

Ask HN: Why doesn't imdb sell movies? - sid6376

Just wondering aloud, imdb is my goto point whenever i want to know something about a movie. Anybody who looks up a movie definitely has at least a slight intent to watch the movie. Why don't they get into selling movie (dvds) or a partnership with netflix to stream movies. 
So why don't they?
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adamzochowski
Most amazing part of IMDB is that it predates http, and obviously, wikipedia.
It started as a series of text files on usenet sent between various movie
buffs, each adding their own contributions.

One of the IMDB contingents for sale to Amazon was keeping it quite
autonomous, and open. The database is still being exported to the same
formatting as when it was traded on usenet; which is why one still gets files
specific for Amiga and OS/2. <http://www.imdb.com/interfaces>

Kind regards

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kingsidharth
IMO, that's not the problem they are solving. They are usually 'the
professional' database of movies, people and such. Streaming movies is not
what they set out to do. Documenting about them is what they aim at. But they
surely are an influence on some people's choices.

It's sort of asking - Why 'The New York Times' doesn't sell books. It does
affect the choice but they don't set out to sell books. That is, sort of, what
gives them authority. I might not trust the list as much if they were setting
out to sell more and earn more.

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hessenwolf
Tl;dr; they wouldn't seem independent and unbiased.

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frossie
Uhm. Someone should tell them that.

If I go to, say:

<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096928/>

there is a "watch now on Amazon Video On Demand" link to the right of the
page, rent from Blockbusters, buy from Amazon, etc etc. Even pre-acquisition
they had "buy" links to the right, which I assumed were Amazon affiliate
links.

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presty
isn't imdb owned by Amazon?

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iterationx
Not only that... <http://tctechcrunch.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/amazon.png>

