Related Articles
Samsung is set to take on Netflix, Spotify and iTunes with movies and music on your Samsung Galaxy phone, tablet or TV — and all thanks to Blockbuster.
Yes, Blockbuster, where your mate used to work in the 90s. Not only is it still going, but it’s reportedly behind a service that will stream thousands of movies to Galaxy smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablets, as well as Samsung Blu-ray players, Smart TVs, laptops and Ultrabooks.
If you own a Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab 2 or any other connected Samsung device, you’ll be able to log into an online account, browse and pay for movies and music and TV shows, then watch or listen away. Although details are scarce at the moment, I’m willing to bet the service will let you watch across multiple devices, so if you start watching a film on your TV you’ll be able to seamlessly continue watching on your Samsung Galaxy phone if you have to go out halfway through.
If the service is super-easy to use, then it could be a hit. The real clincher will be the range of movies and music available, but Samsung has the global clout to potentially secure deals with all the big names in content.
The service is expected to launch this year in the UK, Europe and Australia. Australian site Smarthouse reports the deal, quoting an Aussie Blockbuster boss who reveals that Samsung is working on a global payment network.
So Samsung and Blockbuster will be competing with Netflix, Spotify and other music and movie streaming services here in the UK, and with global services like Apple’s iTunes or the Sony Entertainment Network. Service like iTunes and the SEN — formerly known as the PlayStation Network — are a rather clever wheeze to keep milking us for money even after we’ve shelled out for our Apple or Sony gadget, so it’s no wonder Samsung wants some of that extra moolah.
Samsung told us that it’s “working on developing various content for our product range, however we cannot confirm the details at this stage.” We’ll keep you posted when details do emerge about what form the service will take.
The Samsung Blockbuster service will launch in the US, the UK and Europe in the first half of 2012. While you’re waiting, press play on our video below to be both entertained and informed about the fascinating history of Samsung, or check out who currently rules the film-streaming roost with our comparison of LoveFilm and Netflix.
Is your Galaxy phone crying out for its own movie service, or are there too many streaming services already? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
