Staples to stock Flexplay self-destructing DVDs
By Darren Murph 
posted June 2nd 2008 9:24AM
posted June 2nd 2008 9:24AM
We'd love to tell you all of this is simply a bad dream, but unfortunately for us, it's not. For whatever reason, Staples has agreed to start stocking 24 to 26 different newer DVD releases at a time "in standalone displays at the front of its stores." We're not talking about your standard discs, however -- we're talking about those Flexplay units that vanished completely years ago (or so we thought). For those who need a refresher (that's just about everyone, right?), these time-limited discs only function for 48 hours after they've been removed from their sealed packages, creating coasters after two days. This go 'round, Flexplay is pushing the recycling aspect while Staples is hoping that business owners pick up a title or two next time they come in looking for pens and paper shredders. Even more absurd? The $4 to $6 price tag on each.[Via PCWorld]
Then it would be a round VHS
and here I thought we were already producing too much waste...apparently I was wrong because Staples likes to make even more. Not only that, but history (DivX, Cough cough) already went down this road. total b.s., no1 important will buy and it will fizzle out and be forgotten. I hope.
What an absolute waste of money. RedBox has the right idea with the $1 rentals - perfect for the times you want to watch something, but it's going to be a while from NetFlix
$4 - $6? Wake up....
This'd better not be coming to Canada, or my district manager's gonna have some explaining to do.
More plastic for the ocean.
It costs the same amount to rent a movie at block buster. and my cable company offer on demand movies some are free but new ones are 4-6 dollars
Putting these in the airport is a great idea! Looking for something to do on a long flight, buy a $5 dollar movie. I normally only watch a movie once anyway (has to be a damn good movie for me to watch it twice) and again it costs this much to rent at block buster. and for all the hippies worried about the environment what do you think is going to happen to all the dvds you are buying now when the next media comes along? Is it o.k. for the environment because they are in your house now and will have to be disposed of another day?
They should do this with Porno. It costs like $20 to rent porn at a hotel, you could just sell these instead
It just seems like a waste of resources. A tradition rental service; Blockbuster, Netflix or your local video store; has DVDs that can be watched thousands of times each.
This Staples scam is a plastic disc that is watch ONCE then thrown away. For $5 at that!
If Staples really wanted to get into the movie rental business... they should put in a Redbox machine, and people would have to COME BACK to Staples to return it, which may lead to more sales at Staples. The reason Redbox is so popular is because they are in grocery stores.. a place people tend to go a few times a week.
Instead, Staples sell this $5 disc which becomes garbage afterwards. Good job Staples.
Aren't optical discs petroleum based? With the price of oil where it is, this is a very bad idea. The worst thing for all of us would be for this service to catch on. Furthermore, the idea of marketing a disposable product in 2008 is incredibly insensitive to environmental concerns. It should be criminal to attempt a product like this.
There are many other ways of renting movies that don’t negatively impact landfills, the cost of oil or the environment the way this archaic scheme does.
Companies like Netflix were a decent stopgap, but direct download rentals of movies is definitely the way of the future and where we should be headed. There’s far less impact on the environment, lower cost of manufacturing and far lower distribution costs. I don’t care if it’s Apple, Microsoft (Xbox) or Amazon based, just get your drm issues out of the way so it has a chance to succeed.
So, broadband Internet is not within everyone’s reach yet? If Staples wants to really be part of the solution, offer a better product to those without broadband. How about a rental kiosk that’s USB flash drive based? Come into Staples, plug in your USB key and download a movie that will play for 48 hours. Then you come back to Staples and do it again. Make it Xbox or Apple Tv compatible. Or sell your own player for $99. Then you have repeat traffic and you can shout from the rooftops that you’re not part of the problem.
I won't be supporting Staples while they persist with this archaic idea.
Wat a bad idea
I got it! They should distribute these things on DVD-RWs. When we are finished with the DVD we can erase them and use them for other things.(Maybe a bootleg version of the same movie)
Buying+Ripping+Burning+Taping original with artwork over top.
Yes, Im cheap, so sue me.
Oh, wait, the MPAA would!
Could you not just use a spray coating over the top when you open it to stop the oxidation? Just whatever they use to recoat regular dvds/cds for repair?
This is worse than waiting for DVDs in your mailbox. That said, what's wrong with 4-6 dollars to watch a movie? What year do you guys think this is? You all seem to have a real problem with market prices. Do you know what it costs to make some of these films? Market these films? Produce your precious DVDs and Blu-Rays? Any clue? Q.
Wow, another bright idea. Almost as good as disposable phones... Now lets collectively decide how another physical medium can be made more wasteful. Perhaps disposable laptops or single use cars?
I say disks at a gas station/truck stop on the border of Oregon and Washington. If I recall I was on the washington site of the river. I think it was $3.99 or so for a title. This was in September of 2007.
Flexplay, eh?
Way to add to the landfills, guys. Way to go green.
This will fail.
Wasting a disk is still probably more less detrimental to the environment than the fuel expended to drive back to a traditional rental store.
I think they have a larger goal this time around. I saw this video on youtube about a new dvd rental kiosk. Have never seen it anywhere else. What do you think it is...who is behind it? Do you this kiosk uses Flexplay discs?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY_UAbXfWcg