For owners of select TVs and Blu-ray players, Blockbuster OnDemand will function just as we've seen it before: as a broad on-demand film catalog with a decent selection of newer films. The press release is irritatingly indirect about which products will be supported, but Crave has parsed it for us:

LNB650 series, LNB750 series, UNB7000 series, UNB7100 series, UNB8000 series, PNB650 series, PNB850 series, PNB860 series.

In addition, it looks like virtually all 2009 connected Blu-ray players from the company will support the service, since they already support other, similar ones, including Netflix. Expect the relevant firmware updates and widget availability in fall of this year.

UPDATE: The official supported list turned out to be a bit shorter: BD-P1600, BD-P3600, BD-P4600, HT-BD1250, HT-BD7200, HT-BD8200.

[Blockbuster via Crave]

Blockbuster and Samsung Sign Agreement to Deliver BLOCKBUSTER(R) OnDemand Services to Select Samsung HDTVs, Home Theater Systems and Blu-ray Players

Millions of homes across America to gain access to BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand movies

Samsung products to also be sold at select BLOCKBUSTER(R) stores and online at blockbuster.com

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., and DALLAS, July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B), a global leader in entertainment, and Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced they are joining forces to enable consumers to access Blockbuster's vast and growing library of premium digital entertainment via select new Samsung HDTVs, home theater systems and Blu-ray players. The new services will be available in the fall of 2009 and are expected to provide millions of homes across America access to Blockbuster's digital library of movies. Additionally, as part of the agreement, Blockbuster OnDemand will have preferred positioning on the Blu-ray interfaces.

The BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand service provides comprehensive on-screen search and browsing capabilities, as well as full details, ratings, trailers, and other information about each movie directly on the television, eliminating the need for customers to manage a viewing queue on their PC. Once a customer rents or buys a movie, they simply press play to begin instant viewing. Blockbuster's adaptive streaming technology ensures quality viewing with immediate and uninterrupted playback.

"This agreement underscores the growing opportunities around digital delivery and the plan to make the BLOCKBUSTER brand as available on screens as it has always been on storefronts. The Blu-ray players BLOCKBUSTER will feature represent the perfect bridge between physical stores and digital delivery by providing streaming digital access to the newest hit movies and high definition Blu-ray product, which is available in our stores and through BLOCKBUSTER By Mail," said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster Chairman and CEO. "We look forward to working with Samsung to showcase their select products in Blockbuster stores while making Blockbuster's digital library available in homes across America."

"Samsung constantly seeks ways to provide greater value to consumers through innovation and connectivity," said Tim Baxter, President of Samsung Electronics America. "Our strategic alliance with Blockbuster means that we will provide consumers another significant avenue to access rich content and a great viewing experience."

The alliance also includes the sale of Samsung Blu-ray players with the integrated BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand service at Blockbuster's thousands of participating corporate-owned stores and franchise stores and online at blockbuster.com, in addition to Samsung's existing retail channels.

The companies expect to have the BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand service integrated into new Samsung Blu-ray disc players and HDTVs by the fall of 2009. Consumers who already own select 2009 Samsung Blu-ray players and home theater systems, as well as Samsung LCD and Plasma HDTVs Series 650 and above, and Samsung LED HDTVs Series 7000 and above, can access the BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand offering at no additional charge by conducting a firmware upgrade (Blu-ray players and home theater systems) or downloading the BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand widget (HDTVs).

It's a joint venture with cross-marketing involved, but all you need to know is that you'll be able to rent and buy Blockbuster's OnDemand movies directly from your TiVo at some later date.

The image above is from Blockbuster's streaming box, so our guess is that TiVo's solution will look more TiVo-y. We wish Blockbuster would make their digital content more like Netflix's streaming solution—you know, more free—but this is better than nothing.

Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes said the box—which measures 8x8x1 and includes two USB ports, an HDMI port, Ethernet and WiFi, and an SD slot—is just a trial to check out consumer responses and “keep up with emerging technology.” Okay... except you know, Keyes, you're kind of going into an already crowded market now. When everybody and their mother already owns another set-top box offering, what are the chances they're going to switch to Blockbuster's option?

Blockbuster and 2Wire Introduce New Digital Media Player

MediaPoint™ digital media player provides instant entertainment from BLOCKBUSTER ® ONDEMAND straight to television

Thousands of titles offered including new releases like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Smart, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, The Strangers, The Love Guru

DALLAS, TX and SAN JOSE, CA — November 25, 2008— Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B), a leading global provider of media entertainment, and 2Wire, a provider of integrated broadband solutions, today introduced the 2Wire MediaPoint™ digital media player, an easy-to-use, on-demand video solution that offers movie fans instant access through their television sets to BLOCKBUSTER® ONDEMAND content, including thousands of titles from the latest movie releases to classic favorites.

Beginning today, for a limited time, the MediaPoint digital media player is available free with the advance rental of 25 BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND movies for $99 at www.blockbuster.com. Unlike subscription-based services, which typically offer movies years after their release, BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND includes hot new releases, many available within weeks of leaving theaters. After the initial 25 rentals, movies are available for as little as $1.99 each. The players will begin shipping in time for the holiday season.

“The MediaPoint digital player, featuring BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND, is entertainment made easy. We are bringing Blockbuster, and the thousands of movies in our digital library, straight to customers’ televisions,” said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster Chairman and CEO. “The player is simple to use, delivers DVD quality video, and there’s no monthly subscription commitment. We are delighted to team with 2Wire to give consumers this great entertainment product.”

Easy to install, the MediaPoint digital media player works seamlessly with any broadband connection, either wirelessly via built-in Wi-Fi or wired via Ethernet cable, to deliver the hottest new movies, classics, foreign films and television shows from the BLOCKBUSTER digital library. With full fast-forward, rewind, and pause capabilities, the viewing experience is DVD quality, no matter the speed of the broadband connection. Movies can be played right away or saved to watch later. Additionally, the player supports HD video content and can be connected to HDTVs.

“To be successful, a broadband video offering needs to deliver movies that people want to see, in the quality they expect, with minimal setup requirements,” said Pat Romano, chief executive officer of 2Wire. “BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND and the MediaPoint digital media player give movie fans what they want. We are thrilled to help bring this service to the living room, providing immediate access to high quality movies directly on the television set.”

The MediaPoint digital media player is extremely compact – about the size of two boxes of movie candy – and can be integrated seamlessly into home entertainment systems through composite cable, HDMI, component cable, or Toslink.

Technical Details
In the Box

* 2Wire MediaPoint Digital Media Player (8” x 8” x 1”)
* Quick Installation Guide
* Power Adapter
* Composite A/V cable (supports SD viewing)
* Remote Control
* AAA Batteries

- more -
Blockbuster/2Wire
Page Two

Video and Audio Connections

* Composite
* Component *
* HDMI*
* Stereo Audio
* Toslink (digital optical audio)*

Network Connections

* Ethernet*
* Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)

*cable must be purchased separately