Blockbuster launches film downloads from Internet

Times Dispatch ^ | 29 Dec 2008

[Troll_House_Cookies]

Blockbuster Inc. has launched a service that delivers movies to your home via the Internet, as the DVD rental giant looks to expand ways it provides movies to customers.

The service is "Blockbuster on Demand" and requires a box made by 2Wire Inc. At least initially, the box is included free if customers rent 25 movies in advance for $99.

. . .

Blockbuster on Demand is pay as you go, with movies costing between $1.99 and $3.99, Keyes said. You have 30 days to watch the movie, but only 24 hours to finish watching once you start.

With Netflix, you pay a minimum of $8.99 a month to get the Internet streaming service. However, you can watch as much as you want for that price.

Blockbuster can deliver high-definition video.

"Our competitive advantage is that we already own the customer for home entertainment," he said. "And we think we can migrate them to other" forms of delivery.

[Troll_House_Cookies]

About time Blockbuster got in the game. They're going to have to throw some serious capital at this to make it work as well as they'd like it to.

[Red in Blue PA]

I’ve been doing this using Netflix for quite awhile now.

[Gaffer]

"Our competitive advantage is that we already own the customer for home entertainment," he said. "And we think we can migrate them to other" forms of delivery

Bluckboster doesn't own me - never did. They can stick it where the sun don't shine - 4 bucks a download - get real.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Too late.

NetFlix has it sewed up.

[Borges]

Blockbuster is terrible. Their selection sucks too. I’m surprised that dinosaur is still in business.

[GunRunner]

I have as well. I use my XBox360 to stream movies instantly with their Netflix plugin.

They don't have everything available for download, and most new releases aren't available, but you're never without something to watch.

My girlfriend had never seen Misery before, and we were able to queue it up and watch it within two minutes.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

Does this operate thru a phone line? I use my cell and have wireless broadband. No active phone line at my house.

[NonValueAdded]

Hard to enter a Walmart now, getting by the line queued up to get the 41 DVD’s from the kiosk in the entrance bay. BB is still over priced but they might have an edge on variety. I haven’t found anything lately that is even worth the $1 to watch.

[bmwcyle]

A dollar short and a day late

[NonValueAdded]

make that $1, not 41.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

The idea of sitting in front of a computer monitor to watch a movie doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure someone more tech savvy will tell me that there’s a way around this.

[giotto]

NetFlix has it sewed up

NetFlix will always be two steps ahead of Blockbuster. Hopefully NetFlix will upgrade the quality of their downloads, though. I don't know about the XBox downloads, since I haven't tried that yet, but the Watch It Now quality for computer is terrible.

[hamburglar]

VUDU..........(www.vudu.com) is BEST

[DouglasKC]

Blockbuster on Demand is pay as you go, with movies costing between $1.99 and $3.99, Keyes said. You have 30 days to watch the movie, but only 24 hours to finish watching once you start.
With Netflix, you pay a minimum of $8.99 a month to get the Internet streaming service. However, you can watch as much as you want for that price.

I ordered the Roku box for Netflix a few weeks ago. It's a great value. Picture quality is usually comparable if not better than DVD's and they're talking about a hi-def upgrade pretty quick.

Netflix is the way to go. Not a lot of the newest blockbusters are available for streaming, but you can still order the dvd's. The box is great for catching up on lesser known new flicks, older movies, foreign films, documentaries and tv shows.

The tv box for netflix is only $99.00 and there's nothing to pay again ever. All the movies you care to watch are included in the low monthly netflix fee.

[dfwgator]

When you have kids and are not comfortable showing R-rated movies over the family TV, watching them on my computer monitor does have a lot of appeal.

[Troll_House_Cookies]

In fairness, nobody “owns” the market, with Amazon and Apple as well as all the cable providers trying to break into VOD both Blockbuster AND Netflix are at risk from larger better funded companies trying to steal their video on demand marketshare.

[DouglasKC]

The idea of sitting in front of a computer monitor to watch a movie doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure someone more tech savvy will tell me that there’s a way around this.

Netflix offers a cheap box that will stream movies direct to your tv:

Mash here

[Brookhaven]

"Our competitive advantage is that we already own the customer for home entertainment," he said. "And we think we can migrate them to other" forms of delivery.

Therein lies the eventual demise of Blockbuster.

Ford, GM, Chrysler, and AMC once thought they OWNED the American car buyer. See what that got them?

Blockbusters approach should be that they are fighting for their lives against strong competitors (because they are.)

[Guenevere]

Walgreens has one of those kiosk now...
..we weren't going to do it...but ended up trying it out.

Got the newest Mummy..just for fun.

And it was a fun movie...like an old Saturday matinee.

[Mind Freed]

I stopped renting from BB along time ago. I think BB has pissed off too many customers with all their loop holes in their whole “No more late fees” campaign. I should know, I used to work for them. I always had to explain to people why they had late charges if BB didn’t assess late charges anymore. NetFlix will always be ready to compete with whatever BB does, so actually, thank you BB... now NetFlix will probably come out with a new and better addition to their service.