Warner / Blockbuster deal keeps movies out of kiosks for a month
By Richard Lawler 
posted March 23rd 2010 5:38PM
posted March 23rd 2010 5:38PM
Just in case Warner's ideal demarcation between release windows wasn't clear enough, it's struck a new deal with Blockbuster splitting rental dates for movies. Just like Redbox and Netflix, Warner movies are now on a 28-day delay before they appear in rental kiosks, but are available for rent at store locations or by mail on the same day they go on sale. Blockbuster CEO James Keyes calls the four-week lead an agreement that "reinforces Blockbuster's position as the most convenient source for new movies" but we're figuring with steady competition from VOD services (including its own Blockbuster On Demand, which will maintain day-and-date releases,) it will still have a tough time clawing back ground lost to the competition. First flicks under the new deal? The Blind Side and Sherlock Holmes.
Helloooooooooooo PIRACY!
Not that I would know but I've heard both of those could have been download from the internets a few days ago. Just saying.
usually, when a new release comes out that I'd like to try, I stick it in my Netflix queue, but I only put it at the top if I really want to see it. Otherwise, there's several movies from two years ago still halfway down my queue, and it will probably be 6 months before I get to them, even with 3 blurays at a time.
Its not even about me being patient, I just don't have time to watch more than three movies a week. The only time I've torrented is if it's an old anime or something that's never had a dvd or american release or if its some odd movie that I don't have that everyone wants to watch that night... but with all the streaming services now available I actually haven't even run into that in a year.
This would be big news if people still rented from Blockbuster.
Ahh the last hurrah from a dying company. I could be talking about either Warner OR Blockbuster here, as they both lose. Nobody goes to Blockbuster anymore, and Warner is just begging people to pirate their movies which will hurry their end as well. This may be more exciting to watch than the movie itself!
Meh. The only people that this matters to are the only ones left that rent DVDs from Blockbuster: either your older relatives who can't use that new-fangled streaming thing-am-a-jig, or shut ins that don't know about Netflix or Redbox.