Samsung in Over-the-Top-TV Deals with Amazon, Blockbuster

Samsung Electronics America announced separate over-the-top-TV deals, Wednesday, with Amazon and Blockbuster.

According to the company, the deal with Amazon makes the latter's Amazon Video On Demand service available on select Samsung HDTV's via a downloadable widget. Starting today, the company says, owners of Samsung LCD and Plasma HDTV's Series 650 and above, and of Samsung LED HDTV's Series 7000 and above, can download the Amazon Video On Demand widget for free, using those TV sets' Internet@TV content service. The widget allows them to search, browse and rent or purchase from Amazon's digital video catalog--which is billed as offering over 50,000 titles (of which around 2,000 are in HD), including new-release movies and "day after" broadcast TV episodes--directly from their TV set. Their purchases are stored online in the Amazon Video On Demand video library, so that they can also access them from their computers and other devices, Samsung says. Other services available through the Internet@TV platform include YouTube, Yahoo! and Twitter. "Consumers have told us they want easy access to premium on-demand TV shows and movies, and we're very pleased to continue to offer more ways to do that with Amazon Video On Demand through our Internet@TV content service feature," John Revie, SVP of visual display marketing at Samsung Electronics America, said in a prepared statement. "Whether it's watching their favorite Blu-ray movie or instantly streaming their favorite content, we're committed to offering people maximum choice and will continue to be an innovator."

The deal with Blockbuster, meanwhile, makes the latter's Blockbuster On Demand service (which also just launched on TiVo--see the article published on itvt.com, October 13th) available on Samsung Series 650 and above LCD and Plasma HDTV's, and on Series 7000 and above LED HDTV's. It also makes the service available on Samsung BD-P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600 Blu-ray players, and on select Samsung Blu-ray integrated home theater systems (HT-BD1250, HT-BD3252, HT-BD7200 and HT-BD8200) via a firmware upgrade.

According to Blockbuster, its launch on Samsung will see it introducing a "seamless entertainment experience" that will allow users to watch Blockbuster On Demand content across multiple Blockbuster-enabled devices. "For example," the company says, "Mom or Dad could order 'Scooby Doo: The Goblin King' from Blockbuster On Demand on 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. Mom and Dad could later order 'Observe and Report' directly on the Samsung Blu-ray in the den, start watching, and then continue watching it on the Samsung TV in the bedroom."

Blockbuster bills Blockbuster On Demand (whose rentables are priced from $2.99 to $3.99 and whose purchasables are priced from $7.99 to $19.99) as providing comprehensive on-screen search and browsing capabilities, as well as full details, ratings, trailers and other information about each movie, directly on the TV, thus eliminating the need for customers to manage a viewing queue on their PC. The offering will be available via the Internet@TV service on Samsung TV's and by clicking a color-coded remote-control button on Samsung Blu-ray players and home theater systems. Blockbuster says it will sell Samsung Blu-ray disc players with integrated Blockbuster On Demand service in its corporate-owned stores as well as in participating franchise stores.