DvdRentals
Latest
Digiboo kiosk video service launches, opts for USB drives instead of DVDs
Judging by its quirky name, you'd think Digiboo is anything but an à la carte video service hoping to fight it out with the famed Redbox, or even Qwikster Netflix. The outfit's kiosks allow you to grab a two-day rental from a 700-plus film menu for $3.99, while $14.99 makes any title yours to own. Here's the interesting part -- rather than getting a DVD for your cash, though, you'll insert a flash drive to download your movie in as little as "30 seconds." Digiboo's setting up shop at airports in Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul to start, but mum's the word on its plans for expansion. Taking a trip over to P-Town anytime soon? Be sure to let us know your results if you happen to try it out.
Editorial: Reed Hastings' Netflix spinoff isn't about DVD success, it's about hedging the stream
If you've just casually glanced over the mass reactions to Reed Hastings' decision to split the DVD-by-mail business of Netflix into its own brand and company, you've probably been duped into thinking that it's the second questionable move that the world's most famed movie delivery service has made this year. But is it? Is a man who turned a red envelope into a symbol of near-immediate gratification really a moron? Did he really just bury the company he worked tirelessly to create? I highly, highly doubt it. Knee-jerk reactions are always fun to watch, but they're rarely on-point. As with most things in life, the truth usually resides somewhere in betwixt the extremes. And in the case of Qwikster -- the DVD-by-mail service that precisely no one asked for -- the truth is hiding in exactly the place that Reed said it'd be: the future.
Zediva puts the brakes on its streaming service, soothes your fears with monkeys
Zediva fought the law and the law shut it down. The unique DVD rental service, sued by the MPAA and Hollywood studios for running afoul of licensing and distribution agreements, has temporarily closed shop. A statement on the outfit's website optimistically refers to the court-ordered injunction as an "intermission," pointing to a hopeful future resumption of operations, and guaranteeing customers a solution for unused credits. The company's promised to fight back against Judge Walter's decision, and is in the process of appealing the ruling that could see it facing a permanent service blackout. We hope for the sake of its "DVD-changing monkeys" that all parties involved can work this out. Make sure to head past the break for Zediva's full explanation.
Zediva's DVD rental service ordered to close shop, Hollywood pops celebratory bubbly
Zediva's loophole-exploiting DVD rental service has just been dealt a lethal blow by Judge John F. Walter. The recent court-ordered preliminary injunction effectively halts the company's ability to rent its library to users across the internet's great streaming divide. Citing irreparable damages to both the nascent video on demand market and Hollywood's bottom line, the federal judge found Zediva's business in violation of studios' exclusive right to public performance of copyrighted works. The bizarro Netflix alternative had been operating without the normal licensing restrictions required by the industry and despite its claims of imminent ruination, will have to close shop. For its part, the unique startup has vowed to appeal the ruling, but if that doesn't work, at least its creators can watch No Strings Attached ad nauseum.
Netflix coming to Spain and the UK next year?
File this one in the unconfirmed-but-hopeful file, as Variety has it on good authority that Netflix could be making its first foray into European waters as early as Q1 2012. After taking Latin America by storm (and subsequently storming the wallets of plain 'ole Americans), the company is purportedly lining up Spain and the United Kingdom for its next trick. Unnamed sources at "leading European film distributors" have confirmed that representatives from the company were looking to "put roots down" in both of those nations as soon as next year, and while Netflix itself is refusing to comment, it's certainly a tale that's easy to believe. 'Course, breaking into the UK market won't be as easy as it has been in other nations -- Lovefilm already has a firm grip on the local rental market, but as your favorite capitalist always says, there's never not room for increased competition. We'll keep you posted. [Thanks, Eric]
BlockBuster Express to distribute Warner Bros DVD rentals 28 days after release
It was only a couple of weeks ago that BlockBuster Express and Warner Bros were trialling the release of DVD titles into the former company's rental kiosks on their day of commercial release, but it seems like that's a future we're not going to see any more of. The pair have now announced a partnership whereby NCR's Blockbuster Express will offer WB's new DVD titles for rent 28 days after launch, matching Redbox and Netflix who are also subject to a four-week delay. This follows similar deals being concluded by NCR with Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox, with the major benefits being lower acquisition costs and a direct relationship with the studio. Update: We initially conflated Blockbuster with Blockbuster Express-branded DVD kiosks operated by NCR. The post has now been updated to rectify this unforgivable misguidance.
Blockbuster partially reaches back to the 90s, announces 3-day in store rentals with tiered pricing
Right on the heels of announcing that its on demand service was available on over 100 devices, Blockbuster has officially reduced in-store rentals periods from five to three days and established new pricing tiers. "Just arrived" Blu-rays and DVDs now cost $4.99, making them competitive with Redbox on a cost per day basis, especially when you consider the red vending machines must wait for up to 28 days later in some cases to get newer titles. Recent releases in circulation longer than six weeks cost $2.99 along with frequently rented "Top Picks," while older, and less popular titles -- think Weekend at Bernies -- have bottomed out to $0.99. According to company rep Patty Sullivan, these changes should help Blockbuster "continue to be a competitive force in the media business" and "simplify the rental experience." That sounds a lot like the same stance it took with the now dead no late fee scheme -- but who's keeping track? It also still seems expensive for frequent movie watchers compared to Netflix's basic $10 a month plan, which includes one rotating mailed disc along with unlimited streaming. So call us crazy, but somehow we don't see this move solving the company's bankruptcy woes anytime soon.
Flix on Stix kiosks coming soon: it's like Redbox, but with USB thumb drives
The concept's far from new -- Warner and Paramount signed up way back in the heyday known as "2009" to offer movies on SD cards, and select Blockbuster rental kiosks have been popping 'em out ever since. But Flix on Stix is an expected twist on the models that are already out there, and it's one that will no doubt face some difficulty in reaching the same level of acceptance as Redbox. Put simply (or as simply as possible), consumers waltz up to a kiosk, select a TV show, game or movie, and then they choose whether they'd like to purchase or rent the title. The outfit has yet to come clean with specific pricing, but the (presumably mocked up) video embedded after the break shows rental rates of $1, $2, $3 and $4 for 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. There's also no clear indication how TV episodes and games will be handled, but we're hearing that users can either bring their own USB stick (USB 3.0 is accepted!) or opt to procure one directly from the machine. Swipe your Visa or Mastercard (c'mon, no Discover or AMEX?), and then... wait. In fact, this is apt to be the biggest hurdle. What are the resolutions being offered? What if you select a 1080p film that's 7GB, and only have a 4GB USB drive? Or better yet, what if you've got a 8GB USB 2.0 drive and a doctor's appointment in ten minutes? Comically enough, the demonstration video actually shows the patron playing a game of poker while she waits for the transfer to complete -- something tells us that's not going to go over well with prospective customers waiting in line. We're guessing that most folks will peace right on out if the wait to purchase something from a box exceeds a few minutes, and given the very nature of this scheme, it sounds like that scenario is almost guaranteed to happen ad nauseum. At any rate, expect to see the first of these popping up in two to three months, and meanwhile we'll be digging for more details on pricing and distribution plans.
Blockbuster filing for bankruptcy next month? Probably.
It's not official, but rumor that Blockbuster is preparing to file for bankruptcy in September is certainly believable. Expected even. According to several sources speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Blockbuster chief executive Jim Keyes along with representation from Blockbuster's senior debt holders met last week with the six major movie studios to announce the company's intention to enter a mid-September bankruptcy. Meetings that no doubt hoped to secure an uninterrupted flow of new content from Hollywood as Blockbuster restructures its $920 million in debt and closes another 500 of its 3,425 US stores. In its fight to remain relevant in the age of digital downloads / streaming, Blockbuster has lost $1.1 billion since early 2008. It's expected that Blockbuster's debt holders will likely own a substantial portion of the company when all is said and done. We call dibs on those Archos 10 netbooks.
Toshiba's XD-E500 player: now with free 1-year Lovefilm subscription in UK
We won't even front: we questioned the value in Toshiba's super-upscaling XD-E500 DVD player, but the company is making the pill a lot easier to swallow for those on the opposite side of the pond. Starting now, those who purchase the player and register it within seven days are blessed with a full year of DVD rentals from Lovefilm (a British DVD rental company). The year of rentals is technically worth £100, thus making the net cost of the player itself just £20 (£120 minus £100) if you're keen on twisting your math. So, Tosh -- when can we Americans expect a similar deal with Netflix?[Via CNET]
DVDPlay bucks the trend, actually drops prices of movie rentals
Good news, DVDPlay addicts. That little movie kiosk that you can't seem to ever avoid as you exit your local food mart is about to become less of a drain on your wallet. Reportedly, the company has decided to lower its per-movie rental fee from $1.49 to $1.00, with president Charlie Piper stating that in "an economy of rising prices, our customers are looking for value for their entertainment dollars." The price change went into effect on October 1st, and it seems that Blu-ray rentals will also be ratcheted down to a buck. Not bad, if we should say so ourselves.[Image courtesy of SelfServiceWorld]
Blockbuster tests movie download service, DVD rental kiosks
As Blockbuster flounders around in an attempt to determine what it really wants to be, we're seeing that it's finally taking advantage of that whole Movielink purchase from last year. A new download section on the company's website has gone live, encouraging XP / Vista users running Internet Explorer (feel alienated yet?) to simply pick a flick, download and watch. In related news, the rental outfit has announced an expanded partnership with NCR that will see 50 DVD rental kiosks deployed in a pilot test, which is separate from the download-only kiosks which are being tested in Dallas, Texas. Anyone tried out the new download service? Do you prefer it more / less than Netflix's Watch Now?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - Blockbuster download serviceRead - Blockbuster DVD kiosks
