Sorry that is revisionist. The idea of getting a movie mailed or streamed always sounded better than shitty blockbuster with limited selection and late fees.

The growth was fast for netflix/amazon/paypal/etc and people saw how it was an improvement from the get go.

I seem to recall a lot more hype for these companies than people saying it won't work. You seem to be cherry picking from the naysayers of the time, but not the broad consensus.