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New report suggests Dish and Blockbuster will cost Netflix customers

Written by Rich Fiscus @ 29 Sep 2011 5:14 User comments (20)

New report suggests Dish and Blockbuster will cost Netflix customers

A new report from Knowledge Networks suggests Dish Network's strategy of combining pay TV and unlimited streaming could cost Netflix customers.
Currently, according to the report, more than a third of US consumers say they watch a movie or TV show from Netflix at least once per month. That includes both their streaming and disc rental business.

Some of that viewing is coming at the expense of VOD offerings from pay TV services.

However, 20 percent of respondents to their survey who indicated they are watching less VOD in favor of Netflix also said if their pay TV provider offered a similar streaming service, they would be "very likely" to switch.

That could be good news for Dish Network and Blockbuster, who unveiled just such a plan last week called Blockbuster Movie Pass.



Dish bought Blockbuster earlier this year largely to get their streaming service. They are also considered a leading contender to buy Hulu.

What Netflix seems to have underestimated is how much of Watch Instantly's value was the appearance of being free. From that point of view, their recent price hike left disc rental prices basically the same, while streaming jumped from free to $7.99 a month.

At a price of nothing, Netflix streaming is pretty clearly the best value around. At any othe price there would seem to be a clear opening for any number of competitors.

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20 user comments

129.9.2011 17:59

I actually just joined up with BlockBuster today. I'm pretty unhappy at the availability of games, but it's not any worse than GameFly was and it's certainly more well rounded thanks to the movies being bundled automatically. I'll keep my Netflix streaming, for now; until BlockBuster and Dish stop being retarded and offer streaming to all or something better hops along. Never liked Hulu, guess just because of the UI. I don't even have cable or satellite, internet is the only lifeline to the world in my home and since about 40% (to my reckoning) of TV services are adverts, that's not changing.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 30 Sep 2011 @ 8:31

229.9.2011 20:40

I have Dish and i have Netflix, and i can garuntee i will not leave netflix. ( as long as the price for Streaming only Is good )

I dont rent movies from a movie store anymore. Dish sux bad enough, let alone so does blockbuster lol.

Ive never really had a problem with streaming netflix. I havent had dish for 6 months yet and the damn thing looses its signal probebly once a week. and thats on a sunny day. and there are no trees in the way.

329.9.2011 21:45

never had any griefs with my .torrent TV :D

429.9.2011 22:13

i think the bigger issue is what stream deals will blockbuster have since streaming is replacing the rental of dvds and every studio will want to re-do their contracts now that dish is pushing it on their costumers as a one price all you can stream deal

529.9.2011 23:37

Blockbuster might be worth a try. However, there are other ways to watch streaming TV online and not be stuck to one service. Look at the TVDevo website. There are no limitations to what can be watched online.

630.9.2011 00:44

People who stream must not have home theaters at all so they don't care about picture or sound quality. If the future is pixelated nearly DVD quality picture and 2 channel stereo streamed to everything why not just stick with DVD?

Because for me I'm not wasting the potential of my 62 inch 1080p tv and digital 5.1 surround sound to anything less than HD Blu-Ray. So I'm lost on why streaming is going to "take over" the industry. Hearing people prefer streaming to me is like saying people would rather go back to VHS tapes...just so they can watch a movie on their phone. It makes no sense.

I think there is a market for both, not one is dying and one is the future. That's why Netflix had a good thing. You can watch movies on your big boy TV in full HD booming surround sound with BD rentals. And when stuck in a long line at the DMV you could stream an episode of Dexter.

730.9.2011 08:38

Originally posted by jookycola:
People who stream must not have home theaters at all so they don't care about picture or sound quality. If the future is pixelated nearly DVD quality picture and 2 channel stereo streamed to everything why not just stick with DVD?

Because for me I'm not wasting the potential of my 62 inch 1080p tv and digital 5.1 surround sound to anything less than HD Blu-Ray. So I'm lost on why streaming is going to "take over" the industry. Hearing people prefer streaming to me is like saying people would rather go back to VHS tapes...just so they can watch a movie on their phone. It makes no sense.

I think there is a market for both, not one is dying and one is the future. That's why Netflix had a good thing. You can watch movies on your big boy TV in full HD booming surround sound with BD rentals. And when stuck in a long line at the DMV you could stream an episode of Dexter.
Yeah, I'm the same. We have a 7ch surround sound set up and 52" HDTV, and streaming generally looks and sounds ok, but nothing compared to anything we watch on disc. That's when the sub starts working overtime and you can hear every little piece you should, and can see every little detail in the picture without all those pixels and guesses. Digital media may take over, but not in the form of streaming, more in the form of permanent downloads in a "cloud locker" or moving from discs to some kind of flash memory. But there's no way people would want to only be able to stream, you just can't push all that data well enough to get the same richness.

830.9.2011 09:54

When, and if, Netflix begins streaming true HD movies watch out for the bandwidth caps that your ISP applies. You will either pay more for the bandwidth or do without your streaming video. Like others have said above, I like seeing true 1080 content with surround sound. I did not see that with Netflix streaming.

930.9.2011 10:41

Streaming clearly is the future, like it or not. I stream movies over my wired home network from the back of the house (where my htpc resides) about 60 or 70 feet to my home theater in the front of the house. Many of my movies are in 5.1 surround sound and hd video format, and I can achieve speeds peaking around 75 Mbps. They look great, but still just a tad below a disk playing. Wellllll, maybe more than just a tad, especially for those with a particularly discerning eye (like most of us AD readers - wink wink). But I'll bet that gap will close here very quickly and I'm guessing that throughput speed won't be much of an issue in the very near future - it almost isn't now, at least for me. Of course, there's always a relatively large cost to be on or near the cutting edge of home theatre technology - when I think of how many tens of thousands I've spent over the years...!

1030.9.2011 11:00

Originally posted by geordietx:
Streaming clearly is the future, like it or not. I stream movies over my wired home network from the back of the house (where my htpc resides) about 60 or 70 feet to my home theater in the front of the house. Many of my movies are in 5.1 surround sound and hd video format, and I can achieve speeds peaking around 75 Mbps. They look great, but still just a tad below a disk playing. Wellllll, maybe more than just a tad, especially for those with a particularly discerning eye (like most of us AD readers - wink wink). But I'll bet that gap will close here very quickly and I'm guessing that throughput speed won't be much of an issue in the very near future - it almost isn't now, at least for me. Of course, there's always a relatively large cost to be on or near the cutting edge of home theatre technology - when I think of how many tens of thousands I've spent over the years...!
That's different though. I could stream over my home network without even having an internet connection, that's streaming your own content. The issue is streaming content from another source, especially with the bandwidth caps and non-neutrality. I can stream 5.1 and HD over our network all day long, but Netflix and others aren't going to be able to push the same 100 (300 theoretically, considering that all routers in my home are specified as such) MB speeds of a home network, especially to the masses unless the US suddenly jumps up to better services. Unless the entire nation (globe really) becomes powered by fiber optics, it just can not happen. The data will never hit the needed speeds.

Streaming is convenient and awesome, but it can't replace the physical media (AKA your htpc). You still have to have the content itself, on your own drives, if you're going to get HD and surround sound.

1130.9.2011 12:53

Not to worry netflix, I'm not going anywhere :) I'd have to say a good deal of Dish stations look worse than a 7Meg netflix streaming connection. My brothers got a 42" HDTV, streaming netflix is well within reason most the time. I'm sure when he gets 10 or 15, it'll look even better. My folks seem to like their Dish, myself I could easily live without it(I do). Internet is all you need ;) I can keep up on the news, watch a tv show(Without ads!), doesn't get any better than that. Blockbuster is no quicker about getting discs to me, so I can't see a reason for switching. The pricing difference will probably never be good enough to justify switching. 99% of time, I'm able to get new releases mailed to me(all about timing).
I'm just comfy with netflix :p Although they're switching to Qwikster pretty soon eh? :S

Indeed, I love BD physical media. ♥

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 30 Sep 2011 @ 12:54

121.10.2011 10:19

Originally posted by deak91:
i think the bigger issue is what stream deals will blockbuster have since streaming is replacing the rental of dvds and every studio will want to re-do their contracts now that dish is pushing it on their costumers as a one price all you can stream deal
Not so sure streaming is replacing rental. The content available for streaming is nowhere near what you can rent only.
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 01 Oct 2011 @ 10:21

131.10.2011 23:16
N1col3
Unverified new user

DISH Network’s Blockbuster Movie Pass is packed with value because it includes access to 100,000 DVD movies, TV shows and games available by mail and in-store (no extra charges for Blu-ray or the video games), plus streaming 3,000 movies to TV and 4,000 movies to PC, and 20 premium entertainment movie channels from studios like MGM, Epix, Sony Movie Channel, PixL and more. I wouldn’t say this is on the same playing field as Netflix simply because the pass offers so much more. I work for DISH and I know that they’re giving the pass for one year free to new customers when subscribed to qualifying programming with DISH, and they’re even incorporating their price guarantee until 2013. For current subscribers like myself, I now have access to all of this, and streaming through my VIP 722k DVR for only $10 a month.

1414.10.2011 03:01

I have dish network but I did the blockbuster online 3 discs out of time and yes I would do the movie pass but my internet slow and I read that with movie pass you only allow to check out 1 disc at a time.

1514.10.2011 05:06

I just turned off blockbuster...I can't support a company like that after they f**ked their shareholders that bad...they have a legal obligation to the shareholders that goes above everything else, even the law...and if they are willing to do their shareholders like that, the Blockbuster of old is coming back very soon.

1614.10.2011 08:42

Originally posted by KillerBug:
I just turned off blockbuster...I can't support a company like that after they f**ked their shareholders that bad...they have a legal obligation to the shareholders that goes above everything else, even the law...and if they are willing to do their shareholders like that, the Blockbuster of old is coming back very soon.
Oh wow. First hearing of this, quick Google search and I'm shocked. I just freaking joined up to try 'em out. Guess I'll just cancel the trial, but will they actually stay down this time?

1714.10.2011 10:30

I also read that blockbuster will soon be on facebook as well.

1821.10.2011 05:11

Originally posted by KillerBug:
I just turned off blockbuster...I cant support a company like that after they f**ked their shareholders that bad...they have a legal obligation to the shareholders that goes above everything else, even the law...and if they are willing to do their shareholders like that, the Blockbuster of old is coming back very soon.
maybe you should learn what you are reading, Blockbuster went bankrupt. Dish purchased their assets. money from dishs purchase goes to blockbusters creditors then if anything leftover (which there wont be) shareholders. Dishs Blockbuster is not what blockbuster shareholders own it is a name they purchased

1921.10.2011 05:21

Originally posted by eXcelon:
Originally posted by KillerBug:
I just turned off blockbuster...I cant support a company like that after they f**ked their shareholders that bad...they have a legal obligation to the shareholders that goes above everything else, even the law...and if they are willing to do their shareholders like that, the Blockbuster of old is coming back very soon.
maybe you should learn what you are reading, Blockbuster went bankrupt. Dish purchased their assets. money from dishs purchase goes to blockbusters creditors then if anything leftover (which there wont be) shareholders. Dishs Blockbuster is not what blockbuster shareholders own it is a name they purchased
Um.... Dish didn't just buy it's name, they bought the entire company. BlockBuster express however isn't own by Dish.

2021.10.2011 05:38

Originally posted by xaznboitx:
Originally posted by eXcelon:
Originally posted by KillerBug:
I just turned off blockbuster...I cant support a company like that after they f**ked their shareholders that bad...they have a legal obligation to the shareholders that goes above everything else, even the law...and if they are willing to do their shareholders like that, the Blockbuster of old is coming back very soon.
maybe you should learn what you are reading, Blockbuster went bankrupt. Dish purchased their assets. money from dishs purchase goes to blockbusters creditors then if anything leftover (which there wont be) shareholders. Dishs Blockbuster is not what blockbuster shareholders own it is a name they purchased
Um.... Dish didn't just buy it's name, they bought the entire company. BlockBuster express however isn't own by Dish.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...aqlajUJnwuhIARA

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