Whoa boy, we can't imagine this going over well with the Blu-ray junkies in attendance. On a conference call held earlier today,
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made mention that it planned on instituting a "modest monthly premium" to its normal subscription rate for folks who rented BDs. Of course, the move only makes perfect sense -- after all, the discs
do cost more, and according to Mr. Hastings, "consumers are used to
paying more for high-definition content." Unfortunately, we're not sure if the price hike (exactly how much has yet to be disclosed) will apply flatly to every single Blu-ray renter or if the premium will be applied in a tiered fashion based on how heavily you rent HD media versus traditional DVDs. With the change slated to occur "later this year," though, we won't be wondering for long.
[Via
CNET, image courtesy of
WorkItMom]
Just weeks after hearing that Poland's Cyfra+ would be acquiring Eurosport HD in late May comes word that the satellite provider will likely be raising its rates in the near future. Based on a local report, customers will have to pay more (exact bumps were undisclosed) for the Basic, Komfort and Prestige packages starting in June, though the fee for National Geographic HD would simultaneously fall. Thankfully, the price hike isn't for naught, as it's planning to add in HBO HD (along with several others later in the year) and its very own VOD service to boot. Make that HD VOD and we're really on to something.
