Samsung Starts Digital Content Deals With Amazon, Blockbuster

By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 10/14/2009

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Ridgefield Park, N.J. - Samsung Electronics America has begun separate deals with Amazon and Blockbuster to provide digital content via selected HDTVs and Blu-ray players and home-theater systems with Blu-ray.

Amazon Video On Demand will be available on select Samsung HDTVs via a downloadable widget, offering consumers access to Amazon's huge selection of more than 50,000 titles from leading movie studios and networks.

Starting today, owners of Samsung LCD and plasma HDTVs series 650 and above and Samsung LED HDTVs series 7000 and above can download the Amazon Video On Demand widget for free using the Internet@TV - Content Service feature on their HDTVs. Amazon Video On Demand delivers immediate access to more than 50,000 premium, commercial-free movies and television shows available to rent or purchase on demand, the company said.

This deal adds to Samsung's existing Internet@TV lineup, which now includes premium services and content from Twitter, Yahoo!, YouTube and others.

The Amazon Video On Demand widget allows customers to search, browse, and rent or purchase from Amazon's digital video catalog directly from their Samsung HDTV. Amazon's catalog includes more than 50,000 titles with more than 2,000 in high definition, and features new-release movies and "day after" broadcast TV episodes. With Amazon Video On Demand, customers pay only for what they want to watch with no subscription required. Customers' purchases are stored online in their Amazon Video On Demand video library, which also enables customers to access their videos from PCs, Macs and other compatible devices, Samsung said.

As for the Blockbuster On Demand service, the specific Samsung models include the following: series 650 and above LCD and plasma HDTVs and series 7000 and above LED HDTVs; Samsung BD -P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600 Blu-ray players; and select Samsung Blu-ray integrated home-theater systems (HT-BD1250, HT-BD3252, HT-BD7200 and HT-BD8200) via firmware upgrade.

With Blockbuster On Demand, content can be viewed across multiple Blockbuster-enabled devices in the home. For example, Samsung said parents could order "Scooby Doo: The Goblin King" from Blockbuster On Demand on www.blockbuster.com at work, and the kids could start watching right away on their Samsung TV in the living room and watch it again on a Samsung Blu-ray player in the den. Or someone could directly order "Observe and Report" on the Samsung Blu-ray in the den, start watching, and then continue watching it on the Samsung TV in the bedroom.

The video-on-demand movie rentals range from $2.99 to $3.99, while purchases will typically range from $7.99 to $19.99.

The Blockbuster On Demand service provides comprehensive onscreen search and browsing capabilities, as well as full details, ratings, trailers and other information about each movie directly on the television. The offering will be accessible by selecting the Internet@TV feature on Samsung TVs or clicking a color-coded button on remotes for Samsung Blu-ray players and home-theater systems. Once a customer rents or buys a movie, they simply press play to begin instant viewing.

To support the launch, Samsung Blu-ray Disc players with the integrated Blockbuster On Demand service will be sold in Blockbuster's thousands of corporate-owned stores and participating franchise stores, the company said.