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Blockbuster Inc. to rent DVDs in Blu-ray format
MUMBAI: In what could be a major blow to the high-definition DVD format, the online movie rental service Blockbuster Inc. has announced that it will rent high-definition DVDs only in the Blu-ray format. The development is likely to take place across 1,450 stores when Blockbuster expands its hi-def offerings next month. The decision was helped in large part by the increasing availability of titles in Blu-ray, according to sources. Since last year, both the formats have been highly competitive. Studios are hoping that the HD discs, with sharper picture, interactive special features and games will replace standard definition DVDs. The formats are incompatible though and neither will play on standard DVD players, although standard DVDs can be viewed with either a Blu-ray or HD DVD player. Till now, Blockbuster Inc. has been renting both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles in 250 stores since late last year. Consumers habits revealed that Blu-ray titles were being rented more than 70 per cent of the time. However, Blockbuster will continue to rent HD DVD titles in the original 250 locations and online.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
