Best Buy bringing streaming video to. . . . . Roku???

[calicommando]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2355146,00.asp

[kumasuki]

Quoting this article:

"..Best Buy will embed Sonic's Roxio CinemaNow technology on a number of devices.."

I didn't think Best Buy itself manufactured anything - and I don't think they could embed anything after the manufacturer has produced it! Unless they have further unspecified manufacturer agreements to produce exclusive model versions of these "devices" ????

[calicommando]

Oh, you might be right. I was thinking it was software they were embedding.

[-LD]

Insignia is a Best Buy brand and that's the first device they are targeting.

[jeffrok]

Some of the Insignia is pretty decent for the price, too.. I had an upscaling DVD player and an MP3 player with the Insignia brand.. Both were good entry-level devices.

[billc124]

CinemaNow is rent or purchase streaming like Amazon right? They don't have a subscription service I don't think or do they? Anyway, if it is cheaper or has a better selection then Amazon it might be cool to have on the Roku. But how is BestBuy going to dictate what gets installed on products that are sold in their stores if it isn't the Insignia brand?

[-LD]

But how is BestBuy going to dictate what gets installed on products that are sold in their stores if it isn't the Insignia brand?

They are the largest electronics retailer, that's how.

[kc8pql]

But how is BestBuy going to dictate what gets installed on products that are sold in their stores if it isn't the Insignia brand?

They are the largest electronics retailer, that's how.

Think Walmart

[philsoft]

But how is BestBuy going to dictate what gets installed on products that are sold in their stores if it isn't the Insignia brand?

During the HD DVD Blu-Ray war, Best buy chose Blu-Ray. So they would have the employees hook up Blu-Ray Players to better Televisions & Receivers. Obviously they would look better to the customer, and increase sales of Blu-Ray.

In addition to that I personally witnessed a salesman inform a customer that HD DVD was incapable of displaying 1080p which was of course completely untrue. Now it is possible that the employee was stupid enough to pontificate on a subject that he was ignorant of, but it MAY have been policy.

It is not beneath Best Buy to use what juice they have, to achieve their goals, even if doing so could be viewed as underhanded.

[jeffrok]

But how is BestBuy going to dictate what gets installed on products that are sold in their stores if it isn't the Insignia brand?

During the HD DVD Blu-Ray war, Best buy chose Blu-Ray. So they would have the employees hook up Blu-Ray Players to better Televisions & Receivers. Obviously they would look better to the customer, and increase sales of Blu-Ray.

Best Buy should've been sued by the HD DVD manufacturers for mis-promoting their products.. That's shady on BB's behalf. Another reason why I don't step foot in their stores unless there's a steal.

[-LD]

But how is BestBuy going to dictate what gets installed on products that are sold in their stores if it isn't the Insignia brand?

They are the largest electronics retailer, that's how.

Think Walmart

Best Buy is still the largest in the US. Even larger than Walmart for consumer electronics.

[QuantumIguana]

Never underestimate how little sales people actually know, I doubt that Best Buy told their people to claim that HD-DVD did not support 1080p.

[philsoft]

Never underestimate how little sales people actually know, I doubt that Best Buy told their people to claim that HD-DVD did not support 1080p.

I agree, but I also no longer underestimate how far a corporation will go, to further their own agenda.

[elorimer]

There was an article in the WSJ today to the effect that the BluRay manufacturers were rushing to imbed some kind of internet streaming capability "hedging their bets by introducing players that can also show internet video, which is making surprising inroads in the home entertainment market." Sony is quoted as saying streaming services are complimentary, because you don't get to add a streamed movie to your collection (which will be news to Amazon). Netflix is cited as saying it expects 1.2 million new customers when it pairs up with the PS3.

The article doesn't mention Roku but doesn't this sound like catchup?