be what I was in the mood for, but it will be good.

How old are you? I remember being a kid 30+ years ago going to the VHS store and picking out some crap and loving every minute of it. It's an experience. I remember the joy of going to a vHS / DVD rental shop with a date etc. Nothing wrong with getting out of the house for a bit and picking something out, it was fun! (;

Yeah, I remember that too... but then when I was old enough to be on the hook for returning my own movies, it lost its allure and I switched to Netflix DVD as soon as it was available and never looked back.

I still have a few blockbuster VHS's floating around that I was so late on returning, I had to buy them.

For a time, it was a really convenient thing, generally located right at the grocery store. It was easy to grab a movie and return it the next time. It was also pretty easy to copy things.