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The Worst Gadgets of All Time 10

by Evan Shamoon on August 13, 2008 at 12:01 AM


The Original DIVX (Digital Video Express)

In 1998, Circuit City attempted to take over the movie rental industry with the Digital Video Express. Here's how it worked: You rented a DIVX disc for $4, and the disc was viewable for up to 48 hours -- after which it became unwatchable, unless you renewed the movie for $3.25, for another two days. Sound confusing enough? Well, there's more: These discs required a special DIVX player, which had to connect to a phone line to manage the rental intervals (the stated goal of this product was to eliminate late fees). The selection was limited, as DIVX was a new format, and most of the titles were only available in pan-and-scan (i.e. not widescreen), and the extent of special features was usually a single trailer. Plus, discs became trash after 48 hours -- not particularly enviro-friendly, even for the late '90s. The quick demise of DIVX cost Circuit City $114 million...no late fees, though.

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