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Samsung and Blockbuster Roll Out Blockbuster On Demand(R) Services Starting Today
By Shane Sturgeon
Publisher & Chief Technologist
Posted on October 14, 2009
Category: Internet HD Video
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Samsung and Blockbuster Roll Out BLOCKBUSTER On Demand(R) Services for Select Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray Players and Blu-ray Integrated Home Theater Systems Starting Today

Millions of Homes Across America to Gain Access to Movies Through BLOCKBUSTER On Demand Blockbuster Service to Provide Seamless Entertainment Experience Across Multiple Devices in the Home


RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. and DALLAS, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, and Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI) (NYSE:BBI.B) , a global leader in entertainment, today announced the immediate availability of Blockbuster's vast and growing library of premium digital entertainment for rent or purchase on select 2009 Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray Players and Blu-ray integrated Home Theater Systems.

Specific models featuring the new BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service include Samsung Series 650 and above LCD and Plasma HDTVs and Series 7000 and above LED HDTVs. The service is also available on Samsung BD-P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600 Blu-ray players, as well as select Samsung Blu-ray integrated Home Theater Systems (HT-BD1250, HT-BD3252, HT-BD7200 and HT-BD8200) via firmware upgrade.

"This is another real example that shows our commitment to giving consumers even more ways to access and enjoy a broad variety of high quality content through innovation, and really pushing the envelope with defining what connected TV experiences can deliver," said Tim Baxter, President of Samsung Electronics America. "Whether it's renting their favorite Blu-ray movie from Blockbuster or streaming their favorite content, our goal is to take the TV-watching experience to new levels and deliver maximum value."

With this service rollout, Blockbuster is introducing a seamless entertainment experience that allows consumers to watch BLOCKBUSTER On Demand content across multiple Blockbuster-enabled devices in the home. For example, Mom or Dad could order "Scooby Doo: The Goblin King" from BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on blockbuster.com at work, and the kids could start watching right away on their Samsung TV in the living room and watch it again on a Samsung Blu-ray player in the den. Mom and Dad could later order "Observe and Report" directly on the Samsung Blu-ray in the den, start watching, and then continue watching it on the Samsung TV in the bedroom.

"We're excited to bring BLOCKBUSTER On Demand through Samsung into millions of homes across the country," said Kevin Lewis, senior vice president digital entertainment for Blockbuster. "We're combining the newest movies available for digital delivery with a feature-rich and easy-to-use interface, and through our seamless digital connection, we're integrating it across Samsung's enabled HDTVs, Blu-ray players and Home Theater Systems to create a complete movie viewing experience consumers will value and enjoy."

With the BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service, owners of these Samsung devices now have the hottest new releases from Blockbuster right at their fingertips -- whether it's the latest comedies such as "Year One," action-packed thrillers like "State of Play", hot box office hits such as "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past", and award winners like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The video on demand (VOD) movie rentals range from $2.99 to $3.99, while purchases will typically range from $7.99 to $19.99.

The BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service provides comprehensive on-screen search and browsing capabilities, as well as full details, ratings, trailers, and other information about each movie directly on the television, eliminating the need for customers to manage a viewing queue on their PC. The offering will be easily accessible by selecting the Internet@TV feature on Samsung TVs or clicking a color-coded button on remotes for Samsung Blu-ray players and home theater systems. Once a customer rents or buys a movie, they simply press play to begin instant viewing.

To support the launch, Samsung Blu-ray disc players with the integrated BLOCKBUSTER On Demand service will be sold in Blockbuster's thousands of corporate-owned stores and participating franchise stores.


About Blockbuster

Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI) (NYSE:BBI.B) is a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with more than 7,100 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at www.blockbuster.com.


About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to, among other things, the future availability and timing of the Blockbuster On Demand service on select Samsung Consumer Electronics and the availability of select Samsung consumer electronics in BLOCKBUSTER Stores. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "intend," "estimate," "continue," or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include delays in development, competitive service offerings and lack of market acceptance, as well as the other potential factors described under "Risk Factors" in each company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The companies caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. Each company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Source: Blockbuster Inc.; Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Sphere: Related Content

Posted by Shane Sturgeon, October 14, 2009 8:08 PM

Reader Commentary

Oct 15, 3:45am
I assume that to purchase a video on demand movie, that you already have to be a paying monthly subscriber. Or, is there a way to pay for and watch a specific movie and not pay a monthly fee (just like going into the store)?
Showing only excerpts from 1 out of 2, Read More

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About Shane Sturgeon

Shane Sturgeon is the Co-Publisher and Chief Technologist of HDTV Magazine, an industry publication with HDTV roots going back to 1984, when Dale Cripps founded The HDTV Newsletter. Today, HDTV Magazine is a leading online resource for HDTV news and information and captures the eyes and imaginations of over 3 million visitors annually. Mr. Sturgeon has a background in information technology and has served in various consulting capacities for Fortune 500 companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Verizon Communications, Proctor & Gamble and Nationwide Insurance. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Wright State University.