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"After Netflix had introduced its streaming video service on the Roku set-top box, and after Netflix had teamed up with TiVo and Microsoft\u2019s Xbox division and even debuted a Mac-compatible service to expand its reach into America\u2019s home entertainment settings, Blockbuster, the once-was movie rental giant that continues to lose relevance in an increasingly convenience- and price-conscious market, is said to be readying the launch of a net-connected device of its own this holiday season.\nIt\u2019s probably too late.\nNetflix is King\nWe should wait until the product arrives in consumers' hands before making any firm judgements, of course, but there\u2019s no escaping the truth that Blockbuster has done little to make America want to give it some mojo once more. Netflix ran circles around the greybeard in the DVD-by-mail market. I sense the same will be the case in the budding movie download and streaming market.\nApart from a shift in its customer service support process, as well as a bit of noise about a premium charged for HD rentals, Netflix has done little to really drive users away from its catalogue. And while there\u2019s always been demand for more film titles delivered on-demand via the company\u2019s streaming video servers, the fact is that it is continually improving, and the quality of HD streams now available to select users has impressed critics.\nBlockbuster, meanwhile, purchases its video download service MovieLink and has done little with the acquisition other than introduce a concept to install movie download kiosks within its brick-and-mortar chain of locations. Not a very proactive use of time, you might say.\nA Continued Need to Compete\nStill, Blockbuster has little choice to do anything but proceed with this launch, whatever the device might be. (Whether it\u2019s an inexpensive solution or a hybrid Blu-Ray setup, Blockbuster will not say.)\nMind you, on top of the requisite hardware factor, the only saving graces the company might have at this point are:\n\n1. Aggressive pricing,\n2. A complete download option in the mode of Amazon Video on Demand and Apple\u2019s iTunes service for the Apple TV,\n3. A vast library of material to choose from. This is by far the most important of all.\n\nThe chance that Blockbuster will deliver on fronts 1, 2 &amp; 3: slim to none."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2008/11/09/blockbuster-set-top-box/>