Rich Fiscus
9 Aug 2007 5:11
Blockbuster, the biggest brick and mortar video rental chain in the U.S. acquired movie download provider Movielink. They're also planning to have rights to provide the files of the service's previous owners, including Warner Brothers and MGM.
“It immediately puts us in the digital download business,” Blockbuster’s chief executive, James W. Keyes, said. “Clearly, our customers have responded favorably to having other convenient ways to access movies and entertainment.”
Unlike Blockbuster, Netflix has added Streaming video to their subscription plans. Netflix customers can stream a predetermined amount of video that increases with higher priced subscription plans.
Movielink doesn't currently offere streaming services. However, standard downloads are a better deal for customers with slower internet connections, as it gives everyone access to video with the same quality.
In order to stream movies from Netflix at full DVD Resolution requires an internet connection capable of sustaining 3Mbps downloads. Even broadband plans that advertise speeds that meet or exceed this requirement don't guarantee speeds in this range and frequently don't support maintaining them for extended periods.
Source: New York Times