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Redbox May Embrace Broadband Video Streaming
Hopes to offer low cost ($3.95) monthly package
by Karl Bode Thursday 08-Apr-2010 tags: business
Tipped by Romney2012 See Profile
According to a survey being sent around to customers of the kiosk-based video rental service Redbox, the company is contemplating entering the streaming video space. But if the survey is to be believed, the company intends to enter the space at a highly discounted rate -- possibly giving users the ability to access unlimited streaming as well as four kiosk film rentals a month. Redbox tells PC Magazine that they may, or may not, embrace streaming:

A Redbox spokesman confirmed that a survey had been sent to customers with the question of low-cost streaming as part of it. Still, he said that the survey shouldn't be interpreted to mean that Redbox necessarily plans to launch such a streaming service. "It's not necessarily an indication of something that Redbox is interested in doing," the spokesman said. . . "Redbox certainly understands that the entertainment model is continually evolving," the spokesman said. Redbox continually sends surveys to customers, with the intent to gauge the customer's preferences, he added.

Of course while Redbox may be hoping to offer a streaming service at that price point, Hollywood's streaming licensing demands will obviously push that price tag considerably higher. Redbox will also have to face the same kind of restrictions that Blockbuster and the studios are imposing to keep Netflix and Redbox under control -- such as delaying new release availability for thirty days unless your company is named Blockbuster.

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NateCohen

join:2005-10-10
Schenectady, NY

Great idea

If they were to offer streaming service at that price I'd cancel my Netflix right away and sign up for this.

Hope it's true.
iansltx

join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2

Re: Great idea

Same here.

Noah Vail
Son made my Avatar
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Lorton, VA
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Big Entertainment Lusts After Control

Hollywood's already revealed that mandating how/where/what you watch is more important than anything else.

CleanFlicks and CleanFilms are two casualties in Hollywood's war to control what you experience.

You sent off your DVD and they returned a copy; with objectionable content edited out. Your original DVD was also returned unviewable, so no license violation.

CF/CF opened up a huge revenue channel for Big Ent., who responded by suing them for copyright violations. It was far more important that the viewers experience the objectionable content than BE gross more for their product.

As with the rest of Big Media (News, TV, Music), it's always been about shaping our thinking.

NV
--
In my perfect religion, a giant hole appears and sucks up all the lousy people.
I call it the Crapture.
moonpuppy

join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

Re: Big Entertainment Lusts After Control

said by Noah Vail:

Hollywood's already revealed that mandating how/where/what you watch is more important than anything else.
I bet if Hollywood could detect how many people were in a room, they would charge you per person.

cdru
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Re: Big Entertainment Lusts After Control

said by moonpuppy:

I bet if Hollywood could detect how many people were in a room, they would charge you per person.
You need to think like a movie exec. Charge everyone as if they were a theater. Let the consumer worry about how they have to prove that there isn't 300 people watching at that moment. This isn't the studio's problem.
moonpuppy

join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

Re: Big Entertainment Lusts After Control

said by cdru:

said by moonpuppy:

I bet if Hollywood could detect how many people were in a room, they would charge you per person.
You need to think like a movie exec. Charge everyone as if they were a theater. Let the consumer worry about how they have to prove that there isn't 300 people watching at that moment. This isn't the studio's problem.
I can imagine the lawsuit.

Hollywood lawyer - Your honor, the defendant is being charged for having 300 people watch a movie and he refuses to pay. We are asking for damages in the amount of $1 million.

Average homeowner - Your honor, I have a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house and have room for maybe 20 people max in my living room if only 6 sit down.

cdru
Go Colts
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Re: Big Entertainment Lusts After Control

said by moonpuppy:

I can imagine the lawsuit.

Hollywood lawyer - Your honor, the defendant is being charged for having 300 people watch a movie and he refuses to pay. We are asking for damages in the amount of $1 million.

Average homeowner - Your honor, I have a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house and have room for maybe 20 people max in my living room if only 6 sit down.
Well if the MPAA goes by the RIAA playbook, that unfortunately is quite likely. They went after Jammie Thomas for $80k for each of 24 songs and they never actually proved that she actually redistributed it, or if she did, to how many.
amungus
Premium
join:2004-11-26
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it'll still suck

Selection would probably still suck.

Here we are, in the year 2010. I can understand how we don't have: jetpacks. moonbases. flying cars. holodecks. transporters.

What we could have is an online movie service that compares to Rhapsody's music service.

Even there, Rhapsody has to remove things due to licensing messes that are beyond their control.

Maybe someday, our great grandchildren will laugh at how stupid people were in the past with restricting media and feeble attempts at crippled software and services that sucked.

Gbcue
Almost P.E.
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Re: it'll still suck

said by amungus:

What we could have is an online movie service that compares to Rhapsody's music service.

Even there, Rhapsody has to remove things due to licensing messes that are beyond their control.
I believe it's called Netflix. Streaming anything you want. Well, almost anything, due to move houses' restrictions. It's not NF's fault!
--
My Blog 2.0
rick0204

join:2009-05-20
North Bergen, NJ
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Good idea, but..........

Redbox doesn't even offer Blu Ray discs yet and they are talking about streaming now? I like Redbox for a last minute DVD rental but the streaming package has to include Blu Ray or I am not interested. I love Netflix for Blu Ray new releases and they have over 12,000 titles for streaming, about 1/3 in HD. Will Redbox streaming be viewable on a TV or just on a PC/MAC? Will any titles be streamed in HD?

OldschoolDSL
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Re: Good idea, but..........

said by rick0204:

Redbox doesn't even offer Blu Ray discs yet and they are talking about streaming now? I like Redbox for a last minute DVD rental but the streaming package has to include Blu Ray or I am not interested. I love Netflix for Blu Ray new releases and they have over 12,000 titles for streaming, about 1/3 in HD. Will Redbox streaming be viewable on a TV or just on a PC/MAC? Will any titles be streamed in HD?
Your location must suck....

RedBox has Blue-ray
--
I often find it complexing that people feel that you've reached a level of maturity and responsibility if you can accept being riped off or taken advantage of for someone else's gain or enjoyment

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rick0204

join:2009-05-20
North Bergen, NJ

Re: Good idea, but..........

What does Redbox charge for Blu Ray rentals?

OldschoolDSL
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Re: Good idea, but..........

said by rick0204:

What does Redbox charge for Blu Ray rentals?
Normal DVD rental: 1.00 (each night)
Blue-ray DVD Rental: 3.00 (each night)

If I remember right
rick0204

join:2009-05-20
North Bergen, NJ
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Re: Good idea, but..........

So Redbox is charging more then Netflix if you go by the $10.99 one DVD at a time Netflix plan. That comes out to about $2.75 per Blu Ray for one movie per week, not counting the unlimited streaming at all. The monthly Redbox Blu Ray plan would probably cost about $12.00 per month with 4 rentals and streaming.
hottboiinnc
ME

join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

Re: Good idea, but..........

but RedBox gives you the movie right now, not in 3+ days.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
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Re: Good idea, but..........

said by hottboiinnc:

but RedBox gives you the movie right now, not in 3+ days.
and they don't throttle you because you rent too much!
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee
XJakeX

join:2005-03-05
Coventry, RI
No BLu Ray in Red Boxes near me yet. And I wouln't pay $3.00 for it anyway. After seeing how nicely Blu Ray players upconvert regular DVDs, I don't feel it's worth a higher rental fee. Of course, I'm one of those who doesn't care for the "live" look that Blu Ray gives to many brightly lit scenes.

cdru
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Re: Good idea, but..........

said by XJakeX:

After seeing how nicely Blu Ray players upconvert regular DVDs, I don't feel it's worth a higher rental fee.
Up conversion is, well, converting up. You can't magically get more correct, detailed information out of a picture then was is there to begin with as compared to a higher resolution source. It may perceptually improve quality of the source, but the higher resolution version should always look better.

OldschoolDSL
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I agree, NetFlix is cheaper.

RedBox is more for those on the go and who can not wait for something in the mail or their connection online is not always stable.

(I will not use Blockbuster... They have lost several of the movies I returned and then tried to bill me for them. I wanted to appeal their thinking, but they closed the store down.)
--
I often find it complexing that people feel that you've reached a level of maturity and responsibility if you can accept being riped off or taken advantage of for someone else's gain or enjoyment

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NeoandGeo

join:2003-05-10
Harrison, TN

2 edits

.

B

Gbcue
Almost P.E.
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Great!

$4 a month for what sounds like unlimited streaming and 4 physical rentals per month!

I'd jump on this, as long as their selection is somewhat good and no contract is required.

Of course after you've watched every movie with RedBox's limited selection (which I have from their physical kiosks), then you're stuck paying $4 for practically nothing.
--
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blacksurfer

join:2002-07-14
Sherman Oaks, CA

One complaint: RETURNS!

There must be a way to build a Red Box where you could return your DVDs without waiting in line while idiots stand there and read the summary for each movie they won't rent. Turn the box 1/4 way and add a return only window!!!

Caddyroger
Premium
join:2001-06-11
To the west

Re: One complaint: RETURNS!

So people are a idiot that wants to read the summary of a movie that they know nothing about. The only idiot here are the one calling them a idiot.
--
Caddy

Noah Vail
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Re: One complaint: RETURNS!

said by Caddyroger:

So people are a idiot that wants to read the summary of a movie that they know nothing about.
They're probably just reminding him of the lottery addicts he's stuck behind while trying to pay for gas.

NV
--
In my perfect religion, a giant hole appears and sucks up all the lousy people.
I call it the Crapture.

drew
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You obviously have never been stuck behind the people who are:
•Incessantly on the cell phone, not actively using the machine
•Go through the entire selection reading every description, then let their husband do it, then lets their 2 children do it.
•The elderly who need assistance on using the machine

etc...
--
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tmc8080

join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY
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Re: One complaint: RETURNS!

said by drew:

You obviously have never been stuck behind the people who are:
•Incessantly on the cell phone, not actively using the machine
•Go through the entire selection reading every description, then let their husband do it, then lets their 2 children do it.
•The elderly who need assistance on using the machine

etc...
Great! Start a website, or post videos of this on YOUTUBE.. we've seen the www.peopleofwalmart.com, so we're bound to so see something similar: www.peopleofredbox.com

Hahaha..

Caddyroger
Premium
join:2001-06-11
To the west
I been stuck behind people at lines that does the same thing but I do not call them and idiot. To me people who call other people idiots are the real Idiots.
--
Caddy

tnroroc
Let's Rock

join:2001-04-25
Reading about the summary is what the website is for.

Caddyroger
Premium
join:2001-06-11
To the west

1 edit

Re: One complaint: RETURNS!

said by tnroroc:

Reading about the summary is what the website is for.
People are idiots that think every one has a computer or buying on impulse. I use this term because people if they do not like it they call every one a idiot.
--
Caddy

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
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Re: Great!

said by Gbcue:

$4 a month for what sounds like unlimited streaming and 4 physical rentals per month!

I'd jump on this, as long as their selection is somewhat good and no contract is required.

Of course after you've watched every movie with RedBox's limited selection (which I have from their physical kiosks), then you're stuck paying $4 for practically nothing.
thats when you cancel
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee
thedragonmas

join:2007-12-28
Albany, GA

$3.99 + RIAA fee

thats exactly how they should market it, "your bill will be $3.99 + the fee RIAA charges us to license the material, if you dont like this fee heres the home phone numbers of the riaa executives"

i think netflix should do similare, itemize the bill so people see exactly how much of there bill is going to RIAA. i doubt it would do any good, but then again, ya never know.

nunya
Who is John Galt?
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RedBox Sucks Butt

RedBox Sucks Butt. They have a terrible selection. Their online reservation system is always wrong, and they have billing problems. I got billed 4X for a movie. Each invoice showed the exact same pickup time to the second. Damn, I'm fast!

I used to get stuck behind the morons who took 15 minutes to figure out what they want. Not any more since I quit using RedBox.

Anybody else feel "dirty" after touching a RedBox machine? They always seem so grungy. I always felt like I needed to run home and shower after getting a movie. Blech.
--
Looks like Reverend Wright got his wish - God Damn America.
Nancy Pelosi - House Minority Leader 2010
Harry Reid - Senate Minority Leader 2010

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
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Re: RedBox Sucks Butt

said by nunya:

RedBox Sucks Butt. They have a terrible selection. Their online reservation system is always wrong, and they have billing problems. I got billed 4X for a movie. Each invoice showed the exact same pickup time to the second. Damn, I'm fast!

I used to get stuck behind the morons who took 15 minutes to figure out what they want. Not any more since I quit using RedBox.

Anybody else feel "dirty" after touching a RedBox machine? They always seem so grungy. I always felt like I needed to run home and shower after getting a movie. Blech.
I go after 11pm[never no line], pop it in the laptop, rip it and return it then go home, never overcharged. course i never rent at one redbox and return at another.
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee

waharper
Premium
join:2009-01-23
Rocky Mount, NC

Cool

I wouldn't cancel my netflix though. Probably will take awhile to watch redbox streaming on my xbox360. And that my friend rocks.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4

Meh

lets see: low bitrate, proprietary software, DRM, more expensive and most likely will require silverlight. thanks but no thanks!
-
i'll stick to DVDs where i can strip the crap, have better bitrates all at 25% of the cost!
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee

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