Blockbuster to favor Blu-ray HD discs over DVD format (1 Viewer)

[Paul Arnette]

It certainly wasn't a bad thing to me. Those two discs are the reference standard as far as PQ/AQ go for HD to date. I was from ear to ear watching them.

 

[DavidJ]

Jason,

I still haven't decided what I am going to do. I left Netflix for Blockbuster, but I may switch back. Even though the numbers of HD disc renters are small, I think it is important if they switch because of this that Blockbuster knows why. The loss of renters will be too insignificant for them to notice without it being called to their attention.

That said I don't know what I will do. Blockbuster has been a better deal for me with faster shipping because of the in store returns. I should also point out that I am format neutral.

David

 

[Jason Roer]

David,

One of the other things that annoys me about Blockbuster is the fact I can't rent some new movies - MATRIX, anyone? Because for some reason, Blockbuster is not carrying the Matrix movies - currently. Netflix is. Coupled with the poor shipping (on my end at least - glad to hear you're doing fine with the shipping), that was the reason I was going to switch back to Netflix.

My decision to remain with Blockbuster is only because I want them to see HD-DVD renting. I am going to send them an e-mail telling them exactly what I am doing and the reason for it. I'm only one person, so I doubt it will have much effect, but if every HD-DVD owner did this, surely Blockbuster would take notice.

And in the meantime, I'll wait until this Holiday season when The Matrix movies will most like get seperate releases. I didn't like the 2nd and 3rd movies enough to warrant a purchase, hence the reason I don't have the first in home right now.

Cheers,

Jason

 

[Sean Bryan]

I posted this in the "end is near" thread because it is relevant to the discussion there, but it is clearly relevant here too.

An interesting news segment from cnbc (video) about this Blockbuster decision:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=383736735&play=1

 

[Phil Iturralde]

I posted this already in Post #45 above in this thread.

Phil

 

[Sean Bryan]

consider it a "bump" then.

 

[Phil Iturralde]

:rolleyes

 

[Dave H]

My Netflix doesn't carry Matrix (nor The Sting for that matter).

 

[ScottJH]

This number doesn't surprise me. My local Blockbuster is one of the 250 stores that rent both formats. Since the start of '07 the only new HD DVD titles they have gotten in to rent are 'The Departed', 'Children of Men', 'Happy Feet', 'Flags of Our Fathers' & 'Norbit'.

The only way to rent Universal titles like 'Alpha Dog', 'The Hitcher', 'Good Shepard', 'Smokin Aces', 'Breach' or any Universal catalog title over this period was through the online service. But here's the best part they do have 'Alpha Dog', 'The Hitcher', 'Good Shepard', 'Smokin Aces', 'Breach', 'The Game', 'Eternal Sunshine..', 'The Jerk' in-store, but are for purchase only. Their prices are at Best Buy level and up and no one is buying these, so why they weren't for rental is beyond me.

I own both formats so HD DVD titles I would like to rent in store I am forced to get online, but if I do the in-store exchange, I'd say at least 70% of the time it's for a Blu-Ray title.

 

[TonyD]

what do you mean by netflix is?
is this for hd dvd matrix or sd dvd?

'cause hd dvd is not on netflix right now


i take that back.
they are there now. just as long wait.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

BB will still be renting HD DVD on-line. Just not stocking it on the shelves of new locations moving to High-def rentals (only so much shelf space... HD DVD and BD and DVD require 3-times the shelf space for each title they cover).

 

[Douglas Monce]

Is that cause they SD DVDS are only 9 gigs and HD discs are as much as 50? Get it? Takes more shelf space......get it???

Sorry bad joke

Doug

 

[Paul Mor]

Agreed. At the very least they'll get two e-mails. I don't know whether to tell them I'm going to Netflix in protest or staying with them to show that HD DVD is a viable format.

On Saturday I asked an employee at my local BB when they were going to start renting HD DVD (She didn't know). Imagine my anger/disappointment when I picked up the paper on Monday morning and read this news. My first thought was, "How many people are like me waiting on their player to shipped only to find out you have one less place to rent?"

 

[TonyD]

how do you figure one less place to rent.

they never rented hd dvd before so it stays the same.

 

[John Berggren]

According to folks at Best Buy and other retailers, HD-DVD decks ceased selling almost immediately upon the notice about Blockbuster. Apparentely a lot of mail order/online retailers received cancellations for unshipped decks also.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Care to provide any more documentation? Was that a random sampling of 2 store clerks on the sales floor or something more?

 

[John Berggren]

Two sources
one here:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/hd-dvd-on...les-270313.php

another being several people I know, myself included, in different states, inquiring at Best Buy if they'd heard about the Blockbuster news and what they thought of it leading to responses about HD-DVD unit sales zeroing out in the past several days, in spite of heavy discounting and marketing that had previously bumped sales in the prior weeks.

 

[Chris S]

All that article quotes is information from a "tipster". Not a reliable source. That's not to say that Blockbuster's decision hasn't had an impact, it's simply that we need to be careful about spreading information as factual without a reliable source. At the moment there isn't any reliable data to support the claim.

And didn't the $100 HD DVD rebate just expire? I wouldn't be surprised if sales flattened out because of that too.

 

[John Berggren]

Nope, it's not as solid a link as I'd like, but I have further information to indicate that the retailer in question is Crutchfield and that these are orders that were cancelled which were placed while the rebate was active.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Cancelled pre-orders would indeed be telling. I can understand new orders slowing as the rebate offer expires, but orders that are canceled after the BB announcement (especially when the rebate was in effect) is more significant.

I can understand how somone who was "on the fence" about HD DVD/BD and had just finally talked themselves into buying the HD DVD player bcs of the sale would be tempted to cancel, though I'm sure many folks who really *wanted* to get into HD DVD and were waiting for the rebate to do so affordably are probably still happy with their decision.