Sample Boxes: All the Rage, But Are They Worth the Cost?
Several sample box services will send a monthly shipment of beauty and diet products to your door. Are they worth your money?
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Netflix Earnings Caught Wall Street Off Guard with Good News
Shares of Netflix soared following Wednesday's market close, after it posted unexpectedly strong quarterly results and painted a promising picture of its near future. Here's why the company is doing so much better than Wall Street was expecting.
The 10 Best Tools to Guarantee You're Getting the Very Best Price
Nobody wants to pay more than they have to for what they buy, and with all the deal-finding tools out there, there's no reason you should have to. From barcode-scanning apps to browser extensions that automatically seek out lower prices and coupon codes, here are a some of our favorites.
Post-Post-Christmas Bargains: The Best Deals This Weekend
Even with the holiday season receding in the rear-view mirror, there's still plenty of discounting taking place at big retailers. Here are a few of the better deals that you can take advantage of this weekend.
Free Smartphone With That Suit? The Best Deals This Weekend
This weekend represents something of a lull in the holiday season. Black Friday is behind us, and any lingering Cyber Week sales are wrapping up. The remaining big shopping days won't come until later in December. Still, there are deals to be found this weekend. Here are a few.
How to Profit From the Decline of DVDs: 3 Stocks and 1 Idea
Disney just released this summer's blockbuster The Avengers for the home market, and it's likely to sell a ton of DVDs. But if it does, it'll be a rarity: DVD sales have been slowing for years now. That's bad for Hollywood, but it could be financially good for you.
DVDs Are Dying: Can Anything Rescue Hollywood?
DVDs -- and even their more modern Blu-ray siblings -- are gradually fading to black, as VHS and LaserDisc did before them. Movie studios have seen this coming for some time. Problem is, it's part of a bigger trend they may not be able to overcome.
Why Does Wall Street Hate Netflix?
Just six months ago, consumers loved Netflix for its all-you-can-eat video services, and investors did too. These days, after a series of customer-aggravating missteps, the dot-com darling has become a dot-com dud on Wall Street. But are the analysts right to be so down on Netflix?
Netflix's New Goal: Rule Britannia, and Ireland Too
Netflix hopes its latest move doesn't turn out to resemble a British comedy. The video buffet operator introduced its streaming service in Ireland and the U.K. on Monday. And while overseas expansion is old hat for Netflix, this time, the challenges are bigger.
Why Movie Watchers Are Abandoning the Multiplex
Noticed that your local movie theater is a little quieter than usual lately? Don't go thinking that moviegoers have just gotten more considerate. The reason phones aren't ringing, babies aren't wailing, and know-it-alls aren't giving away plot twists before they happen is simple: People just aren't there.
3 Messes That Netflix Needs to Clean Up
The Qwikster jokes are already old, and it's back to business as usual for video buffet operator Netflix -- or is it? Its stock prices are low, and there are lingering questions. But Netflix can make it right with the public again, starting with cleaning up these three big messes it recently made.
Should Netflix Be Afraid of YouTube's Movie Rentals?
Google's video-sharing site, YouTube, is giving Netflix investors a little scare with its recent announcement that it has doubled the number of movie titles in its rental library to 6,000. But could YouTube's strategy be successful enough that it could directly compete with Netflix?
Should Netflix Stream Its Video Business Into the U.K.?
Netflix is enjoying a period of rapid expansion, riding on the popularity of DVD-by-mail and online video streaming. The question for investors is: What's next? Netflix has signaled that it plans to expand abroad, and the U.K. is a likely target. But is Britain ready for Netflix?
The Frugal Consumer: Stay Home for Dinner and Suspense
Looking for an easy way to keep your entertainment budget in check without feeling like you're pinching pennies or getting bored? Bring the gang over for a dinner party and movie night that features one of these classic Hollywood suspense films.
Frugal Consumer: Three Home Theater Films for Teens
Today's pinched budgets mean many American families can%u2019t shell out as much as they once did to send teenagers to the movies. But there's a more affordable way to keep young people entertained: Soup up your home theater and screen some teen-friendly classics.
Blockbuster's Future is Up for Auction
Blockbuster on Monday kicked off the confidential auction process that will decide its future. Billionaire Carl Icahn and others have bid for the troubled video-rental chain.
In This Corner, Netflix. In the Other Corner. . .Amazon?
Netflix, whose DVD-by-mail service hastened the demise of several video rental chains, may soon find itself under siege from Amazon. The world's largest online retailer appears to be on the verge of launching its own unlimited movie and TV-show streaming service.
The Plot Thickens: Netflix Users Angered By Latest Digital Twist
Netflix angered customers this week by removing the option to order DVDs via videostreaming consoles and mobile devices. The news that it was eliminating the "Add to DVD Queue" button in order to focus more on streaming videos has drawn thousands of comments, many critical of the company.
Embracing Change: Why Netflix Keeps Winning
In its transition from mail-order DVDs to streaming video, Netflix's latest move -- a new plan that offers unlimited downloads and no DVDs for $7.99 per month -- highlights why the company has been so successful.
Coinstar 2Q Profit, 2011 Sales Forecast Beat Estimates on Redbox Success
Coinstar, the parent of Redbox self-service DVD-rental machines, said second-quarter profit fell less than analysts expected and that forecast 2011 sales would exceed analysts' estimates.
Netflix Beats on Surge in Subscribers, Sales
Netflix said it boosted profit by 26% in the third-quarter. The largest U.S. DVD-by-mail service gained new subscribers by expanding its digital and packaged-media offerings.
Apple iPad: The Most Successful Consumer Electronics Launch Ever
Apple's iPad launch earlier this year was the most successful tech-gadget debut ever, blowing away previous success stories like the iPhone and the DVD player, according to Bernstein Research analyst Colin McGranahan.
Netflix Apologizes for Coaching Extras at Canadian Video Streaming Launch Event
Netflix says it mistakenly coached extras used in a corporate video to tell the Canadian media how enthusiastic they were about the company's videostreaming service, which launched in Canada this week.
Why Blockbuster Went Bust While Netflix Flourished
It's easy to blame Blockbuster's collapse, which culminated Thursday in a voluntary Chapter 11 filing, on the rise of streaming Internet video and kiosk rental options. But Netflix faced the same threats and it's thriving. So what did Netflix do smarter than its bankrupt rival?
Coinstar Earnings Nearly Double but Outlook Disappoints; Blu-ray on the Way
Coinstar, which operates the 26,900 Redbox movie rental kiosks, posted earnings that nearly doubled, although its outlook disappointed Wall Street. The company announced it would begin to sell Blu-ray disks in 13,300 locations immediately.
Blockbuster Now Expects NYSE Delisting
The long-struggling video-rental chain said Thursday that a delisting from the New York Stock Exchange is the likely result after it failed to receive enough shareholder votes to authorize a reverse stock split. Shares tumbled on Friday.
