Blockbuster Blu-ray announcement: Master Thread - Page 79

My local one (just started visiting due to blu-ray) was pretty crowded on the weekend. Too bad they were out of stock of 3 different blu-ray titles I wanted to rent.

Don't you get a free movie if they're out of stock? Isn't that the Blockbuster guarantee?

I went to the closest blockbuster (8 miles) that had Blu-ray. They had two collums on the side wall in the middle of all the new releases there were 63 titles one of each with a blue background that made it stand out. I was a little disappointed I thought they would of had more. They had the second Pirates there but not the first.
So, I was about to leave, turned around and walked down the aisle (I am pretty sure this was the aisle I walked through the first time) and there were the other titles, they ended up having 172 or 174 titles, 6 or 7 were out. All but one of the titles rented were from the blue background. It would have been better if they had the blue background for all the discs. I went in there and was drawn to it and didn't notice the other ones. I don't know if it had anything to do with the movies being rented, but 1 title out of 110 were rented from the non blue background and 5 or 6 out of 63 with the blue background, but it looks that way. Its not like those were all the most recent or top selling it only had the second pirates and the first was in the other section.


Here is a picture from my camera phone Blu-ray is on the left side.

pshhh, I was in BB about 2 years ago and there was a new release that was rented out. So I went up to the counter and said hey, such and such is out of stock can I get a free coupon for next time?

The guy crouches down behind the counter and pops back up with a VHS tape of the movie. I tell him I don't have a VCR and he says too bad, but since we have it in stock you don't get a free coupon.

Choosing between Netflix or BB is like choosing between a punch in the nose or a kick in the nads.

Blu-ray and Total Access are happening.

It's already happening.

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/070723/netfl...ults.html?.v=2

People are moving away from Netflix to Blockbusters Total Access and rightly so since the convenience factor of being able to get 3 movies while waiting for shipments to your home is better than what NEtflix offers.

anyone else feel like back in 1994/1995 when DVDs just came out and BB and others had a shelf full of funny looking packaging?


lol....

i was browsing the 2 column of BR stuff at BB this weekend. this store placed the BR shelves right in the middle of NEW RELEASES and i felt the same sensation from a decade ago.

Yes, I did feel that way the first time I saw the Blu-Ray's at Best Buy

LOL!! Excellent characterization Rhys. "Please Sir, may I have another!"

JD

No? Come on. You're kidding, right? That's funny. Why would the minimum wage person care? Maybe they hadn't been there long enough to not care.


Ha! Lots of choices are like that. Cable vs. telco.

Blockbuster changes Total Access terms after loss

JULY 26 | Blockbuster reported a $35.3 million second-quarter loss and made a move toward improving profitability by changing the terms of its Total Access program, limiting the number of in-store exchanges a customer can make before being charged more.

Blockbuster is emphasizing the limit to five in-store exchanges per month for its most popular plan, the unlimited online rentals of three movies out a time for $17.99.

But if a customer wants to stick with unlimited in-store exchanges, the price leaps to $24.99, according to the company's Web site, effectively a $7 price hike. That plan is now called Total Access Premium.

Analysts had been expecting a price hike, but the shift to an in-store exchange limit emphasis was largely a surprise.

James Keyes, Blockbuster's new chairman and CEO, was somewhat vague about the term changes during the company's conference call with analysts on second-quarter results, as was a press release on the changes issued shortly after the call.

Rather than characterizing the modifications as a price hike, Keyes stressed the limit on in-store exchanges. If a customer on the $17.99 plan wants to make more than five in-store exchanges per month, an additional $1.99 per rental will be charged, he said. Customers who subscribe to the online-only Blockbuster by Mail program also will have that option, he said.

According to the press release, customers will now be able to exchange their online rentals for discounted in-store game rentals in addition to movies. Previously, Total Access members had the option to get one free game rental per month through a once-per-month coupon.

Blockbuster announced it increased its subscriber count by 600,000 in the second quarter to a total of 3.6 million subscribers, more than 3.3 million of them paid. Netflix, in contrast, lost subscribers during the quarter for the first time.

But Blockbuster's subscriber increase came at a cost of about $50 million in the quarter, chief financial officer Larry Zine said.

Blockbuster will now suspend its marketing spending on the online program, according to Keyes.

More Here

Well thats no good. Then again i don't think i exchange more than 5 in a month. But still, to those that do, that is no good. Their $17.99 deal was actually really too good honestly. 3 movies at once, exchange 3 movies in store, plus get one game or movie rental for free ? You can get around 20+ movies a month if you're an avid movie watcher.

I just got this from Netflix:

That deal was too good to last. I'm not sure I'll stick with BB anymore, since 5 rentals a month isn't really worth the trip to the store (I was at about 12 each month). Good timing for Netflix since they reported that loss of subscribers.

Any idea when this goes into effect? I have 3 online rentals sitting in my car right now and am exchanging them tonight.

Me too, I use both and seems almost like Blockbuster is trying to jerk me around.

Our online availability and implementation blow, but you can come into the store and get BDs for free!*







*assuming you want 5 or less and/or don't mind increasing your monthly payment by 40%

it went into effect yesterday.
most of those already in before yesterday still will have the same benefits as before.

only new subs will have the new rules.

Ironically, I just re-joined Blockbuster on Wednesday. Under my account, it says my current plan is "3 at-a-time, unlimited, unlimited in-store movie exchanges."

The new plans are listed on the website. My guess is for existing Blockbuster subscribers, the changes will go into effect at the start of your next billing cycle. I suspect they have to honor the original terms of the plan (i.e. "unlimited in-store movie exchanges") you signed up for when you were billed for your current month.

I will probably go back to Netflix next month. It seems to take a day longer for movies to get to me from Blockbuster as opposed to Netflix. I don't like BB's on-line interface, especially when it comes to adding high def movies to my queue. Blockbuster's advantage over Netflix was the unlimited in-store exchange but now that is changing.

What the? I exchange at least 12 discs a month in store. Combine this with their less than desirable online availability for HD and I may need to look at switching.

My feelings exactly. Netflix has a much closer distribution center, so the turnaround is two days faster via mail (one day there and back, as opposed to two days both ways).

I will be able to rent more movies using Netflix than using BB combined with only 5 free rentals.

My only regret will be that with BB, I would return my movies to the store, and browse for unknown movies look good but I've never heard (and thus weren't in my queue). Found a few hidden gems that way.

netflix is known for throttling, right? Both have distribution centers in my city, so I think I may wind up sticking with BB.

I actually have the 1 disc at a time plan with BB and I generally do about 8 in-store exchanges a month. If they charge me an extra $2.00 for every disc over 2/month I will end up spending about $6 more per month than the Netflix 3 at a time plan. There is no way BB is worth it now!

I emailed them and told them I was leaving if they don't grandfather me in!

Some people don't realize that the limit for 3 discs at a time is now 5. However, the limit for 2 and 1 at a time is now only 3 and 2 per month respectively. That is just a rip-off!

It looks like the "grandfathering" effect will only be until September, at which point all subscribers will be subject to the new terms. As posted in another thread:

I haven't seen this mentioned here!



Paramount to Drop Blu-Ray HD DVDs

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 20, 2007

Filed at 6:47 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. will offer next-generation DVDs in the HD DVD format and drop support for Blu-ray, further complicating the race between the competing technologies.

Monday's announcement affects the upcoming DVD releases of the blockbusters ''Shrek the Third'' and ''Transformers,'' along with movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films.

Movies directed by Steven Spielberg, however, will continue to be released in both formats.

Paramount, which owns DreamWorks Pictures and handles home sales for the separate company DreamWorks Animation, previously released movies in both Blu-ray and HD DVD.

''Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theater, and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience,'' said Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.

''I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high-quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount,'' he said.

The competition between Blu-ray and HD DVD has kept confused consumers from rushing to buy new DVD players until they can determine which format will dominate the market.

Until recently, many consumers were able to defer the choice because players have been so expensive. But prices have been slashed by about half -- Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray player now sells for $499, and Toshiba Corp.'s cheapest HD DVD player sells for $299, with both likely to include as many as five free movies as an incentive.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, said consumers seeking to switch to high-definition DVDs will be enticed by the movies available for HD-DVD players. He added the lower price for the Toshiba devices will appeal to the family market.

''It's a game-changer, what they're doing, and it's why we decided to throw in with them,'' Katzenberg said.

Standalone HD DVD players have a bigger slice of the market than Blu-ray players. But when you count Sony's PlayStation 3 game console, which comes with a Blu-ray drive, there are more Blu-ray players in U.S. homes.

Rob Moore, president of Paramount Worldwide Distribution, said market data shows that people who own gaming consoles buy fewer movies than those who invest in a movie-only player.

Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association trade group, questioned the studios' decision to adopt HD DVD over Blu-ray, saying price differences between players have diminished in recent months. He said the trend ''is on its way to eliminating any perceived cost advantage the HD DVD format has claimed to have.''

Blu-ray discs can hold more data -- 50 gigabytes compared with HD DVD's 30 GB -- but the technology requires new manufacturing techniques and factories, boosting initial costs.

HD DVDs, on the other hand, are essentially DVDs on steroids, meaning movie studios can turn to existing assembly lines to produce them in mass.

Studios and retailers have been choosing sides in recent months.

With Paramount dropping Blu-ray support, Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. remains the only major studio releasing movies in both formats.

''Spider-Man 3'' will only be available in the Blu-ray DVD format when it is released by Sony Pictures, while people with Blu-ray players won't be able to enjoy the action-thriller ''The Bourne Ultimatum,'' which Universal Pictures will release only in HD DVD.

The Blu-ray format recently got a big boost as Blockbuster Inc. announced it would stock only Blu-ray titles when it expands its high-def DVD offerings this year.

Target Inc., the nation's second-largest retailer, said it will only sell Blu-ray DVD players in its stores in the fourth quarter.

Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, The Walt Disney Co., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are releasing only in Blu-ray.

Universal, owned by General Electric Co., backs HD DVD exclusively.

Yah, but speculation is that Netflix doesnt throttle until you hit the 15 or more per month mark. Even then, if you are renting that many movies, is a reorder of your que going to really affect you.

What does throttling mean?

Great! Thanks for reviving this old favorite of a thread. Now we can make fun of BBI for their short sightedness in making the decision that they did.

I emailed BBI and asked that they reconsider HD-DVD at "all" b&m stores.

I currently support both formats in the form of game consoles so I guess I won't be buying any movies on either format according to Paramount. On second thought, now that studios are hardening the lines further we continue to look forward to continued pricing competition in the coming months! I look forward to both formats competing heavily based on price.

What are all of the existing Blockbuster customer's doing about their memberships? Are you resigning or dropping? I received my notice this week informing me that I need to resign a new plan before my renewal date.

I also shot customer service an email asking if I will also loose my 2 free game coupon rentals each month. They confirmed that I will lose them because I have to sign up for a new plan. This changes things for me because the free game rentals kept me coming back to the store as well as the in store exchange of movie titles.

I am really thinking hard about going back to Netflix. Their service was much better when I had them previously. Now that I will not have the advantage of picking up a couple of game rentals for free each month and now get to pay more for reduced customer service is a tough pill to swallow.

JD

I doubt anything will change, PS3 users are growing steadily and the problem of shelf space remains.

What has happened to all of the big BD guys that used to post here every day? Did Sony go and hire a new marketing team?