Blinkbox
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| Initial release | 2007 |
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| Operating system | Windows XP (x86 only), Windows Vista, Mac OS X (x86 only), Linux (x86 only), Xbox 360, PS3, iOS, Android |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Video on demand, TV |
| Website | www.blinkbox.com |
Blinkbox is a UK-based video-on-demand (VoD) website that allows users to legally preview, buy and rent over 10,000 full length premium movies and TV shows online. New releases are added constantly, with many becoming available on the same day as the DVD.
Blinkbox was co-founded by Michael Comish (chief executive officer) and Adrian Letts (chief operating officer), former senior executives of Channel 4 and Vodafone in 2006 and launched in 2008 with the backing of a number of venture capital firms, including Arts Alliance. On 20 April 2011, Tesco acquired an 80% stake in blinkbox from Eden Ventures and Nordic Venture Partners. It intends to use the company to boost its digital entertainment offering.[1]
Blinkbox has around 2.8 million users a month according to comScore, putting it above most of its competition.
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[edit] Offer
Blinkbox has content deals with studios including Warner Bros., Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox and more than 15 leading independent producers such as FremantleMedia, All3Media, Revolver Entertainment and Aardman Animations.
Blinkbox also moved into the TV market by signing a deal with the Samsung Group allowing blinkbox films to be streamed directly though any Internet@TV Samsung TVs. blinkbox also formed a content partnership with YouTube[2] allowing the site to carry blinkbox films on its new Movies section. The site also entered the games market by being the first site in the UK to offer streaming film content through Sony’s PlayStation 3 console.[2]
In June 2010, Blinkbox launched the "Full Stream Ahead"[3] campaign bringing together leading film studios to offer free movie content for one week to encourage consumer adoption of streaming technology and demonstrating the advantages of legal streaming services over illegal file-sharing.
Blinkbox also allows visitors to leave comments and to customise clips by adding personal text messages to any section of a film or TV programme.
[edit] Business model
Blinkbox is the only service of its kind to have a combined free-pay offering, allowing users to stream paid-for feature titles alongside free, advert-supported TV and film content.
Additionally, a significant number of titles are free to watch, with revenue generated by advertisements during playback, similar to commercial television
[edit] Technology
Rental content can be streamed directly to a IBM PC compatible, Macintosh, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Samsung Internet enabled television, and can be viewed any number of times within 48-hours. Buy-to-own content can be viewed without limit. Unusable on Samsung Internet enabled televisions.[4]
Downloaded content is protected using Microsoft's Windows Media DRM digital rights management. The streaming service enables users to watch a selection of their premium content instantly using Adobe Flash secure video delivery technology.
Streaming to Linux machines is supported although only a subset of titles are available on this platform.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Tesco takes majority stake in Blinkbox". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a315585/tesco-takes-majority-stake-in-blinkbox.html. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
- ^ a b Warman, Matt (2010-08-27). "YouTube adds movies on demand". London: The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/7967507/YouTube-adds-movies-on-demand.html. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
- ^ Wray, Richard (2010-06-06). "Hollywood battles piracy with free movie streams at home". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/06/free-blinkbox-films-anti-piracy. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
- ^ "BlinkBox user Feedback". BlinkBox. http://feedback.blinkbox.com/entries/20807621. Retrieved 2012-02-06.
[edit] External links
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