Updated: Comcast & Blockbuster Beta Testing DVDsbyMail.com

Updated: Comcast has confirmed the deal and that they'll be integrating the Blockbuster and Comcast offerings to provide one place to find out where you can watch a movie or TV show online or on DVD. 

One of Comcast’s goals is to provide our customers with a full spectrum of movie and TV choices and this agreement is another way for our customers to access the movies and TV shows on yet another platform. This agreement complements the thousands of movies and TV choices we already offer via On Demand and online, through XfinityTV online, premium channels like HBO, Cinemax, Starz and Showtime, Comcast’s online store, and traditional pay-per-view.

Comcast and Blockbuster have teamed up to launch DVDsbyMail.com, a website that will offer a discount on Blockbuster by Mail subscriptions to Comcast customers. 

 

The DVDsbyMail site says that it's in beta, so the pricing may change before the launch, but it claims to offer "reduced pricing for Comcast subscribers." However, when I logged in it only offered three plans at the same price offered to new Blockbuster by Mail customers. Here's the DVDsbyMail plans with pricing:

 

Here's the plans and pricing offered to new Blockbuster customers today:

 

They closed my local Blockbuster store, so I'm on the $16.99 three discs by mail with no in-store exchanges, which is not offered by the new site.

Thanks to Dashiell for sending this in.

Comments

[MarcVH]

When I logged in with my comcast.net ID, it quoted prices of $7.99, $13.99, and $16.99 for the same things (with in-store exchanges on the 2 and 3 disc offers.) They also claim not to charge extra for Blu-Ray.

[Tomguy]

2x at $16.99 plus tax and no Blockbuster near me and not a Comcast customer

vs

2x at $15.04 (incl tax) plus all-you-can-stream with Netflix.

I think I'll stay with Netflix.

[N]

the prices are lower for Comcast customers. One thing that drove for this is the 28 window period, I get to see new movies immediately not wait for 28 days with Netflix.

[The Dude]

If this is like the total access pass you get games included with that. You can't get games from Netflix.

[cz]

Does the 100,000 advertised titles trump netflix? I remember hearing 65,000 for netflix a few years back, but no idea today.

[Erfan]

Thanks for the tip, this sounds like a good idea :)

[WDV]

So I signed up and it also has some streaming options at the site. I watched a few episodes of Dead Like Me... not sure how their library compares to Netflix tho!

[WDV]

@The Dude I linked my account one a created at BBI's website (it was not an active account) and under dvdsbymail.com there were no games as an option BUT when I logged into the BBI site it let me add games and it shows one already shipped according to both sites!

Kinda a hassle to use both sites but streaming at dvdsbymail and managing my queue at BBI isn't too bad... I guess!

[Shawn]

Comcast customers with a Double or Triple Play package enjoy reduced pricing on DVDs By Mail.

[Love Films]

LOVE this! Blockbuster movin back up in the world!! nice to see.

[Earl]

Yep, Blockbuster really got it going on now. It will be even better when Google gets involved and makes them their media outlet.

[Comcast/ntflxcstmr]

I'm a Comcast customer and love them. I'm also a NetFlix customer and love them as well. I mean I really love NetFlix, but I will be setting up a Blockbuster DVD by mail and see how they compare. I'll go for the two week trial and compare notes. I wouldn't have a problem dropping NetFlix if service is comparable.

[FearNo1]

Pretty sad that blockbuster needs to be bailed out by comcast in order to survive...

[Tester]

"Pretty sad that blockbuster needs to be bailed out by comcast in order to survive..."

It happens more times than you think. What's really sad is our previous president bailing out all of the companies that should have been allowed to go under.

[The Dude]

Blockbuster's total access is a far better value than Netflix in case you haven't noticed.

1.) Blockbuster is not limited by the 28 day window on new releases.
2.) Blockbuster does not charge you extra for Blue-ray
3.) Blockbuster's total access includes DVD, Blue-ray and Games in the same package.
4.) The in-store option is nice for those people that can take advantage. If not you can opt out of that pay less for your subscription.

You people bashing Blockbuster and wanting to see them go under should be careful what you wish for. What do you think Netflix and Redbox will do when there is less competition?

I'm betting you are going to see price increases from Netflix in the very near future and you are already seeing it from Redbox.

[FearNo1]

@ Tester
Hey leave politix out of this. I knew someone was going to bring it up with the words "bail out" being used ;-)

@ The Dude
I am a fan of competition. But the fact that BB is getting in bed with comcast is not really a good thing for consumers.

[Peace200001]

@ FearNo1
Why is BB doing business with Comcast a bad thing? The last I checked Netflix does a fantastic job with Nintendo, Sony, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and numerous other companies. Redbox wouldn't even be around if not for Wal-Mart, Walgreens or McDonalds.

Anytime as a consumer that you get more options at a better price it is a win. Blockbuster may be the big bad company that charged late fees over the years but some of the points that The Dude made are valid.

[The Beer Soap Company]

If Netflix bought out Gamestop it would be on. That would be an ideal situation for me. I am sure Netflix has something up their sleeve now that Comcast and Blockbuster are teaming up.

[WhatTheRuck]

@Fear - why are late fees a bad thing? If you rent a car and keep it an extra day don't you have to pay for it. Try staying in an apartment after your lease has ended and see what happens, or just refuse to check-out of a hotel room and enjoy the new CC charge.

I get that people like the convenience of Red Box, and the streaming of Netflix, but have never understood the 'late fee' complaint. If I rent a movie for 3 days and return it in 4, of course I get charged...

[Fred Talmadge]

Why would Comcast do this when they have pay-per-view?

[Master Blaster]

Here is a comparison of Blockbuster's service compared to Netflix.

http://twitpic.com/2cyqeq

[Racket]

The late fees at blockbuster were a rip-off. It wasn't when the dvd was returned, it was when it was when the pimply faced kid actually checked the movie in. They did away with late fees but then they didn't and weren't real quick to let people know. Comcast and BB are both very poor publicly perceived businesses, why shouldn't they team up. Yea I a BB hater, and I am a Cable hater.

I don't see netflix really stocking up on the blu-ray and I think they will continue to charge extra. The future is streaming, and while this may prolong BB a few more years, in the end they will be stuck with a fortune of worthless blue-ray disks while Netflix generates its revenue from streaming.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/blockbuster/blockbuster-bankruptcy-imminent-analysts-say-20252

[Master Blaster]

Yes I'm sure Netflix will be able to magically provide a means for every customer to stream Blu-ray quality video and audio content along with latest gaming releases for all major consoles at the low low cost of $9 per month in the very near future. Not to mention provide new releases for all that content.

I'm also sure the service providers will allow Netflix to do this over their networks for free to. You are already seeing the providers backlash in Canada and Netflix has even arrived there yet.

[The Dude]

Light Reading contacted Comcast who confirmed that indeed the games option will also be available to Comcast Subscribers: http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=195527&site=lr_cable

[Edward R Murrow]

Is this in anticipation of Comcast purchasing/merging with Blockbuster?

[jaime]

anyone else notice that "dvdsbymail.com" is what always is listed as the name netflix is not. if they had not thought about the future, the name would have been dvdsbymail.com, not netflix. i think they read this site quite a bit.

[The Dude]

From the article on Light Reading

"Another item underway (expected to show up later this year): Comcast will be integrating the by-mail data from Blockbuster so customers can search for titles on the Fancast Web site and find out if it's offered on Comcast cable VoD, streaming through Fancast or Fancast Xfinity TV (the subscription TV Everywhere site), or by renting it from Blockbuster... something Comcast is calling a "universal queue." JB"

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=195527&site=lr_cable

[Terry Bonn]

A ton of information that I'm not interested
in reading. Just quit Netflix because of a
Closed Caption issue. Would like to try this
new comcast & blockbuster program ----------
BUT I can't find a sign up page, seems like
every else I pay comcast huge for ---------
IT DOESN"T WORK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!