Hollywood studios are split over Redbox

[Sorry!]

I have NEVER heard of one of these things. Wish they had them in Canada I think it's a really cool idea, have you guys ever seen them before?

Hollywood studios are split over Redbox, the $1-per-night DVD rental kiosk company: They could supply it with cheap wholesale discs and ride its massive growth, or starve it in the hopes of preserving higher-priced purchases.

http://www.physorg.com/news168879752.html

Whats your thoughts on this will these types of kiosks ruin the movie industry?

 

[cristo]

I used one once when I was in the US. I think it's a great idea, though I don't see how it will ruin the movie industry. In fact, won't they make more revenue, since people are more likely to rent a movie if it's only $1 as opposed to 3 or 4? They also don't have the most recent releases, do they?

 

[Sorry!]

I used one once when I was in the US. I think it's a great idea, though I don't see how it will ruin the movie industry. In fact, won't they make more revenue, since people are more likely to rent a movie if it's only $1 as opposed to 3 or 4? They also don't have the most recent releases, do they?

I think they used to get the new releases directly from warehouses but Universal and Fox have ordered the warehouses not to sell to the kiosks until 30 days after the movie is released. So Redbox has now resorted to buying the movies for regular price from retail stores.

 

[thomasxc]

i have one a few miles from my house. i love it and use it all the time.

 

[Math Is Hard]

There's one at my grocery store (different company but same idea). I love it because it's so convenient. Not always the greatest selection of movies, though.

 

[Focus]

I hope this idea does spread. Main reason for piracy in my view is that movie prices are too expensive (both renting and purchasing). If I had a convenient access to cheap dvd rentals I would be renting out quite a few movies. It would definitely make a whole lot of cash (I spend that money on chocolate bars without thinking twice).

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Just saw one outside a walgreens. Seems like a decent idea. I still use netflix.

 

[Sorry!]

I hope this idea does spread. Main reason for piracy in my view is that movie prices are too expensive (both renting and purchasing). If I had a convenient access to cheap dvd rentals I would be renting out quite a few movies. It would definitely make a whole lot of cash (I spend that money on chocolate bars without thinking twice).

This was exactly what I was thinking. Most people who download movies just do it to watch them once and delete them, maybe burn them but I doubt the majority of the movies get watched several times. This gives people who would do that a place to just go rent extremely cheap movies... which will be guaranteed high quality... I'm not sure if it's convenient enough to overtake piracy but I'm sure it would help.

 

[Evo]

McDonald's rents movies for $1. I never rent movies because it's a hassle to return them. I watch movies online now.

 

[fileen]

would it be all that bad if it changed the movie making industry? Wasnt there just a thread on here about Paris Hiltons extremely overly expensive dog house? I just gave half my groceries to a bum on the street hiding from the thunderstorm outside, and people demand millions of dollars for mindless entertainment. It wouldn't hurt for less money to be making its way to the movie industries and instead going to the people who work hard for next to nothing.

 

[thomasxc]

Just saw one outside a walgreens. Seems like a decent idea. I still use netflix.

are you satisfied with it? my parents are thinking about getting it, since we got rid of our dish network...

 

[junglebeast]

I've used it a few times, but it's too much of a hassle to go back to the grocery store 2 days in a row. I watch online instead.

 

[arunma]

I think Redbox is a good idea. There are several of them in my town, and it's quite convenient to be able to rent cheap DVDs from them. Only problem is that their selection sucks. The majority of the DVDs available at your average Redbox (or at least the ones where I live) are B movies. Also, they don't carry any television series. So whenever I rent TV shows, I still use a conventional video store. Redbox is an excellent idea, they just need to start carrying movies that don't suck.

On a sidenote, I find it rather humorous that they carry the old Nintendo-based TV shows from the late 80s and early 90s like "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show" and "The Legend of Zelda." Until I saw this I could swear I was the only one who knew about these. Back when I was in high school and college I was obsessed with acquiring episodes of these shows from my early childhood. I would scrounge random sites on the Web just to find a few low-quality downloads, and was quick to purchase them on Amazon when they were finally released on DVD. Turns out I could have just waited a few years and then walked over to Redbox.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

A girl I know has a machine like this in her apartment building in Colorado.

 

[arunma]

A girl I know has a machine like this in her apartment building in Colorado.

Really? Last I heard, Redbox was only in McDonald's and various grocery stores.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Really? Last I heard, Redbox was only in McDonald's and various grocery stores.

I don't know if it was redbox. She just told me that she had a DVD rental vending machine in her building. I don't think I have ever seen one outside of a grocery store myself.

 

[Moonbear]

I've used it a few times, but it's too much of a hassle to go back to the grocery store 2 days in a row. I watch online instead.

That's what keeps me from considering using it. The grocery stores that have it around here are somewhat out of my way. I haven't looked at it closely enough to see how it handles late fees or tracks who has rented movies if you don't return them. Before I had Netflix and still rented from places like Blockbuster stores, I rarely got the new releases that could only be checked out for a day, because I need a few days before I can get back to a store to return a video.

 

[cristo]

I haven't looked at it closely enough to see how it handles late fees or tracks who has rented movies if you don't return them.

You have to swipe your credit card, and if you don't return it, you are simply charged another dollar for the next day. I think they're a great idea, though that may just be because they haven't arrived in my quaint country yet!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

You have to swipe your credit card, and if you don't return it, you are simply charged another dollar for the next day. I think they're a great idea, though that may just be because they haven't arrived in my quaint country yet!

Its odd how that works. Didn't you guys already get vending machines you can pay at with your cellphone there? or was that just one scandinavian country?
I haven't heard anything else about them lately or ever even seen one.

 

[binzing]

While recently staying in Oregon, my family there use them quite often. You can get these promotional sort of cards that will get you a free movie, so everyone I know there has a big stack of those cards, so they in effect get to rent movies for free.

 

[Moonbear]

You have to swipe your credit card, and if you don't return it, you are simply charged another dollar for the next day. I think they're a great idea, though that may just be because they haven't arrived in my quaint country yet!

That's a fair deal. I never liked that those other rental places charged so much in late fees if you were as much as an hour late returning a movie. It's not so painful when it's only a $1. The downside is probably that there's no actual person there who can assist with a refund if you get a scratched DVD that won't play, but again, not too painful if it's just a $1 wasted.

The general concept seems like a good idea. I just wish they had them in the grocery stores that are more convenient for me...or put one on campus.

 

[arunma]

You have to swipe your credit card, and if you don't return it, you are simply charged another dollar for the next day. I think they're a great idea, though that may just be because they haven't arrived in my quaint country yet!

Also, if you don't return it after 25 days it's yours to keep. So you also don't have to worry about accumulating a hundred dollars in late fees or anything.