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Archive for the 'Best Buy' Tag

Best Buy to offer movie rentals online

November 3rd, 2009, 9:19 am by

Roxio CinemaNowBest Buy Co. is jumping into the game of streaming movies to customers from the comfort of their homes. The retailer announced a multi-year partnership today with Sonic Solutions, the makers of DVD-burning suite from Roxio Software.

Best Buy will use streaming service CinemaNow, which Sonic acquired last year, to let customers rent or buy movies at their whim on certain consumer electronics devices sold at Best Buy. The retailer plans to add the on-demand feature to TVs, portable media players, computers, Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes and mobile phones. It also plans to toss in a marketing budget to educate consumers on digital delivery.

The new service joins a growing number of companies using the Internet to get movies to the home TV. Netflix, which has been popping up on game consoles and other devices, offers an all-you-can stream service for a minimum of $8.99 per month. Amazon’s Video on Demand lets customers rent or buy individual movies and stream them on a TV. Blockbuster also now offers movie rentals on demand, starting at $2.99 (thanks Ride On).

CinemaNow currently charges $1.99 for TV shows and $9.99 to $19.99 to download movies. This includes the ability to watch an unlimited number of viewings on up to 3 devices. The rental fees are $2.99 to $3.99 and offer movies for a 24-hour period.

Best Buy plans to offer movies on the same day they are available on DVD. Also, it plans to use the actual DVD to help sell digital copies of the same movie.

The New York Times story on the deal (see “Best Buy Prepares for the Post-DVD Era“) says the idea of mixing the two “is to let consumers pay once for a DVD and then eventually be able to play it on any device: television, Blu-ray disc player, personal computer, handheld media player or smartphone,” Chris Homeister, senior vice president for entertainment at Best Buy, told the paper’s Bits Blog.

The service will start early next year.

Earlier on Internet and TV:

Posted in: Internet • Video & TV • • • • • • | 5 Comments »

Taxpayers paying $99 per ‘free’ Geek Squad DTV installation

May 29th, 2009, 2:55 pm by

Digital TV transition on June 12, 2009.As I suspected, somebody is paying for Geek Squad’s amazing promotion to offer the nation free installation of digital converter boxes: You!

Geek Squad, Best Buy’s in-home tech-support group, is offering free help as the nation switches to digital TV broadcasts on June 12. Those with older, analog TVs who rely on antennas to watch must either buy a digital TV, subscribe to a paid TV service or, the cheapest option, buy a digital converter box. Geek Squad promises to help the first 10,700 people who request that help — and they’ll even hook it up to a VCR!

But while the Geek Squad service is free to customers, the Federal Communications Commission is footing the bill — averaging $99 per installation. Geek Squad normally charges $99.99 to set up a TV and video equipment. 

According to FCC documents, Best Buy will get $1,069,893 to help consumers install a converter box. Here are the numbers:

FCC funding for Best Buy installs:  
PUR09000318 award to Best Buy Co. Inc. (Pacific Region) $419,958
PUR09000326 award to Best Buy Co., Inc. (West Central Region) $329,967
PUR09000367 award to Best Buy Co., Inc. (Northeast Region) $319,968
Total: $1,069,893

From past response, Orange County readers are prepared for the big transition. In fact, many have voiced their disgust with the delay from the originally planned Feb. 17 deadline. Nielsen Ratings, meanwhile, believes 3.3 million households — or in our area, 4.69 percent  as of May 10 – aren’t ready.

It is a huge task to move a nation to a new way of watching TV. Millions are being spent by the government on advertising and marketing campaigns. PR agency Burson-Marsteller apparently nabbed the $3.5 million contract to let Americans know about the switch on June 12. Lots of other government-funded awards are listed below.

Best Buy isn’t the only one getting money from the FCC to install converter boxes. According to the FCC, it awarded $4.9 million to professional companies to help install converter boxes. Check out this list: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • | 13 Comments »

FREE digital TV converter box installation to first 10,700 people

May 29th, 2009, 10:05 am by

UPDATE, 3:09 p.m.: What exactly is free? Not to taint the effort, but just so you know how Geek Squad is able to offer this service for free, I did more research. Here’s the answer: “Taxpayers paying $99 per ‘free’ Geek Squad DTV installation”

Geek Squad offers free digital converter box installation.With 14 days to go before the nation’s TV networks switch to digital broadcasts (thus leaving many older, analog TV watchers in the dark), I wondered if someone was going to step up and offer to install digital converter boxes.

Well, Best Buy’s Geek Squad has stepped up. 

And it’s offering digital converter box installation for FREE to the first 10,700 people. That’s right, totally, absolutely free. No purchase from Best Buy required. Those who take the Best Buy’s tech support up on its offer can use a box they bought from a competitor. And it could be a box purchased last week, last month or even last year. 

“The even better news is that (Geek Squad) will hook up converter boxes purchased from any retailer at any time,” confirmed a Best Buy spokesperson.

Digital TV transition delayed to June 12, 2009.So, here’s the deal:

From now until Tuesday, June 30, Geek Squad will connect up to two DTV converter boxes per house free of charge to the first 10,700 people nationwide. First come, first served. The Western region, which includes Orange County, can handle up to 4,200 installations. The only requirement: the consumer must live in a Geek Squad service area (see below for locations). Besides the box installation, Geek Squad will:

  • adjust existing antennas
  • scan and rescan converter boxes to locate the maximum digital broadcast channels available
  • integrate an existing VCR
  • provide guidance on the operation of the converter box

The integration with a VCR is a nice touch I’m sure certain readers will be interested in. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • | 3 Comments »

Best Buy cuts iPhone price till end of 2008

December 19th, 2008, 10:23 am by

It’s true! Best Buy officials just confirmed to me that it is shaving $10 off the price of the Apple iPhone, at least until the end of the year. 

In addition, customers who purchase an iPhone can get double Reward Zone Points (another $10 or so) and free e-mail set-up, said a Best Buy spokesperson.

This brings the price down to $189 for the 8 GB iPhone, and $289 for the 16 GB version. In the scheme of things, $10 doesn’t seem like such a big savings when you think about the phone’s monthly fees.

But Apple rarely discounts its products. Best Buy won’t say whether it is eating the discount. “Our prices fluctuate,” says Justin Barber from Best Buy PR.

People are already talking it up on other blogs so perhaps this will help lift Best Buy out of its current economic slowdown. 

The deal ends December 31.

Wal-Mart is also rumored to not only start selling the iPhone, but also offer it at a lower, more permanent price of $197 and $297.

From the web:

Related on Gadgetress:

Posted in: Cell phones • iPhone • • • • | 15 Comments »

Hey kids: Invent a game, win $10k and a publisher!

December 4th, 2008, 6:48 pm by

Winning $10,000 is always nice but the cool thing about this contest is that the winner’s game will be published by Electronic Arts as a free web game. 

The ”Invent-A-Game Challenge” is open to kids in the U.S. between 5 to 19 years old. Entry seems simple — come up with an idea and submit it to this web site, www.bkfk.com.

The competition is sponsored by Best Buy, Electronic Arts, The United Inventors Association and By Kids for Kids.

Now, what will it take to win? Some hints on the web site: It’s looking for “designs similar to, but not limited to” puzzle games like Tetris and Bejeweled; run, jump, avoid and adventure games like Super Mario Brothers and Fancy Pants Adventure; and strategy games like Billiards and Besieged.

All entries must be received online by March 31, 2009. 

Besides getting his or her game published, the Grand Prize winner also wins a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond, trips to Best Buy and EA headquarters, and a $100 Best Buy gift card.

More details at www.bkfk.com.

Posted in: Uncategorized • • • • • • • • • | Comments Off

Toshiba and Best Buy launch laptop (exclusive photos!)

October 8th, 2008, 11:20 am by

Every few months, Toshiba America invites me to its Irvine headquarters to get a sneak peek at what’s coming in the world of laptops. The one computer that stood out? The Best Buy laptop, which was announced today.

While this new Toshiba Satellite E105 didn’t have ‘Best Buy’ stickers all over it, the computer does look different. It has a smoother, simpler and more stylish design than standard laptops from Toshiba. The companies worked on the product together as part of Best Buy’s Blue Label series, which takes in consumer feedback (longer battery life, lighter, great warranty …) to build a product.

Small design touches — floral patterns on the rubber feet (pictured on right), smooth Fusion finish — gives the laptop an updated, modern look.

Specs:

  • 14.1-inch screen
  • 5.5 hours of battery life
  • Weighs under 5 pounds, 1.2-inch thick
  • Includes backlit keyboard so you can type in the dark.
  • Also includes 2-year Toshiba warranty and 30 days of Geek Squad support
  • Windows Vista
  • 4 GB RAM (memory)
  • Intel Core 2 mobile processor
  • 320 GB hard drive
  • DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash technology
  • Built-in webcam, microphone
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11 a/g/n)
  • With these specs, the model starts at $1,249.99. Currently at BestBuy.com, a similarly built laptop is $1,199.99.
  • More details at www.explore.toshiba.com/E105

Click images below for larger photos:
   

Related:

Posted in: Computers • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Toshiba’s PC recycling program now accepts all e-junk

October 3rd, 2008, 7:17 am by

How nice. Toshiba America has expanded its free notebook recycling program to include the old, unwanted e-junk of its competitors. 

The company’s Digital Products Division, based in Irvine,  will now accept most consumer electronics. It’s free and you don’t have to purchase a Toshiba product to dump your junk. 

Of course, only certain e-junk is allowed. Items accepted include laptops, Tablet PCs, monitors, projectors, cameras, camcorders, servers, home audio receivers, cell phones, car audio, home electronics, auto electronics, mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players, game systems and GPS navigation systems. The items don’t even have to be in working condition.

If you do have a working product, you may be able to get some cash backand not just some sneaky discount on a future Toshiba product. Just run your old laptop or whatever through the Toshiba product value estimator at toshiba.com/recycle. 

[Holy eMachine! I just ran my 4-year-old eMachine desktop through the process and it says it'll qualify for $153 cashback plus a $25 Starbucks gift card and free shipping! Check it out!]

Heads up: Next Friday and Saturday, Toshiba is sponsoring a 2-day eWaste recycling event at three Best Buy stores in Orange County. The first 100 people each day will get a $5 Best Buy gift card and everyone will be entered into a contest to win a Toshiba Portégé R500 laptop computer, which are $2,000 and up machines. The recycling event will take place at the Best Buy stores in Mission Viejo, Fullerton and East Orange. I’ll post more details next week.

Related posts:

Posted in: Uncategorized • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Best Buy to start selling 3G iPhone in Sept.

August 12th, 2008, 10:06 pm by

Looks like Apple iPhone shoppers will have another store to wait in line for come September when Best Buy starts selling the trendy communicator on Sept. 7, according to an Associated Press story and several other reports that published Tuesday night.

Apparently, there is enough iPhone stock to supply Best Buy’s 970 stores, plus 16 smaller Best Buy Mobile stores. Adding this to the AT&T stores plus Apple’s own stores, brings the number of places in U.S. selling iPhones to 3,175.

Still, even though the much-coveted gadget has been available for the past month, people are still lining up outside Apple stores to get their’s — not waiting in line because of limited supply, but because it takes so darn long to get signed up to AT&T and get the phone activated. I saw this myself on Saturday while visiting the Apple store in Pasadena. At least a dozen people were in line for the phone with an Apple employee at the front directing traffic (though at the AT&T store down the street, there were plenty of helpful, unbusy employees).

Orange County’s own iPhone supply, at least in Apple stores, continues to be quite stocked as of tonight with only the 16 GB white version sold out at the Irvine Spectrum store. At any AT&T store, if none are in stock, one can be ordered for you.

iPhones are still widely available in OC

Another take:

Past iPhone posts:

Posted in: Cell phones • iPhone • • • • • • • | Comments Off

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