So the movie theatre closes and now Highland Video, the best/last video store on Earth, is closing its doors forever. Before we talk about going further, I suggest first raising a glass of good health and happy retirement to the wonderful Mr. Choo, who was at the helm of that shop since 2001.
What viewing options are left in Squamish? Well, long story short - it's all online. That's not just for Squamish, but the day we've seen coming a mile away of TVs and computers merging is upon us and not a moment to soon.
If you're still holding onto your classic TV with just a DVD player, your options are limited. Granted, our library does offer a phenomenal selection of DVDs including foreign, feature films and lots of good TV shows. Other than that there are a few DVDs by mail services or you can buy movies at 小蓝视频-owned London Drugs, but that would add up to a new TV pretty quick.
As someone who still plays records and VHS, I understand the aversion to change. But it's now 2013 and if your TV doesn't hook up to the Internet, you need to cancel your cable subscription and use the money on a new TV, because all the movies, shows, sports and news are online for free. CTV, C小蓝视频 pretty much every network allows you to watch all their shows.
These days many TVs actually come with wireless built in; otherwise, there are many "boxes" for sale that allow you to access the Internet. Once hooked up, you can watch Netflix Movies (until you tire of their selection) or YouTube, but you can pretty much just Google the name of anything you want and be watching it in minutes.
Otherwise you can legally download content using torrents (Google "torrents" for full, super easy instructions). Torrent sites are one of those things that once you see it, you won't believe you didn't try it before. Basically you search anything - and I mean anything - and it can be downloaded on your computer in moments. While torrent sites are famous for "legal grey area" downloads, there is an endless selection of legal downloads to feast on as well.
But when that cursor is flashing on your screen, what should you look for? That's where I come in. Every week I'll be here guiding you to the gold for your viewing pleasure. So stay tuned and enjoy the world of home viewing where it's real butter on the popcorn, the movie starts on your schedule and you can have pee/beer/snack break anytime you want Good times, indeed.
With the demise of Squamish's movie theatre and video rental store, longtime Chief movie/DVD/digital video reviewer Bryan Raiser is stepping into the world of online downloads with the revamped "Watch This" feature. Watch for his reviews of the latest flicks beginning in the Feb. 21 edition of The Chief.
