Tapeflix?

[braver]

Being a graduate student and a technogeek, I can only regret liking tape recorders -- it seems an expensive way for well-off retirees to have fun outbidding each other on ebay. :)  Clearly the $200/300/a tape setup is not in my range at this point.

It got me thinking on setting up a rental service a la Netflix.  How about you TP guys make some extra copies, and rent them out by mail, with a deposit?  I can see tapeflix in the making!

NB.  Consider this a copyrighted idea, I've staked the tapeflix.com domain just in case -- but would trade for a few tapes!  :)

Cheers,
Alexy

[Ki Choi]

Alexy:

Nice idea.  One of the reasons why Netflix works is that the DVD media is relatively strong against electrical and physical damages during use unlike magnetic tapes.  As I recall in my younger days, I used to hate to be asked to loan my favorate LPs or tapes in fear of not getting them back in the same conditions.  I try not to stop, rewind or fast forward TP tape (only one so far) while the tape is in contact with the headstack in fear of unintended degradations.

But the biggest hurdle would be the copy rights issue.  It's no different than for any major recroding studios to be approached to offer their master tapes for rental to the general public...maybe not.

However, it would have made an interesting case study for my old business school classes.

Ki

[ceved]

Actually I want dibs on Rent-A-Reel