TiVo users have known that Blockbuster On Demand was coming to TiVo for a while, but the service just went live. So, does it have the goods to put up a fight against Netflix or Amazon On Demand that have been streaming content on TiVos for months already? Nope, not at all.
My main issue with the Blockbuster On Demand on TiVo is that it doesn’t offer any titles in high definition. That’s a problem for a lot of folks including me. But besides that, there are only 652 titles available right now, which pales in comparison to Netflix’s 17,000 streaming library.
Sure, I know that Netflix is a subscription service that requires a monthly plan, but even the $4.99 per month plan will get you all you can watch streaming content. Compare that at the $2.99 or $3.99 rental price per title of Blockbuster and tell which is the better deal. There are a few free movies on Blockbuster right now, but they seem like D-run flicks.
At least the interface seems sufficient. It’s about the same thing as Amazon On Demand actually. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.
The Blockbuster On Demand set-top box was a great first step, but a lot of people do not want another box to clutter up their AV rack, but simply an app that works with devices they already own. Hopefully soon more content will be available as well as HD streaming. Digital delivery is the future and this service shows that at least Blockbuster has seen the light.
