[gpollock87]

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...craps-blockbuster-plans-after-wireless-delays

 

[garys]

Article does not state that Blockbuster is being shut down. Dish wanted Blockbuster for something that is probably not going to happen now, but still does have plans for it.

 

[insimbi]

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/05/dish-gives-up-effort-to-turn-blockbuster-into-a-netflix-competit/

 

[gpollock87]

Article does not state that Blockbuster is being shut down. Dish wanted Blockbuster for something that is probably not going to happen now, but still does have plans for it.

the best part of it looks to be getting the boot!

"Dish no longer has plans to use Blockbuster as a nationwide video streaming or DVD-by-mail service, Ergen said."

 

[garys]

the best part of it looks to be getting the boot!

"Dish no longer has plans to use Blockbuster as a nationwide video streaming or DVD-by-mail service, Ergen said."

If you had read further:

The company has other plans for Blockbuster on which Ergen declined to comment. Dish has spent "a lot of time" talking with cable networks about an Internet streaming service for live programming, although the service is probably still "years away," Ergen said.

He may intend to sell it, scrap it or something else. It does not say what. Until he says what he is doing, what you posted is speculation at best.

 

[Nick]

I thought it was a bad move from the start. Other than (not then) the intangeable value of the 'Blockuster' name, BB was a business model whose time had come and gone. I don't know of a single video store left in my area.

The future for on-demand video delivery is IPTV.

 

[tcatdbs]

Just when the mail service started to get a little better... actually getting 1-2 per week these days. It will cause me to drop the $10 for the extra tier when it happens. I'm starting to like Amazon streaming, plus you get their 2 day shipping with it.

 

[Reaper]

I never understood why Dish didn't take Blockbuster streaming to other devices like Roku to compete head on with Netflix. To date it's only been a value-add for Dish subscribers. I don't think that's bad per se, but it certainly wasn't positioned to compete with Netflix.

 

[Inkosaurus]

the best part of it looks to be getting the boot!

The best part of the BB buy out was all the licenses they picked up

 

[DoyleS]

I would clearly have to look at removing the $10 option. At this point, the DVD by mail is the main reason to have it. I want those movies that are not available by streaming such as back seasons of Mad Men, Homeland, the Tudors, Game of Thrones as well as some of the new to DVD releases. These are not available through Amazon streaming on the 2 day shipping program.

 

[pmjones]

I would clearly have to look at removing the $10 option. At this point, the DVD by mail is the main reason to have it. I want those movies that are not available by streaming such as back seasons of Mad Men, Homeland, the Tudors, Game of Thrones as well as some of the new to DVD releases. These are not available through Amazon streaming on the 2 day shipping program.

I'm not sure the article actually says the Dish subscriber plan will change anytime soon. It says DVDs by mail will stop at some point, but it does not say when.

I would guess the 'Blockbuster @ Home' we are using will stay for a while.

 

[garys]

I would clearly have to look at removing the $10 option. At this point, the DVD by mail is the main reason to have it. I want those movies that are not available by streaming such as back seasons of Mad Men, Homeland, the Tudors, Game of Thrones as well as some of the new to DVD releases. These are not available through Amazon streaming on the 2 day shipping program.

A lot of the HBO programs are available through DishOnLine and HBO Go (and that includes Game of Thrones. It would be great if Showtime could get to the level HBO/Cinemax is. I would like to see Mad Men as well, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

 

[DoyleS]

Yeah we are in season 2 of mad men and trying to do 1 disc a week. 3 discs per season balanced with the current fall shows. I mail a disc back on Monday and have another one back by Friday. Half the speed of Netflix but still ok.

 

[SamC]

I thought it was a bad move from the start. Other than (not then) the intangeable value of the 'Blockuster' name, BB was a business model whose time had come and gone. I don't know of a single video store left in my area.

The future for on-demand video delivery is IPTV.

+1

Industries come and go. For most industries, the lifecycle is several generations, often centuries. But eventually technology obsoletes whatever it is you are doing. If you are over 40 or so, you have seen the short lifespan of the physical video rental store be born, grow, consolidate, shrink, and now die.

 

[356B]

I've been getting BB for since the beginning. Many get it for free as a perk, reward or apology for something gone wrong. Personally I've enjoyed the DVD part of the service, granted it's a little slow at times but I live rurally so maybe that's it.
Of greater concern is the streaming, with the obvious Sling / Dish Online problems and no real fix in sight I'm wondering if this may morph into a totally new system.
I do not know if there is a business connection between Dish Online and BB, but for sure the rentals and streaming are synonymous. It has become obvious customers are at the whim of the providers. All you need to do is look at the Zoom suit, the AMC dispute, and now the Gannett hassle, to name a few.
Could this BB situation be the beginning of the end for the current Sling / Dish Online program also?

 

[fudpucker]

"Worst case, we'll take our money after having wasted some time, not much money, and life goes on," Ergen said.

When you're talking to a business outlet like Bloomberg, that kind of comment is usually an admission that you made a mistake, albeit one that didn't cost much.

I'd be surprised if anything Blockbuster related doesn't just fade away. The thermodynamics are there, just a matter of kinetics now.

 

[gireeshbhat]

Discount the streaming (it is nearly worthless) but the rest of the service was pretty good (especially if you have a thriving Blockbuster store nearby - which I do).
For $10 you get additional channels, DVD by mail and the limited streaming. The EPIX channels are a pretty good add-on for the BB package. Also, the DVD by mail service worked for me because I could add any available DVD to my queue, get it in a day and then exchange it for the latest blockbuster (no pun intended) at the local store. I was getting a one business day turnaround for the discs in Houston TX. I am pretty bummed that they are saying that they will shut this down. I thought they offered a fair deal for $10.

 

[tampa8]

I would clearly have to look at removing the $10 option. At this point, the DVD by mail is the main reason to have it. I want those movies that are not available by streaming such as back seasons of Mad Men, Homeland, the Tudors, Game of Thrones as well as some of the new to DVD releases. These are not available through Amazon streaming on the 2 day shipping program.

Why would you pay $10 for one rental at a time with Blockbuster if the many channels that you get are not what you want? Netflix would better fit your needs. The allure of the $10 package are those channels (which I watch very often) and the plus is getting rentals by mail. If I was more interested in the rentals I would get Netflix, or take a look a Vudu.

 

[jsk]

I never understood why Dish didn't take Blockbuster streaming to other devices like Roku to compete head on with Netflix. To date it's only been a value-add for Dish subscribers. I don't think that's bad per se, but it certainly wasn't positioned to compete with Netflix.

In the article it mentioned that they couldn't compete with Netflix as an Internet streaming service because they are too well established. They wanted to wait until they could not only do what Netflix does, but also stream to portable devices that were available in their BB stores, but that didn't work out so they scrapped the whole thing.

 

[sregener]

Why would you pay $10 for one rental at a time with Blockbuster if the many channels that you get are not what you want? Netflix would better fit your needs. The allure of the $10 package are those channels (which I watch very often) and the plus is getting rentals by mail. If I was more interested in the rentals I would get Netflix, or take a look a Vudu.

I pay $10/month because it is the cheapest way for me to get Blu-Rays. Yeah, it's $2.50 each, but I also have the luxury of not having to watch it the day I get it and dropping it in the mail rather than having to go back to a RedBox. The selection is much bigger than RedBox, too. The channels that I get are a nice bonus, but not the reason I pay for the service. Oh, and I get streaming of movies that I'd otherwise have to rent.

Netflix would charge me $10/month for Blu-Ray rentals, and I'd get no channels or streaming with that price. How is that a better deal?

But if Dish drops the disc service, I'll drop Blockbuster in a heartbeat.