Blockbuster has finally joined the group of companies that have entered the movie set-top box arena with the release of the 2Wire MediaPoint player. For a limited time, the device will be offered for free with the advance rental of 25 films for $99.
Sounds interesting, right? Think again. Vudu already offers the same basic service and the Apple Television grants users to download films directly to the device without a problem. But most importantly, Netflix is bringing its own streaming service to a slew of devices, like the Roku Netflix box and the Xbox 360. The Roku box has been available for months.
And now, as Blockbuster and its brick-and-mortar business feels the pressure from Netflix’s mail-order business and countless streaming offerings across the Web, the company is just breaking into the set-top box market?
Call me crazy, but if you’re an executive at a company that is clinging to the past and trying desperately to turn a business around that has been hammered from all sides by competitors that offer a more compelling service, wouldn’t you want to be first to the market?
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source The Digital Home
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