So I think RIM should expand their video store to have a monthly payment plan similar to Netflix. They could charge a reasonable monthly fee, and designate certain movies and shows to be "free" with this subscription, and regular price if you don't want that service. And for brand new releases they could even get away with charging a couple extra dollars that would be tacked onto your monthly bill.
ex.
"New Release"
Without Subscription: $5.99
With Subscription: $0.99
(I live in Canada so i'm not familiar with regular rental rates in the video store...)
Do you think this would work? I know they would need to expand their current selection.
This could also work with new Blackberry 10 phones. Maybe even BB7s?
One of the thing cellular provider like about RIM is that they dont hog the bandwidth. Say opening a standard website takes 1MB for RIM but 2-3MB for other normal phones. It just the way RIM compress the data.
But if you start allowing Video or Audio streaming etc, then bandwidth will skyrocket and because RIM servers are centralized somewhere, this means all traffic goes to RIM server and easily cause network issues.
So I can understand why RIM isn't very keen at this moment to jump into the video or audio streaming business but I could be wrong.
The last thing RIM should be worried about is trying to negotiate contracts with movie studios to stream movies. So No, it is niether a good idea nor profitable.
I'm wondering if their is a way to partner up with the cable and cellular providers to produce a Netflix like service. I read that Comcast just rejected Netflix so if RIM could offer up a way for the cable companies to sell subs or addons to their current packages it might just circumvent Netflix in general. I'd pay 10$ a month to stream my current subscription with Telus. P.S. Netflix isn't the greatest in Canada so as soon as my free sub expired I canceled it.
One thing that could be good with this idea is that RIM could charge a cheap price for this because they don't need to make money off of it. If by using a BlackBerry or PlayBook you can get unlimited streaming movies for $2 a month, then tons more people would get BlackBerries. Maybe they could do something like with BBM Music. As long as they break even then it can keep going, whereas Netflix has to make money off of it because it's their only service. RIM could even do this at a loss and write it off as marketing (or do something like with the 6 months free with BBM Music).
One of the thing cellular provider like about RIM is that they dont hog the bandwidth. Say opening a standard website takes 1MB for RIM but 2-3MB for other normal phones. It just the way RIM compress the data.
But if you start allowing Video or Audio streaming etc, then bandwidth will skyrocket and because RIM servers are centralized somewhere, this means all traffic goes to RIM server and easily cause network issues.
So I can understand why RIM isn't very keen at this moment to jump into the video or audio streaming business but I could be wrong.
- Charles
Yeah good point. But can RIM really do this forever? I'm not sure if you can get a netflix like service on iPhones or Androids yet, but I'm sure you will be able to soon. People want entertainment everywhere they go!
Has anyone looked at getting one of the Silverlight for Android solutions ported over or worked into a new android app and ported over? I'm CS, but am a data warehousing guy; very rusty developer skills now.
What is it...MonoDroid?MoonDroid?
If we could just get a browser like Dolphin with an open source version of Silverlight integrated it may take care of this situation.
RIM is just licensing the service from Rovi. It's not theirs to take and create with. Besides, all of these ideas lead back to the same content providers that want $$$ for their content.
