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YouTube adds 3,000 movies for rental from Universal, Sony, Warner Bros. (Update: they're live)
In the midst of a blog post welcoming us to "the future of video" head of YouTube Salar Kamangar confirms that starting today it will add around 3,000 new movie titles for rental in the US, along with reviews and behind the scenes extras. More details are promised to come in another post later today, but right now the video page appears to have the same list of flicks we've seen before so the question of which studios will bite is still up in the air. The rest of the post also mentions the YouTube Next program to push new original content on the site with "much more to come" -- consider the week of Google I/O underway. Update: Additional details have been posted on the YouTube Blog and are also after the break -- NBC Universal, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. are the new studios YouTube is partnering with to add the 3,000 new and catalog releases, doubling the amount previously available. The pricing is $2.99/$3.99 for movies viewable via PC or Google TV (no other device support is mentioned) and the FAQ notes that YouTube supports resolutions up to 4K but "most" of the new additions are sadly in SD, a choice which is apparently up to its partners. Update 2: The YouTube Movies page is updated now, as seen above. There's plenty of well known movies to be seen now replacing the catalog of older and indie movies that filled the page before. Rotten Tomatoes ratings integration is also front and center, while the Extras are on each movies individual page, but really just show a list of related videos on YouTube, while there doesn't appear to be a way to tell if a movies is one of the few in HD before you pay.
Redbox will offer $2 per day videogame rentals nationwide in June
Kiosk movie rental giant Redbox is finally officially expanding into the games category, announcing today it will offer videogames nationwide starting June 17th. The $2/day game rentals will include selections for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii (two of which even have a working online service right now). This may be old hat to some since it's been in testing at about 5,000 locations since around the same time it kicked off nationwide Blu-ray rentals, but for 21,000+ other locations there's now a whole new reason to stand behind someone that wants to check each and every title available when all you want to do is return a disc. Seriously, express return slots Redbox -- get on it.
DirecTV's $30 per rental premium video on-demand service launches Thursday
If the actual trip to the movie theater was the only thing preventing you from checking out Adam Sandler, Brooklyn Decker and Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It, you can still check it out before it arrives on Blu-ray or DVD starting Thursday thanks to DirecTV's new premium video on-demand service. The Hollywood Reporter mentions Sony's flick will be the first one on the service and is already available for preordering on the new Home Premiere service, available only to customers with the satellite company's HD DVRs, which is about 6 million people. As far as DRM, HDMI is required but only a "digital watermarking technology" is mentioned. The next several flicks planned for the service include The Adjustment Bureau (Universal), Cedar Rapids (Fox) and Hallpass (Warner Bros.); they will be available for two weeks at a $29.99 pricetag, in 1080p with 48 hour viewing windows. Movie theater owners don't seem thrilled by the new service, we guess the next question is whether or not you are -- the poll is after the break.
Hertz launches hourly EV rentals in London, self-satisfaction comes free
Contract-free cellphones, declining marriage rates and car-sharing services all tell us you're a bunch of commitmentphobes. Lucky for you the world is willing to oblige your wishy-washy ways, and for those who also happen to have a bit of a green streak, Connect by Hertz offers hourly rentals on electric cars. After launching its EV rental program here in New York last year, Hertz promised to expand to several other cities and countries by the end of 2011, with London being the next to go online this Friday. British urbanites averse to car ownership will be able to pick from a fleet of vehicles including the iMieV, Nissan LEAF and Renault Kangoo, range anxiety diminished thanks to the city's 16 charging stations. It's not exactly the Jetsons, but if this is the future of transportation, we're ok with that -- we're thinking Mother Earth is too.
Vudu starts streaming movies to the browser, but only in SD
Vudu's movie service is already available on 300-odd set top boxes and HDTVs including the PS3 and Boxee Box, but now it can add your personal computer to the list since it will start streaming its entire catalog right on the company's website. The Flash-based player will let customers watch movies they've rented or purchased like any other device, but due to licensing issues it's limited to a maximum 480p resolution with stereo sound for now. That's disappointing for a company that pioneered high quality 1080p streaming with its HDX format but it could help attract customers who find a rental packed in with one of their DVDs or Blu-ray discs from Walmart. There's no word yet on plans for mobile devices, but general manager Edward Lichty confirmed to us it plans to make content accessible in "as many places as possible" so we'd expect to hear something on that front soon (but probably after the launch of premium VOD.) Until then, there's a few more screens in the gallery and a press release after the break or you can just check out the 2.0 interface for yourself on Vudu.com once everything goes live. %Gallery-120901%
Direct2Drive bringing game rentals to UK, Europe this year
Direct2Drive's downloadable game rentals kicked off in North America this past January, and the program has been so popular that it's coming to Europe later on this year. That's the word from head of international digital distribution Paul Herron, who says that "publishers are positive and gamers love the service, with the conversion from rental to purchase remaining extremely high." It's not clear yet which games will be available for rental in the regions. North America still only has about six titles on tap, and Herron says the publisher is "securing content" for the European launch. In many European countries, the company doesn't even have the download service up and running yet, so, yeah: first things first, guys.
Dish Network wins Blockbuster auction for $228 million in cash
The question of what's next for Blockbuster has been partially answered, now that Dish Network has announced its $320 million bid was enough to win a bankruptcy court auction for the rental giant's remaining assets. After "certain adjustments" are made and the deal closes, it's expected to cost just $228 million in cash but what exactly Dish plans to do with the 1,700 stores and innumerable copies of Little Fockers is unclear. Executive VP Tom Cullen stated in the press release (after the break) Dish looks forward to reestablishing "Blockbuster's brand as a leader in video entertainment," but in a world where Netflix, Redbox and iTunes exist that could be easier said than done.
Redbox adds Netflix-style movie ratings, star system
Redbox's website has gone through several facelifts in the last few months, but the most recent (3/23) change is the addition of ratings and review to movies. As seen in the screen above, the placement, style and star ratings are very reminiscent of Netflix's system and may indicate the reasoning behind the addition. Redbox is preparing to enter the subscription movie streaming arena soon, and just as the Netflix Prize focused on finding out what particular users like so it can find relevant selections within its limited catalog, the movie kiosk company will likely travel a similar path. We don't know when the streaming component will launch, but whenever Redbox and its unnamed partner flip the switch, you'll probably want to have a few ratings in the chamber so it knows what you like.
Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience
Since Netflix is experiencing new competition to its popular movie distribution model it only fits that Redbox should too and the most interesting entrant we've seen in the movie kiosk business is "Spot. The Difference". It recently test launched 25 boxes in Riverside County California and currently beat Redbox's pricing by renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs for $1 / day each, or 89 cents if rented in pairs. Of course, just winning on price isn't enough to keep us from sticking with our coupon codes and smartphone apps, but the company has fixed our main beef with the red boxes by designing a kiosk with two slots, one for rental, and another for return. That way you're not waiting behind the people of Walmart as they skim through every disc in the box when all you want to do is return Glee, Season 2, Volume 1 and be on your way. It also claims to fit more movies in a smaller space, but really, you had us at express disc return slot.
Zediva mashes up Netflix and Redbox for $1.99, four hour-window DVD streaming rentals
Netflix and Redbox have been the new hotness in rentals for the last few years but both have significant drawbacks. With Redbox, it's the box and the morons who are constantly standing in front of it paging through every single movie in the thing and for Netflix's Watch Instantly it's a lack of new releases available for instant viewing. Now there's a new startup, Zediva, that takes on both of those issues by sticking with DVDs, but instead of shipping them to customers or placing them in kiosks, just streams them on demand from one player, to one viewer (unlike Netflix, sometimes movies are "rented out" if there are no copies available at the moment -- renting a flick gives you control of the DVD player, with fast forward and reverse, for four hours) for $1.99 a rental or 10 for $10. Apparently it's been in beta for a year but is now available to all and is currently offering new release DVDs the same day they go on sale by simply purchasing them at retail. There's no HD content yet but it claims Blu-ray titles will be offered soon. The Associated Press talked to a copyright lawyer who points out the case of a hotel that implemented a similar system but was sued into oblivion before calling Zediva "cute, but illegal" so if you decide to check it out, we'd recommend getting through that 10-pack of rentals with haste. Update: We did recommend haste, didn't we? Zediva's registration is now listed as "temporarily full" and prospective users are being asked to join a waiting list. Thanks, Ialo!
Australia's Jetstar Airways takes the training wheels off iPad rental program, wants the tablet 'on every aircraft'
Here's a quick and easy way to escape the mediocrity of those tiny low-res LCDs embedded in the seat in front of you: slap down 10 Australian dollars and upgrade to the iPad's IPS goodness for the duration of your Jetstar Airways flight. This rental option has been available on the Australian airline's flights since June, but only in pilot form (insert your own jokes here), and the feedback has been good enough for the company to make it a fleet-wide policy. "Movies, music, magazines, books and games" will all come preloaded, so you shouldn't fret about having to shell out extra hunting around for content. Licensing agreements are expected to be finalized shortly, with the rental program rolling out in full this April.
Redbox is planning a Netflix-like subscription streaming movie service, could partner with Amazon or Walmart
According to Company Town, Redbox prez Mitch Lowe informed analysts yesterday that its upcoming online movie service would be subscription-based like Netflix and Hulu Plus instead of charging per-movie like iTunes, Zune or Amazon VOD (we can guess why.) Users would pay the monthly fee to stream to various devices (perhaps to the new iPhone and Android apps) and access discs at the kiosks. Lowe mentioned Redbox would have a partner in the service and while previous rumors pointed to CinemaNow, the Seattle Times suggests Walmart / Vudu and Amazon -- rumored to be launching a subscription service of its own this month -- as possibilities. Meanwhile, in its existing disc based business, word is Disney has decided to raise the amount it charges Netflix and Redbox for each DVD to the full wholesale price, although they'll still be available the same day the DVDs go on sale.
Redbox passed 30,000 kiosks in Q4 2010, but still missed financial expectations
Redbox may be a red-logoed stepchild compared to industry darling Netflix, but according to its parent company Coinstar's Q4 earnings call, it still managed to pass the 30,000 kiosk milestone, increase market share to 30 percent and grow DVD revenue by 38 percent to $319.6 million. Combined with blowing by one billion rentals back in September and avoiding a lawsuit with Fox, the news would have culminated in champagne and karaoke for Coinstar shareholders... except for one thing: new releases underperformed during the last quarter along with Blu-ray rentals. Coinstar CEO Paul Davis was quick to bolster investor concerns on the call, however, stating company management had taken "definitive steps to correct the issues" and was ready to "leverage the First-sale doctrine" -- which refers to a Supreme Court ruling limiting the control of copyright holders over the re-selling of its property -- should studios get sassy in future distribution negotiations. More updates on the company's streaming plans didn't materialize, though, so you'll have to chuck those dreams of instant rental gratification for a buck back in the deep freeze at least in the near term. Otherwise, hit up the source links below to ogle data tables to your heart's content.
Nissan delivers 190 Leaf EVs to rental companies in Japan, pre-orderers still get none
If you're still waiting on your Nissan Leaf pre-order slip to bear fruit, you're not alone. But, know that you might be able to finally go and rent one of the things -- if you live in Japan (or have the appropriate international drivers license and willingness to travel). Nissan just delivered 190 of the hotly-desired hatches to rental companies across its home country and, while Hertz is planning to offer the things up around these parts, we don't see any available for reservations yet. There are some lovely mid-sized alternatives available, though, if you don't mind white paint, Velour interiors, and gas-powered engines.
Will rental car companies ding you for returning half-charged electric vehicles? Enterprise won't.
Here's a shocker in more ways than one. Earlier this month, Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced that it would soon be offering Chevrolet's Volt at the company's Mark Christopher Auto Center in Ontario, California, and we reasonably assumed that renters best watch out for any unforeseen charges that may arise from returning it with a dead (or near-dead) stash of batteries. For anyone who has rented a gasoline-powered automobile in the past score, you'll know that returning a whip with a fuel tank that's just 90 percent full won't quite cut it, and you'll be stuck ponying up for your oversight. Thankfully -- at least at Enterprise -- a similar surcharge setup will not be applied to electric vehicles. Lisa Martini, a spokesperson for Enterprise, got in touch with us to clarify the outfit's plans, and they're shockingly consumer-friendly: "[Enterprise] does not plan to charge customers for bringing back EVs without a full charge. Enterprise is installing charging stations at locations that will offer EVs, and plans to charge the vehicles once they're returned." That pretty much sums it up for at least one major rental company, and we can only hope that everyone else publishes similar intentions before their accountants publish something to the contrary. Power to the people, eh?
Getaround app turns you into Enterprise, lets you rent out your dormant whip
Oh, sure -- you're making much use of that Zipcar app already, but what if the tables were turned somewhat? For suburbanites with two cars in the garage (one of which is collecting major dust), Getaround's mobile app allows you to be Zipcar. Put simply, those with a spare vehicle (or a vehicle that routinely stays parked for certain blocks of time each day) can load their vehicle, location, schedule and price into the app, and then nearby Earthlings can poke around and see what's on offer. If they're interested in taking your ride for a spin, they can hit you up via the app and agree on how many hours / days / weeks they'll be needing it. In essence, you're looking at peer-to-peer car sharing, with Getaround snagging 30 percent of the rental rate; speaking of rate, that can range between $4 and $25 per hour, with the owner setting the price. Those based in San Francisco can tap into the source link to become involved in the beta, and don't be shocked if you see a Tesla Roadster listed for $25/hour -- that's actually one of Getaround's first customers, and you can rest assured that red beauty will be calling your name this weekend.
$600k a week iPad-controlled charter yacht
First land, then air, and now sea. This $600,000 per week charter superyacht, called "Solemates," is also controlled by Apple's iPad device. When you rent the boat and step onboard, the captain hands you an iPad with a custom-made app that allows you to control the lights and climate systems on the boat, control entertainment systems, and even summon crew members while onboard. Pretty snazzy, though of course it's far from cheap -- anyone with enough money to spare to rent this boat probably doesn't have any issue picking up an iPad anyway. Of course the iPad isn't the only amenity on the craft -- a wood interior fills up with natural light and has spaces for dining and partying, and there's a sun deck on top with a jacuzzi for relaxing in when you're not staying in one of the cabin spaces for 12 guests. Quite a boat to be on, indeed. [via 9to5Mac]
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.
iTunes sending free TV rentals to some users
9to5 Mac is reporting today that some iTunes users received promotional codes good for one free TV rental from iTunes. As far as anyone can tell, there's no obvious rhyme or reason as to how they were distributed. Perhaps they want to stress test their iTunes streaming services a bit. You'll remember that Apple said the North Carolina data center should be operational by "year's end." If it is in fact going to power an iTunes streaming service, here's a chance to throw some real traffic at it and see what happens. The only thing we know for a fact is that some lucky customers will be watching TV on Apple's dime this week. If you're among them, have fun and let us know about your experience.
Blockbuster On Demand now available on more than 100 devices
Blockbuster may be in bankruptcy proceedings but at least it has a little to celebrate, as Blockbuster On Demand is now available on more than 100 different devices. Just this month it popped up on the Oppo BDP-93, WDTV Live, Toshiba BDX3000, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Continuum and others. Of course, the brand doesn't have the same cachet it once did now that we're in the era of iTunes, Amazon, Netflix and Hulu but it's good to see a true multiplatform offering continue to roll along, details are in the press release after the break.
