Blockbuster in talks with mobile makers for video on the go
By Sean Cooper 
posted Nov 29th 2007 2:41AM
posted Nov 29th 2007 2:41AM
Apparently Blockbuster Video is wooing mobile device makers in an attempt to make mobile video content consumption a little easier on the consumers. While no names were specifically mentioned, Blockbuster CEO James Keyes did say that they were in talks with virtually all major handset manufacturers. We've no clue how the vids will be delivered if this gets off the ground, but wouldn't be too averse to downloading flicks on the device if the file size -- and data tariffs -- could be kept sane. Mr Keyes went on to say that he's started watching films on his BlackBerry thanks to a little technical help from a Blockbuster employee and from Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research in Motion. Of course, we're sure the technical help mentioned didn't have anything to do with DVD Decrypter and the illegal copying of DVDs, right guys?
can my phone play doom? ... the movie one?
My question is:
Why in god's name would you want that?
Duh! because...um... dang ... thats a good point!
Voted + to both :-D
Sprint already offers movie rentals... they're quasi-streamed to the phone and split up into parts, so they're really annoying. If Blockbuster could do it right, which I doubt they can because they can't even do regular rentals right, then it might save them.
Watching a movie on a phone is annoying by itself.. even on a BB or a Treo, it's hard to look at it for more than 30-50 minutes... if you really want to watch movies on the go, buy an Archos (and even this isnt quite good) or an eeePC or something like that.. after all, if you have the time to watch a whole movie on that place, I don't think you REALLY need it to be on you phone
One last try before BlockBuster goes down in flames -- well, goodluck with that. As some one already mentioned, you can't manage to rent videos correctly -- what in the hell makes you think that ANYONE is going to rent movies downloaded to their cellphone, at $29.99 (per month "bundle" with a year contract) from PHONE-BUSTER, with your company's sh*tty tack-record of customer dissatisfaction?
You f*cked up video rental business, you f*cked-up the TIVO download service, you f*ck-up EVERYTHING YOU touch. So... whatever.
@ByronGman
Because you're riding the train/bus every morning and want something to watch while going to work. Now, if you're sitting in your car during rush-hour traffic every morning -- than this cellphone/movie idea is completely pointless.
I don't know about you guys but I think people who watch videos specifically movies on their cellphone are weird...
What you talkin bout? Getting 'caught' watching pr0n is the best way to find a date on mass transit, period.
i stopped going to blockbuster when i rented 2 games for 21$ cdn
i can't wait for them to just die out
Do the online Total Access and you can trade in mailers to get games for $4.99 (more or less, depending on location)... Or just do the monthly Game Pass and pay a single monthly fee to have unlimited time with your games.
Blockbuster won't be dying out any time soon. They're on top of the rental industry and are nowhere near "going down in flames."
If you want "going down in flames" then look no further than Movie Gallery/Hollywood Video.
If Netflix and Gamefly joined into one service for a low monthly fee, then MAYBE Blockbuster would be in trouble.
"If Netflix and Gamefly joined into one service for a low monthly fee, then MAYBE Blockbuster would be in trouble"
Blockbuster only survived because they ripped off Netflix and Gamefly. They NEVER had a online service until Netflix and Gamefly started killing them. I know because I've been a Gamefly member since January 2003 and I went to them out of frustration over stupid BB.
That's BB's modus operandi though: Let someone else be innovative, then we'll step in with our huge corporate backing and copy the competition.
I haven't stepped into a Blockbuster in nearly 3 years! I tried their online service and it blew compard to Netflix. My friends tried to swtich to BB Online because they wanted to be able to take their DVDs back to a brick & mortar store... and cancelled a month later and went back to Netflix.
I know BB won't die cause the last time I checked, they were owned by VIACOM. That's the only thing that holds them up if you ask me.
And while times change and I'm sure they probably don't do these things anymore... but Blockbuster NEVER beat their competition fairly with straight sales and memberships. No, when I worked for them, it was ALL about taking over mom & pop stores (the more popular the store was, the more BB wanted to buy them out. This was so prevalent in BB's mission, they used to have a section of their employee newsletter that bragged about new acquisitions). We also knew that BB would rent empty store space just to prevent other chains from getting them. I remember a BB store manager who walked into another chain's adult section and counted the number of porn vids they had and then filed a complaint because Orlando law only allows a certain # of porn per square feet. It's like playing football and instead of scoring more points or being better, you just poison the other team so they can't perform as well.
Blockbuster is corporate garbage of the worse kind.
Actually Blockbuster broke away from VIACOM about 4 years ago.
This better be free with my blockbuster online service.
That would piss me off if it wasnt. They already restricted the number of in store returns we could use.
I'm wondering which mobile device makers Blockbuster iscurrently dealing with