Fezmid Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/04/07/block...ity-to-survive/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/04/07/block...ity-to-survive/ Like we couldn't see this coming. I'm surprised they've lasted this long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt. Dan's Revenge Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Like we couldn't see this coming. I'm surprised they've lasted this long. That was my first thought, almost verbatim. Another victim of the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Miner Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Another victim of the internet. Bad management yes. Internet no. Companies that didn't and don't see giant technological advances like the Internet as opportunities, but instead as threats, are likely the ones that have already been or will be in the bankruptcy line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Maybe if they hadn't intentionally run aspects of their business (e.g. their online rental program) at a loss and stole proprietary software in order to put Netflix out of business, they would still be viable. You break the laws of competition and you pay the consequences. F:You, Blockbuster! Long live Netflix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Bad management yes. Internet no. Companies that didn't and don't see giant technological advances like the Internet as opportunities, but instead as threats, are likely the ones that have already been or will be in the bankruptcy line. Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 Long live Netflix! The problem is that with Blockbuster out of the picture, Netflix has less competition. They've already raised their price on Blu-Ray twice in the past 6-9 months.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt. Dan's Revenge Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Bad management yes. Internet no. Companies that didn't and don't see giant technological advances like the Internet as opportunities, but instead as threats, are likely the ones that have already been or will be in the bankruptcy line. Good point. My only question would be how would Blockbuster's management ever be able to compete with all of the pirating of DVD's that goes on in today's era due to the internet? That had to be a huge factor in their decline. People LOVE free. They don't like lines, "sold out" signs, or late fees. Blockbuster had no answer for the DVD burner, just like it didn't manage itself into a Net Flix type company. One was unaviodable, the other was their misjudgement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 The problem is that with Blockbuster out of the picture, Netflix has less competition. They've already raised their price on Blu-Ray twice in the past 6-9 months.... If only sony would have played fairly and HD-DVD were still around, we wouldn't be dealing with this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I never liked Blockbuster, there late fees always drove me crazy. Glad to see them die off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsNYC Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Ha...just canceled my service with them 2 weeks ago after a year. When I signed up it was 3 movies at a time, unlimited exchanges in store, and a free game rental every month. It went down to 5 in store exchanges, no coupon, and the in store exchange counted as one of your movies out and they never lowered the price. Told em to f off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Miner Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Good point. My only question would be how would Blockbuster's management ever be able to compete with all of the pirating of DVD's that goes on in today's era due to the internet? That had to be a huge factor in their decline. People LOVE free. They don't like lines, "sold out" signs, or late fees. Blockbuster had no answer for the DVD burner, just like it didn't manage itself into a Net Flix type company. One was unaviodable, the other was their misjudgement. Hindsight is always 20/20 (hopefully). Not being an expert on BB's failings I can't say for sure. But it didn't take a genius years ago to see that media was moving to the digital format. I would bet BB's management is kicking themselves for not moving to something along the lines of the iTunes setup, along with the Netflix setup. I think iTunes success shows that although people do like free, a successful business can be made out of us remaining suckers that will still pay for legal convenience. They could have had a much easier road than iTunes since although people could pirate movies, it wasn't nearly as rampant as music pirating. Had they gotten an online delivery system together, along with agreements from movie studios, IMO they could have been poised to be a leader in the movie rental business for years to come, instead of a failed bankrupt company. With a proper delivery system in place, they could have started branching out to TV manufacturers and the TIVO guys and started integrating their system all over the place like companies are now starting to do. Not to mention integration with all the handheld mp3/video players and cell phones that are now out. Not only did BB miss the boat on digital media, they couldn't even find the ocean. As far as Netflix goes, the little I think I know makes me bet their Blu-ray price increase has something to do with Sony holding out on them in the Instant Watch sector of their business. Sony likes to play hardball, but often forgets they aren't the only ones with leverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodBye Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 If only sony would have played fairly and HD-DVD were still around, we wouldn't be dealing with this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 My only question would be how would Blockbuster's management ever be able to compete with all of the pirating of DVD's that goes on in today's era due to the internet? That had to be a huge factor in their decline. People LOVE free. That's actually overstated. Most people who would normally buy movies/music pay for them. Those who don't are the type who normally wouldn't buy them anyway. Look at the sales numbers: Total sales and rentals of DVDs amounted to $23.4 billion in 2007, about 3% lower than in 2006, according to industry figures that the Digital Entertainment Group will release today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The largest factor in the dip? Economic hurdles that challenged the home-video industry just as it did other businesses, says Amy Jo Smith, the group's president. "Consumers have less disposable income, but they still choose to buy and rent DVDs," she says. Consumers spent $16 billion buying DVDs, about $600 million less than in 2006. But rentals matched last year's total of $7.5 billion. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2...-slippage_N.htm Rental stayed even between 2006 and 2007 -- $7.5 BILLION. Sales dipped only $600 million, down to $16 BILLION. So no, I don't think pirating has much of anything to do with the industry as a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I had issues with Blockbuster too many times (gift cards expiring before I bought it, videos returned to store and never checked in by staff, refusal to honor previous agreements "call headquarters") to rent any more there. Only thing I use them for is free reward rentals and purchasing of used DVDs. Blockbuster is poorly managed who alienated the best customers; I use kiosk at supermarket by DVDPlay for $1 a rental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 The problem is that with Blockbuster out of the picture, Netflix has less competition. They've already raised their price on Blu-Ray twice in the past 6-9 months.... And On Demand will put NetFlix out of business. I want to be able to order any movie, at any time of day and have it come on TV. I will pay for this convenience. Ordering something through the mail, waiting for it, watching it and sending back is too much of a hassle...its like Blockbuster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 And On Demand will put NetFlix out of business. I want to be able to order any movie, at any time of day and have it come on TV. I will pay for this convenience. Ordering something through the mail, waiting for it, watching it and sending back is too much of a hassle...its like Blockbuster. Dude, Netflix is already streaming HD quality movies right to the TV, and it doesn't cost $4.99 to do so. On Demand is a friggin rip off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellDressed Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/04/07/block...ity-to-survive/ Netflix just sent out its 1,000,000,000 disc earlier this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Dude, Netflix is already streaming HD quality movies right to the TV, and it doesn't cost $4.99 to do so. On Demand is a friggin rip off! Really? How does that work? Is it through cable/satellite dish? Can you just que up a movie whenever you want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellDressed Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Dude, Netflix is already streaming HD quality movies right to the TV, and it doesn't cost $4.99 to do so. On Demand is a friggin rip off! HD Quality. 1920x1080 will eventually be replaced with a higher resolution, but not by something wireless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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