Best Buy prepares for a "post DVD-era"

[ack_bak]

Looking at the Cinema Now website, I am unimpressed. No HD rentals from what I can tell. Their HD buy selection is pricey and has about 16 titles to pick from and the prices are $10-15 for obscure relases (ie no major studio releases).

The majority of new release SD rentals are priced $3.99-4.99 per rental. I would exect HD new release rentals (when they get them) to cost $4.99-6.99 per rental.

I just don't see this taking off at those price points with Redbox and Netflix out there, and with NCR and Blockbuster greatly expanding their kiosk business.

But lack of HD rentals, for me, is a complete dealbreaker.

[h0mi]

So we have:

Cinema Now
Amazon
Blockbuster

which are all similar and in the same boat, having to license their techs with various set top box providers (My Tivo HD supports all 3 as a matter of fact)

Vudu

which has it's own set top box and arrangements with various CES

Itunes
Xbox Live/Zune
PSN

which have their own 'set top boxes' and support for PMPs (ipods, zunes, iphones, PSPs) but the 3 services are distinct and not interoperable.

There's also Netflix and probably some other services. Lots of choices but the focus is clearly on renting, not "owning".

[Hokis4ever]

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD

There are many HD options available through streaming already present. Not only do you have NetFlix (which has some stuff in HD), but VuDu, Xbox 360, PS3 etc. It may not be BD quality but most consumers really won't care or even be able to tell.

In the US, sure...

Can't afford to move to the sates though and truthfully, i really like Canada

[redfirebird2008]

The problem with downloads right now is that current compression techniques are not strong enough to provide Blu-ray level quality at a really low bitrate, say 5 Mbps. Once the compression technology evolves (I imagine 10 years from now, AVC is going to either be a dinosaur like MPEG-2 or will be significantly improved), then it will be more feasible to deliver streams in the 5 Mbps area. As it stands, compression artifacts are distracting at such low bitrates for difficult material, such as accurately resolving the grain field on a film like The Third Man.

[comixguru]

I don't know about Best Buy, sometimes.

My local Best Buy store ripped out the first row of DVDs/New Releases, etc... and put in scooters and related gear in the front of the store. This was about 9 months ago, just after last holidays. Not sure what the f*** is with that.

At this point, this is all pie in the sky stuff. There's no product yet.

If you ask me this is all simply a response to the board of directors asking, "What are you doing about all these declines in DVD sales?" You know after 2-3 quarters of those questions, if you don't have an answer you usually get fired. Then 2-3 more quarters after that, if you don't act on it, you get fired. For a while, the answer was Blu-ray. Now, the answer is Blu-ray and digital downloads.

I wonder what is gonna happen if none of this makes quarterly earnings start rising again? More scooters? SmartCars? Make Your Own Rock Band video with a stage and professional lighting?

[mikemorel]

Originally Posted by redfirebird2008

Once the compression technology evolves (I imagine 10 years from now, AVC is going to either be a dinosaur like MPEG-2 or will be significantly improved), then it will be more feasible to deliver streams in the 5 Mbps area.

10 years?!?!? 5 years from now most people who WANT 50 mbps to the home will have 50 mbps to the home. So, while news channels might broadcast in 5 mbps streams 5 years from now, HD streaming at much higher bitrates will be commonplace.

Comcast's DOCSIS 3.0 Rollout Hits 34 Million Homes

Comcast now reaches 34 million DOCSIS 3.0-enabled homes, nine months after the operator kicked off the “wideband” buildout, John Schanz, executive VP of national engineering and technical operations, said in his opening-session remarks here at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo.

By DOCSIS 3.0-enabled, “we mean it’s a matter of turning it on,” he said. “The RF channels are enabled, the CMTS is in place and the [customer premises equipment] is ready.”

In addition, Comcast has 47 million triple-play homes nabled today, “and we don’t have to go dig up their yard,” Schanz said.

Separately, Comcast on Wednesday announced the launch of DOCSIS 3.0 in 83 cities and communities in central California.

Nationwide Comcast is aiming to deploy DOCSIS 3.0 to 40 million of homes in its footprint, nearly 80% of those passed in its service areas, by the end of this year, with full coverage by 2010.

Internet Protocol technology is now basically as widespread as fresh water, Schanz said.

“You can laugh,” he said, but “there’s nothing on the Earth as ubiquitous now as air, water and IP.”

Time Warner Cable brings DOCSIS 3.0 to Big Apple

100 Mbps DOCSIS 3.0 speeds to be offered by Cablevision

Charter launches 60Mbps residential Internet

Verizon: FiOS at Five: Continuing Rapid Growth

By the end of this year, Verizon's FiOS network will pass approximately 15 million homes and businesses, with an eventual goal of 18 million.

[GizmoDVD]

There was a decent discussion on ATTACK OF THE SHOW yesterday regarding this deal.

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by mikemorel

10 years?!?!? 5 years from now most people who WANT 50 mbps to the home will have 50 mbps to the home. So, while news channels might broadcast in 5 mbps streams 5 years from now, HD streaming at much higher bitrates will be commonplace.

Comcast's DOCSIS 3.0 Rollout Hits 34 Million Homes



Time Warner Cable brings DOCSIS 3.0 to Big Apple

100 Mbps DOCSIS 3.0 speeds to be offered by Cablevision

Charter launches 60Mbps residential Internet

Verizon: FiOS at Five: Continuing Rapid Growth

Yeah, but at what price points? $80-120+ per month for 50mbps+?

[Sbert]

Originally Posted by ack_bak

Yeah, but at what price points? $80-120+ per month for 50mbps+?

LOL, for 4 mbps, I pay 60 as it stands. Sucks.

[MSX2]

Japan has the world's best broadband infrastructures. A friend of mine is getting 48mbps dl/35 ul WIRELESS at his dorm, and that's considered adequate there, not good. Any idea on the progress of digital distribution there?

Seriously, I have no idea but BD and DVD still exist there despite reliable broadband everywhere. Even game publishers tend to skip on digital distribution with important releases there.

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by Sbert

LOL, for 4 mbps, I pay 60 as it stands. Sucks.

http://gigaom.com/2009/06/09/comcast...-mbps-service/

Comcast Cuts Price on 50 Mbps Service
By Stacey Higginbotham | Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Updated: Comcast will drop the price of its ultrafast 50 Mbps up down/10 Mbps down up broadband to $99.99 per month with the purchase of one other Comcast service. That’s almost 30 percent less than the original price of $139.95 per month. The new pricing takes effect on June 15. For those who prefer to go naked, and only buy high-speed data access, the cost will drop to $116.95 per month. The price cuts are likely a response to increasing competition from Verizon’s FiOS service (which costs $139.95 per month for a similar tier with faster upload speeds), as well as a way to entice more users to the top tier. Update: Comcast competes with Verizon FiOS in 12 percent of its footprint. Comcast’s 22 Mbps downstream/5 Mbps upstream tier remains at $62.95 per month. Comcast also announced plans to deliver superfast broadband powered by its DOCIS 3.0 rollout to Washington, D.C., in the next few weeks.

So $99.xx for 50mbps if you buy one other service from Comcast. $116.xx if you don't. FIOS, which is faster is charging $139.xx a month and the Comcast 22mbps plan is $62.xx per month (of course all all of this is before taxes).

So yeah, I don't see the mainstream America jumping on these plans anytime soon. I know Comcast has been pushing their $89 a month (phone/data/cable) plan around here and I believe the speed is 7-10Mbps. I would imagine that most folks would go with that plan.

[luclin999]

Sorry but I don't see most people being willing to pay more than about $30-40 a month for broadband service.

And I don't foresee 40-50mbps download speeds at those prices anytime soon.

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by luclin999

Sorry but I don't see most people being willing to pay more than about $30-40 a month for broadband service.

And I don't foresee 40-50mbps download speeds at those prices anytime soon.

I would agree. I would guess that most people go with either the lower or middle tiered services. I pay under $40 a month now after taxes, and would be willing to pay $50 a month for a faster service, but that is my personal limit.

I think we will gradually see speeds improve for the lower tiered speeds, but no way is Comcast going to give you 50Mbps for $30-50 anytime soon. Probably closer to 10-15Mbps at those price points. And it will be 10 years + before rural areas see the speeds that Comcast, FIOS, and others are talking about.

[vinnie97]

And Verizon, if anything, is scaling back FIOS deployment...high speed broadband is just not ubiquitous enough, yet.

[redfirebird2008]

Originally Posted by ack_bak

Yeah, but at what price points? $80-120+ per month for 50mbps+?

Price isn't the issue so much as access. The cable companies are ALREADY screwing everyone over with bandwidth limits and penalties if you use too much in a month.