Andre Yoskowitz
10 Nov 2008 21:11
Finally putting an end to weeks of rumors, Blockbuster has announced they will be building a set-top box that can stream digital movies to user's TVs.
The move can be seen as a way for the struggling company to compete with rival Netflix which has been making deal after deal to add to their streaming library.
Blockbuster CEO, Jim Keyes, added that the device will be brand associated with its Movielink rental and purchase service but did not disclose any other details. For the time being, cost, hardware and software specs and release date are unknown but Keyes did note the box would be available for the holiday season.
The new device may be too little too late for Blockbuster however as Netflix has had their own set top box (the Netflix player by Roku) available for almost a year. Netflix has also recently signed a deal with Microsoft to have its subscribers stream movies free of charge on Xbox 360 consoles.