Kind of Blu-ray, or: Blockbuster Will Do Whatever it Takes to Crush Netflix

Friend of Unfair Park “Rhinosaur” sends us this early review of Blockbuster’s OnDemand set-top box — and so far … so-so?

Unlike the Netflix streaming experience, Blockbuster permits you to
browse their entire catalog from the couch… although they charge per
rental, like typical video on demand services. Which raises the
question: Why pick up this unit if you’ve got a (cable, gaming, or
TiVo) box that already offers VOD?

Hmm, sounds familiar. One more Blockbuster update: CEO Jim Keyes — who, if nothing else, will throw anything and everything against the wall to see what sticks — said in an interview on Friday that the Dallas-based company’s not close to done when it comes to delivering video into your side room. As in: “We’ll be able to put the same
capability into a Blu-ray player. We’ll go into DVRs, game consoles, etc., just as others are doing to make the
same capability available through other devices.” Really, though, what happened to the stores being the centerpiece of Blockbuster’s rebirth? –Robert Wilonsky