Blockbuster ready to fail?

[M.Dancer]

Edited April 1, 2010 by M.Dancer

[Michael Hardner]

Ouch. Better sell my shares !

[Moonlight Graham]

Who cares. They didn't fix their business model enough when torrents and Netflix started to become the rage.

[Michael Hardner]

Who cares. They didn't fix their business model enough when torrents and Netflix started to become the rage.

How do you fix that business model ?

[Bonam]

How do you fix that business model ?

Offer online services.

[DrGreenthumb]

Offer online services.

Walmart killed blockbuster just like it is killing off all the video game stores now too. WHy would I spend nearly 10 bucks to rent a movie or game when I can can buy it and keep it for 20?

[M.Dancer]

WHy would I spend nearly 10 bucks to rent a movie or game when I can can buy it and keep it for 20?

I wouldn't know..blockbuster rents for under $6.00....why would I want to keep a movie I have already seen?

Walmart is faced withnthesame challenges as blockbuster and has less locations. Walmart isn't a factor in Blockbusters woes

Edited April 1, 2010 by M.Dancer

[Mr.Canada]

We haven't rented a movie in years now. We watch all our movies streaming off the internet now through HTPC as do millions of others. Going to the video store is going the way of the dodo. A couple clicks and anyone can get the same movie right into their homes.

[GostHacked]

The Onion.

[M.Dancer]

Blockbuster not only faces challenges from competitors like kiosks, Walmart and indies, they are not only up against the internet...they face encroachment by cable and satelitte providers with on demand service.

Bonam is right. They need an online portal that is simpler than what is currently available and they need to enhance their outlets, more video games, PC games..and so on.

Unfortunately for them, with the threat of delisting by the NYSE because their market cap is now under 75 million, raising the capital to do that will be tough.

[Guest American Woman]

Don't know if it's available in Canada, but Redbox is the way to go. $1 rentals, for brand new releases, too, and available 24/7; and you can return it at any location. It's no wonder places like Blockbuster are going under.

[M.Dancer]

Redbox

Is that a vending machine?

[Guest American Woman]

Is that a vending machine?

Yes.

[bush_cheney2004]

Don't know if it's available in Canada, but Redbox is the way to go. $1 rentals, for brand new releases, too, and available 24/7; and you can return it at any location. It's no wonder places like Blockbuster are going under.

Maybe that works for you, but sometimes there are long lines at peak hours. Netflix @ $9.00 per month for unlimited streaming to PS3 or XBox AND DVDs by mail is a no brainer.

[Guest American Woman]

Maybe that works for you, but sometimes there are long lines at peak hours. Netflix @ $9.00 per month for unlimited streaming to PS3 or XBox AND DVDs by mail is a no brainer.

I don't pre-plan my rentals enough in advance for DVD's by mail to be an option I'd ever consider. I also rarely rent as many as nine movies a month, so Netflix isn't an option I'd consider either, but it's definitely the way to go for anyone who does watch/rent a lot. But for me, Redbox is great. Love the off-beat hours, too, as I often decide I'd like to watch a movie on the spur of the moment.

[M.Dancer]

We use blockbuster...but also Rogers on Demand.

[bush_cheney2004]

I don't pre-plan my rentals enough in advance for DVD's by mail to be an option I'd ever consider. I also rarely rent as many as nine movies a month, so Netflix isn't an option I'd consider either, but it's definitely the way to go for anyone who does watch/rent a lot.

I was reluctant to try Netflix with WiFi streaming, but it's fine with a PS3. As long as I keep my queue filled, the hits just keep on coming.

But for me, Redbox is great. Love the off-beat hours, too, as I often decide I'd like to watch a movie on the spur of the moment.

Redbox is popular in my area as well. But if people take too long to decide, folks in line begin stabbing with thier eyes.

[bush_cheney2004]

We use blockbuster...but also Rogers on Demand.

My Blockbuster card is growing mold in a drawer.

[M.Dancer]

My Blockbuster card is growing mold in a drawer.

It's a 5 minute walk from my door. Sometimes the boybarian gets to pick the movie and blockbuster has the complete justice league and super friends catalogue...

[M.Dancer]

Redbox is popular in my area as well. But if people take too long to decide, folks in line begin stabbing with thier eyes.

Must be a lot of pressure selecting a good parn flick with your neighbours behind you looking over your shoulder...

"Look Madge, Mike is renting Hot College Jock Watersports, Again!

[bush_cheney2004]

Must be a lot of pressure selecting a good parn flick with your neighbours behind you looking over your shoulder...

"Look Madge, Mike is renting Hot College Jock Watersports, Again!

LOL! It really is....at peak hours...there can be ten people or more in line wishing to return a DVD and get a new one. Some places have a return line only to spare them from the awful waiting for "Mike". And the funny part is that the "Mike's" of the world will go through every genre selection each time! I don't have that kind of patience.

When the engineers made the RedBox kiosk, apparently they weren’t thinking about the people who would be standing in line just to return a video. While a person is sitting there browsing through the titles, often times, I find myself waiting. A few times, I’ve interrupted their browsing to say, “Hey, mind if I just return this DVD real quick?” (It only takes 5 seconds to return a DVD but people browsing DVDs could take a long time.) If you should ever find yourself at a RedBox kiosk browsing movies to rent, please pay attention to the people standing behind you.

http://www.markwarrick.com/index.php/2009/01/redbox-love-it-hate-it/

[Edward]

I just use On Demand, which seems a bit crazy to me because I grew up renting movies ALL THE TIME. I even used to work at a video store. Seriously can't even remember the last time I stepped into a Blockbuster - it was probably 2 or 3 years ago.

[maple_leafs182]

http://www.movies-links.tv/

Every movie you could want free via streaming.

[M.Dancer]

http://www.movies-links.tv/

Every movie you could want free via streaming.

nope

[August1991]

We haven't rented a movie in years now. We watch all our movies streaming off the internet now through HTPC as do millions of others. Going to the video store is going the way of the dodo. A couple clicks and anyone can get the same movie right into their homes.

Whether you download legally or illegally, the quality is crappy. (Illegal copies are really crappy; legal copies are just crappy. A typical Bluray movie has about 20 GB of data. The typical legal download is about 2 GB and illegal copies are around 0.5 GB. Do the math.)

Don't know if it's available in Canada, but Redbox is the way to go. $1 rentals, for brand new releases, too, and available 24/7; and you can return it at any location. It's no wonder places like Blockbuster are going under.

This has been tried in Montreal but hasn't been successful. People seem to like to look at the back cover of the DVD, and maybe talk to staff. Dunno.

We use blockbuster...but also Rogers on Demand.

I have used Bell ExpressVu and iTunes. The quality is not Bluray.

---

The US Netflix seems to work. The Canadian equivalent doesn't. (I suggest checking forum commenst about zip.ca or its competitors.)

Why not a single Netflix for the continent? Well, for the same reason that Canadians can't stream Comedy Central from the US. The CRTC protects a specific group of Canadians and forces all Canadians to buy from them. (The same logic applies when you buy milk and cheese.)

----

I have many thoughts about this but I will mention one. When you have to buy or rent a physical object, the artistic creator receives something for their efforts, and other artists have an incentive to create more.

When there is no physical object involved, and unless DRM technology is sophisticated, all artists become buskers, dependant on shaming a passing audience.

Edited May 5, 2010 by August1991