var json_comments = new Array("
\"user-pic\"
TheSpatulaOfLove
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate | Flag for review

This smacks of Circuit City's miserable attempt in the ill-fated self-destruct DivX rental thing they tried so hard to push.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
mac-phisto
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@TheSpatulaOfLove: from the way it's explained, this is more akin to popular digital stores like itunes or kindle. it's a smart move for a big electronics retailer like BB.

the devil's in the details, though. divx failed b/c it was too proprietary, too costly & the real benefit to consumers was too small. if BB can roll out a digital store that's easily accessible, provides cost incentives to consumers & is easy to adopt (like itunes), then i can see this being an awesome offering.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
TheSpatulaOfLove
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@mac-phisto:

Knowing BB's business practices and the MPAA's demands, this will likely be much the same as the DivX fiasco. I'll agree, the devil will be in the details, but I don't expect the combined ham-handedness of BB and the draconian policies of the MPAA to allow this to be an awesome offering.

If I'm proven wrong and it actually is a cool offering - you now have my public offer to have me eat my words! ;)

Reply
\"user-pic\"
secret_curse
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@TheSpatulaOfLove: I'll throw this out: Napster kicks ass since BB bought it. $60/year for unlimited streaming plus at least 60 DRM-free mp3 files (you get some bonus downloads if you pay by the year or quarter). I didn't think I'd ever say \"Napster kicks ass\" in this century.


Hopefully they will do as well with their DVD service. I loves me some Netflix, but I'm all for any competition.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
vastrightwing
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@TheSpatulaOfLove: @subtlefrog: Right on! This will not end well. Combine BB practices with MPAA industry greed and practices, the result is FAIL.
1) Convenience - forget about it!
2) Price - forget about it!
3) Service - LMFAO!
4) Compatibility - (limited)
5) Performance - Sometimes may be OK
6) Video/audio quality - (probably better than YouTube)
Mark my words, \"this will be a total dismal failure\"
The BEST we can hope for will be DRM that isn't worse than what is already available. But my bet is that someone thinks they have the best DRM now. Problem is that any DRM is a fail DRM. So there will be no convenience. The price will be about the same as a regular DVD, forget about pricing below current levels, even Apple can't pull that off. There will be no service or maybe a knowledge base self help system (best possible case). Compatibility will be what ever will run their proprietary software, which will be very limited. Performance will probably be OK to fail depending on how bad the DRM scheme is. An Atom (mobile) powered device will probably not work well. The audio/video quality will probably be better than youtube, but not by much. This scenereo is BEST possible case. I think reality will be worse than this.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I like the idea of this, but anytime I have to download a movie from amazon, itunes, etc... I will forget about it and have just spent some good money on something that really doesn't exist. This happened last week with Mad Men, forgot to watch it on TV, forced to download it due to AMC being totally lame when it comes to streaming episodes. It's somewhere. I have no idea where, but I paid $1.99 for it already.

Reply
5 replies
\"user-pic\"
rhys1882
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian: You know AMC reruns the latest Mad Men a few times during the week before the next one.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@rhys1882: Normally they do, but with Halloween being last week they cut out their usual 10:30 Monday night showing by playing Thirteen Ghosts followed by Halloween (original version).

Reply
\"user-pic\"
zandar
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian:

This happens to me, too, and I've decided it's more of an Operating system/ AV software problem.

There are programs you can use- Windows Media Center, Meedio, even Tivo analogues like BeyondTV that can manage audio and video files, organizing them so you don't forget they exist.

Mind you, none of the products mentioned are perfect. Some of them might not even work with your hardware. And this is a HUGE problem, as I see this as the future form of most home PCs. yeah, you'll still use them for word processing and web surfing, but the lion's share will be investing in managing local media collections and accessing media in the cloud. All of this uncertainty is making a vacuum that a startup with the right brain power could fill immediately. Hopefully someone will step into it soon.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
GMFish
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@zandar: \"There are programs you can use...\"

Or you could simply remember where it saves the file, which is the same place each time. Or after downloading it, you could move it to someplace where you would remember it.

Do people have this sort of problem remembering where their meat-space videos are?!

I hate buying stuff from Walmart because I never remember were I put it after I buy it.
Reply
\"user-pic\"
floraposte
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@GMFish: \"Do people have this sort of problem remembering where their meat-space videos are?!\"

Oh, dear Lord, yes.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@zandar: It's more an issue where I forget it exists, and considering there's no physical reminder of it existing, it's tough for me to quantify it as actually being owned. It's getting to the point where ownership of media is pointless though, so I guess I can't complain.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
floraposte
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian: I agree with what you're saying about the physical reminder, and I also rather like the physical object anyway. Which I also play on my computer, and from which it should be completely legal for me to make a copy for personal use on my iPod and other machinery (I know, technically it's legal, it's just not legal to circumvent the anti-piracy stuff, but that makes it functionally not legal), so I get a little aggravated at the notion of a \"service\" that provides what I should fairly have anyway.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
subtlefrog
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I don't care if it costs half of what NetFlix does, if it is attached to BestBuy, it's going to spell suckage.

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
secret_curse
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@subtlefrog: Napster is pretty awesome now that BB bought it. I haven't regretted the $60 I dropped on it for the year.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
GMFish
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@subtlefrog: \"if it is attached to BestBuy, it's going to spell suckage.\"

So true. So very true.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
diasdiem
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I'll probably never go full streaming. I'll want to actually own a copy of the movies I really like. I wouldn't even want to go completely digital. When showing off your movie collection, pointing to your external hard drive isn't nearly as impressive as pointing to your shelf with 600 DVDs.

Reply
12 replies
\"user-pic\"
lmarconi
November 13, 2009 4:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@diasdiem: I tend to buy my music, but I prefer to borrow DVDs/books. If I borrow it and love it more than anything, I'll go out and buy it, but for the most part there are very few movies/books I want to read/see more than once. I'm a big library person rather than a book buying person - I move around a lot and have no need to amass more than a few special favorites on a shelf. Same with DVDs. For that reason I really like things like Netflix and I don't mind digital streaming or downloads. I still probably wouldn't use this program though because a) it's Best Buy and b) whether digital or hard copy, it's rare that I watch something more than once. Maybe I'm in the minority though.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Dawnrazor
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@diasdiem: You can add me to the list of luddite holdouts who refuse to abandon physical media. In my case its music (I don't really care much about movies, one viewing is usually enough for all but the best films), and I've NEVER downloaded a single track from iTunes or anywhere else.


First, I want ALL of the bits. (Actually prefer the nice analog waveforms you get directly off vinyl, but I digress.) Compressed audio just DOES NOT sound as good as uncompressed redbook CD (not to mention SACD or vinyl). The same applies to compressed video. If I have the actual CD/SACD, I have all the bits, AND I retain the ability to rip at whatever compression I want if going \"mobile\" (all without DRM, of course). I'm stuck if all I have is a 128 or 256 kbps file crippled with DRM or other restrictions on its use/distribution.


Next, I want the physical media because it's more pleasurable to actually use. I sit in front of a garish computer display all day at work, and just don't want to do more of the same when I get home (especially if there are software or hardware problems, which is not uncommon). The dimly lit, warm ambience (often with a little incense/aromatherapy) I prefer when listening to music is just not compatible with a computer display! It's simply much more relaxing to browse through shelves of CDs and LPs (looking at artwork and liner notes in the process) than it is to scroll through lists with a mouse. Particularly with vinyl, and to a lesser extent, optical media, the act of interfacing with the equipment and preparing to listen builds anticipation and turns it into an \"event\".


Also, as you alluded to, maintaining a music/movie COLLECTION has its own intrinsic rewards. It has nothing to do with impressing anyone; some people (like myself) simply enjoy the activities involved in maintaining a collection. Some folks collect coins, some collect beanie babies, some collect die-cast models of their favorite cars, and some like to collect music and movies! It's a nice little \"subhobby\".


Finally, I like my CDs because I retain \"custody\" of my music at all times. Hard drives fail, back up services involve companies that may or may not survive long-term (then what happens to your stuff?). If I have everything shelved in my own home, I only have to worry about fire and theft.


I can't imagine I'm the only one who feels this way, and I don't see physical media going extinct anytime soon (despite what Wal-Mart and BB do - I get along quite nicely never darkening the doors of either!)

Reply
\"user-pic\"
HogwartsAlum
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Dawnrazor: You're not the only one. I'm downloading more music, but still buying CDs and DVDs. And I will keep doing it.

I also have tons of records. :)

Reply
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Dawnrazor: Of course CDs can get scratched, etc... Similar to a hard drive failure, you're out of luck.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Dawnrazor
November 13, 2009 4:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian:
True enough, but in true anal complusive fashion I generally avoid any problems with a little care (have plenty of CDs from the early 80s with pristine playing surfaces which have never been cleaned). This mostly involves simply taking care of the discs: handle them by the edges only, and always store them in jewel cases (NEVER, NEVER use storage cases in which you have to slide the discs in and out of pockets, and certainly avoid the car sun visor cases).


Unfortunately, some new CDs are being released in packaging which in and of itself risks damaging the discs; a good example is the stereo Beatles remasters-very disappointing packaging, especially the White Album. (Conversely, the mono box discs are BRILLIANTLY packaged in replica LP jackets complete with replicas of the paper inner sleeves-typical awesome Japanese attention to detail contrasting with typical American half-assedness when it comes to CD pressing/packaging).


Also, I NEVER load CDs into any player that makes contact with the playing surface (such as slot-loaders common in cars and computers); drawer or top-loading players are the easiest on the discs. If I want to listen in the car or take discs with me, I simply burn a copy and leave the original safely at home. It IS a little bit of extra work, but I have a fairly large collection with lots of OOP stuff that would be very difficult (and expensive) to replace.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
thisistobehelpful
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian: But wear and tear on any physical item is expected. Any logical person can agree that the use of something will deteriorate it over time. However, if you use something carefully you can get much longer use out of it. If your harddrive fails on fully digital downloads you're often SOL even with receipts. Often you don't know your drive is on the way out until some of your files get damaged beyond repair. I mean, that's exactly how people know to replace them. I've had some CDs for 15 years now that still don't really skip and that's a lot longer than the average hard drive lasts.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
UGAdawg
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian: Actually you can repair a CD fairly cheaply. There are disk polishing kits that can buff a scratch right out. Trying to repair a hard drive is cost prohibitive and there are no guarantees that the area where the data is isn't physically damaged from a platter crash. Having physical media is still the way to go. Even large companies that own software still keep a hard copy on file even if they've got a copy on a server.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
UGAdawg
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@diasdiem: I like having a hard copy in case I don't have access to the internet for streaming. Plus it's nice having a back up in case a hard drive goes wonky. That's one of the reasons I haven't thrown away my CD collection. I threw away the jewel cases a long time ago but have my collection in a binder style portfolio.

However I think Netflix has Best Buy beat if they charge per DVD. I like Netflix's one time fee and unlimited access to streaming. I may not have the hard copy but it's nice knowing that I can stream unlimited titles while I'm at home. It may not work while I'm traveling though. It would be great if Netflix allowed you to 'rent' a movie like iTunes by allowing you to download a digital copy that expires after 30 days or within 24 hours of viewing. That would rock.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
diasdiem
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@UGAdawg: A lot of the online titles eventually expire and become unavailable, but there are plenty of titles that seem to always be available. It's saved me the expense of buying them. Great thing about the hard copy, there's no DRM to prevent you from sharing with or borrowing from friends like there would inevitably be with digital copies.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
UGAdawg
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@diasdiem: Exactly. It's nice being able to go to a friend's house and sharing a movie with them or borrowing one from them. You don't have to worry about them having a media pc hooked up to their TV. It's just a matter of having a $50 DVD player and you're set.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
GMFish
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@diasdiem: \"isn't nearly as impressive...\"

So do you buy movies to watch or to impress? I'll let you in a secret, no one gives a frick about your DVD collection.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@GMFish: Have you seen four people trying to decide what movie to watch? It's so much easier to actually stand in front of some bookcases and talk about it, rather than designate one poor soul to list movie names off the computer.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
diasdiem
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@GMFish: To watch. The impressiveness is a bonus. Troll.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Coelacanth
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@GMFish: Ummm... looking at one's DVD/book collection can be quite a conversation starter - and very informatative - when you're beginning to get to know somebody.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@diasdiem: Yea, 1 TB hard drive sitting next to your desktop is not nearly as impressive as the 5 bookcases full I used to have.
Of course converting everything over to white paper sleeves still makes an impression when I open a drawer full of about 500 DVDs.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
thisistobehelpful
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian: I keep my DVDs in a 200+ cd case. I also keep disc backups of my pictures/vids and music in there. I'm going to get an external harddrive when I can afford it to function is a quicker access back up, but having the physical things is still safer. Maybe when computers are less fragile, I'll trust to have solely digital copies.

Or... COLD DEAD HANDS.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
pot_roast
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

If the oh so holy \"content providers\" will allow it... that's what is making Netflix's streaming service be as lame as it is. Copyrights, royalties, etc. There's no other reason to hold back new releases from their legitimate streaming service other than greed.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
logicalnoise
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Disney announced an identical program a week ago. As usual the industry learns from the pirates then magically one studio does it and the rest follow.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
tbax929
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Despite having a supposably fast internet connection, I've never had much luck streaming anything other than baseball games. Just this morning I tried to watch Amazing Race on CBS's website, and it was so choppy I gave up.

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@tbax929 is rooting for a Phillies repeat: /off topic. Gut wrenching games the last two days. Think the Phillies have it in 'em to win tomorrow?

Sincerely,
A sad Red Sox fan, just wanting to enjoy the World Series.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
tbax929
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@The Cynical Librarian:
Sadly, no. I think the Phils needed to win at least two at home, and Lee can't pitch every day. But it's been a fun World Series regardless. Even more off-topic: as a life-long Yankee hater, I often find myself rooting for your Red Sox.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Gorphlog
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Why would anyone want to stream movies. The bandwith isnt there for most people, especially for 1080P content, and even if it was, what happens when your internet goes down and you want to watch a movie. Plus it's nice actually receiving a physical copy of something you buy. streaming from your PC to TV would be OK though

Reply
4 replies
\"user-pic\"
logicalnoise
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Gorphlog: silverlight streaming via the zune store on xbox 360 is in fact pretty darn close. 1080P requires a monster connection on there but it scales beautifully on the fly even.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
anduin1
November 13, 2009 4:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@logicalnoise:
wish I could stream anything properly, I'm essentially stuck on a 2mb wireless connection because the two big ISPs here don't reach my area yet. So when I want to watch a show I've missed, I actually need an average quality stream like something by megavideo.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Gorphlog
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@logicalnoise:

Thats only true if youre lucky enough to have a FIOS connection of like 20MB or more otherwise you cant download it fast enough without a long buffer. Many people across the country are still stuck with DSL or worse

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Aesteval
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Gorphlog: But it depends on what you want to stream. Streaming works well enough for a replacement of the rental model: you stream movies that you may want to give a shot but may not want to actually buy.

That said, it doesn't sound like that's what BestBuy is trying to do.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
thesadtomato
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Less plastic in the world makes me happy. And yes, I realize there's still a carbon footprint for streaming activity.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
AirIntake
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@thesadtomato: We're hardly ruining the environment by making DVDs. If you're going to worry about useless plastic, complain about bottled water or something.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Cant_stop_the_rock
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

\"The idea is to allow consumers to pay once for a DVD and then be able to play it 'any device: television, Blu-ray disc player, personal computer, handheld media player or smartphone.'\"

That would require that they not use DRM...

Wait, I can do all of that already with any DVD I buy.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@MostlyHarmless: I'm assuming he has the Zack Morris cell phone plan

Reply
\"user-pic\"
MostlyHarmless
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@TheSpatulaOfLove: I know that, but thats still a BadThing (tm) according to the MPAA.

What I'm saying is that this option is nice. HOWEVER I doubt Best Buy's competence/good faith to do it right. I'm waiting till Netflix does it.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
AirIntake
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@MostlyHarmless: It's not a BadThing (tm) in Canada, as it falls under fair use.

Reply
","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Front_Towards_Enemy
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

People, we are talking about Best Buy here.

You know they will only offer DRM-laden downloaded that will only be allowed to play once, not be tranferable acrossany platforms, will be subject to remote deletion without notice, etc.

Downloaded content will never fully succeed until they offer the downloaded without DRM and that, once you download, it is yours permanently.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
secret_curse
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Front_Towards_Enemy: Have you checked out Napster now that BB owns it? I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but for $60/year you can stream as much as you'd like and download at least 60 DRM free mp3 tracks. That's right, no DRM on their mp3 downloads.


There are lots of legitimate complaints with BB. They usually stem from stupid or uninformed store employees or managers. However, if what they've done with Napster is any indication, they understand what makes a good streaming service. I'm hoping for some healthy competition with Netflix. (And I'm not knocking Netflix. I love the service. Competition will make everyone work harder, though.)

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
Goatweed
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I see this failing miserably - CC tried this a few years ago and noone cared.

Reply
","","","","
\"user-pic\"
flugennock
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Call me old-fashioned, but I like having an actual, tangible, physical copy of something -- like books (on paper, not e-books), or music (I have a sizeable CD collection; hell, I still have most of my old vinyl LPs from college that are in half-decent shape), or films/TV shows (I own a nice fistful of DVDs, plus a nice healthy pile of VHS cassettes of stuff I taped off of TCM, HBO and Cartoon Network).

My wife occasionally likes to stream movies or TV shows to her laptop -- I don't know why; we already have a goddamn' satellite dish -- and it slows our DSL to a crawl, and really pisses me off.

Oh, and don't forget that little imbrogilo with Amazon and their Kindle content. Wouldn't trust them -- or Worst Buy, or Circuit Shitty -- as far as I can throw them.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@flugennock: Your wife streams movies to your TV because - guess what - it's probably not playing on the actual TV at that very moment or maybe she missed an episode of something. Just because there's TV available doesn't mean there's something she wants to watch.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
redskull
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

So if I buy one of these movies from BB, will they allow me to burn it to a DVD? If not, your hard drive full of downloaded movies is a ticking time bomb that's going to eventually die one day, taking all your precious movies with it.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
secret_curse
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@redskull: Your hard drive is only a ticking time bomb if you're too dumb to keep backups.


All hard drives will fail one day. Be prepared for it. Backup solutions are simple and plentiful.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
AirIntake
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@secret_curse: Yeah, one of the most simple and plentiful backup solutions is to buy the damn movie on DVD to begin with!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
secret_curse
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@AirIntake: And that helps you when you lose or scratch the disc?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Coelacanth
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@redskull: I believe Best Buy would like to call that \"recurring revenue.\"

Reply
","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
sean98125
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I'd be willing to do this, but only if I have to bring all of my devices to the Geek Squad to be optimized.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
The Cynical Librarian
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@sean98125: Yes, and if we're lucky, they'll offer in-home optimization as well!

Reply
","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
esc27
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

It sounds like BB is going to be essentially renting DVDs at full price. Good luck when they cancel the service and your DVD's are gone.
The streaming model only works for rental/subscriptions where customers expect temporary access and are charged less because of it.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
That's Consumer007 to you
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Will we have to buy online warranty packages for each download at 3 times the cost? lol

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
CentralServices
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

The simple fact is, the broadband infrastructure in the USA isn't developed enough for this to be feasible yet, and the strain on the existing networks is already reaching critical overload. The fastest plan offered by Concast is 50M, and this is actually slower than the average speed in Japan (~65M), and it's absurdly expensive to boot (like all their services). I also feel that this is another attempt at removing what little control end-users have, while appearing to do the opposite. Call me a luddite if you wish, but I won't give up physical media; how do you resell a digital download? You can't, and that is what the content providers want to do away with by turning their IP products into consumables.

Reply
","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
maltboy1
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

So what do you do when your 1 TB drive craters, along with your movie collection?

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
techstar25
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Good luck with that. Twelve months from now the headline will read \"World preparing for a world without Best Buy\".

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Trai_Dep
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Apple : Microsoft -> Netflix : Best Buy

Reply
1 replies
","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Blueskylaw
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Anything that these media/entertainment companies say is bad for you is actually good for you and anything that they say is good for you is actually bad for you.


Richards Maxim

Reply
","","","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
lunasdude
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Look, Best Buy doing this is just like Block Buster or any other kind of \"not well liked retailer\" doing it.
I am buying a 50\" or larger HDTV and was looking at BB but not now.
not since their going to start selling their \"streaming enabled\" system in almost all of the web connected electronics they sell.

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
junip
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

where's the option in this poll that flat out says \"i don't trust best buy\"?

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
nstonep
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Unless it's 15 bucks cheaper you can keep your witchcraft dvd downloads bestbuy.com!

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
nstonep
November 13, 2009 4:34 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Forgot to mention...someone actually owns a copy of HITCH on dvd. Um...what, did bed bath and beyond run out of coasters?

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Vejadu
November 13, 2009 4:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

If I can't buy a movie, cd or video game on a physical format, I'll simply stop buying. Digital distribution removes the consumer's ability to backup, lend out or resell the product. DRM often makes digital copies extremely difficult to transfer between devices, like digital copies of a movie that come with a dvd/blu-ray. It's a coin-toss wether you've got a device that supports the digital copy format or not.

I'm a collector, so I enjoy keeping a nice collection of my DVDs, Blu-Rays, video games and CDs. I have the freedom to use them however I choose instead of being restricted to a proprietary format that can only be played in approved devices. I also stream movies from my computer to my living room through my XBox, though if my hard drive fails I don't have to re-download a 2TB of movies or even worse, repurchase them. I have the physical discs on hand as the primary format and the backup format. If they get scratched, I can have the scratches buffed out for $3, and Blu-Rays are really difficult to scratch, as they have a different type of coating that's highly scratch resistant.

Reply
","","","","
\"user-pic\"
brandiniman
November 13, 2009 4:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

HAHAHAHAHAHA Divx

Reply
");