RSSBlockbuster Moves Into Online Streaming Rentals
By Ed Oswald | Published August 9, 2007, 10:47 AM
Aiming to better compete with Netflix, Blockbuster said Thursday that it had acquired Movielink, a provider of downloadable movie and television content.
Blockbuster has seen increasing success in its battle with the Netflix, adding customers to its online rental service at a faster rate than its competitor. However, Netflix until now was the only one of the two companies to offer an online download component.
That will change with the purchase of Movielink. While the service will still be operated independently, elements will be incorporated into Blockbuster's online offering.
"Blockbuster is committed to keeping pace with the changing needs of customers by offering them an expanding array of convenient ways to access entertainment content," new Blockbuster chairman and CEO Jim Keyes said in a statement. "Our acquisition of Movielink, with its associated digital content, is the next logical step in our planned transformation of Blockbuster."
Keyes succeeded John Antioco, who left the company several months ago amid tightening revenues due to increased competition with Netflix.
Netflix and Blockbuster's online rental offerings are about the same: Movielink offers about 3,300 titles to customers, while Netflix's online component is said to provide around 4,000 movies.
Movielink was founded in 2002 as a joint venture between MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and Universal Studios.
Why don't cable tv providers provide a pay-per-view rental package? I'd much rather pay them a flat fee for unlimited rentals (or even limited) instead of having to use Netflix or Blockbuster.
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They would rather force people to pay for packages of channels that are 90% crap in order to get the few programs they really want to see. If I could pick only the channels I like my lineup would go from about 71 channels to maybe 5. Letting people choose only the shows they want would cut that down to only one since the concept of different channels would become useless.
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Yeah that would be great to just buy a certain series from HBO or something like that without having to wait until the end of the season when the DVD comes out. It would also be nice if cable companies actually listened to us :)
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I too have often wanted for a chose my own package cable TV thing... although I would probably have like 20 channels. (but only like 4 or 5 for me too hmmm Sci-Fi, Cartoon Network 11PM-4AM, Discovery channel, History Channel, G4) My wife and kids make up the other channels. The odd thing is I have like 200 channels and alot of the HBO,Skinamax, showtime, ect. ect. (sometimes I like the on demand stuff they have)
I like the idea of custom channels...maybe when the internet gets fast enough to stream HD video things will get better like iTunes for cable ?
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about time.
a friend of mine uses similar service for his russian movies. he pays 30 a month and has huge library of commercial free movies , available at any moment he desires to watch one. and the quality is adequate plus. there is a free version as well but ridden of adds and significantly limited library.
IMO super convinient/cool.
if the price is reasonable (no more then 2$ a movie, or up to 20$ a month) i would definetly use the new service.
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