I could do that...or I could rent the same movie from iTunes, stay home, and laugh at Blockbuster as they continue their downward spiral of death.

Hmmmmm...decisions, decisions.

NotMe

Hey, while NetFlix and Apple are zigging, Blockbuster is zagging. Why follow the lead of two extremely successful companies when you can come up with a completely new idea that no one had truly considered doing before?

Silver Lining For Blockbuster:
No worries about Apple suing your ass for violating their patents.

Monty

@Charbax: Nice job, shill. I mean douche.

poppy

And finally, this is also going to be HD compatible (only difference is the HD version would take about 3-4 times more disc space and takes 3-4 times longer to transfer to your Archos then the DVD quality version), so with this service, you can say goodbuy to DVD and Bluray.

Charbax

Also, if you don't want to think too much about which titles to put in your "Wish-list" for the next time you get to connect your free 80GB Archos to the Blockbuster kiosk machine, you will also be able to let the system pick movies for you based on your movie watching history, and at the end of each screening, the Archos asks you if you liked the movie or not. Based on your ratings, this will then be able to automatically keep your free (with subscription) 80GB Archos full of movies that are recommended to you based on your taste. This would be an awesome way to discover thousands of new movies for people who don't have the patience to study cinema and learn about all the awesome directors and film makers out there. This could broaden people's horizons immensely, just because of the huge potential catalog that will be available digitized on this. Also especially look forward to having access to a whole bunch of cool subtitled foreign movies.

Charbax

When Blockbuster goes out of business I'm going to smile just like that guy pictured above.

They remind me of that new Directv ad where the guy says "yeah, we can't improve our service, but we can improve the price...by charging our customers more...".

VNSROCK

The advantage is, it only takes 30 seconds to transfer a movie to your Archos once it is docked on this Blockbuster movie kiosk thing. There is going to be tens of thousands of titles available, many more then are possible to put on the shelves of a normal store. Also, you can load 200 movies on your 160GB Archos and you can then sit back with a $10 Blockbuster unlimited movies subscription and watch them legally whenever you want.

So basically this kiosk will have terrabytes of movies connected to it and are transfered to your Archos that has or hasn't got a screen (see the $100 Archos Moovyplay device currently sold in France, comes with 40GB (or any other 2.5" hard drive), a TV-output docking station and an easy< to use remote, has no screen and no battery to lower the cost.) Advantage of the Archos Moovyplay is that it comes with the complete 10-thousand catalog so that you can browse all of it on your TV, many of them have the trailer pre-loaded on the device, then you make your "Wish-list" on your TV from home, then when you arrive to the kiosk you just plug it in and it will grab 40 movies in one time without you needing to do anything, you don't even need to pay upfront. Especially if you are not using an "Unlimitted movies" subscription, then you can pay to unluck each movie using an SMS code.

And of course, no need to return the movie when you have finished watching it.

This is like Netflix but where you can download 200 movies on your Archos at the time (30 seconds transfer time per movie) and watch any of the movies you want as many times as you want (with an unlimited movies Subscription plan). Then there is not much stopping Blockbuster from using the WiFi-enabled Archos device, this way if you prefer streaming the movies over the Internet, you may as well do that.

But for people who don't necesarilly have a broadband connection that can compete with the 400mbit/s transfer speeds and multi-terrabytes of fast local storage of such a physical kiosk, it is much faster to go down to your local Blockbuster movie transfer kiosk then to wait for Netflix to ship you your next couple of DVDs by normal mail.

Charbax

Ummm...maybe "in store kiosk" means in stores other than BlockBuster. You're at Safeway for the groceries and download a movie.

Still a dumb idea in the long run, but makes a touch more sense if it's not a special trip to the BB to get your download.

distortedloop

Why is this guy smiling? This is the dumbest idea since the dozen raw eggs give away at Tigers stadium. This is why Block Buster will die.

MorganRW

Man... this is about as relevant as bluray.

sonburn

Okie dokie Blockbuster, I'll come in to the store to get season 3 of Buffy... but I'm not gettin' dressed. I have no problem driving across town to get a movie as long as you don't have a problem with me showin' up in my cheeto stained wife-beater and well worn boxers. Hope you like polka dots.

Synik103

Blockbuster RIP

aceface

I'm not saying it's going to work perfectly, but I can think of several reasons it is a nearly-sound business direction:
1. Customer doesn't have to return anything n days later.
2. Customer doesn't need broadband connection.
3. Customer doesn't need to buy Blu-ray drive to watch hi def shows (yeah, they DO need an HDTV).
4. Store doesn't have to stock hundreds of copies of new releases and then sell them a month later at a discount.
5. No worries about scratched (unreadable) disks.
6. Wean people off the concept of physical copies toward electronic ones to ready them for eventual Web download.
7. No need to stock both regular DVDs and Blu-rays of every title.
8. Reduced store floor space (to make room for Circuit City hardware???)
9. Reduced theft.

Of course, we have to educate the customers how to connect the new device to their TV/receiver/cable box - but we only have to do that once (hopefully).

It might work for a few years - then Blockbuster will be ready with direct downloads to a customer base ready to accept them. Remember, today, 50% of the country still can't even get broadband, and half of the ones that do have it don't want the "hassle" of doing things on "that network thing - it's for e-mails".

Hap

Well that's just to bad. Sorry Blockbuster, your relevancy has passed, time to either adapt or go-extinct.

MagnoliaBoy

There must be more to BB's plan, right? Why would a customer drive to a store front, hook-up a device to a computer that's been infected with some idiotic trojan, and then find out that the file is corrupted, or the DRM is causing problems, etc., once back at home?

A lot of rentals are picked-up while driving home from another mind numbing day at work. What about the customer that didn't anticipate wanting to watch a movie in the morning, but then wanted to do so after a warm taco lunch? That customer would have to drive home, pick-up a device that's cradled right next to his TiVo and NOT remember, "...doesn't TiVo let me download movies...," drive to the store front, then drive home (again), only to be told by the wife/husband/sig. other, "...oh, I'd rather watch [insert t.v. show here]."

chiatty01

Yep, that idea officially sucks. Way to be completely out of touch, Blockbuster.

Note to Blockbuster shareholders/board members: fire the CEO and CTO immediately.

aseriesoftubes

This is why Kevin Spacey shouldn't be running a business.

itchytooth

I remember Blockbuster... You used to be able to rent a Virtual Boy from them, right?

dingus

Wait. To rent from a place where you have to go to an actual store, in digital format, but it costs the same as an iTunes rental. Nice going Blockbuster, you are (un)officially going to continue dying in the way that you have been dying since Netflix ruined your business model.

moo083

Dumb, da dumb dumb...

EBone

Blockbuster: *knock knock* Can we come in?

Relevance: Sorry, no vacancy.

Kaiser-Machead

what is this "blockbuster" you speak of?

godwhacker

So you have to Drive to the Store.
. When You have - Great Alternatives Like iTunes,Netflix ect..
lets you Download at home. at your own Comfort : )

how is this Convenient?
Innovating.. or just a good i dea..?

DJJS

Dear Blockbuster,
YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!

TehWillis

Why rent the DVD when I've seen the best scenes from TV trailers they have all over the place.

Mmeeennndoooozzzzaaa!!!

ripfire4

Let me get this straight: Blockbuster has figured out a way to combine the inconvenience of driving to their store with the time-wasting slowness of downloading. Friggin genius. Truly a peanut butter-meets-chocolate moment.

bobdobbs

Good job Charbax, except for the fact that you wrote that essay on the basis of a $10 unlimited movies subscription, when it says it is a $10 monthly fee plus $3.99 per movie rental.

Jasper44

Blockbuster Business Model #35546 v.1ba4:

Customer downloads locked movie at home. Transfers file to Blockbuster storage device. Brings device to store. Blockbuster employee retrieves device, confirms download, and discards. Employee provides replacement device to customer and orders DVD of movie from online catalog to arrive at customer's home 2-5 business days later, if available.

frigg

What in the hell is Blockbuster thinking? What a terrible idea.

dead_red_eyes

It defeats the purpose of downloading a movie if you have to leave your house to get it. This makes as much sense as renting a pointer file on iTunes and waiting for the movie to come in the mail.

videoCWK

I don't get it, if they are charging you $3.99 per rental, why are they charging a $10 a month fee as well. This has to be the new undisputed king of retardo ideas. It adds nothing but inconvenience to the rental business model. You have to drive to the store, you have to remember to bring your device and you may have to wait in line. That seems like the perfect example of fail.

RobotVampire

Boy, they are so good at doing stupid shit. I just hope they don't buy Circuit City and completely cluster-eff that to death, too. Don't hate me because I like Circuit City, I just can't stand Best Buy, heh.

maven2k

$10 could be the rental of some sort of device?
you know like how cable companies rent you a set top box
maybe for tech bloggers like us its a bad idea since we know easier, better ways of doing it but for the other not so savvy with technology this could work

rodsky

Apparently Bob Cringley is Blockbuster's unofficial chief strategist now.

His article from June 06 stating that the Apple/iPod would save Blockbuster

[www.pbs.org]

assassinave

I love having an opportunity to rant on Blockbuster, as I used to work there.

They are doing anything they can to stay alive and with the times, but to no avail. The first one of these ideas was "GameRush" but as of last year they cut their budgeting for GameRush to a fraction of what it used to be and even started removing it from some stores. Then they had BlockBuster online, which is a joke (and used to cost you $10 for a 2-week TRIAL), and now...this. I think its time to just pack up and accept the inevitable. Rental chains were so 1980s-1990s. Live in the now.

ChrisH027

This idea is on the level of "E.T. video game" dumb. It's company killing dumb.

It's almost dumb enough to inspire sympathy.

foolmartyr

@jasper44, check out Blockbuster Total Access: [www.blockbuster.com]

Sure the $10 per month deal might not include an unlimited amount of movies watched, but certainly an unlimited amount of movies can be transfered on your Archos using the kiosk. Then there might be a limti per month for the amount of movies you may unlock for $10 per month. And so, to unlock more movies then perhaps a limit of 5 movies per month, it may cost $2 or something for each extra movie, and that payment could be paid and unlocked using an SMS code, or by adding credits on your device using a kiosk.

And there could be a $20 unlimited movies subscription, which when signed for a certain minimum time period, for example 12 months or 2-years, which might give more like an unlimited access to the 80-thousand movies.

Each of the unlimited movie-download plans might or might not include the right to watch new releases for free, and they would give you the Archos for free which you may keep as long as you are subscribed for a certain time period such as 1 or 2 years. And probably also, Blockbuster could let you trade in the Archos for new models in the future such as when HDMI versions, with more storage, built-in WiFi or/and HSDPA or/and White Spaces 700mhz to stream the Blockbuster movies over the wireless Internet.

Charbax

This is so intersting and so fast time for people that like so much movies. I hope so that thsi will be so good and so enjoying.

shyti23

I had Netflix, now I have Blockbuster total access after I thought why use a retail store? But the total access program is a much better value for someone who likes to watch a lot of movies. Do your research, Netflix was "throttling" users THEY thought watched too many movies. Of course they needed to make up for the cost of shipping all the movies out, so by actually using my membership to the fullest, I was cutting into their profit. However, Blockbuster has local stores; so instead of wait for a movie to a) reach them and b) ship to me, I can go out and immediately get a new release! Here's an example: I watch 3 movies one weekend. Instead of sending those 3 back and waiting 3-4 days (more if you're being "throttled") , I trade them TODAY for 3 new releases! The best part is, as soon as the blockbuster rep scans my movies, 3 MORE are on the way the next day!. I pay for 3 out at a time, I usually have 6 new releases in my possession.

StephanoCallirhoe