 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | Broadband Not The Threat Redbox poses the gravest threat to Blockbuster at this point.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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| I agree, but people in my neck of the woods still bring their families to pick out a flick. Theres still a certain stigma about shopping at a phonebooth. I could just as easily watch HD VOD from Comcast, but that would render a portion of my theater system useless, so I'll do both for awhile.
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BF69~~~Please stop suffocating gerbils! |
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pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | said by S_engineer:I could just as easily watch HD VOD from Comcast, but that would render a portion of my theater system useless, so I'll do both for awhile. I'd love to watch On-Demand with Comcast, but the UI is so slow that it is useless. It shouldn't take more than a few seconds for it to load. I have to make sure I never press the "On Demand" button on the remote lest I wait a few minutes before I can change the channel. Ugh.
When I did feel like waiting for On-Demand, I found that Comcast never reset out box and we are still asked for a PIN in order to watch anything. 2 calls to Comcast didn't resolve the issue, so I pretty much let it slide since On-Demand is too slow to be useful anyway.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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| reply to pnh102
cable / sat is a even bigger one. No need to go out to get a movie. |
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| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102:Redbox poses the gravest threat to Blockbuster at this point. I actually saw a Rebox unit outside of a gas station today. Didn't know they were weatherproof. |
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pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | said by digitalfreak:I actually saw a Rebox unit outside of a gas station today. Didn't know they were weatherproof. Most of the ones I've seen are outside of McDonalds'.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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 DrModemPremium
join:2006-10-19
USA
kudos:1 | I've seen them everywhere: gas stations, restuarants, safeways... |
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Feel your pain. Luckily, Fios cured me of it. |
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pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | said by jhrollins:Feel your pain. Luckily, Fios cured me of it. Someday perhaps. 
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Blockbuster is too expensive. $5.00 a rental? 
Their Netfix idea sucks, period.  |
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NormanSPremium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
kudos:4 Reviews:
 ·SONIC.NET
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102:I'd love to watch On-Demand with Comcast, but the UI is so slow that it is useless. It shouldn't take more than a few seconds for it to load. I have to make sure I never press the "On Demand" button on the remote lest I wait a few minutes before I can change the channel. Ugh. DirecTV VoD menu navigation is quick. Of course, I am limited by my DSL 3 Mb/s speed, so I just set the DVR to catch the shows, and view them at my convenience.
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Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum |
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3 edits | reply to pnh102
said by pnh102:Redbox poses the gravest threat to Blockbuster at this point. I have to say, I agree.. My thoughts on this, what I feel --
I love video online.. convience ease but it has some clear limitations too..
Most people are not in the mood for a hassle to have to be schooled in the technology of new delivery methods of video cause they happen to be in the mood to watch a movie. The home entertainment arrangement is already cross capatible (ie: DVD, Blue-Ray, cable box, TV or HDTV, 5.1 or stereo speaker setup, VCR, etc.), I know that some HDTV makers are considering incorporating technology for receiving broadband video but thats risky too. If its wired, what's the standard, what if my set dies and i buy another one, will it work the same, if its wireless, I don't want to have to worry that my HDTV is on a wall and the signal my have interference problems. I do see broadband as a great integration but not as a threat to current DVD or Blue-ray delivered standards. Also finally, once streamed rather than embedded on a pre-recorded disc, where back to the napster threat to which the signal may be able to be toy'ed with in order to, maybe, get it for free. (remember the box that used to remove the macrovision signal). The disc format offers strong security against piracy which keeps the rental prices down.
Whew, that said... I do have netflix & love it, I don't want to give it up but its not cause I don't like DVD's. Whats nice about the DVD (or blue-ray) is i can just pop it in, if I have the 5.1 setup and hdtv, I don't need no techno knowledge, it does what its supposed to do. Also, if I am visiting friends.. I can just pop it in their player and it plays to the quality of their TV, speakers, etc.
I have always felt that redbox is a grand threat to blockbuster though, to be able to grab a DVD for $1/night while shopping is truly convienient but if I am correct. blockbuster is countering with no late fees on rentals.
I'd like to say that I like broadband delivery & do feel that blockbuster has to consider offering or merging with someone to offer a streaming library similar to netflix if they don't already, at least for the sake of keeping up with the jones's (or should I say netflix) sort of say but I wouldn't want to see the end of the disc; it is still a nice compliment & it has it's advantages as well. |
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 unknvoipRIP goosePremium
join:2006-07-25
Rochester, NY
kudos:1 | reply to cameronsfx
Movies are $0.99 in my neck of the woods. |
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 HpowerRoflmao
join:2000-06-08
Glendale, CA | reply to pnh102
Sorry to ask but what is a redbox? Never heard about that and why is it a theat to blockbuster? Thx
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 nightshade74Yet another genxerPremium
join:2004-11-06
Prattville, AL
 ·Charter
 ·voip.ms
| said by Hpower:Sorry to ask but what is a redbox? Never heard about that and why is it a theat to blockbuster? Thx »www.redbox.com/ |
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HpowerRoflmao
join:2000-06-08
Glendale, CA | Thank you. Haven't kept up with the news much lately
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nightshade74Yet another genxerPremium
join:2004-11-06
Prattville, AL Reviews:
·Charter
·voip.ms
| said by Hpower:Thank you. Haven't kept up with the news much lately I like them... I dont travel much for work but every so often and
usually not to any place particularly interesting. I can pop out
grab a DVD at Redbox and return it when I get home. That
rocks.. |
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 antdudeA Ninja AntPremium,VIP
join:2001-03-25
kudos:2 | reply to digitalfreak
Too bad Redbox have limited selections.  |
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said by unknvoip:Movies are $0.99 in my neck of the woods. You must have competition. It is cheaper to buy the movies than it is to rent them here even at 3 for $20. |
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 KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little GuyPremium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T DSL Service
2 edits | reply to pnh102
Redbox is cool, but has limitations.
The way I see it is traditional rental stores have a serious problem.
One one side they have Redbox, etc providing people very cheap and EASY access to new releases and titles. Convenience. So this hits at their revenue and business by competing in the profitable "New Releases" rental activity.
Then you have Netflix on the other side. Netflix has a massive library of content that no video store could ever come close to matching. So this competes with their other business of people renting older titles, catching up on series or sequels etc they never saw, hell, for a lot of people, it's even replacing a lot of TV watching because it's way more time efficient.
Video rental stores are caught in the middle. They have more selection then redboxes, but are less convenient and not as cheap. They have much LESS selection the Netflix but are more convenient (if you want something RIGHT NOW).
I don't see this as a good position to be in. IMHO the only thing traditional stores have going for them is brand recognition and established brick and mortar locations..... so if I was running Blockbuster for example, or Hollywood video, I would try to leverage that. First, I'd go after BOTH Netflix and Redbox. They're shooting at me, so why not shoot back?
I see no reason why Blockbuster or Hollywood video for example couldn't set up their own version of Netflix. Yes, I know they've been trying... but it seems lackadaisical or not very hard, IMHO. This is silly. They should have all encompassing content online, and tie it into the stores, where you can have DVD's mailed to you ala Netflix, OR you could see availability locally, and get the DVD's from the Brick and mortar stores.
Furthermore, the stores should open "Kiosks" ala Redbox at the stores themselves (and elsewhere) that are 24/7 just like Redbox. Walk up (or even drive up) and hey presto instant rental AND returns.
And personally, I'd integrate it ALL together. Rent from store/online mail/Kiosk and return ANYWHERE you want (store or the Kiosk or mail!)
Example: You get online, queue up some stuff, you see that several are available at your closest Blockbuster, so you go and pick up those (already reserved online you just show up and get them) and then the rest start coming in the mail... you watch the ones that came in the mail but instead you return them to the store but it's closed so you return them via the Blockbuster Rental Kiosk (ala Redbox) and then INSTANTLY you have credit for returned movies online (no mail delay) and that very night/next morning the mail warehouse ships your next queued movies. ETC ETC
In other words, I'd tie it ALL together for the best of all worlds. Store, Kiosk, Online streaming and mail. This is the only way to survive long term, methinks. It's also probably the most versatile for all consumers.
If I was the CEO of Blockbuster, or Hollywood video, or some other chain, this would be what I'd be doing right now.
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"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini
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