Rumor: Redbox Taking Aim at Netflix with Streaming Service
Rumor: Redbox Taking Aim at Netflix with Streaming Service
Posted 07/19/2010 at 12:44pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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You may be familiar with the Redbox DVD rental kiosks, but company president Mitch Lowe hinting at the next step for Redbox. In a recent interview, Lowe discussed their intention to expand the selection beyond what can be crammed into their kiosks. This isn't likely to be a shipping model like Netflix mostly relies on, but a streaming service.
Rumored pricing is only $3.95 per month for unlimited streaming and four kiosk rental a month. By comparison, Netflix plans start at $8.99 per month for streaming and a single mailed DVD at a time. The make or break element of Redbox's service would be the selection. Netflix has famously sought to get newer movies on their streaming service, but the selection is still lacking top content. Could Redbox come from nowhere and surpass Netflix?
If this plan actually come to fruition, Blockbuster is likely to be the biggest loser. The video rental chain is already on the verge of bankruptcy, and a new push from Redbox could do them in.
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PawBear
July 19, 2010 at 5:52pm
Netflix cheapest plan = $5 a month for 2 at home plus 5 hours streaming
"Either we conform the Truth to our desires or we conform our desires to the Truth."
bonfirebob
July 19, 2010 at 4:12pm
Love my net flix But would love surtitles in there stream! Spent most of the 90's in a heavy metal club! Now I cant hear fer squat
Atomike
July 19, 2010 at 2:09pm
I pay $5 per month for Netflix - 2 rental and 2 hours of streaming. I'm unsure why everyone always says their lowest plan is $9. I get streaming for $5 - albeit limited streaming. But I don't really need more. I gots da stuff ta do.
violian
July 19, 2010 at 2:48pm
If I remember correctly, the $5/month is just a 3 month trial. After that, it's $9/month. And if you quit Netflix, within 3-6 months, they mail you an offer that you can rejoin Netflix for 1st month free, 2 months at $5/month, and then it goes back to $9/month. And the $9/month plan is referring to the cheapest plan Netflix offers - if I remember correctly.
KISSman
July 28, 2010 at 9:08pm
The $5 plan (which I currently have) is something that is no longer offered by Netflix. If you go to Netflix's site, you cannot join at this price-point anymore. You can't buy a gift certificate for it either. It's pretty much something that you are grandfathered into if that's the membership that you had before they nixed its availability. It also doesn't change to $9 after X-amount of time either.
So for the purposes of this particular story, Netflix's cheapest plan is $9 because a new potential Netflix subscriber can do no better than that. Because of that, Redbox could definitely gain some marketshare by offering such a cheap plan.
schmitty6633
July 19, 2010 at 1:05pm
Wow! This would be awesome. If it gains enough popularity it could surpass nexflix.
someuid
July 19, 2010 at 1:04pm
WTF. Just drop the kiosk rentals and make it $3.95 for unlimited streaming.
Maybe netflix will to the same. $3.95 for unlimited streaming, no mailings.
As for the video rental market being on the edge, good riddance. I cringe at the number of hours I had to waste driving to the store, browsing for something to watch, driving back home, watch it, drive it to the store to drop it off. What a waste of time and gas.
And for those of you about to whine about not having highspeed in the rural area you live, too bad. I don't have the enjoyment of a quiet evening and low traffic, distant neighbors and extra parking for visiting family members. That's the trade off of living where you live.
Biceps
July 19, 2010 at 2:45pm
I have to agree with you on this one. My family lives on a tiny island in the middle of NOWHERE, in a community of about 1000 people. And THEY have high speed internet. So, if someone has somehow managed to live somewhere where their local government is allowed to be lazy enough to completely forgo high-speed internet, they have 3 options in my opinion:
- Option A: stop complaining to movie companies and start complaining to your local government
- Option B: elect local government officials who will either bring in a friendly monopoly to service you or start up a local home-grown option
- Option C: move
That's all I have to say about that.
BuLLg0d
July 20, 2010 at 1:00am
Yes please, where is this island? Count me in---population 1001....
I am tired of Suburbia.... Too many people living in too many houses driving too many cars....
I'll take a tiny island and a Vespa any day..... Oh, and high speed internetz... Do they have the wifis? or the gee bees?
schmitty6633
July 19, 2010 at 1:06pm
Why are you complaining? You get unlimited streaming and 4 rentals from the machines. Sounds good to me
someuid
July 19, 2010 at 4:01pm
...it continues this crazy idea of physically having a product in your hands. It is high time we get away from driving here, driving there, driving everywhere to do such a simple task as watch a movie or a tv show that can be beamed.
It is also a cost saving measure. Redbox and Netflix could devote a lot more money to acquiring and streaming content rather than maintaining physical systems all over the US.
When was the last time you read a science fiction book and the main character said "Wait a minute, I have to return my movie to the local store before going in to space to fight aliens and do my bit to expand the human empire."
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