Blockbuster Set-Top Box in the Works

According to the Hollywood Reporter and news.com, Blockbuster will soon be announcing yet another reason not to go to a rental store...their own. The media-delivering set-top box, which is in the works for the company, leverages the store's existing competence in the industry to provide a viable alternative to iTunes, Xbox Live, and Amazon.



There is no mention of price or how this service will actually work. But let's think about this: to compete with Apple TV or Vudu, the device would have to cost around $200, and rentals of movies and TV shows should be around $3 to $4 each, which would be slightly cheaper than rentals of new releases from Blockbuster currently.

The device will join a growing roster of home video boxes which aim to bring broadband video to the living room. Blockbuster rival Netflix also has indicated that it will compete in this market with a similar device being created with LG Electronics. The device is believed to be a stand-alone product akin to Apple TV as opposed to embedding a Blockbuster-branded service in such existing devices as Microsoft's Xbox 360 or TiVo.

The big advantage Blockbuster would enjoy over Apple TV, Vudu,and TiVo seems to be selection, as the service would be an offshoot of Movielink, the online film service Blockbuster acquired last year that allows consumers to watch films licensed from the major studios on their computers. Movielink was created in 2002 by MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. Blockbuster now has the online rights to about 6,000 movies, though there are restrictions on moving content beyond PCs and TV.

This is the most audacious attempt yet by Blockbuster to reinvent its brand as a digital delivery service, as it risks to undercut the viability of its retail operation. Their aim is to make their brand the major force online.

I still think they're kind of late to this party, though....

"Daily Show," Other MTV Channels to Get Their Own Sites

Web sites for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and two dozen other brands that fall under the MTV Networks umbrella are being prepared for a first-quarter 2008 launch, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"The Daily Show" site, for example, which actually launches in the fourth quarter, will contain the entire video history of each show, including headlines, interviews and the "Back in Black" feature. Episodes will be available in their entirety an hour or two after broadcast.

Other shows receiving their own sites include Comedy Central's "The Sarah Silverman Program," MTV's "Engaged and Underage" and Nickelodeon's "iCarly." No mention was made of the "The Colbert Report." The company is also launching a game site for teenage girls, a wiki site for video game cheats called Wiki Cheats and niche-oriented sites for everything from hip-hop dance to gay-focused animation.

VH1EyeCandy.com, a pop culture site, will also get a full launch.

MTV's idea is to turn its popular brands into Web destinations by pushing content, games, promotions, TV schedules and forums on their sites for user feedback. Will this long-tail approach work? It seems they want to grow some of the newer content destinations virally, while letting the TV shows' popularity help them along.

Cybercast credit: VH1