But the downloads were probably of low quality, he said, and the economic effect is "basically nil - there's no evidence whatsoever that people are not going to the theater or not buying DVD's or not renting videotapes because of this activity."

"A lot of families rent videotapes or bring stacks of magazines when they go."

Maybe local culture consisted of everyone renting videotapes of last year's money-losing movies.

In the evening, traffic slows during the dinner hours but picks up as people come in to rent videotapes for the night or pick up snacks, beer or a box of diapers.

In addition to buying Slurpees and snacks, the Jaroszyks' customers can withdraw cash from a bank's automatic-teller machine, rent videotapes, buy state lottery tickets, play video games and purchase traveler's checks.

Would have guaranteed the privacy of people renting or buying videotapes.

And yet, the conjurer's art - performed live, before real audiences by actual magicians - endures stubbornly and illogically in an age when millions can rent videotapes that show Hollywood miracles performed by special-effects wizards.

As more entrepreneurs and deep-pocketed chain operations swept into the business, however, the retailers found out it was possible to lose money renting videotapes.

Until recently, most people have preferred to rent videotapes - an historical fact behind Circuit City's promotion of Divx.

During snowstorms, Barbara Guerrero, the manager of Gramophone Video, in New Canaan, said, "half the town can't get out and the rest of them are here renting videotapes."