Redbox On Demand is rental service's second attempt at internet streaming

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Redbox, known for its DVD and Blu-Ray rental kiosks, is making a second attempt at internet streaming with Redbox On Deman, a service that looks to take on industry incumbents Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.




Announced on Wednesday, Redbox On Demand is technically a public beta service that allows users to buy or rent movies on a wide variety of devices and platforms, from mobile to set-top-streamers.

Customers can access movies through a web interface and the Redbox app for iOS, Android, tvOS and a number of streaming devices like Chromecast and Roku, as well as LG and Samsung Smart TVs.

Redbox is banking on its ability to nab new releases before competitors. The company says Redbox On Demand offers "many of the same" new-release movies customers can find at physical kiosks. At the same time, the firm is filling out its VOD content library with popular movies and TV shows.

"The newest-release movies are not available in subscription streaming services," said Ash Eldifrawi, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at Redbox. "Redbox's stronghold on new releases has played a big factor in our ongoing relevance to consumers who crave the latest content."

Unlike its first -- failed -- foray into internet streaming, Redbox Instant, the new On Demand product is not subscription based. Instead, pricing starts at $3.99 for a 48-hour rental and $9.99 for most purchases. Redbox points out that purchased movies can be downloaded for later viewing, an option not offered by all services.

Today's announcement comes more than one year after Redbox began experimenting with a new internet service, then called Redbox Digital, by offering beta access to select customers.

Redbox On Demand can be downloaded for free from the iOS and tvOS App Stores.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    All the reviews for this app say it doesn’t work...

  • Reply 2 of 11
    How is this different for Apple's itunes movies? 
  • Reply 3 of 11
    mwhitemwhite Posts: 287member
    Got it to work on my Samsung Smart TV...
    edited December 2017 harry wild
  • Reply 4 of 11
    Hmm, I use redbox frequently and their key advantage isn't new movies, it's cost. $3.99 is roughly the same as the others (unless they are doing 4k for this price). Rent them for $1.50 and you have a customer.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    It won't work. Netflix evolved precisely when needed to keep up with customer demand and become the giant that it is today. Now Netflix is the rare pink elephant in this industry.
    edited December 2017
  • Reply 6 of 11
    The RedBox business model is radically different.  They recruit entrepreneurs to invest, own the machines in various locations, work with the pre-provided network to collect the money and fill the disc selections and receive their cut.  To run an alternate online streaming solution requires a great deal of technical know-how and an enormous investment in data centers and bandwidth.  There are far too many other streaming rental solutions on the market. It is not easy to get your streaming client to work everywhere on everything.  The payback in the investment will require astronomical numbers in paid subscriptions.  Also, why use RedBox when there are so many other alternatives that are already working? Also if too many switch to streaming they lose their original business model and all those poor working stiffs that can't afford real broadband will be deeply disappointed and pissed off.  

    RedBox works because machines are deployed in front of local retail businesses and other good locations where there is a lot of walk-up traffic.  It works as an impulse rental.  They are very successful in poor neighborhoods because of their pricing and the convenience of walking down the corner with the kids and picking out some movies for less than an ice cream cone.  They may not be the best blockbuster new releases either.  Other entrepreneur businesses that operate on a similar basis are those new robotic frozen yogurt and drink vending machines.  There is a big market for this where customers don't have credit cards, are paid cash under the table, use check cashing places, etc.  The machines are mainly placed in their neighborhoods and in front of retail shopping centers.    
    mwhitetokyojimu
  • Reply 7 of 11
    When is there going to be the Apple Music/Spotify of Movies? I'm pretty sure everyone wants a subscription service for film, that includes every film ever made or at least 99% of them.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    How is this different for Apple's itunes movies? 
    About $2-3 cheaper per rental.
  • Reply 9 of 11

    Hmm, I use redbox frequently and their key advantage isn't new movies, it's cost. $3.99 is roughly the same as the others (unless they are doing 4k for this price). Rent them for $1.50 and you have a customer.
    All the new releases HD movies I rent on iTunes seem to be $5.99 and $6.99.
  • Reply 10 of 11
    I subscribed to Redbox's streaming service back when it existed, loved it and was sad to see it go. But are they claiming that they are going to get movies BEFORE iTunes, Amazon Prime and Vudu for this service? (Google Play Movies is almost always last for some reason and never first unless it is for some obscure independent or foreign movie or something, and even then rarely.) If so, how? Because they certainly do not get DVDs and Blu-Rays before iTunes and Google Play Movies do. If they did, I would still regularly patronize them.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    I don’t see it on the Apple TV App Store 
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