Blockbuster bows "free" TV set-top box

The movie rental giant makes good on its promise (threat?) to deliver its own set-top box before the end of the year, and it's free—that is, as long as you're willing to cough up $99 in "advance" rentals first.

Set to ship "in time for the holiday season," the HDMI- and Wi-Fi-enabled 2Wire MediaPoint player puts Blockbuster in direct competition with the likes of Apple TV, Vudu, and Netflix's $99 Roku streaming player.

Rental policies are similar to those on Apple TV and Vudu; you get a 24-hour viewing window, and rental prices range from $1.99 for bargain titles to $3.99 for new releases.

You can check out Blockbuster's selection of on-demand movies right here; the selection looks similar to what you'll find on Apple TV or Vudu, including such new releases as "The Incredible Hulk," "The Strangers," "Don't Mess with the Zohan," "Get Smart," and "Iron Man."

As for the 2Wire MediaPoint box itself, it's got both Wi-Fi and Ethernet ports, along with HDMI, component, and composite video-outs, not to mention analog stereo and Toslink audio outputs. 2Wire says the MediaPort delivers "DVD quality" video (although most of the streaming set-top box SD video I've seen looks softer than actual DVD playback). While Blockbuster currently doesn't have any HD titles in its on-demand catalog, the MediaPort "supports HD video content."

Initial thoughts? Well, I think Blockbuster's making a smart move by essentially giving the 2Wire MediaPoint player away, but à la carte rentals are starting to look dated in light of Netflix's stream-all-you-want policy for subscribers.

So, any Blockbuster renters out there thinking about the MediaPort? Or would you rather go the Netflix "all you can eat" way?

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Blockbuster Bows Set-Top Box [Home Media Magazine]