After my wife and I had our first kid, we realized part of our younger days were gone forever: we could no longer reliably watch even a 90-minute movie in a single evening. We were too exhausted, or our baby (then babies) needed us. Our older child was born when Blockbuster still existed and Redbox didn’t, and late fees were a real thing. We even subscribed to Netflix—and had the hole in those silver discs stare at us, wondering why they remained unplayed week after week.
As movies shifted to digital downloads and rentals, we figured this would solve logistical problems. First, how to get a movie without having to drive 10 to 30 minutes to the nearest good video store. Second, how to make a plan to watch the movie over a couple of nights, or maybe three. Third, how to return it before fees kicked in. Obviously, the first and third problems are solved by digital, but the second remains. (If you still like discs, Redbox solved the first problem through ubiquity and the second through a flat rate for additional days.)
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