Comments on: So Why Did Dish Really Buy Blockbuster?

By: ron

ron — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:16:47 +0000

I neverheard of Dsih digging into someones bank account. But i have heard of DirecTv doing that. Perhaps you have the companies confused?

By: George MacDiggity

George MacDiggity — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:52:01 +0000

I used to work for Nobody Beats The Wiz and was there before, during and after the Cablevision transition. These companies are completely different acquisition targets. Blockbuster is a brand that has almost 30 year history nationwide, is easily recognizable, and already exists in the software of many Blu-Ray Players, and set-top boxes, I think Dish has made a splendid purchase and will do very well with this brand, regardless of wether or not they decide to keep the stores open.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:58:14 +0000

This seems like a great business venture, with a huge ROI.

By: Pam Kulik

Pam Kulik — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:09:57 +0000

The Blockbuster purchase is Dish’s “TV Everywhere” play to compete with cable as well as Netflix, Hulu Plus and others on the way as DirectTV blows past them through original content deals and show acquisitions, such as Damages. Managing retail chains vs B2B telecom/cable services and licensing deals requires very different expertise. Good luck with that, Dish!

By: SteveInPhilly

SteveInPhilly — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:05:20 +0000

This has been my experience in Philadelphia as well. Comcast is our local cable provider and is pretty much a nightmare. I moved over to Dish several years ago and don’t have a single complaint! Great DVRs, friendly customer service and, in great contrast to the aforementioned cable provider, consistent billing. I’m curious to see what they do with this Blockbuster acquisition!

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:47:58 +0000

I have Dish and it’s actually really good. Its the cheapest way you can get some HD channels. We pay about $40 for a bunch of HD channels, and when the Tour de France comes, we get the package that includes VS, pay about $10, and then roll back after tour. Dish has been so far really easy to use. We’ve only had sporatic interruptions of service due to weather.

The issue with BB is that of name. Myself and my wife will never use anything BB related after they screwed both of us separately when we returned videos to ‘the wrong store’ and were charged an arm and a leg. Customer service is pretty horrible too. I stopped using BB at least a decade ago, that model is dead and buried. I would say, sell the physical locations, start deploying kiosks, and use the personnel to do mail order business ala netflix.

It could be useful to watch movies from Dish, but I doubt they are going to charge anything reasonable, considering we can get netflix or Hulu for practically nothing. We’ll see how it plays out, but my guess is that greed and stupidity will kill this.

By: Eric Schatz

Eric Schatz — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:31:10 +0000

Cablevision Systems once bought a Chapter 11 consumer electronics chain called Nobody Beats The Wiz for the purposes of creating a one-stop solution to buying a big-screen TV and the cable TV service to go with it. Between point-of-purchase and the doors was a customer service desk that signed you up for service, handed you the set-top and cable modem and threw in wiring assemblies specific to the TV you just bought. I don’t think it took them a year to drive the chain into Chap 7 (the brand is still in use by a mail-order store). I’m thinking Dish probably has something similar in mind, maybe a combination of a satellite-based VOD channel (Blockbuster’s been there done that) and these storefronts both using the BB brand, with Dish STB’s on a shelf and giant video screens sampling Dish in-store.

By: Droidkin

Droidkin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:55:26 +0000

I have been a Dish Network user since 1997. Here in Maryland at least, my service could not have been better. Compared to the local cable company, my service is excellent. Only during the most severe thunderstorms have I lost connections. Even in the severe snows of 2010, did no loose service once. Their HD DVRs are fantastic. Can’t imagine being with out the DVR. Service calls, the few I have had, are within 24 hours. Have only had one instance where service man didn’t have the DVR to replace a faulty one. Replacement came in 48 hours.

By: Eludium-Q36

Eludium-Q36 — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:42:18 +0000

@SD Video: yeh right, a “friend”. I call BS on that, I have Dish and it’s far superior to the Cox Cable I had prior to that — far superior.

By: Gena

Gena — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:31:22 +0000

The customer experience at Dish Network sucks for lack of a stronger term. Their customer service reps will say ANYTHING to sell a package. They lie about everything related to the HD service and the multiple access with one DVR… Good lord stay far away from that service. Also, if you want to terminate for breach of contract, they go right into your bank account and swoop the money since their scam is that you have to open the account with the autopay service.