Samsung rolls out Amazon, Blockbuster video store access across HDTVs, HTIBs and Blu-ray players everywhere
Just as promised, the (still SD only) Blockbuster OnDemand service is now available on a slew of Samsung hardware via firmware update, while the Internet@TV lineup (LCD and Plasma HDTVs Series 650 and above and LED HDTVs Series 7000) has a brand new toy with the Amazon VOD Yahoo! widget (which does support HD.) Both services offer a slew of rental and/or purchase options for the digital delivery fanatic, though we still hunger for the audio and quality of VUDU plus the all you can eat goodness of Netflix Watch Instantly, of the millions of TVs out there, there's surely someone willing to sift through those menus for the ease of viewing Ghosts of Girlfriends Past without resorting to cable VOD -- or getting up from the couch. The "convenience" goes both ways, since they'll also be able to pick up compatible Samsung blu-ray players at Blockbuster stores, right next to the TiVo section -- check for exact model #s supported in the PR after the break.
Show full PR text
Samsung Announces Amazon Video On Demand Coming to Select Samsung HDTVs
Samsung to Give Consumers More Choice and Access to Digital Movies and TV shows With Access to Amazon's More than 50,000 titles, including over 2,000 HD movies and TV shows
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., and SEATTLE, Wash. (October 14, 2009) – Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced that Amazon Video On Demand will be available on select Samsung HDTVs via a downloadable widget, offering consumers access to Amazon's huge selection of over 50,000 titles from leading movie studios and networks. Starting today, owners of Samsung LCD and Plasma HDTVs Series 650 and above and Samsung LED HDTVs Series 7000 and above can download the Amazon Video On Demand widget for free using the Internet@TV - Content Service feature on their HDTVs. Amazon Video On Demand delivers immediate access to more than 50,000 premium, commercial-free movies and television shows available to rent or purchase on demand. Today's announcement of Amazon Video On Demand availability adds to Samsung's existing Internet@TV lineup, which now includes premium services and content from Twitter, Yahoo!, YouTube and others.
"Consumers have told us they want easy access to premium on demand TV shows and movies, and we're very pleased to continue to offer more ways to do that with Amazon Video On Demand through our Internet@TV – Content Service feature, " said John Revie, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "Whether it's watching their favorite Blu-ray movie or instantly streaming their favorite content, we're committed to offering people maximum choice and will continue to be an innovator."
The Amazon Video On Demand widget allows customers to search, browse, and rent or purchase from Amazon's digital video catalog directly from their Samsung HDTV. Amazon's catalog includes over 50,000 titles with over 2,000 in high definition, and features new-release movies and "day after" broadcast TV episodes. With Amazon Video On Demand, customers pay only for what they want to watch with no subscription required. Customers' purchases are stored online in their Amazon Video On Demand video library which also enables customers to access their videos from PCs, Macs, and other compatible devices.
"We are pleased to offer customers access to our library of over 50,000 movies and TV shows on Samsung's award-winning line of HDTVs," said Bill Carr, Amazon vice president of Video and Music. "Our customers love the experience of getting our service directly in their living room, and Samsung is helping us deliver on the promise of even greater access to thousands of titles directly on the TV."
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel; Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial.
Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS), Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS), Amazon Mechanical Turk and Amazon CloudFront.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn.
As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
###
Samsung and Blockbuster Roll Out BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® Services For Select Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray Players and Blu-ray Integrated Home Theater Systems Starting Today
Millions of Homes Across America to Gain Access to Movies Through BLOCKBUSTER On Demand ; Blockbuster Service to Provide Seamless Entertainment Experience
Across Multiple Devices in the Home
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., and DALLAS (October 14, 2009) – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, and Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B), a global leader in entertainment, today announced the immediate availability of Blockbuster's vast and growing library of premium digital entertainment for rent or purchase on select 2009 Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray Players and Blu-ray integrated Home Theater Systems.
Specific models featuring the new BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service include Samsung Series 650 and above LCD and Plasma HDTVs and Series 7000 and above LED HDTVs. The service is also available on Samsung BD -P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600 Blu-ray players, as well as select Samsung Blu-ray integrated Home Theater Systems (HT-BD1250, HT-BD3252, HT-BD7200 and HT-BD8200) via firmware upgrade.
"This is another real example that shows our commitment to giving consumers even more ways to access and enjoy a broad variety of high quality content through innovation, and really pushing the envelope with defining what connected TV experiences can deliver," said Tim Baxter, President of Samsung Electronics America. "Whether it's renting their favorite Blu-ray movie from Blockbuster or streaming their favorite content, our goal is to take the TV-watching experience to new levels and deliver maximum value."
With this service rollout, Blockbuster is introducing a seamless entertainment experience that allows consumers to watch BLOCKBUSTER On Demand content across multiple Blockbuster-enabled devices in the home. For example, Mom or Dad could order "Scooby Doo: The Goblin King" from BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on blockbuster.com at work, and the kids could start watching right away on their Samsung TV in the living room and watch it again on a Samsung Blu-ray player in the den. Mom and Dad could later order "Observe and Report" directly on the Samsung Blu-ray in the den, start watching, and then continue watching it on the Samsung TV in the bedroom.
"We're excited to bring BLOCKBUSTER On Demand through Samsung into millions of homes across the country," said Kevin Lewis, senior vice president digital entertainment for Blockbuster. "We're combining the newest movies available for digital delivery with a feature-rich and easy-to-use interface, and through our seamless digital connection, we're integrating it across Samsung's enabled HDTVs, Blu-ray players and Home Theater Systems to create a complete movie viewing experience consumers will value and enjoy."
With the BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service, owners of these Samsung devices now have the hottest new releases from Blockbuster right at their fingertips -- whether it's the latest comedies such as "Year One," action-packed thrillers like "State of Play", hot box office hits such as "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past", and award winners like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The video on demand (VOD) movie rentals range from $2.99 to $3.99, while purchases will typically range from $7.99 to $19.99.
The BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service provides comprehensive on-screen search and browsing capabilities, as well as full details, ratings, trailers, and other information about each movie directly on the television, eliminating the need for customers to manage a viewing queue on their PC. The offering will be easily accessible by selecting the Internet@TV feature on Samsung TVs or clicking a color-coded button on remotes for Samsung Blu-ray players and home theater systems. Once a customer rents or buys a movie, they simply press play to begin instant viewing.
To support the launch, Samsung Blu-ray disc players with the integrated BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service will be sold in Blockbuster's thousands of corporate-owned stores and participating franchise stores.
About Blockbuster
Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI - News, BBI.B - News) is a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with more than 7,100 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at www.blockbuster.com.
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.
