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Blockbuster Tests Game Rentals
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Downloadable Content
Blockbuster is testing video game rentals as part of their Total Access subscription and should be available to all their customers by the second half of 2009. Although games cost more than DVDs and have a shorter shelf life, the company may get into some revenue sharing deals with game studios. If you want to subscribe to the service, it will cost you a $5.00 surcharge. In the true spirit of competition, we hope this will help the Blockbuster stay in the game, literally.
Read More 
| Hacking Netflix
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More Companies Predicted to Go Under This Year
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Misc. Tech, Transportation
Moody’s Investors Service says that there may be 25 large company bankruptcies this year. Ratings from them and other sources came up with a list of those that are feeling the pinch. Sirius, Chrysler, Six Flags, Blockbuster, Rite Aid, and our beloved Krispy Kreme are all at risk of going under. Most of the companies have limited cash, large debts with huge interest payments and little chance of refinancing. While some of this may be inevitable, we suggest you go out and buy American. Treat your family or office to a dozen donuts or a trip to the amusement park.
Read More | Microblog Buzz
Netflix streaming hits VIZIO Connected HDTV [UPDATED]
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, CES, CES 2009, Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies
VIZIO is launching a new platform that they’re calling “Conneced HDTV,” and with it comes confirmation of the second Netflix direct-to-TV partnership. VIZIO’s Connected HDTV platform is designed to compliment traditional television viewing. You just connect the television to your home network, and if there’s nothing good on, you can go into Netflix, and I am sure there will be other services (YouTube? Hulu?) that you’ll be able to pull up as well. This is a trend we are definitely liking, let’s eliminate set-top boxes while providing more viewing options for the consumer.
EDIT: Okay, we just got more details on this. Aside from Netflix, the VIZIO Connected HDTV platform also brings Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora, Flickr, Blockbuster OnDemand, Rhapsody, Adobe Flash content, games from Accedo Broadband, and the Yahoo! widget engine. Very, very interesting!
Read More | MarketWatch
Samsung BD-P2500 and P-2550 Feature Netflix in HD
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies, Videos
And the Netflix/Blockbuster beat goes on. Samsung has announced that its BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray Players, as of the first week in December, will have access to movies and TV shows via Netflix in HD via a firmware update. While both models can already access over 12,000 videos, so far they have been in standard definition. At this point, there are 300 titles available in HD, with many more expected in the months to come.
Read More | DVD Town
Blockbuster Debuts MediaPoint Player
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies
Still trying to compete with their nemesis, Blockbuster has announced their own set-top box. The MediaPoint Player was made by 2Wire and will set you back $99.00 with an initial 25 films. After that, customers can download HD movies via broadband for $1.99 and keep them up to 30 days. However, once play is pushed, it must be watched within 24 hours. Blockbuster OnDemand is available now and will be to future customers who do not subscribe to Blockbuster Online.
Read More | Reuters
Apple lists different prices for same Dashbuster iPhone app!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Movies, Software
Okay, Apple, we know that you’ve had some trouble getting your act together since the iPhone 3G launch, but when you list two different prices in different areas of iTunes for the same app, that is when it is just getting ridiculous. Case in point, Dashbuster. I downloaded the free version from the App Store about a week ago, as it sounded fantastic to be able to manage my Netflix queue from the iPhone. The app, however, was missing a couple of features that I wanted - namely, the ability to add movies to the queue, select the format of the disc, etc. That was to come in the pad version.
Well, due to the fact that Apple has been unable to push updates out in a timely fashion, the paid version was finished, but I had to wait about a week for it to hit the App Store. I searched for the app, saw it was available for $5, and proceeded to download it. I then saw that there was a bug in the app, where it wouldn’t show my queue at all. I emailed the developer, and he responded (almost immediately) offering help. He also mentioned that the app should have been $3.99, not $4.99 like I paid.
Click to continue reading Apple lists different prices for same Dashbuster iPhone app!
Read More | Gallery: Dashbuster pricing screwed up
Gallery: Apple lists different prices for same Dashbuster iPhone app!
Blockbuster and NCR DVD Kiosks
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Video Games
In its never-ending quest to one-up Netflix, Blockbuster will be teaming with NCR to create DVD Vending Kiosks. Fifty of them will be launched in Q3, with more planned if they are a success. If so, they can be upgraded for game sales, digital downloads, and DVD sales. No locations have been announced as yet, but we figure the same people who don’t want to run out to their local video store certainly won’t want to make it to the nearest kiosk.
Read More | I4U News
Netflix Stock Plummets
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Editorial, Internet, Movies
If you are a Netflix devotee, you may have noticed that the site was down for over 12 hours this week, but what you may not be aware of is the fact that their stock price hit the lowest it has in over two years. Lowering monthly fees by $1.00 and thereby losing profits is one of the company’s attempts to compete with the mega-giant Blockbuster. Yesterday their stock dropped to $15.62 then rebounded to $16.10 (a loss of 6.8%) as an indication of stockholders’ distress. Statistics also indicate that last month they had a decrease of 55,000 subscribers since April. They may lose even more profit as they invest in new tech to allow online movies that can be viewed on TV via high-speed Internet connections.
The company has had its share of problems since Blockbuster offered the option to swap DVDs at their stores instead of waiting for the mail. We love Netflix for its originality and are not thrilled with the fact that they may be knocked down because of that glorious concept known as competition. We have watched our neighbor video stores crumble because of Blockbuster’s large scale takeover efforts and hope that the beleaguered rival can take a bite back and retain its standing.
Read More | MSNBC
Rumor: Blockbuster To Start Renting DS Games
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Rumors
Given that the little-two-screened-handheld that could has been topping the sales charts these days, I don’t see why Blockbuster hadn’t thought of this earlier… if current rumors prove true, then the video-rental mega-chain will start renting DS games in the near future. The rental price is rumored to be $4.99 for a week, which isn’t a terrible deal compared with services like Gamefly. Of course, if their DS selection ends up being anything like what I’ve seen for their other console selections, Blockbuster might not be your best bet for getting the latest, hottest games.
Blockbuster stopped renting GBA carts years ago, due to problems with renters removing the chips inside the cartridges and replacing them with less desirable games. However, this seems like something that should be easy enough to test these days (and charge to the credit card of the offender!).
Read More | Play-Nintendo.com
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