DISH / Blockbuster Announcement Discussion Thread!

What about other devices beyond DISH receivers?

Reposting, but it looks like some of these questions may have been answered, maybe a DISH CSR can address the following:

I keep reading that the service will work with DISH receivers, but what about Blockbuster On Demand devices, like TiVos and Blu-rays? Blockbuster On Demand Devices
Haven't found an answer as of yet.

I'd love a better (DISH) receiver, but I also don't want to get hit with a DVR fee, so I'd rather do the streaming with a Vizio Blu-ray that has the Blockbuster app.
It looks like those with older Ethernet-less receivers are SOL.

Some of us have the Welcome Pack, will there be a minimum package that a subscriber must have to get the $10 Blockbuster add-on?
It looks like a budget package like the Welcome Pack is also SOL. I don't get this when these same DISH subs can get Netflix / Qwikster and pay someone else other than Charlie.
 
I keep reading that the service will work with DISH receivers, but what about Blockbuster On Demand devices, like TiVos and Blu-rays? Blockbuster On Demand Devices
Haven't found an answer as of yet.
No it will not. Look for this support to come in the future.

You can add BMP to any DISH Network package INCLUDING the welcome package. But for the streaming requires a HD DVR.
 
I am reporting this as I see staff from another forum asking the question of what happens to current Platinum Subscribers.

We asked DISH and this was the answer I got back... Please spread the word.

Hi Scott,

The new Blockbuster Movie Pass a la carte package, which will be priced at $10/mo. combines the previous Blockbuster by Mail services with DISH Platinum's services, so all these services will be $10/mo. less than prior to October 1st, when both offerings were $10/mo. each.

So instead of $20/mo. for both, it will be $10/mo.
 
The announced service is clearly to prevent Dish subscribers bleeding to Netflix or substantially reducing Dish subscription and adding Netflix and/or Hulu Plus. This is a good first step. Next comes the BB service available to NON-Dish subscribers, and that will be when BB really competes with Netflix, but that step takes some time and resources (the new data center Scott has told us about) along with serious attempts to get BB on devices or Smart TV's it is currently NOT available. Also, the Dish customer only phase will allow BB to have good trial run and work out any bugs or kinks by the time they are ready to go public at large.

Not crazy about the ads either, but they are "emotional" ads that Joe was stressing. The dancing mailman is an excellent and most clear example of this, but the others are "emotional" as well. The thing is, those ads really do work on Joe Blow and Joe Sixpack (same guy?), but not so with the really smart people on this forum. Some of the most successful or at least effective ads have been those that say almost NOTHING about the product, but are extremely emotional. Keep in mind, they probably have a phase TWO of ads set and phase THREE even. In other words, I think it is part of a real campaign. Right now they have to grab people with FUNKY images (the cowboy hats ad), INCONGRUITY of human behavior (the dancing mailman), and FAMILY--one of the top themes of advertising--with the added incongruity of the dad from the pop-up cake (rather than a hot lady) and noise to catch your attention. The next phase, after having grabbed our attention and introduced Dish/BB to people, will focus more on the details and likely be less odd or use much less incongruity.

This has great potential. Let's hope Dish doesn't mess this up. If Netflix is as well run a company as I think it is, they are VERY worried about Dish/BB and understand they can be the TiVo of this decade in that Dish has the better and more lucrative to the content owners/providers (they make the most money with MVPD's, not Netflix) relationship and Dish even has some leverage over them, which Netfilx has NONE. It's all about the MODEL, folks, and, once again, because MVPD's already have the access to many more millions of consumers, they simply provide the product (like the DVR's) or service the subscribers want--a Netflix like service--there is no need to consider a 3rd party, especially a 3rd party that is MORE expensive than what Dish will be offering and does the job well enough as their MVPD subscription rounds it out or vice-versa.
 
I’ve read all of the posts in this thread up to now and my assumption is that Platinum package subscribers pay no extra charges for a new 1 physical DVD out at a time service, and we get a streaming service with BB branding. Let me know if I’m wrong.

Here are my questions:
Will the new BB streaming service include additional content or is it the same Platinum VOD service I already get with my 722 connected to the internet? This was mentioned in the Slashdot article and it sounded like there is no additional content. I'm not a fan of the offerings from the current Dish online feature I have. A better interface would be nice though since it can't get worse.

If the streaming content will be different, will the streaming include older seasons of TV shows like Netflix or is it only movies? I haven't tried BlockBuster streaming so I don't know what they have. The only good thing about Netflix streaming was the old seasons of 24 and Lost, etc.

Will Dish Network be subsidizing the remaining brick and mortar BB stores now or are they likely to close like the others? Only one left in my area. Close it and I'm out.

What will Dish Network do to supply the existing stores with new releases of DVD's and Blu-Rays? I'm most concerned with Blu-Rays and the in-store rentals weren't that good last time I checked but it was a few years ago.


I do have to say this, 3000 titles sounds like Amazon's streaming service and it is so limited it isn't worth one dollar. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it. Even Netflix streaming was too limited for me and I cancelled it recently.

-Thanks
 
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We have had Netflix for years, utilizing the one-at-a-time DVD service. We also had streaming until the Netflix price leap, and opted to stay with the DVD plan. If I can get the same service from Dish for what I'm already paying them now, why would I keep Netflix? The savings nearly pay for the platinum package.
 
Yepp, to try and drive sales. Fail IMO, but you would figure as big as Netflix is, they had clout to get passes it but didn't. Lowly BB does not have a wait, kinda funny. Ive got both Xmen First Class and Thor from BB Mail sitting at home waiting to be watched.

Elwaylite,
You didn't buy Thor???

Ghpr13:D
 
I’ve read all of the posts in this thread up to now and my assumption is that Platinum package subscribers pay no extra charges for a new 1 physical DVD out at a time service, and we get a streaming service with BB branding. Let me know if I’m wrong.

Here are my questions:
Will the new BB streaming service include additional content or is it the same Platinum VOD service I already get with my 722 connected to the internet? This was mentioned in the Slashdot article and it sounded like there is no additional content. I'm not a fan of the offerings from the current Dish online feature I have.
According to the press conference, there will be 10,000 additional movie and TV titles...20K presently + 10K BBMP = 30K.

Will Dish Network be subsidizing the remaining brick and mortar BB stores now or are they likely to close like the others? Only one left in my area. Close it and I'm out.
Remains to be seen. I believe BB is self-supporting at present.
What will Dish Network do to supply the existing stores with new releases of DVD's and Blu-Rays? I'm most concerned with Blu-Rays and the in-store rentals weren't that good last time I checked but it was a few years ago.
DVD/Blu-Ray comes via mail. Store inventory is irrelevant.

I do have to say this, 3000 titles sounds like Amazon's streaming service and it is so limited it isn't worth one dollar. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it. Even Netflix streaming was too limited for me and I cancelled it recently.
Again, 30,000 titles.
 
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Blue ray is far from dead there will be lots of players under the Christmas trees this year with the black Friday deals .
Of course the media distributors prefer to replace it with streaming it lowers their cost and help the profit but it does not give better results and their are still large parts of the country without good broadband service

Plus Blu-ray is the only "low cost" way to get 3D at home for now, and no matter what one thinks of 3D at this time, Hollywood is going to try to keep pushing it and Blu-ray 3D is where they hope to make some real money on this newest form of 3D.

Ghpr13:)
 
couple other thoughts. obviously no HBO. I assume dish will be adding a "streaming only" plan so that you don't have to have hardware installed to do streaming. I can also guess that Echostar is working on a new receiver box that will just do streaming to the tv, and maybe have OTA built in. Now that would be a win if you could sell a box to folks for streaming and ota, but no satellite connection.

I don't see why they would do any of that. If you want streaming and you're a Dish sub, you'll have to get the BB Movie Pass, even if you're not in a position to enjoy every single benefit. As for a OTA + streaming box... I don't think that's much of a market... they're better off creating apps and letting other parties handle the hardware burden.

We'll see what they do to try and compete directly with Netflix... if they saddle all subscriptions with a rental plan just so they can charge more overall and say it's more value and use that to say they are offering more when their digital content library needs a lot of work... no thanks.
 
couple other thoughts. obviously no HBO. I assume dish will be adding a "streaming only" plan so that you don't have to have hardware installed to do streaming. I can also guess that Echostar is working on a new receiver box that will just do streaming to the tv, and maybe have OTA built in. Now that would be a win if you could sell a box to folks for streaming and ota, but no satellite connection.

I don't see why they would do any of that. If you want streaming and you're a Dish sub, you'll have to get the BB Movie Pass, even if you're not in a position to enjoy every single benefit. As for a OTA + streaming box... I don't think that's much of a market... they're better off creating apps and letting other parties handle the hardware burden.

We'll see what they do to try and compete directly with Netflix... if they saddle all subscriptions with a rental plan just so they can charge more overall and say it's more value and use that to say they are offering more when their digital content library needs a lot of work... no thanks.
 
So, with the change in Platinum to BB and Starz being streamed, does that mean that with the package, we will continue to get Starz after the free 1 year?
 
couple other thoughts. obviously no HBO. I assume dish will be adding a "streaming only" plan so that you don't have to have hardware installed to do streaming. I can also guess that Echostar is working on a new receiver box that will just do streaming to the tv, and maybe have OTA built in. Now that would be a win if you could sell a box to folks for streaming and ota, but no satellite connection.

I don't see why they would do any of that. If you want streaming and you're a Dish sub, you'll have to get the BB Movie Pass, even if you're not in a position to enjoy every single benefit. As for a OTA + streaming box... I don't think that's much of a market... they're better off creating apps and letting other parties handle the hardware burden.

We'll see what they do to try and compete directly with Netflix... if they saddle all subscriptions with a rental plan just so they can charge more overall and say it's more value and use that to say they are offering more when their digital content library needs a lot of work... no thanks.
 
couple other thoughts. obviously no HBO. I assume dish will be adding a "streaming only" plan so that you don't have to have hardware installed to do streaming. I can also guess that Echostar is working on a new receiver box that will just do streaming to the tv, and maybe have OTA built in. Now that would be a win if you could sell a box to folks for streaming and ota, but no satellite connection.

I don't see why they would do any of that. If you want streaming and you're a Dish sub, you'll have to get the BB Movie Pass, even if you're not in a position to enjoy every single benefit. As for a OTA + streaming box... I don't think that's much of a market... they're better off creating apps and letting other parties handle the hardware burden.

We'll see what they do to try and compete directly with Netflix... if they saddle all subscriptions with a rental plan just so they can charge more overall and say it's more value and use that to say they are offering more when their digital content library needs a lot of work... no thanks.
 
Just finished reading the entire thread. Dish has done the unthinkable. Dish subs have been given a christmas present and yet it is only the start of the fall. I cannot be happier about this addition to us subs. It is without a doubt a +1. Looking forward to oct 1.

Sent from my LG-P999 using SatelliteGuys

Agreed. I know I'll be subscribing as soon as it comes available.
 
According to the press conference, there will be 10,000 additional movie and TV titles...20K presently + 10K BBMP = 30K.


Remains to be seen. I believe BB is self-supporting at present.
DVD/Blu-Ray comes via mail. Store inventory is irrelevant.


Again, 30,000 titles.

Where did this 10k number come from?

From the press release:

  • Mail It! — More than 100,000 DVD movies, TV shows and games available by mail. No additional charge for high definition Blu-ray™ movies. One, two or three disc plans available. Queue management made conveniently from a link at www.dish.com.
  • Stream it! — Stream more than 3,000 movies to the TV. Stream more than 4,000 movies to the PC. Watch hundreds of on-demand TV shows.
  • Play it! — More than 3,000 video games by mail for XBOX®, XBOX 360®, Playstation2™, Playstation3™, and Nintendo Wii™.
  • Exchange it! — Unlimited exchanges of DVDs and video games at participating Blockbuster stores.
  • Watch it! — More than 20 premium entertainment movie channels from studios like MGM, Epix, Sony Movie Channel, PixL and more.

I wonder how many titles are being counted twice between dish on demand and BB movie pass.

Maybe you saw a figure that was counting bb's PPV offerings which are sticking around too?

BB is 3k titles (why can 1k more only be streamed to a PC?), vs Amazon's 9k, Netflix's 20k.
 

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