MediaPoint: Blockbuster’s New Movie Streaming Device

Blockbuster is desperately trying to prove that it hasn't been marginalized by Netflix, despite the fact that many people in the industry think Blockbuster is already on its way out. In order to prove its veracity and hip-with-the-times nature, Blockbuster has debuted the MediaPoint box, which can stream movies through BlockBuster On-Demand.



The name is a little weird; it sounds like one of those public access shows where amateur talking heads sit around and try to sound like legitimate political pundits. You know, "Good evening, I'm Jack Russel Terriar, and you're at (dramatic pause) the MediaPoint (cue electronic theme song ditty)."

Horrible DIY TV associations aside, the MediaPoint box might actually be an interesting contender in the movie streaming industry, simply because of the pricing model for the box and the service. Here's how it works: You pay $99 for the MediaPoint device, which is softened by Blockbuster throwing in 25 free movie rentals (Blockbuster tries to spin it as "rent 25 movies and get the device for free" but we all know that's just a marketing ploy). Even as a marketing ploy that's not half bad.

But here's the really attractive part: There is no subscription fee. Each movie rental (after the 25 free) is $1.99 (prices might vary a little for other media, like TV shows). This is actually a nice development for some people; you know, the ones that don't watch a movie every day. With a Netflix account I've worked out how many movies I need to see each month to make the subscription worth it. But inevitably, I get sidetracked, plans to watch a movie get postponed, or I just plain forget to put the darn DVD in the mail when I'm done. End result: I don't maximize my investment, or some silly finance talk like that. The MediaPoint model is nice because I only pay for what I watch, and yet it's still cheaper than the rental store.

I'm not giving MediaPoint a free pass, though. It needs a broadband connection, which isn't found in every household, yet. And it still has to compete with Vudu, Apple TV and the new alliance between TiVo and Netflix. We'll have to see if MediaPoint is the trick that can keep Blockbuster relevant in a streaming world.

If you want more info, you can always consult our review of the best DVD rental sites. And don't forget these other blog posts:

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