We’ve only just caught sight of Blockbuster’s movie streaming box, and lusted after it on this side of the Atlantic, but already the rental firm is talking up its plans for Blu-Ray players next year.

According to CEO Jim Keyes, Blockbuster will allow movie rentals to be downloaded to some Blu-Ray players next year, widening the number of film fans who can enjoy its catalogue, and putting it squarely head to head with Netflix, which already streams films to selected players.

Keyes says Blockbuster will roll out the service “by the first quarter of next year,” although we’re still waiting for confirmation that the on-demand movie service will land in the UK at all. Stay tuned for more as we hear it.

Out Q1 2009 | £TBC | Blockbuster (via eCommerce Times)

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  • Comment Guy

    Download set top boxes and download portable players ( ie Apple TV, VUDU, Hulu, PS3, and Blockbuster ) are a thing of the past, only to be replaced by the technology used by service providers such as MyTVPAL ( http://www.mytvpal.com ) and Netflix ( http://www.netflix.com ).

    Service providers like MyTVPAL offer 1080p instant blu-ray streaming video on demand and live tv over PC Player, set top box, and I think they will have a portable device out soon.

    Keep in mind also that P2P is on the way out because it uses to much bandwidth, both up and down, and is unstable. I’m refering to service providers such as VUDU ( a one trick pony ) and Joost, who latest foray into portable video on demand on the itouch / iphone is frezing, buffering, and providing a horrible user experience even on my 6mbps connection.

    Steaming video is a great addition for live tv an video on demand, but at the end of the day only those technology companies like Matrixstream ( http://www.matrixstream.com )will be able to support the best quality over the best effort public internet when doing a triple play ( set top box, PC Player, and portable device ) because currently where Netflix requires 8mbps for 720p streaming, MyTVPAL can support 720p streaming a 3mbps and 1080p blu-ray streaming at 6mbps.

    Keep the above in mind when considering the average person today in the United States and Canada has between 1.5 – 3.0Mbps. So While MyTVPAL can service the majority of broadband users today in the United States and Canada in both 720p and 1080p today it will be years before Netflix can service a fraction of the broadband population in high definition instant video streaming.

    The above situation is even worse for download video services because nobody, and I mean nobody. Wants wait hours see a movie. The only way to go today in On Demand in 1080p high definition and that mean instant streaming from service providers like MyTVPAL ( http://www.mytvpal.com ).

    Comment Guy

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