Fast broadband connections have made it possible for us to download our favourite TV shows and movies within minutes. Without needing to leave your own home, you could have access to almost any movie ever made, removing the need to traipse across your town or city to the closest video rental store. Websites such as Foxtel IQ and fetchTV allow you to search for your favourite show or film, to either download it straight to your PC, or to watch it via a stream live on the internet.

It is estimated that the digital download industry will continue to grow massively within the next few years, causing further damage to video stores that are already struggling against competition from websites that will posts DVDs to your doorstep. In the last few weeks some large chain video stores have been forced to shut their doors for good, such as the Blockbuster outlets in Ashfield and Enmore.

We won’t see the back of all of our favourite video stores overnight, but as internet downloads are increasing in popularity almost daily, it seems that the shutting of more and more DVD rental shops is inevitable.

As the broadband network within Australia continues to improve, meaning continually faster downloads, video rental stores will have to pull something out of the bag in order to compete. Having already lost a lot of business due to DVD-rental vending machines such as Oovie, and websites like Quickflix that provide a subscription service for the renting of movies, the introduction of the Australian national broadband network looks like it could be the final nail in the coffin for traditional rental stores.

However, the high street certainly won’t go down without a fight, with many stores already thinking of innovative ways in which they can survive against the broadband revolution. Some stores are offering an online reservation service, in which a user can browse the stock online, reserve a title and simply pick it up later that day. This instant selection service could be tempting for anyone still struggling with a relatively slow broadband connection.

This online reservation system could be a win-win scenario for many high street video rental companies, as it allows for smaller premises due to not being forced to have all titles on display. Likewise, it still benefits those customers that may desire the personal touch in choosing their movies.

From specialising in niche markets, to offering an online service at the same time, it seems that those DVD rental shops willing to update their stores and offer an innovative solution to the public could still survive. Although we spend more time these days surfing the web and watching YouTube than sitting down to a movie on DVD, it seems there is still a place in our hearts for curling up on the sofa with some popcorn and a great film.