Insider information: Blockbuster may be going out of business.

[Purge]

I work for Netflix, and our manager recently attended a regional leader's meeting where our CEO, Reed Hastings, said that Lackluster video may finally be going belly-up. That means about two million more customers for us.

[JDFP]

This isn't really news. Cockbuster's have been on their last leg for the last five years or so, and the last few years they have been hobbling on that leg.

Just because they may close the brick and mortar stores doesn't mean they'll stop the online business though, they could completely switch over to that and actually manage to do something they haven't done in quite some time -- make a profit off of it.

As much as I think you're right about Cockbuster's going the way of the past, it could potentially be a bad thing for Netflix as it will be the only mainstream alternative and they could use the opportunity for price hikes (Oh yeah? You have a problem with it? Where you going to go? Comcast VOD?).

More competition is a good thing, it keeps companies in check and balances to ensure that they can listen to the concerns of their customer base instead of doing what they will because they have a monopoly on the product.

j.p.

[Danny]

anyone with an internet connection can watch just about any film in existence for free at any time they choose. The last bastions of physical media renting going belly up wasn't just unsurprising. it was inevitable.

[krakenslayer]

anyone with an internet connection can watch just about any film in existence for free at any time they choose. The last bastions of physical media renting going belly up wasn't just unsurprising. it was inevitable.

I don't think Blockbuster UK is in quite the same situation. I worked for BB for a while a couple years back and they seemed to be doing not too badly, considering.

Although, to we savvy internet users on here, it seems like second nature to just be able to download anything we want, I would say a slight majority of people (including about 60% of those over 50 and a surprising number of those under 50) don't fully understand downloading, how it works, or how to go about it. Couple that with habit/tradition (going to the video shop), the fact that people still like to browse the shelves for a movie, and that walking down to the local BB is faster for a lot of people than downloading a DVD iso, and you still have a fairly strong residual consumer base. Also, BB UK is the last major chain of rental stores in the country, so I reckon there's probably just enough of a market to sustain it for a few more years.

They may have to change a lot, though. I have seen my local stores change from a place to rent or buy games and movies, into one stop shops geared towards the visual entertainment experience as a whole (selling blu-ray players, TVs, etc.)

Whether this is a good thing, or if it will succeed, I really have no opinion.

[Publius]

I work for Netflix, and our manager recently attended a regional leader's meeting where our CEO, Reed Hastings, said that Lackluster video may finally be going belly-up.

May be somewhat insider, but I'm sure many of us had figured it was a matter of time. Their stores have been dropping like flies.


(Oh yeah? You have a problem with it? Where you going to go? Comcast VOD?).

Redbox for me. The selection isn't as good, but I don't rent movies all that often so at $1/pop it's more economical for me. If Netflix jacks its prices up I'm sure more people will start renting their movies from the machines at their local supermarket or convenience store like that.

[acealive1]

they HAVE to be doing something wrong. family video is ROLLING in the dough right noe

[Tricky]

I dont download films, but if theres something I want to see I either buy it or if its something I only have a bit of an interest in I wait for it to show on TV. Havent rented a film out in probably 9 years, seem to remember doing it a bit with girlfriends in my late teens but thats about it. Not suprising the business is going under!

[MinionZombie]

I dont download films, but if theres something I want to see I either buy it or if its something I only have a bit of an interest in I wait for it to show on TV. Havent rented a film out in probably 9 years, seem to remember doing it a bit with girlfriends in my late teens but thats about it. Not suprising the business is going under!
Same here on all counts now.

Haven't rented a film in sodding ages - we used to rent from a local shop, that I think became a chain store via take-over (possibly Blockbuster, but don't know), but that was years ago on £1 Thursdays. We rented so many videos from them during my formative years, but then we got Sky and I was buying films myself. As for the rental shop - closed down a while ago, as I recently found out.

Then I got into DVDs and there we go. I've done a few of those 2 week DVD rental trials - Blockbuster's was crap, the discs were in a horrible mess most of the time, and one turned up snapped-in-fucking-half! - but yeah, not much renting ... in fact, NO renting, going on with me.

I see tons of films in the cinema now and have been since 2008 - it's become a regular Sunday afternoon activity now - and then I buy a lot of DVDs (have been buying them like a Crack addict since 2002, and just got Robot Chicken Seasons 1-3 in the post today :cool:), and I have now taken to watching a lot of films on Sky Movies now that we've got Sky+ in the other room as well (aka my lair :elol:).

Downloading movies has become a lot less certain, and not as simple anymore, and plus if you don't have a good enough connection you'll be waiting sodding ages for anything other than a less-than-DVD-quality 700mb DVD-rip ... I long-since got tired of that game, and I think it's becoming less of a 'thing' these days.

Especially as clean sites are becoming rarer, and clean movie downloads are becoming rarer - so it seems anyway from the little attention I've paid to the issue - and I think that there's a lot of people out there who don't understand the intricacies of downloading enough to be bothered with it, frankly.

Really, 'they' need to make downloading movies legally much easier and straight forward. They need 'the iTunes of movie downloading' - but that can only take off once we have Fibre Optic broadband ... and, for the UK at least, we don't have that. In fact we're one of the slowest broadband networks 'in Europe' ... I do hope that Dave & Co can sort out our broadband situation here. Pissing along at 1.1mbps in 2010 is a piss-take.

Kicks the ass of Dial Up, but still ... when there's a hell of a lot of people getting double or triple (or a lot more than that, or a lot-lot more than that), it's a ruddy piss-take.

We can't have a "digital revolution" in the UK until our broadband network gets the boot-in-the-arse it requires ... ... what were we talking about again?

[krakenslayer]

Really, 'they' need to make downloading movies legally much easier and straight forward. They need 'the iTunes of movie downloading' - but that can only take off once we have Fibre Optic broadband ... and, for the UK at least, we don't have that. In fact we're one of the slowest broadband networks 'in Europe' ... I do hope that Dave & Co can sort out our broadband situation here. Pissing along at 1.1mbps in 2010 is a piss-take.


I have fibre-optic broadband and even my speeds vary drastically. Here are some speedtest results of my broadband line all taken just a few moments apart:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/841592539.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

http://www.speedtest.net/result/841594180.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

http://www.speedtest.net/result/841595453.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

I was originally paying for 2MB broadband, but got a free upgrade to 10MB when they boosted their network. Now though, it seems to fluctuate between 2 and 10MB on a day-by-day, sometimes minute-by-minute, basis. I guess I can't complain since I wasn't too bothered when I only had 2MB and individual downloads rarely reach 10MB speed anyway (due to the limited upstream and available bandwidth of the person or site you're downloading from).

[bassman]

I love Blockbuster. But not so much for renting.....

If Blockbuster is falling behind with the rental business and have nowhere to go, they should look into becoming something similar to Best Buy or FYE. That's basically what I use BB for these days. They have great deals on used dvd's, INCREDIBLE posters, used games, magazines, etc.

They should try their best with their "redbox" style renting systems, but the stores should become a sort of entertainment warehouse. If that makes any sense.

[Danny]

I love Blockbuster. But not so much for renting.....

If Blockbuster is falling behind with the rental business and have nowhere to go, they should look into becoming something similar to Best Buy or FYE. That's basically what I use BB for these days. They have great deals on used dvd's, INCREDIBLE posters, used games, magazines, etc.

They should try their best with their "redbox" style renting systems, but the stores should become a sort of entertainment warehouse. If that makes any sense.

Truoble with that over here is all the stuff you mentioned you can normally get cheap from gamestation or forbidden planet. but even then games and movies can be bought the day they come out for almost half the price from the local walmart subsidiary asda.

[darth los]

O.K.

Wait a minute.

So what your saying is Blockbuster is still in business!?! :eek:

:cool:

[MinionZombie]

Even still, your broadband kicks my broadband's arse.

We used to get 1.8mbps ... then during last summer the speed slipped and slipped, and now we're lucky to get 1.2mbps - it's usually 1.1 or even 1.0 as a matter of routine. A lot better than dial up - natch - but come on.

Apparently we're supposed to be getting "3mbps" here - yeah fucking right - I've never seen it higher than 1.8, and it hasn't been that in at least a year. What a piss take, and the problem is, is that all Brits are getting screwed on their broadband. Nobody ever gets the advertised speed. Hell, you're lucky if you get half the advertised speed!

I wouldn't half mind a 4.28mbps connection like the slowest screengrab there displays.

I remember being on campus in first year uni - the network was giving us 100mbps ... I feckin' creamed my jeans over that - I went from 56k dial up to 100mbps in the click of a finger and I was astonished. Naturally our year then went on to spoil it for everyone after us cos of downloading...:elol:

[AcesandEights]

I hear they might not actually find WMDs in Iraq :shifty:

Keep it to yourselves though, 'cause people are gonna be pissed.

[acealive1]

blockbuster here is going nowhere. the one around the corner from me does so much business in buys it's not even funny. 5 for $20 is a GREAT deal

[darth los]

I hear they might not actually find WMDs in Iraq :shifty:

Keep it to yourselves though, 'cause people are gonna be pissed.


I was just gonna say, in 2010, this is news? I could have swore they went out of business years ago.

Netflix killed them. Period.

:cool:

[acealive1]

I was just gonna say, in 2010, this is news? I could have swore they went out of business years ago.

Netflix killed them. Period.

:cool:


netflix also tried to fuck people on how many movies they get a week on their "unlimited" plan. they'd throttle your movies so you'd only get a certain amount a week no matter how many you mail back. also they have a habit of sending you broken dvds or going to another region to get a movie you want....which fucks up your rental time per month

[bassman]

There's pros and cons to both sides, but Netflix is winning out as people get more and more lazy to go to the store.:p

Like I said earlier.....I really dig blockbuster's stores. They have a lot more to offer than just rentals, so hopefully they can pull through all this and come out in the green with a different strategy.

If anybody has a Blockbuster store nearby and likes to collect posters, you should swing in to look at their collections. They have these posters that are printed on what feels like some kind of wood or masonite, and they're built into a frame. So you can just take it straight home and hang it for 10-20 bucks.

EDIT: found a site (http://www.framedpictureenterprise.com/FPE%20movie.html) that shows off some of the posters. The prices seem a bit higher on the site than they are in stores. They're generally marked down lower. Below you can see what some of mine look like. Although a bit blurry.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy115/bassmanfincha/DSCF0152.jpg?t=1276108305

(how do I make this into a thumbnail?)

[darth los]

^^^^

If that's true that's a steal.

Never mind the poster (varying in price based on the print) the frame alone can cost you like a cool 100 bucks.

:cool:

[bassman]

If that's true


It's not. I'm just lying.:p

Seriously though....it is a steal for casual collectors. Frame and all for 20 bucks is a whole lot better than 10-20+ for the poster, and then 20-40+ for one of those cheap frames. If you want a better frame it would be much more...

[darth los]

It's not. I'm just lying.:p

Seriously though....it is a steal for casual collectors. Frame and all for 20 bucks is a whole lot better than 10-20+ for the poster, and then 20-40+ for one of those cheap frames. If you want a better frame it would be much more...


Tell me about it. I oonce was going to order an original print Dawn poster and including frame and all the bastards wanted 300+ for it ! :stunned:

Suffice to say, I'm still looking. :lol:

:cool:

[Eyebiter]

Don't know about Blockbuster, but all the local Hollywood Video stores closed recently.

[MikePizzoff]

If anybody has a Blockbuster store nearby and likes to collect posters, you should swing in to look at their collections. They have these posters that are printed on what feels like some kind of wood or masonite, and they're built into a frame. So you can just take it straight home and hang it for 10-20 bucks.


None of the Blockbusters near me have ever done this. Ugh.

[triste realtà]

I was renting from BB ($25 dollars paypal and 3.99 a month for a year for 2 per month) and they started pulling this shit where they wouldn't send me a movie unless I had a bunch of available ones in queue which was hard to do since most were short or long wait or just plain unavailable. Plus the fact that they have cheaper editions of any movie that has a cheaper edition and not the good remastered from the original negative one. So they told me they were upping the price to 4.99 and I got it on hold with plans to start Netflix for the ones that BB didn't have.

How many movies can I expect per month on their one at a time unlimited? 9.99 I am wanting about 5 or 6 to make it worth my while but will gladly accept it if they are more generous than that.

[Ghostdude]

Good Riddance

[Publius]

The timing of this thread was funny. Three days after it appeared, I drove by the local Blockbuster and noticed they had stacks of unassembled cardboard boxes in a corner of the store. Two days after that, signs went up in all the windows: "Store closing, everything must go!" :p

[MikePizzoff]

I called my local Blockbuster today and asked if they were going out of business. I was met with laughter and a condescending "No!" :mad::mad::mad:

[Eyebiter]

Blockbuster shares were recently delisted from the New York Stock Exchange

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2010/07/12/daily16.html

[slickwilly13]

I called my local Blockbuster today and asked if they were going out of business. I was met with laughter and a condescending "No!" :mad::mad::mad:

You might want to call that asshole, again.

[bassman]

FYI - Blockbuster has a pretty good deal on dvds now. 5 for 20 bucks. I don't think i've seen them that low before. I wonder if it has something to do with all this..

[acealive1]

they have some hendrix and 2pac paintings at the one by me :hyper::hyper::hyper:

[rongravy]

This isn't really news. Cockbuster's have been on their last leg for the last five years or so, and the last few years they have been hobbling on that leg.

Just because they may close the brick and mortar stores doesn't mean they'll stop the online business though, they could completely switch over to that and actually manage to do something they haven't done in quite some time -- make a profit off of it.

As much as I think you're right about Cockbuster's going the way of the past, it could potentially be a bad thing for Netflix as it will be the only mainstream alternative and they could use the opportunity for price hikes (Oh yeah? You have a problem with it? Where you going to go? Comcast VOD?).

More competition is a good thing, it keeps companies in check and balances to ensure that they can listen to the concerns of their customer base instead of doing what they will because they have a monopoly on the product.

j.p.

Redbox, anyone?


And I bet I'm personally keeping my Blockbuster in business due to my regular late fees...
I have Netflix. I've had Adventureland for months now...:lol: