Could Netflix Price Change Help Local Video Stores (Please)?

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Vulcan Video by David Grant on Flickr

The big movie news late last week was from Netflix: the company is restructuring its subscriptions to separate DVD rental plans from online streaming. Right now, I pay $9.99/month for one DVD out at a time plus unlimited streaming; under the new plans, I'd pay $7.99/month for unlimited streaming and another $7.99/month to rent one DVD at a time (and that doesn't include an extra fee for Blu-ray rentals).

The decision was easy for my husband and me: we can't remember how long the Netflix DVD has been sitting on top of the TV stand, nor even which movie is actually on that DVD. Therefore, we're going to refuse the DVD-only subscription and subscribe only to online streaming, which we use like crazy. And if we want something that's not on Netflix Watch Instantly, where will we get it? From our neighborhood video store, quite possibly.

I'm wondering how many other people are deciding the same thing, and if this could potentially help Austin video stores. Some people might figure if they're saving $6 a month, they could buy the occasional DVD and still come out ahead. Some might add Hulu Plus, which now has the Criterion Collection movies available for streaming, or rent streaming movies/TV from Amazon. And some might try the increasingly popular Redbox. But I like to think -- okay, I hope -- this change could give our remaining local video rental stores a little boost.

If you've been with Netflix so long you can't remember which locally owned video stores are still in business in Austin and where they are in relation to your home, I've prepared a handy-dandy list. If I miss one, please let me know and I'll be happy to add it. (I miss The Movie Store all the time, but it's sadly no longer with us, and Waterloo no longer offers rentals.) Now what are we all going to do this weekend? Visit one of these fine establishments, of course.

Encore Movies and Music
1745 W. Anderson Lane

Even though they're focusing more on music these days, even though the people behind the counter are sometimes a bit surly, this is still a good standard neighborhood video store (not far from my own neighborhood). This is a good place to find new releases and mainstream movies conveniently, rather than to hunt down the obscure, although I've been able to find local music-related documentaries here.

I Luv Video Austin by Randy Haaga on FlickrI Luv Video
4803 Airport Blvd.
2915 Guadalupe

I've only been to the Airport location, which is huge and feels like digging through Aladdin's cave (if you're a film geek). Considering the number of titles they offer, that's not surprising. From their website: "We are proud to be the largest (and perhaps oldest) video store in the state of Texas, with 60,000 titles at our Guadalupe Street store and 80,000 titles at our Airport Boulevard location." Both the stores and the website have loads of employee recommendations, too. The Guadalupe location is open until 3 am, and the Airport location still has Free Beer Tuesdays.

Vulcan Video
609 W. 29th Street
112 W. Elizabeth

Vulcan on 29th was my go-to video store in grad school, even though the Blockbuster was only a block away. And for years after grad school, I used to lurk around the shelves on weekend nights after picking out my movie, hoping some charming and attractive film buff would take notice. (Never worked.) The stores still have a wonderfully eclectic selection -- and for those of you who still love VHS, you'll find lots of movies on videotape. They're open until 2 am on the weekends, and offer 2-for-1 rentals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

[Photo credit: "Untitled" by David Grant; "I Luv Video (Austin) (1 of 2)" by Randy Haaga. Found on Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.]