Blockbuster Working on Set-Top Box 138
An anonymous reader writes "According to the Hollywood Reporter and news.com, Blockbuster will soon be announcing yet another reason not to go to a rental store. A media-delivering set-top box is in the works for the company, leveraging the store's existing competence in the industry to provide a viable alternative to iTunes, Xbox Live, and Amazon. 'There was no mention of price or how such a service would work in the report. But let's think about this: to compete with Apple TV or Vudu, the device would have to cost around $200, and rentals of movies and TV shows should be around $3 to $4 each, which would be slightly cheaper than rentals of new releases from Blockbuster currently. The big advantage Blockbuster would enjoy over Apple TV, Vudu, and TiVo, it seems, would be selection.'" I still think they're kinda doomed.
Doomed by the integrated computer (Score:5, Insightful)
Me too. For the last two decades, people have looked at their computers and wanted the things to be information centers. That includes media, business information, personal contacts, everything through recipes and music.
Read our lips, big corporations. We don't want more gadgets. We want our gadgets to get more powerful and less unreliable so they save us time and make life more relaxing, not more gadgety.
Why pay $200 for a box where your cable box can do (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:ISPs will block it. (Score:1, Insightful)
missing the boat (Score:5, Insightful)
The big advantage Blockbuster would enjoy over Apple TV, Vudu, and TiVo, it seems, would be selection.
Bzzt, wrong. Blockbuster will still have to negotiate licensing agreements with the major distribution companies, just like everyone else in the game. They can't simply rip their existing DVD offerings and stream them to customers. Blockbuster's in a tough spot here; if they remain a dealer of physical media, they'll get pummeled by streaming content. Their only hope for survival is to leverage their brand and physical locations to introduce a set-top box that grabs sizable market share. The trouble is that a video rental chain is going to have an extremely difficult time going head to head with the likes of Apple. It'd be like a record chain introducing an mp3 player in the hope that they can prevent iTunes and Amazon from decimating them.
Re:Why pay $200 for a box where your cable box can (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:ISPs will block it. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Why pay $200 for a box where your cable box can (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Why pay $200 for a box where your cable box can (Score:1, Insightful)
The point is, Blockbuster was never famous for carrying a wide range of titles anyways. Compare them to Netflix and you will see why. So, your argument is correct but self-defeating at the same time!!
Re:The only way I see this working... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Doomed by the integrated computer (Score:1, Insightful)
Standard set-top boxes made by any manufacturer that will play standard media from any manufacturer! We call this device a 'DVD player'!