Netflix Is King As Blockbuster Becomes A Distant Memory

Image via Flickr/ Seth Anderson

Dish Network has finally done it! No, the company hasn’t offered free television packages to all current subscribers. However, the leadership has decided to nail the lid on Blockbuster Video’s coffin. The 300 remaining brick and mortar locations throughout the U.S. will be closed by January of next year.

Blockbuster has been bleeding the coffers of Dish Network for quite some time. The video retailer simply could not offer the services that its competitors offer. Although Blockbuster did attempt to offer RedBox some competition by placing rental kiosks around the country in select locations, the company just could not meet the demands of the modern video audience. Blockbuster also offered a DVD by mail service in a feeble attempt to compete with Netflix. However, these attempts have proven futile in the changing market today.

Rentals Are Out & Streaming Is In

The days of taking your family to the video store to choose the weekend’s entertainment are over. The kiosk rentals have definitely attracted attention, with U.S. customers utilizing RedBox and Blockbuster kiosks on a regular basis. However, the age of renting VHS tapes, DVDs, and BluRays may be over for good.

Streaming services are the hottest thing in movie and television services. With Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix among a myriad of other companies in the streaming business, there is no shortage of material to watch online.

Hulu offers a wide variety of movies and shows to its users. With both a free account that offers limited access, and a premium paid membership to Hulu Plus that offers more access to certain features. This service is gaining some traction in its user base, but is far from being the most popular choice for streaming.

Amazon Prime offers a free trial membership of 30 days, but then users are required to pay $79 per year for access to the service. According to users, one issue with Amazon Prime is that many times adult movies appear in the list with other titles, instead of being placed in a separate directory. However, the service does offer access to many top rated movies.

Netflix is the king of Internet streaming services, with users around the world, and a huge selection of movies and shows. A free trial is offered for 30 days, after which users may select from multiple plans. For $7.99 per month clients can have DVDs and BluRay discs mailed to their homes. It takes approximately 48 hours from the time the movie is ordered until it arrives. Clients can also pay $7.99 per month for streaming select movies and shows. You can select either one of the two features, or opt for both of them if you wish. One of the biggest perks of choosing Netflix is a deal the company signed with Walt Disney, which will allow Netflix exclusive access to Disney Movies.

Netflix Dominates The Net

Netflix is the undisputed king of video streaming services. With its user base growing each year, and profits increasing, Netflix is padding investor’s pockets with healthy earnings reports. Reed Hastings, Netflix’ CEO, has worked hard to build the company’s reputation with both clients and investors. His hard work is not unrewarded as the company has grown to mammoth proportions in the last few years.

Blockbuster’s Demise Is Netflix’ Dream Come True

Now that Dish Network has decided to close down the Blockbuster stores, Netflix stands to pick up the remnants of Blockbuster’s customers. This is a big coup for Netflix, as Blockbuster was perhaps the largest name in the movie rental business during the 90s and early 2000s. Now, the main competitor of the movie streaming giant is Amazon Inc.

Dish Network has decided to keep the Blockbuster brand name alive, and plans to use it in conjunction with its satellite TV service. By offering Blockbuster @ Home, Dish can stream movies to its satellite TV customers. Blockbuster On Demand, the streaming service that is available to non-Dish customers will also continue to run.

So ends the era of an icon. Blockbuster is no longer the choice for family entertainment, and now it seems we will have to either subscribe to a television service, or be forced to stream movies online. My generation will forever remember the excitement of choosing new releases off the shelf, while it seems that our children will simply point and click to get their entertainment fix.