Blockbuster, Sonic Solutions team up for online movie delivery

Oh, Blockbuster -- what will we ever do with you? After first launching that branded MediaPoint box that all of four people purchased, you're now waltzing into the digital distribution party a few months late. According to a somewhat ambiguous report issued this morning, the movie giant has teamed up with Sonic Solutions in order to "give consumers access to a vast library of premium digital entertainment across a wide assortment of home and mobile electronic devices." In other words, those kosher with downloading content via Sonic's existing CinemaNow products and the like can soon have Blockbuster material on their handhelds, laptops and LCD-equipped threads. At least initially, BB will still be selling this material on a pay-per-view type system, though a subscription model could be implemented (read: should be implemented) shortly.

[Via CNET]

[Burt Reynolds @ Jan 14th 2009 2:06AM]

Hoorah???

[toaogatortfc @ Jan 14th 2009 2:19AM]

Wii Remote much?

[Michael @ Jan 14th 2009 8:32AM]

What?

[jholl016 @ Jan 14th 2009 11:13AM]

just because it's white?

[xsirxx @ Jan 15th 2009 12:17PM]

Blockbuster, the Circuit City of 2009?

[Wild Bill @ Jan 14th 2009 5:45AM]

I used to work in Blockbusters when I was about 19, eight years ago. I remember at the time getting into P2P and mouthing off at anyone who'd listen that Blockbusters should move into that field (i.e. digital distribution).
Yeah, I think they're a little late on this one.

[Steve C. @ Jan 14th 2009 2:25PM]

Blockbuster's pay-per-view model will fail miserably as Netflix's model adds more and more subscribers. They seem to have a business plan that's "we're not going to do what Netflix does, no matter how successful they are . . . until we almost go bankrupt, and then we'll do what they do."

Too bad. Ten years ago, Blockbuster was a huge company and Netflix was an idea. Blockbuster management should be fired and replaced with people who have a better view of tomorrow, not yesterday.

[HeadMajor @ Jan 14th 2009 1:33PM]

Yeah, you've nailed it exactly.
I also previously was a store manager for them, and have been saddened by their continued missteps.
I've been dreading the thought of doing netflix, but with the netflix now being on the xbox360, I just can't see any reason to hold out hope that blockbuster will ever get their act together, and will probably jump on the netflix bandwagon here soon.

[Rob @ Jan 14th 2009 9:55AM]

Ok, so let me understand Blockbuster's business plan with this box here.
1) I need to buy the box ($99)
2) deliver the junk to the box through my Comcast internet (increasing the possibility of being capped)
3) buy it at an over inflated price. ($3+)

No thank you.

Wow, someone is not thinking straight. Netflix is offering the same service for free to its subscribers. All you need is to either buy the little box from the likes of Roku. But, if you're already a subscribers to some services like Xbox Live Gold or Tivo, you get it free. And soon, it'd be incorporated into the tv sets. So, again, why should I pick Blockbuster's plan over Netflix's? In any event, even if I don't want to use either of mentioned companies, I can go with RedBox or Amazon for $0.99 rentals.

Blockbuster, you got to go buddy. Your best days are behind you. I think people finally realize that paying over $4 for renting a movie you can find cheaper elsewhere is not the best deal. Get with the program BB.

[miles @ Jan 14th 2009 12:19PM]

If you rent 25 movies in advance the box is free. Also I thought BB would get new releases faster that Netflix. I also dont rent to many movies so the pay per view model is ok with me. Another point is that I dont think they are in HD for now (possible in future upgrade).

[Jamus @ Jan 14th 2009 10:06AM]

If that little box could just run Boxee. :(

I was excited about it at first till I read that it uses a Via processor and would require a complete rewrite of the XBMC/Boxee code.

[Bailers @ Jan 14th 2009 11:22AM]

So... what about the rumored PS3 linkup? I'm on the edge of deciding (yeah, I'm really late on this) between a 360 and PS3. If blockbuster teams up with Sony, that would push my decision clearly to the PS3.

[nxp3 @ Jan 14th 2009 11:30AM]

I don't mind the pay per view model, I don't rent that much, but hell if I'm buying an extra equipment. At this point they would have to pay me to put that thing in my house for the hopes that I rent from them. Renting online and getting below bluray quality just don't make any sense. I just got Dish Network HD....and their HD is alright...but no where close to bluray quality. I doubt that over ethernet would be any better. Just make it easy for people...get it on 360 or ps3 and you might have a chance.

[Frank @ Jan 15th 2009 1:21AM]

I got the LG blu-ray player with built-in Netflix for christmas, but I returned it because I just dont need it yet. Netflix does not offer all of their movies as downloads yet, so I dont see a purpose for that... it would just be annoying not to be able to download new releases. My dvd player also upconverts very nicely to my 37inch lcd tv, so I'm in no rush to upgrade to blu-ray. I'll wait til next christmas and see where technology takes us. By then the same player will be half price, blu-ray movies will be $15 a piece and Netflix or Blockbuster will offer all of their movies as downloads.