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Redbox Plans To Launch New Streaming Service 'Redbox Digital' (consumerreports.org)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Consumer Reports: Redbox, the movie and game-rental kiosk service, might be getting back into the streaming game a few years after its digital streaming service, Redbox Instant, failed. The new Redbox streaming service could be a pay-per-view option for rentals and purchases like Apple iTunes or Vudu. The trade publication Variety -- which broke the story, citing "multiple sources" familiar with the company -- said that the new service will be called Redbox Digital and that Redbox is close to launching a beta of the service.
Compared to a subscription service, negotiating the rights to pay-per-view titles should be easier for Redbox. And since many Redbox streaming customers already use their site to search for and reserve titles, it would be much more convenient for them to be able to immediately order a digital version. Another potential benefit would be the price of the rentals. The reason why physical Redbox kiosks are popular is because the $1.50 rental price for DVDs, and $2 rental price for Blu-ray discs are relatively cheap. Redbox Digital may gain some attraction if, and only if, there are considerable savings for users, otherwise there would be little reason to choose Redbox over a more established pay-per-view service, such as Amazon Instant, Google Play, or Vudu.
What, you haven't seen their LP rentals?
Seriously, though, the article is right that $1.50-$2.00 or so is the right price for a rental. Most streaming services currently charge a relatively high price for a rental, and it tends to put me off. For instance, right now on Amazon, they're charging $6.00 to rent "The Martian", a movie I'd much like to see (read the book and loved it). That price makes me hesitate, thinking "for about 2 1/2 times that price, I could own it". So far, I've purchased neither option, largely because I'm already paying for streaming services that have many other shows and movies to watch, and those only cost about $10 per month.
A couple bucks per rental is in the "I don't even have to think about it" price range.
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
> Redbox Plans To Launch New Streaming Service 'Redbox Digital'
They should call it RedTube.
How is it possible this story fails to use the word "netflix"? Redbox is nice and I use it when I want burst mode on my DVDs that I can't get from Netflix but it so far has few things netflix doesn't and netlfix is cheaper. Redbox also get expensive when you screw up, and indeed that happens. Netflix is slowly calving off it's DVD from its streaming service. I assume there is a financial logic here but at face value that's dumb. Integrate them. They open the door for Redbox more by doing that. BUT, here's why I'm pretty sure they are splitting them. If they are separate then the content producers can't charge them more for a DVD than it's face value, and they can even negotiate for less than face value. But if they are integrated the producers can hold the streaming service hostage to claw even more cash for the DVD rentals. Redbox is opening themselves up to this blackmail on their core rental bussiness if they make streaming and rentals combined.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Perhaps they are going to copy VidAngel. They have a system that effectively allows $1 streaming rentals ($2 for HD) of movies, including new releases. Redbox could potentially copy this idea, especially since VidAngel filters their movies because they want to claim to be a family friendly business.