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General discussion

NETFLIX DELAYS ON NEW RELEASES?! ***!!!

Jan 14, 2011 11:56AM PST

Hello!
Is anyone noticing that Blockbuster has made a deal with the movie industry to give them a 30 day head start before new movies are released on Netflix. I just came from Blockbuster Video, and there are signs up everywhere advertising this.

WHAT IS GOING ON?? Is it now standard practice for me to have to wait a month before seeing a new movie on Netflix? Any input would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Josh

Discussion is locked

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Good luck with that, it still wont save them.
Jan 14, 2011 11:45PM PST

I guess if you pay somebody enough they will cut you a special deal. It still wont make me climb in a car and drive to a Blockbuster and deal with late fees and all the hassles of renting discs at a physical store. I'll just wait. I've already waited 6 months to a year so another 30 days isn;t going to kill me.

Netflix originally cut their deal to have access to more streaming content because they are preparing for the future which is streaming , not discs. After that everyone else accepted the same deal (Redbox and now even Blockbuster kiosks).

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Conspiracy?!?
Jan 15, 2011 7:39AM PST

Thanks for the input! I don't think this can be dismissed as a pathetic last ditch effort to revive the faulty Blockbuster business model. We're talking about major new releases like "Social Network," and "The Town" having a month long delayed release on Netflix. I think a lot of people aren't going to wait 30 days for a movie they really want when it's available at their local Blockbuster.

It seems like a concerted effort by the movie industry to revive Netflix's only REAL competitor, Blockbuster. If Blockbuster goes away, Netflix will be wielding the kind of power Apple had with ITunes, and the movie industry does not want that!!!

Just a thought!

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And I thought
Jan 15, 2011 12:05PM PST

It was some attempt to get more folk out to theaters!

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Blockbuster is polishing brass on the Titanic.
Jan 16, 2011 3:00AM PST

They are worrying themselves with propping up a business that is already in its death spiral and ignoring the future. Nobody I know rents movies from a physical store anymore. Blockbuster is closing and downsizing stores left and right. They have been a hair away from bankruptcy on several occasions over the last few years. And I think you seriously overestimate the number of people who bother going to physical stores to rent movies.

It's hardly a conspiracy if Netflix and Redbox had the choice to accept the new deal or not. They could have gone on renting discs day and date if they wanted to, but the deals they were offered by the studios gave them something much more valuable that would further cement their market dominance. For Netflix that was more streaming titles. For Redbox it was cheaper discs. These guys are playing a long game while Blockbuster cant see past the end of the month.

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Comparison to a different market
Jan 16, 2011 6:49AM PST

Brick and mortar stores are still fairly popular in Australia, as netflix doesn't operate here. And the netflix like companies have stupidly expensive streaming, at $5 a movie. Blu Ray is fairly popular. Making Brick and mortar stores still a good way to get 1080p content for your HDTV. Though they aren't doing as well as they used to due to postage rental services.

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Netflix's all you can eat streaming and disc rental and
Jan 16, 2011 6:57AM PST

Redbox's dirt cheap, locally placed kiosks (outside every drugstore and supermarket) have taken a serious chunk out of Blockbuster's physical presence in the US. Only 2 of the previous 7 Blockbuster stores are left in my city and both of those have downsized to about a quarter of the floorspace they used to have. It's kind of sad actually. I feel sorry for the employees who have to go to work there everyday with the knowledge that they are on a sinking ship.

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Ohh and as a consequence
Jan 16, 2011 6:54AM PST

Blockbuster Australia is doing MUCH better than their US parent and is still profitable.