Amazon Talking with Netflix And Blockbuster

Mike from HackingNetflix.com writes "Reuters is reporting that 'Amazon.com has approached online DVD rental service companies, including Blockbuster and Netflix, to explore a partnership rather than launching its own U.S. DVD rental service.'" More from the article: "Despite its online might, shopping giant Amazon faces a potentially expensive battle to crack the competitive U.S. online rental market. The company started its own DVD rental service in Britain in December. Rumors that Amazon would enter the U.S. online DVD rental market sparked a price war late last year between Blockbuster and Netflix, which pioneered online DVD rental and now controls about 75 percent of the market." So there may be a happy ending to this tale for Netflix after all.

Comments

Don't forget about Wal-Mart

[tech-hawger]

they're going to be a dvd rental force to be wreckoned with, oh yes. ;)

Re:Don't forget about Wal-Mart

[dq5 studios]

I was just at a wal*mart getting some food and they had a huge widescreen tv set up with the star wars frito-lays display. On the widescreen tv was running a full frame version of phantom menace with big black bars on the sides.

Re:Don't forget about Wal-Mart

[Dogtanian]

I was just at a wal*mart getting some food and they had a huge widescreen tv set up with the star wars frito-lays display. On the widescreen tv was running a full frame version of phantom menace with big black bars on the sides.

Idiots! As every widescreen TV owner can demonstrate, the way to view 4:3 video is to stretch it so that everyone looks squat and fat. *cough*

Some people seem to *really* value their screen being full over anything else. When I was at university, my flatmates watched anamorphic widescreen DVDs on a normal 4:3 TV without the black bars (so everyone was tall); and, of course, the stretching of non-widescreen material to fit a widescreen is even more common.

BTW, is the use of the phrase 'full-screen' helpful any more? It's not 'full-screen' when displayed in the correct ratio on a 16:9 TV.

Well, I'm certainly in.

[Leontes]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind a piece of the pie as well. Netflix, let me jump on the back of your obviously well designed and considerably successful business. Will you just send me a check, or should I do anything else?

Re:What is it with?

[maxwell demon]

What is it with the attitude that _____ is dying.

Well, this attitude is dying. Therefore prepare to live with it for a long time.

Hope they don't get involved with blockbuster UK

[intmainvoid]

They could learn a lot from blockbuster UK, in a what not to do sense - I always know what DVD is coming next - it's the one from the bottom of my list!

Rent DVDs from Amazon!

[Strider_Hiryu]

I wonder if I'll be able to rent used DVDs for less than new DVDs...

I've heard of a good rental service..

[Digital Warfare]

..its called Bit Torrent, and is usually quicker than Blockbuster !

Dear AOL User

[TimeTraveler1884]

"Apple is dying, Tivo is dying, BSD is dying, netflix is dying etc etc etc... /me is tired of hearing this kind of nonsense."

Dear AOL user,

It has become apparent to me that you have mistakenly found your way on to Slashdot.org. I do not blame you for your misplaced comments. You likely felt right at home, with Slashdot's prevalent use of Internet abbreviations and lack of capitalizing proper nouns.

However, you may not be aware that the use of "/me" is not a valid Slashdot command. Rather, it makes you sound like Jar Jar Binks. /me sa thinks you lika jar jar. I only bring this to your attention so that you don't feel alienated when someone replies to your comment citing poor grammar and misplaced IRC commands.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
NetZero User