 |
News Archive |
 |
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Video Business: Movie download kiosks are likely to start rolling out on a trial basis at stores this holiday season now that disc burning using copy-protection technology CSS has gotten the go-ahead. Disc-burning kiosk companies and movie download services are still waiting for a formal announcement from the DVD Copy Control Assn. and an effective date (expected any day now), which will allow them to move forward with content licensing deals to make on-demand burning a reality. Walgreens, which has said it plans to launch movie kiosks in its stores but hasn't said when, is expected to be among the first retailers to bring in kiosks.
Read more
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Financial News USA reports that shares at NCR Corp. soared on Friday, after the company was upgraded by a JP Morgan analyst, who predicted a revenue boost from the Blockbuster Express kiosks NCR manufactures:
Analyst Paul Coster upgraded NCR to "Overweight" from "Neutral," but lowered his target price to $15 from $16. Coster said NCR will likely get a revenue boost from the Blockbuster kiosks it installs, even as its ATM operations stay flat. Coster said the company can realize a 5 percent growth in sales in 2010.
"End market conditions have not changed since the (third-quarter) conference call; retail is still very weak, but stable; financial services is stable and improving slowly," the analyst wrote in a note to investors. He doesn't expect the company's retail and ATM businesses to see much growth through 2013.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
NCR Corp. has announced its acquisition of Campbell, Calif.-based DVDPlay, which operates approximately 1,300 DVD-rental kiosks in the United States and Canada. In a news release, NCR says it will convert the DVDPlay kiosks to add to its Blockbuster Express-branded line of kiosks and is revising its installation forecasts from 2,500 to 3,800 by the end of 2009. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Alex Camara, vice president and general manager of NCR Entertainment, says DVDPlay's presence in California, Colorado and Illinois will allow NCR to extend its DVD-rental reach to new markets, bolstering its efforts to compete with redbox.
Our acquisition of DVDPlay accelerates NCR’s growth in the DVD-rental business as we expand our operations, technology leadership and consumer experience in key markets with premium retail partners. Over the past six months, we’ve seen tremendous enthusiasm from consumers and retail partners for our DVD-rental kiosks. We’ve been able to deploy quickly and maintain high levels of availability. This further investment will help us bring our kiosks to even more consumers in even more locations around the United States, especially in major markets in California and other parts of the western U.S.
Coinstar Inc., whose redbox brand is NCR's primary competition in the DVD-rental kiosk market, today announced it has exceeded its forecast for 20,000 redbox kiosks installed by the end of the year.
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. (LAEDC) has announced results of an economic study that it says illustrates the negative impact of low-cost DVD rentals, such as those at redbox, Blockbuster Express and other DVD-rental kiosks, on the Southern California economy.
According to a news release from the LAEDC, "The Economic Implications of Low Cost DVD Rentals" indicates that an estimated $1 billion in lost revenues to the domestic home video industry in the region because of low-cost DVD rentals would lead to an additional $500 million in reduced economic activity. LAEDC's study also says the loss of film production in the Los Angeles area would mean more than 9,290 lost jobs, with annual earnings of nearly $395 million.
LAEDC only specifically names redbox in its news release and says the $1-per-day rental model puts the foundation of the film distribution industry at risk:
Redbox's low-cost kiosks are challenging the traditional distribution and release model of the industry, which is built upon timed, sequential release into differentiated market segments through a variety of channels (box office, sell-through, rental, pay television and cable). ... Although box office numbers are headlined in industry and popular press, revenues from this income stream account for less than 25 percent of the total revenues earned by distributors. Most movies are not immediate money makers, and companies rely on sequential sales, such as in the home entertainment market, to recoup their production and marketing investment.
Redbox continues to be embroiled in litigation with several Hollywood studios that have imposed new release distribution delays of up to 30 days on the DVD-rental company. According to the Los Angeles Times, redbox even has amended its suits against 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., alleging that the studios have imposed restrictions on the number of DVDs specific retailers can sell to any one individual. Redbox has made no secret of its "work-around" process — its employees frequent retailers such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy to purchase in bulk the new releases that have been delayed by studios.
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
Blaine, Minn.-based Mosquito Productions has announced the deployment of its BigBox DVD-rental kiosk in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Mosquito is a provider of digital technology solutions and already operates four BigBox DVD-rental kiosks in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
According to Mosquito, the BigBox kiosks break from the norm by offering movie rentals on a per-hour basis. The kiosk charges six cents an hour for new DVD releases, four cents an hour for DVDs older than one year and nine cents an hour for Blu-ray discs.
Mosquito says BigBox's unique pricing model, along with a selection of movies it says is larger than in competing kiosks, creates a different DVD-rental experience for consumers:
Offering rentals on a per-hour basis gives the customer incentive to bring the movie back in a timely manner in order to save money, and that in turn keeps the inventory fresh in the kiosk. … But combine that theory with kiosk designs that can store up to 15 times the number of discs as some of BigBox DVD's main competitors and you literally end up with a video store in a box, able to serve up classic titles and a wide array of new high-definition Blu-ray Discs, along with the latest new releases.
Customers also can use the BigBox.com Web site to search and view details about more than 100,000 DVD and Blu-ray titles, search for title availability in specific locations and even request to have a certain title added to particular kiosk.
Tuesday, 01 December 2009
NCR Corp. today announced the deployment of its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks in 200 Duane Reade drugstore locations in Manhattan. The kiosks offer DVD rentals for $1 per night and will be installed in 200 locations over the next several months, most of them by the end of the year, NCR says. Some of the kiosks already are operating at Duane Reade locations.
Alex Camara, vice president and general manager of NCR Entertainment, says the kiosks' convenience factor is well-suited to Duane Reade's customer experience.
DVD rental kiosks are a great fit in high-traffic urban areas because they take up a very small retail footprint. Paired with a convenience or drug store location, it gives consumers a very convenient way to pick up their favorite entertainment titles while they shop for everyday items. New Yorkers think of Duane Reade for convenience. Our DVD kiosks provide Duane Reade with additional convenience for its customers.
NCR says the Blockbuster Express kiosks offer the largest selection of new-release and classic titles in the DVD-rental kiosk market, with more than 900-disc capacity.
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Alex Camara, NCR Corp.'s vice president of entertainment solutions, Wednesday said the company will carry its $60 million self-service entertainment strategy into 2010, by continuing to roll out its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks and concentrating on the expansion of its digital movie-download solution developed with MOD Systems.
"It's an enormous investment for NCR," he said. "We've really made a very huge decision to get into this space strategically. It's a very big, important initiative."
NCR on Monday announced that it would test the digital-movie-download kiosk in six Blockbuster and Hollywood Video locations. On the floor of the KioskCom Self Service Expo, Camara demonstrated the solution and spoke about the role of digital download technology in NCR's entertainment strategy.
"Digital is going to play a very important part in our growth," he said. "We see this as the replacement for DVD rental in the years to come."
Camara says that while NCR will continue to concentrate on its Blockbuster Express line of kiosks and consumers will continue to gravitate toward the solution, digital download eventually will eclipse DVD-rental because it will be more convenient and the content more ubiquitous.
In terms of NCR's future plans, Camara says the company will launch an online-reservation functionality for the Blockbuster Express kiosks later this year and that it will continue to explore self-service solutions in the gaming segment.
"Industry data shows that the gaming industry will grow very aggressively in the coming years," he said, "and there are a number of retailers wanting to enter the buy/sell/trade space."
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Redbox has announced that Mary Leonard, the company's senior vice president of operations, has been recognized by "Video Business" and "Home Media Magazine" as one of the most influential women in the home entertainment industry and will appear in a special "Women Elite" section in Home Media Magazine's "Women in Home Entertainment" issue.
According to a news release from redbox, Leonard oversees the deployment of redbox kiosks, which has expanded rapidly in recent months to an average of one kiosk per hour.
Mitch Lowe, president of redbox, congratulated Leonard on the honor:
Mary’s operations expertise, leadership skills and passion for providing our clients and customers the highest level of service have been instrumental in the growth and success of redbox. Redbox congratulates Mary on being named one of the most influential women in the home entertainment industry and for contributing to the ongoing success of redbox.
Prior to joining redbox in 2006, Leonard worked for RR Donnelley Logistics and FedEx Corp., redbox says.
Monday, 09 November 2009
Home Media Magazine reports that MOD Systems will deploy its Retail Digital Content Distribution System, a digital movie-download kiosk, at six Blockbuster and Hollywood Video stores in Dallas, Seattle and Portland, Ore., by Nov. 13. During the trial deployment, the kiosks will offer more than 1,000 new release and catalog titles from Paramount, Warner Bros. and other studios, the report says.
Using the MOD kiosks, customers can download movie content to SD cards and then view the content on devices with SD card slots. The company tells Home Media that rentals will be tested at different prices, and customers will have access to the content for 30 days after purchase. Once a movie is viewed, it will be available for 48 hours before the included digital-rights management technology locks it, preventing further viewing.
Monday, 02 November 2009
DVD-rental kiosk brand redbox today announced two-year distribution agreements with NCircle Entertainment, a children's entertainment distributor, and Summit Entertainment, a full-service, worldwide film studio.
Redbox says the deals will allow its customers increased access to NCircle and Summit titles at all of its locations nationwide. NCircle's titles have won Parent's Choice and Emmy awards and include brands such as The Jim Henson Company's ”Sid the Science Kid" and Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in The Hat Knows a Lot About That," among many others. Summit's titles include feature films such as the popular "Twilight" series and the hit film "Knowing."
Unlike some Hollywood movie studios, Summit will make its new release titles available to redbox customers on their street dates, says redbox president Mitch Lowe:
We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Summit, as it underscores our commitment to creating winning relationships for our customers and studio partners. This agreement ensures that we will continue to deliver engaging and popular Summit movie titles to consumers at our kiosks when they are first released at an affordable price.
Debbie Ries, NCircle's senior vice president and general manager, believes the deal with redbox will help increase DVD sales for the company, a topic that also has been contentious in redbox' dealings with some major movie studios:
We will increase the visibility and reach of our titles nationwide through this two-year distribution agreement with redbox. Redbox rentals allow the consumer to try before they buy. We are confident that the positive rental experience at redbox, coupled with the quality and appeal of our content, will translate into increased DVD sales at retail. This agreement is an exciting opportunity for NCircle, redbox and the consumer.
Redbox did not disclose terms of either deal, but did say the Summit agreement will begin Jan. 1, 2010.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
According to a report from Afterdawn.com, redbox is testing DVD-sales kiosks in five Los Angeles-area locations. The Web site reports the DVD-rental brand is offering new and catalog releases for about $20 each. The company has branded the DVD-sales kiosks, which look similar to its rental kiosks but are black, under the name "Vidigo."
Also according to the report, redbox president Mitch Lowe says the company will begin testing smaller sell-through kiosks at convenience stores in the future.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
NCR Corp. has announced the release of the SelfServ Entertainment 2381, the company's first DVD-rental kiosk for outdoor deployment.
Alex Camara, vice president and general manager of NCR's entertainment solutions, says the rugged new kiosk model will allow the company to expand the deployment of its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks to different, more accessible locations:
Each day, consumers around the world conduct more than 60 million transactions on NCR devices, making us the global leader in self-service technology. We've used our knowledge of consumer self-service technology to make the SelfServ Entertainment 2381 the most secure and the highest capacity outdoor kiosk on the market. This new technology will enable us to work with even more partners as we roll out our Blockbuster Express-branded DVD-rental kiosks to new locations, including convenience stores and gas stations. Consumers will benefit from easier access to their favorite new releases and classic DVDs in accessible, 24-hour locations.
The kiosk features a 19-inch, sunlight-readable touchscreen display and an optional 26-inch LCD digital signage topper for inventory promotion or brand advertising. The company says all of the SelfServ Entertainment 2381 units are equipped with an ATM-grade, anti-skimming magnetic stripe card reader to help prevent fraud.
NCR has said it expects to invest as much as $60 million in its DVD-rental kiosk operations and to deploy more than 2,500 of the Blockbuster Express kiosks this year. The company recently has announced Blockbuster Express deployments with Publix and Big Y, both grocery chains in the northeast United States, as well as with Tedeschi Food Shops, a U.S. convenience-store chain.
Monday, 12 October 2009
According to a report from Video Business, Video Buyers Group, an association of independent movie retailers, will launch its much-anticipated anti-DVD kiosk campaign this month. The organization will provide its 1,700 member stores with posters and stickers featuring an "Available here first" theme, emphasizing its selection over that of redbox kiosks, in light of the at least 30-day distribution delay some studios have imposed on redbox.
Video Business says VBG shares several movie studios' belief that $1-per-night kiosk rentals will eventually have a grave affect on the movie industry and reports that other organizations may join the fight against DVD kiosks:
Beyond the fear of losing customers, many retailers worry that cheap redbox rentals will hurt film revenue so much that studios will ultimately have to scale back future movie production. Hollywood trade unions are believed to be prepping a consumer campaign of the own to similarly insists that redbox harms the entertainment business.
Many "rentailers" also insist DVD kiosks make it easier for those under 18 years of age to rent R-rated films, the report says.
Thursday, 08 October 2009
Tedeschi Food Shops, a convenience store chain with nearly 200 locations in the Northeast United States, will deploy Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks chain-wide, according to a report from Convenience Store/Petroleum, a magazine that covers the c-store segment.
Tedeschi already has the Blockbuster Express units, developed by NCR Corp., in 89 of its stores and plans to deploy 27 more by the end of October. The chain says it expects installation to be completed by the end of the year.
Monday, 05 October 2009
According to a report from Video Business, digital-download kiosk maker MOD Systems will deploy kiosks over the next month that allow users to download films from Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and Anchor By studios.
Video Business spoke to MOD Systems chief executive Anthony Bay about the pilot:
Bay said test kiosks should be in stores by Nov. 15, though he wouldn't give many other details. Consumers will be able to visit the kiosks, search and download films to an SD card, the same cards used to store digital photos on digital cameras. The cards can be placed in SD card slots found on some TVs, PCs, DVD players, mobile phone and other devices for movie playback.
The kiosks reportedly will house some of the fourth quarter's biggest releases, including "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Star Trek."
Thursday, 01 October 2009
YesPay announced this week at KioskCom Europe that HMV, a leading retailer of music, DVDs and video games in the United Kingdom, has introduced kiosks into its stores. The deployment was completed in conjunction with YesPay, a payments-service company, and its partner Neo Products U.K., which specializes in touchscreen kiosks.
Customers can use the kiosks to locate stock, view sample clips and order content for home delivery. They also can download .mp3 files for immediate transfer and storage to media players.
YesPay will integrate its EMBOSS chip-and-PIN service into the kiosks to facilitate payments. The technology accepts all U.K. credit and debit cards, allowing prompt and secure payment.
“With customer demands increasing and people wanting to buy music in new ways, it’s important to ensure that with new shopping methods, payments are met securely,” said Dave Elston, e-commerce manager at HMV.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
NCR Corp. says it will deploy its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosk in Publix Super Markets, which it says is the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States.
According to a news release from NCR, installation in most Florida Publix stores will be complete by Nov. 1, and rollouts have begun in select Publix stores in Atlanta, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
As part of the agreement, NCR also will convert MovieCube rental kiosks to Blockbuster Express machines in 300 Publix stores. NCR acquired the MovieCube brand in its buyout of TNR Entertainment in April.
Maria Brous, director of media and community relations for Publix Super Markets, says the Blockbuster Express rollout is part of the brand's commitment to providing its customers with value and convenience:
At Publix, we strive to continuously offer our customers value and service. By partnering with NCR, we are offering our customers the convenience of DVD rentals as part of their traditional shopping experience. The initial feedback we have received from our customers is that they enjoy the wide selection of movies, each of the transaction and the time-saving aspect of one-stop shopping. DVD movie rentals at Publix are just another way we meet the changing needs of our customers.
NCR has said it will invest up to $60 million in its DVD-rental operations in 2009 and expects to deploy more than 2,500 DVD-rental kiosks this year.
Tuesday, 08 September 2009
According to reports from London's The Independent, Coinstar is testing its DVDXpress kiosk brand at 18 Tesco locations in the U.K. The paper says that if the trial is successful, Coinstar plans a national rollout.
A Coinstar spokesperson spoke to The Independent regarding the success of U.S. DVD-rental kiosks:
The main reason for the success of the kiosks is convenience. It fits in with the way people live, with limited time. You could pop out to buy groceries and decide to pick up a DVD, too. … People who use the kiosks tend to be casual viewers who don’t want to be tied down to subscriptions or membership fees. They want to be able to do it on impulse with the minimum of fuss. The price is low because it's a kiosk and you haven't got the rent and staff costs of a store.
Wednesday, 02 September 2009
ELO Media has announced the debut of its newest DVmatic DVD-rental kiosk, the DVmatic 550XL. According to a news release from the company, enhanced features include advanced security, simplified maintenance and a new software interface.
Dan Kenyon, vice president of sales and marketing for ELO Media, says the new, "next-generation" version of the DVmatic has some of the same features other DVD-rental kiosk brands have touted:
The next-generation DVmatic software offers online reservations, the ability to rent from one kiosk and return to another within the same network, advanced Web-based customer and owner Web sites, various membership options, coupon promotional codes, advertising options and Blu-Ray capabilities. The DVmatic holds up to 550 titles for either movies or games.
Kenyon also says ELO Media now offers a "seller financing" program that may make owning a kiosk more affordable for potential ELO customers:
We feel that with the launch of our new software and financing (being) ever so difficult, it is the perfect time to introduce our new 'seller financing' initiative and expand our customer base. Entrepreneurs are sometimes anxious entering this business because of the significant cash outlay. However, if you could start this business for a few hundred dollars per month, with a minimal down payment, it becomes a much easier decision and is almost like leasing a car — suddenly, it's a lot more economical.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
NCR Corp. has announced the chain-wide deployment of its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks in Big Y grocery stores throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. According to a news release from NCR, the deployment will be complete by Sept. 3.
Phil Schneider, vice president of sales for Big Y, says NCR's industry-leading reputation led the retailer to choose its kiosk model:
Big Y strives to give its customers the best experience possible. Through Blockbuster Express, our customers can feel confident in their movie-rental experience. NCR is a leader is self-service devices, and their Blockbuster Express kiosk is truly industry-leading. We looked at a number of different option of DVD-rental kiosk companies, and we were convinced that NCR delivered the best experience, the best choice and the best brand.
NCR says the Blockbuster Express kiosks house more than 800 DVDs and work similarly to the other popular rental kiosks, requiring only a credit card and charging $1 per night. The company has said it expects to invest as much as $60 million in its DVD-rental kiosk operations through 2009 and to have 10,000 kiosks installed by mid-2010.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Though traditional store rentals continue to comprise the largest share of U.S. consumer video rentals, market-research firm the NPD Group says DVD kiosks will capture nearly 30 percent of the market in 2010, if current plans for expansion remain on track:
According to NPD's VideoWatch service, in the coming months both subscription services and traditional video retailers will experience even more competition from kiosks, which are becoming more ubiquitous in grocery stores, mass merchandisers and quick-serve restaurants. Even so, a primary consumer appeal for subscriptions and store rentals is their depth of title selection – a key benefit that might help mitigate the increased competition form kiosks, which offer a more limited list of video titles.
In a news release, NPD says that in 2009 DVD-rental kiosks have accounted for 19 percent of rentals, compared to 36 percent for Netflix and other subscription services and 45 percent for brick-and-mortar rental stores.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Paramount Home Entertainment and redbox have entered into a trial license program that will provide redbox access to Paramount Pictures new releases through 2009, the companies have announced in a news release. Throughout the trial, Paramount will have access to detailed rental data to evaluate the impact and viability of the program.
In light of redbox's recent squabbles with Hollywood movie studios, company president Mitch Lowe says the Paramount deal is a promising sign:
This agreement is a positive step with Paramount. The agreement ensures that our customers will have increased access to some of the biggest titles of the year.
At the end of the four-month trial period, Paramount will have the option to extend the program to 2014, with an opt-out clause after two years. Also, redbox has agreed to destroy Paramount titles once they are removed from its kiosks.
Friday, 14 August 2009
According to the L.A. Times, Warner Bros. has joined Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox in the fight against redbox. The Time Warner-owned studio announced its plan to restrict distribution of new releases to the company until 28 days after their release.
Speculation is that a lawsuit from redbox may follow the Warner Bros. announcement, if its historical responses to Universal and Fox are any indication.
The Times says Time Warner believes DVD-rental kiosks will eventually go the way of $1 movie theaters, which do not show new films until well after they're released:
 |
All of those studios are concerned that redbox's $1-per-night rentals are undercutting more lucrative rentals from other services and DVD sales. On a conference call after the conglomerate's most recent quarterly earnings report, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes compared redbox to theaters that show movies several months after they premiere: 'In general, we think there may well be a role for $1 rental kiosk,' he said, 'just like $1 movie theaters.
|
 |
The studio also is restricting its distribution to online-rental service Netflix, unless the company agrees to a more lucrative revenue-share model.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Redbox and movie studio Lionsgate have announced a multiyear distribution deal that will provide redbox customers with greater access to the studio's new release, catalog and direct-to-DVD titles, the companies have announced in a news release.
In a break from recent comments and actions from other movie studios, Lionsgate president and co-chief operating officer Steve Beeks says the studio believes the DVD-rental kiosk model will help drive growth of the DVD business in the long run:
|
We believe that the redbox model will ultimately expand the business by increasing the number of impulse rentals and by putting packaged-media rentals in places where none existed previously. This agreement gives us tremendous placement for all our films and lowers the impact of low-priced, previously viewed DVDs being sold into the market, which we saw as a growing issue. We believe that this arrangement is a smart opportunity for Lionsgate in the current environment and a win-win for both companies.
|
|
The companies haven't yet said how much Lionsgate stands to earn from the partnership. Redbox's most recent distribution deal with Sony Home Entertainment will garner the studio $460 million over the terms of the multiyear agreement.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
In response to 20th Century Fox's move last week to prohibit distribution of its new release titles to redbox and other DVD-rental kiosks, redbox has filed a federal lawsuit against the studio in Delaware Federal Court, the company announced today.
Mitch Lowe, president of redbox, says the company is standing by its promise to protect consumers' rights to timely DVD access:
|
Redbox's cornerstone principles include providing customers with a convenient way to rent new release DVDs at an affordable price. At the expense of consumers, 20th Century Fox is attempting to prohibit timely consumer access to its new release DVDs at redbox retail locations nationwide. Despite this attempt, redbox will continue to provide our consumers access to all major new releases, including 20th Century Fox titles, at our more than 15,000 redbox DVD rental locations.
|
|
Monday, 10 August 2009
Redbox today released a full statement in response to 20th Century Fox's decision to pull its titles from redbox and other DVD-rental kiosks until 30 days after their release:
|
Despite 20th Century Fox's effort to delay consumer access to new release DVDs by 30 days at rental kiosks, redbox reaffirms its commitment to providing consumers new release DVDs. Redbox will protect consumers' rights to access new release DVDs a their preferred retail channel at the price the consumer deems reasonable. Redbox will continue to carry all major new releases, including 20th Century Fox titles, at the more than 17,000 redbox locations nationwide. The first priority at redbox is the customer.
|
|
Speculation is that redbox will simply purchase new releases from Fox at retail and then rent them, as the company has done with Universal titles since the studio pulled its new release distribution last year.
Thursday, 06 August 2009
According to an article in the L.A. Times, 20th Century Fox has joined Universal Studios in the fight against redbox. The studio has instructed its DVD distributors not to sell titles to redbox and other DVD-rental kiosk companies until 30 days after their release.
According to the article, Chase Carey, CEO of Fox parent News Corp., alluded to the issue in the company's fourth quarter earnings call Wednesday:
|
Having our [movies] rented at $1 in the rental window is grossly undervaluing our products.
|
|
In an e-mailed statement to the Times, a Fox spokesperson offered an explanation for the abrupt move:
|
The basis of this position is to continue to provide the consumer with broad title choice and access to Fox movies while maintaining the quality image and value perception of Fox movies. Our desire is to maintain for Fox movies a thriving network of distribution serving all types of consumer preferences on reasonable business terms for Fox, as well as our distribution partners.
|
|
The news comes in stark contrast to the recent positive developments for Coinstar Inc., redbox's parent company. CEO Paul Davis said in the company's second quarter earnings call Tuesday that Coinstar is in discussions with Hollywood studios and hopes to replicate last month's distribution deal with Sony:
|
We clearly understand the impact of fostering collaborative relationships with the studios. Just two weeks ago we announced a long-term partnership with Sony, and we continue to have positive conversations with other studios along the same lines.
|
|
The Times is speculating that redbox may continue to offer Fox titles the day they're released simply by purchasing them at retail, as they have done with Universal titles. A statement issued to KioskMarketplace.com this morning from redbox president Mitch Lowe certainly leaves that possibility open:
|
We were informed of Fox's position late yesterday. Redbox stands behind our convenience and value that we offer consumers, and we're pleased to make DVDs available the day they are released.
|
|
Wednesday, 05 August 2009
Gadget Review blogger Christen da Costa today wrote that online video game-rental service GameFly is following up its March test of G-Box kiosks on college campuses with a test rollout at Southern California 7-Eleven stores:
|
I totally didn’t see this one coming, but GameFly is trying their hand at kiosk video game rentals by installing touchscreen boxes at select 7-Elevens throughout Southern California. Unlike their core business, which requires a membership, the G-Box kiosk just requires a credit card and a burning desire for a video game at any given moment, since rentals cost $2 a day. That’s twice the price of their intro membership. The G-Boxes – don't even get me started on the name – will contain classics as well as recent releases for the Xbox 360, Wii and PS3.
|
|
Da Costa only reports two area G-Box sightings and says gamers can enjoy a free one-day rental using the code "GBOXSEVEN."
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
The vending technology inside DVD-rental kiosks has long been a mysterious concept, particularly when considered in light of the often limited selection offered on the machines. Entertainment kiosk maker e-Play recently began a test rollout with Wal-Mart and touted its naked disc-dispensing technology, which it says allows for a selection in the thousands, versus the few hundred choices typically available from other brands.
DVDNow Kiosks Inc. says in a news release that it also often sees customers complain about long lines and a slow selection process. To speed up the rental process and give customers a glimpse of what goes on inside a DVD-rental kiosk, the company has equipped each of its kiosks with a clear glass front panel, allowing customers to directly view the available selections.
"Since consumers can immediately tell how many DVDs are in the machine and which titles are available, the selection process occurs faster, and line-ups are significantly reduced."
In addition to the glass panel, DVDNow's 250 Touch model now also features a 15-inch LCD screen for browsing selections and a second high-definition display that plays movie trailers.
Scott McInnes, CEO of DVDNow, says the faster rental process facilitated by the glass panel enabled the company to introduce these additional features:
"The problem with other kiosks is that you may hope that a particular movie is available, but you have to wait in line in order to find out. Kiosk rentals are driven in large part by convenience, and if you have to wait in a long line to rent or return a movie, the appeal starts to diminish. Speeding up the average transaction time has allowed us to introduce additional features, such as viewing movie trailers that are very popular with movie renters."
Monday, 27 July 2009
In the past, Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings has said the company won’t be expanding its service to include DVD-rental kiosks, despite increasing competition from redbox and other kiosk companies. The Baltimore Sun reports a recent exchange regarding the kiosk issue between Hastings and an attendee to Netflix’s second quarter earnings conference call:
"QUESTION: Last quarter you said you had no interest in entering the kiosk business. Has that sentiment changed at all, now that it appears studios are warming up to the concept?
REPSONSE: No, not particularly.
The kiosk businesses are very good vending machine businesses. Coinstar (has) been doing vending machines on a global basis for a long time and they have a wide range of vending solutions and presumably they will come up with more and more vending innovations. So they're organized horizontally as a vending machine company.
We're organized vertically and we happen to be in DVDs now. It's DVD and (Internet) streaming as a movie brand. Netflix will always be in movies, not in various ways to ship or move discs or any other aspect. So the businesses are really organized quite differently and we have no incentive to go into kiosks. We are putting all of our innovation efforts ongoing into streaming."
The paper reports that redbox estimates about 5 percent of its renters are former Netflix subscribers.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
AVinci Media Corp. today announced a deal with Walgreens that will add aVinci’s photo DVD application to photo kiosks to 7,000 Walgreens stores nationwide. The product, called My Personal Movie, allows customers to transform their digital images into personalized DVDs in minutes.
Mona Kelly, divisional merchandise manager of Walgreens’ photofinishing and front-end services, says shopper response to the new technology has been “sensational.” She shared one example from a customer:
"Thank you for creating a beautiful testament to our family! I viewed it by myself before giving it to my husband, and I cried my eyes out! When the girls gave it to their dad, he cried, too! It turned out perfect! This is a wonderful service — especially for us novices, it was easy and affordable."
The product includes customization options for weddings, vacations, holidays and baby themes and popular music to lay over the movie. Each DVD can hold up to 100 photos and comes with a personalized case.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
News of Sony Pictures' distribution deal with redbox has been widely reported this week, and now Reuters is reporting that the movie studio is set to make $460 million under the terms of the multiyear deal.
Coinstar, redbox's parent, issued a regulatory filing Tuesday outlining the terms of the deal. In the filing, the company also noted that Sony will have discretion to terminate the agreement early.
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Coinstar will announce its second-quarter earnings Tuesday, August 4, the company has announced in a news release. The company will hold a conference call the same day to discuss its performance and comment on recent developments. The call will be simulcast on Coinstar’s Web site and will be accessible following the live event.
Coinstar has been busy in recent months. The company acquired the redbox brand earlier this year, and the DVD kiosk operation has experienced impressive growth since. Coinstar and redbox are reportedly exploring new functionality in the face of increased competition from other DVD-rental kiosk makers.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Home Media Magazine: Blockbuster Inc.’s just-rolled out Blockbuster Express rental kiosks will offer new releases for $1, not $1.99, as previously reported, according to a spokesperson.
Dallas-based Blockbuster, which plans to rollout 10,000 branded kiosks via a partnership with NCR Corp. through 2010, had originally offered first-day DVD and Blu-ray disc rentals for $1.99, with subsequent rental days for 99 cents, according to NCR. At $1.99 for the first day rental, Blockbuster Express would have charged a 50-percent premium compared to other kiosks, including those from industry leader Redbox, The New Release, DVDPlay and e-Play, among others.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire — U.K. supermarket chain Tesco will trial DVD-rental kiosks from The Movie Booth this month, according to an announcement from The Movie Booth. Tesco has later plans to deploy one of the kiosks in each of its Irish stores, assuming the successful completion of the test rollout. The first tests will launch in the retailer’s Wexford and Dublin stores mid-month.
“The retail industry has proven to be the ideal place for our product to be successful,” said Carlos Marco, managing director of The Movie Booth. “It’s a great compliment to existing trade, but also offers an entirely new service area. It’s proven massively popular in the U.S., and we hope that our recent good news will enable us to match that level of success here in Ireland.”
Irish retailers such as Centra, Vivo and Supervalue already have deployed DVD-rental kiosks from The Movie Booth.
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Home Media magazine: Each of the 248 Albertson’s grocery stores nationwide now have redbox kiosks, the DVD-rental kiosk company said Wednesday.
“Albertsons has been a valued customer of Coinstar for a number of years, and they offer several of our 4th Wall products to their shoppers, including self-service coin counting, skill crane machines, bulk vending and DVD rental,” said Gregg Kaplan, president and COO of redbox parent Coinstar.
Upping its total kiosk count to more than 15,000 nationwide, redbox kiosks have been installed at the final 116 Albertson’s locations in Arizona, Florida and New Mexico.
Click to continue
Monday, 08 June 2009
Irish Independent: Movie Booth, a British DVD-rental kiosk maker, has signed a deal with U.K. retail giant Tesco to trial its machines in three of the chain’s Irish stores. Movie Booth, which is understood to have previously trialed one of its kiosks in one Tesco store, is expanding the trial to include one of Tesco's largest stores, at Clare Hall in Dublin, while another outlet in the capital will also have one of the machines installed. The third kiosk will be in Tesco's store in Wexford town.
Click to continue
Monday, 01 June 2009
Video Business: Kiosk operator redbox has hired its first senior-level video game executive, Mark Achler, and the company is planning its first large test of video game rentals this summer. Redbox is expected to try a variety of price points, and that it may test game sales and trade-ins through the kiosks. Achler says redbox will experiment with its current DVD machine to offer both movies and video games and another kiosk that will only hold videogames. This kiosk test will span a couple of markets.
Click to continue
Friday, 29 May 2009
Home Media Magazine: Blockbuster is launching new television and radio ads designed to drum up consumer interest in the brand’s multichannel distribution offerings and changing rental price structure. Speaking Thursday to investors in Dallas during the chain’s annual shareholder’s meeting, CEO Jim Keyes showed a clip of “Escape-In,” which highlights renting movies and video games from Blockbuster in-store, by mail, from kiosks, the Internet and electronically.
Keyes said the Blockbuster kiosks will hold 1,000 newly released movies and games, about double the number of most other rental kiosks, for both rental and purchase. The kiosks can be retrofitted for download capability in the future.
Click to continue
Monday, 18 May 2009
Video Business: Columbus, Ohio-based kiosk operator ePlay will install videogame, and DVD-rental and trade-in kiosks at 77 Wal-Mart stores in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island by the end of May.
In addition to offering $1-per-night DVD rental, the ePlay kiosks will allow users to turn in Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox, and Sony PlayStation games in exchange for credit on their credit cards, the companies said.
Click to continue
Friday, 24 April 2009
MarketWatch: Netflix Inc. chief executive Reed Hastings said Thursday that the online DVD rental pioneer expects $1 kiosks to be its main competitor by the end of 2009, surpassing video stores. A growing number of customers who cancel their Netflix subscriptions cite kiosks as a reason why they dropped the service, Hastings explained.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Home Media Magazine: NCR Corp. has bought the remaining equity in TNR Holdings Corp., which operates The New Release and MovieCube kiosks. NCR had been a minority investor in TNR since mid-2008, when TNR tapped NCR to be its supplier of self-service technology. Blockbuster announced last August that it had partnered with NCR to bring more than 10,000 DVD kiosks to market by the end of 2009, to compete with companies like redbox, DVDPlay and TNR.
Click to continue
Thursday, 16 April 2009
The Daily Toreador (Texas Tech Univ.): GameFly, an online video game rental service, recently launched its G-Box Kiosk, the first of its kind at colleges and universities across the nation.
"The kiosk program is a way to extend the GameFly universe into the physical world," said Sean Spector, co-founder and senior vice president of business development and content for GameFly.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 08 April 2009
Tech Products & Geek News: Redbox is a big player in the DVD kiosk business. But as these DVD-rental kiosks become more prolific, the revenue from individual kiosks is dropping. Redbox has discovered that more locations doesn't mean more places for people to rent from, and each location gets a smaller piece of the rental pie. Now that Blockbuster is branching out and placing its own kiosks, redbox will experience even less traffic at its current locations. Now owned by Coinstar, redbox holds about 6 percent of the estimated $8.2 billion movie disk rental business.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 07 April 2009
The Wall Street Journal: Two former executives from redbox Automated Retail LLC have taken positions at the helm of redbox's new parent, Coinstar Inc., amid a management transition plan set into motion less than two months after the acquisition.
On Monday Coinstar named former redbox chief executive Gregg Kaplan to succeed Paul D. Davis as president and chief operating officer. Davis, who became chief executive and a member of the board on April 1, said Kaplan would help boost the company's self-service operations and product expansion in the nascent self-service DVD rental category.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Los Angeles Times: DVD sales historically have been how movie studios earn a profit on movies, because ticket sales are barely enough to offset production and marketing costs. But some studios believe that consumers will forgo buying DVDs if they have a cheap option to rent movies. The spread of redbox's kiosks, coming as DVD sales started to decline, has triggered alarms within Universal Studios. Last year Universal sought to withhold DVDs from redbox until 45 days after release to prevent competition with sales. When redbox rejected the deal, Universal ordered wholesalers to cut off supplies. Redbox then sued Universal, alleging restraint of trade.
Click to continue
Friday, 20 March 2009
Variety: Blockbuster, which last year agreed to develop movie-rental kiosks with ATM leader NCR, is in the "final stages" of testing the machines, said chief executive Jim Keyes, who maintained an earlier estimate of having as many as 12,000 kiosks operating by mid next year.
Click to continue
Friday, 06 March 2009
Kotaku.com: GameFly, an online video game rental provider, is launching into the self-service market with the deployment of its first "G-Box" video game rental kiosk. The premier deployment is at Texas Tech University, and allows students to swipe their credit cards for to pay for the rentals of Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video games. Renters pay $2.49 a day ($1.99 for Wii titles), with an option to rent-to-own.
Click to continue
Thursday, 05 March 2009
Variety.com: Redbox, an operator of DVD kiosks and a member of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association, is bringing its self-service entertainment offering to the Big Apple. The company has installed its first two DVD rental kiosks in Manhattan. The move comes just one day after brick-and-mortar retailer Blockbuster hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis for advice on how to address roughly $370 million in debt to expire in August. The company said it will discuss its attempts to refinance the debt during its earnings call later this month.
Click to continue
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Home Media Magazine: Blockbuster, a brick-and-mortar movie retailers, has begun experimenting with in-store rental prices on new releases that it hopes will compete with low prices offered at DVD rental kiosks like those operated by redbox. Redbox kiosks offer DVD rentals for $1 a day. According to sources at select Blockbuster store locations, pricing plans being reviewed include $2.49 for a 24-hour window, with subsequent days priced at $1 per day.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Home Media Magazine: A settlement may soon be in the works between Universal Studios and redbox, an operator of DVD rental kiosks. Redbox filed suit against Universal Studios late last year after the motion picture distributor attempted to force the company to sign a revenue sharing agreement that would limit the types of Universal DVDs offered at the kiosks as well as the prices charged for them. "Defendants claim they are willing to engage in settlement discussions," lawyers for redbox wrote in a letter filed Feb. 23 with the United States District Court in Deleware.
Click to continue
Click here to view the full text of the lawsuit.
Friday, 20 February 2009
Hollywood Reporter: Litigation continues between motion picture giant Universal Studios and redbox, an operator of DVD rental kiosks at roughly 14,000 fast-food and retail locations across the U.S. The dispute arose in Aug. 2008 when representatives of Universal demanded that redbox sign a revenue sharing agreement that would severely limit both the number and types of Universal DVDs that could be stocked in the kiosks, as well as the prices that could be charged for their rental. Redbox responded with a lawsuit, alleging that Universal was wrongfully attempting to interfere with redbox's business practices. Now, Universal has filed a motion to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the legal action is meritless. A ruling is expected soon from the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Del.
Click to continue
Click here to read the full text of the redbox lawsuit.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Isle of Man Newspapers: Residents of the Isle of Man now have access to their first DVD rental kiosk. The Movie Booth has deployed a kiosk at the Nearbuy store in Westmoreland Road. Alan Isaac, proprietor of the store, says the kiosk as a hit as customers can get regular movies for £1 (U.S. $1.42) a day and new releases for £2 (U.S. $2.85) a day.
"I think the fact that we are more price efficient and convenient than our competitors will enable us to grow our customer base quickly," said Isaac. "It's a low cost alternative to a night out."
Click to continue
Friday, 13 February 2009
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Coinstar Inc. has announced plans to purchase the remaining stake of Redbox Automated Retail LLC, an automated DVD rental service, from GetAMovie Inc. and other minority interest holders.
That will make Coinstar the 100 percent owner of redbox, according to a news release.
With 35 million unique customers and 12,000 locations, redbox is a leading renter of DVDs through self-service kiosks in the United States. Redbox rents the latest movie releases for $1 per night and allows consumers to rent in one location and return to another location. Redbox can be found nationwide in select McDonald's restaurants, grocery stores and Wal-Mart and Walgreens stores in select markets.
"Redbox has been a great addition to our 4th Wall product portfolio, and we are very enthusiastic about the DVD rental kiosk market having seen tremendous growth and acceptance over the past few years," said Paul Davis, chief operating officer at Coinstar Inc. "Redbox has a strong business model and management team and we look forward to seeing continued growth as a combined company."
Industry research indicates that the majority of consumers prefer physical media such as DVDs, and while emerging technologies such as digital downloads and video on demand are growing, consumer acceptance is still low. Other research shows DVD rental transactions in 2008 increased 1.8 percent to 2.6 billion over the prior year. Redbox represents about 9 percent of the overall DVD rental market.
"Redbox has a very positive and cooperative relationship with Coinstar and we're pleased with today's announcement," said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive officer of redbox. "The growth of the self-service DVD rental market continues to be brisk, and the combination of $1 per night pricing and the extreme convenience offered by redbox continues to be enthusiastically embraced by consumers."
On Feb. 12, 2009, Coinstar entered into an agreement with GetAMovie Inc.. Coinstar has agreed to acquire GetAMovie's 44.4 percent voting interests in redbox, as well as it's rights, title and interest in a $10 million promissory note made by redbox, in exchange for a combination of cash and Coinstar common stock.
Coinstar will initially pay GetAMovie $10 million in cash and 1.5 million shares of Coinstar common stock on the closing date, which is expected to be Feb. 26, 2009. In addition, Coinstar will pay deferred consideration to GAM that will be payable in cash and/or shares of Coinstar common stock at Coinstar's election and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. The agreement with GetAMovie also provides that in no event will the shares of Coinstar common stock issued to GetAMovie as consideration exceed 5,653,398 shares. At least 50 percent of the deferred consideration is payable by July 31, 2009, and the remaining portion is payable by Oct. 30, 2009. The total consideration to be paid to GetAMovie is expected to be between approximately $134 million. GetAMovie will be entitled to registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the shares of Coinstar common stock acquired in connection with the transaction.
In addition, Coinstar is expected to purchase the remaining outstanding interests of redbox from minority interest and non-voting interest holders in redbox. Consideration will be paid on similar terms to those of the GetAMovie purchase agreement. The total consideration to be paid in these transactions is expected to be between $21.5 million and $24.9 million. The closing of these transactions are subject to various closing conditions.
Coinstar has amended its credit agreement to facilitate the transactions.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
(MASON CITY, Iowa) Globe Gazette: Redbox DVD rental kiosks have been deployed in Mason City, Hampton and Charles City in northern Iowa. Those kiosks are placed at restaurants and retail outlets, such as Wal-Marts, Hy-Vee stores and McDonald's locations. "It's really efficient," said Jackie Quasdorf of Mason City as she chose a movie from the redbox kiosk at a Hy-Vee store. "It's really easy to use."
Click to continue
Read also: Redbox says it won't bow to Universal Studios.
Monday, 02 February 2009
The (Geneseo, N.Y.) Lamron: This semester, Geneseo College in New York has become the first college to host a DVD kiosk from UniversiDVD, a convenient addition for students seeking a quick movie rental. The service, located in the Union mailroom, allows any student to rent a DVD for one day using a debit or credit card. The kiosk works like the redbox systems found in many major retail stores, but it tailored to college campuses. Users are charged $1.99 per DVD provided they return it by 6 p.m. the following day. Late returns are charged an additional $1.99 for each extra day, with a cap of $30.
Click to continue
Friday, 23 January 2009
DALLAS -- As DVD kiosks and digital download movie solutions become increasingly prevalent, Blockbuster Inc., a global provider of media entertainment, has hired former Philips executive Kevin Lewis as senior vice president of digital entertainment.
According to a news release, it's a newly created position. Lewis will be responsible for the development and execution of the company's initiatives to deliver Blockbuster-branded content to consumers via both established and emerging technologies such as direct-to-home connected devices, set-top boxes, portable video players, DVD vending machines and digital kiosks.
"Blockbuster is committed to being the leading entertainment retailer in the physical marketplace as well as an established leader in the delivery of digital content," said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chairman and chief executive. "Kevin brings to Blockbuster a wealth of business development and technology innovative experience. We're pleased to have him lead our digital business initiative."
Before joining Blockbuster, Lewis, 37, served as chief of strategy and new business development for Philips Consumer Lifestyle, a $20 billion product division of Royal Philips Electronics, based in Amsterdam. At Philips, Lewis led a global team that oversaw worldwide strategy development, product innovation, mergers and acquisitions and technology development. He was especially focused on introducing new simplicity consumer propositions into the market, including interactive television, 3D video, digital audio and health and wellness solutions, and was at the forefront of leading Philips Consumer Lifestyle into the direction of well-being.
"Kevin will be a key part of our management team, and will help us expand Blockbuster's reach as a multi-channel provider of media entertainment," said Keyes.
Prior to joining Philips, Lewis held several leadership positions during a 10-year career at the Boston Consulting Group, a management consultancy. He focused on global assignments in new market entry, mergers and acquisitions and international strategy development. At BCG, Kevin was a member of the core group of the Retail and Consumer Goods practices, as well as a founding member of offices in Monterrey, Mexico and Washington D.C. He holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from Stamford University, and an MBA with distinction from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Home Media Magazine: The so-called "father of DVDs" is involved in a legal wrangle with digital technology company MOD Systems. Warren Lieberfarb, who is credited for pushing the motion picture industry toward the DVD format while president of Warner Home Video, sued MOD Systems last year, claiming the company owes him at least $749,560 in consulting fees. MOD Systems filed a countersuit earlier this month, alleging Lieberfarb overstated his connections to the company, as well as his expertise. MOD Systems recently made headlines for its deal with Warner Brothers and Paramount Digital Entertainment for the rights to distribute motion pictures from the two companies via digital download onto SD cards.
Click to continue
Monday, 12 January 2009
Gearlog.com: It was only a matter of time before the porn industry discovered the advantages of DVD dispensing and digital download kiosks. At AdultExpo2009, the amalgamation was given form with so-called "FlashNGo" kiosks that can dispense adult DVDs or download adult films to a USB thumbdrive. Brian Heater, blogger for Gearlog.com, has the scoop.
Click to continue
Thursday, 08 January 2009
SEATTLE, Wash. -- MOD Systems, a provider of digital media delivery systems for retailers, has announced in a news release that it has signed agreements with Warner Brothers and Paramount Digital Entertainment to digitally distribute motion pictures via downloads to SD cards in retail stores.
The agreements enable MOD Systems to offer brick-and-mortar retailers a vast digital inventory of standard definition titles, including new releases, and make titles available to consumers in conjunction with availability from leading online providers.
"MOD Systems offers a new avenue for consumers looking to access Paramount Pictures movies on-the-go, with a solution that is quick, convenient and compatible across a wide range of devices," said Alex Carloss, executive vice president of digital distribution for Paramount Digital Entertainment.
Currently, MOD Systems' maintains a digital entertainment catalog of 4,000 titles from major studios and independents such as Anchor Bay Entertainment, First Look Studios and Image Entertainment. The catalog also includes nearly 4 million music tracks.
In Sept. 2008, Toshiba Corp. and NCR Corp. purchased minority shares in MOD Systems. NCR and MOD Systems are partnering to provide digital downloads on NCR kiosks.
Thursday, 08 January 2009
U.S. News & World Report: The Consumer Electronics Show is taking place this week in Las Vegas and David LaGesse of U.S. News & World Report has identified what he believes to be the five new technologies that will help define 2009. Among them is digital download technology. He cites efforts made by Mod Systems, Toshiba and NCR to get a foothold in this arena. "The use of Secure Digital memory cards is just one approach to kiosks, which other companies will use to instantly burn movie DVDs," LaGesse wrote. "But it's the use of memory chips that's most intriguing, with their portability and cheap and easy playback."
Click to continue
Tuesday, 06 January 2009
DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc., one of the nation's largest c-store retailers, has signed an agreement to deploy redbox DVD kiosks to approximately half of its U.S. stores nationwide by the end of 2009.
According to a news release, the agreement would make 7-Eleven Inc. one of redbox's largest retail partners and will increase current redbox locations by more than 15 percent in 2009. The DVD kiosks will be primarily located on the exterior of the stores.
"This is another example of 7-Eleven's move to be more relevant to consumers seeking affordable entertainment," said Kevin Elliott, senior vice president of merchandising for 7-Eleven. "Redbox is yet another convenience 7-Eleven can offer customers and one that will not only save them time, but money."
Monday, 05 January 2009
The Seattle Times: It won't be long before moviegoers in Seattle will be able to walk up to the theater after hours and purchase movie tickets. The Paramount and The Moore theaters, both owned by the Seattle Theatre Group, are going to install 24-hour ticketing kiosks on the outside of their theaters, in addition to offering self-service ticket sales on their new Web site.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Home Media Magazine: Despite recent attempts by Universal Studios to cut off its supply of DVDs to redbox, the company is still stocking Universal titles in its DVD kiosks. On Dec. 23, redbox announced that it is now stocking more than 100,000 copies of "Mamma Mia! The Movie" and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emporer." Universal refused to allow commercial distributors Ingram and VPD to sell to redbox after redbox refused to sign a revenue sharing agreement that would limit the types of movie offerings available at its DVD kiosks. Since then, redbox has been obtaining Universal DVDs through different outlets.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Home Media Magazine: Redbox chief executive Gregg Kaplan says redbox will continue to expand its footprint and bring forth innovations that reinforce the company's position in DVD rental. With more than 12,000 locations, Kaplan says redbox expects to continue its deployments in high-traffic locations in residential and commercial areas.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
TORONTO -- Macy's Convenience Stores Inc., Ontario's largest c-store operator, has partnered with Signifi Solutions Inc. to launch a pilot program in which Signifi's Movie Spot kiosks will be deployed in selected Macy's c-stores in Ontario.
Movie Spot is a new network of DVD rental kiosks in Canada that focuses on deployment locations such as convenience stores, grocers and other popular retail destinations. Movie Spot kiosks can hold up to 1,000 DVDs and typically feature about 300 different movie titles. The cost of a Movie Spot DVD rental is CAN $1.99 a night (U.S. $1.65).
"We are excited to work with Signifi's Movie Spot to offer our customers even greater value and convenience," said George Kioussis, director of merchandising and marketing at Macy's Convenience Stores Inc. "Today's time-starved consumer demands convenience above all else. We believe this proposition not only offers tremendous value to our current loyal customer base, but it can also become a differentiator in our channel, increase foot traffic and attract new customers."
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Home Media Magazine: C-store chain 7-Eleven has quietly launched a program to deploy redbox DVD rental kiosks in 2,600 stores throughout the U.S., according to a reporter for Home Media Magazine. "7-Eleven is testing the redbox program in a couple of markets, but has made no announcement about an expansion," said a 7-Eleven spokesperson, who later confirmed that the rollout was to continue through 2009. Redbox DVD kiosks have also been cropping up in select airports and gas stations of late, a new tactic for a company that has traditionally focused on retail and fast food locations.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
The (Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger: Polk County, Fla., has been invaded by a slew of red boxes that crop up in or around big-box retail locations. Not to fear — these invaders don't fire ray guns. Instead, these redbox kiosks dispense DVDs of the latest motion-picture releases. Redbox introduced its self-service DVD rental kiosks in the Tampa market in November 2007 and the Polk County market last month. A search of redbox locations in Polk County on the company's Web site shows 17 locations at Wal-Mart and Walgreens stores in the county. A handful of redboxes are located inside the stores.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Contactmusic.com: In an effort to curb its losses to DVD kiosk operators like redbox, Blockbuster is cutting prices on some DVD rentals. According to Contactmusic.com, the brick-and-mortar DVD retailer will soon be renting older movies for 99 cents a day, compared with $1 redbox charges for new releases. "The 99-cents plan is targeted at the value-conscious consumer in this challenging economy," said Jim Keyes, chairman and chief executive of Blockbuster.
Click to continue
Monday, 08 December 2008
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- Redbox, the fully automated DVD rental system featuring new release rentals for $1 per night, is choosing to defy attempts by Universal Studios to limit its ability to stock new releases at its kiosks. According to a news release, redbox is now offering more than 100,000 copies of the hit film "Wanted," and the title is on pace to become the company's top weekly rental in the week following its DVD release.
"Redbox is working to uphold our cornerstone principles, providing customers with all major new release DVDs - when they are released -- for just $1 per night," said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive of redbox. "Redbox is committed to providing our customers with the highest level of service and value, and we will continue to acquire DVD titles despite attempts to limit consumer access to titles at our kiosks."
To uphold consumer commitment, redbox developed new distribution arrangements and incurred additional costs that allowed the company to circulate more than 100,000 copies of "Wanted" within three days of release date and in time for the weekend movie rush. Redbox did not pass added costs on to customers, preserving the company's unique value proposition and $1 per night price point. Redbox will continue to streamline the distribution process of Universal Studios titles to limit customer impact despite pending litigation.
On Oct. 10, redbox Automated Retail filed suit in Delaware Federal Court against Universal Studios Home Entertainment LLC and three of its affiliates. Redbox filed the action because the company believes that new distribution terms proposed by USHE would prohibit redbox from renting Universal Studios DVDs for 45 days after their public release, would limit how many Universal Studios DVDs each redbox kiosk could carry, and would require redbox to destroy, rather than sell at a discount, previously viewed DVDs from its kiosks. Redbox took action against the studio to protect its business model and continue to offer consumers the latest new releases for $1 per night.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
CAMPBELL, Calif. — DVDPlay Inc., a DVD rental kiosk operator and entertainment technology company, announced its expansion to Oahu, Hawaii and Maui, bringing its new release DVDs to select Safeway stores across the islands.
As consumers continue to look for value, the DVDPlay kiosk features a wide variety of movies including the latest Hollywood releases for just $1 per night, making it an entertainment destination in 1,400 other locations nationwide.
"Convenience and price are the main draws," said chief executive Chuck Berger. "A trip to the theater these days costs families a small fortune; we offer movie nights for a fraction of that cost."
The popular kiosks hold more than 500 movies and allow customers to choose from a broad selection of titles using a touchscreen monitor. Once customers select their movies, a simple credit-card swipe completes the transaction and the DVDs are dispensed within seconds.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Engadgethd.com: Despite the color bias in the company's name, Redbox may have decided to give the Blu-ray home entertainment format a chance. According to a blogger from Engadgethd.com, the company has added a dedicated (albeit currently empty) Blu-ray section on its Web site. That's leading some to believe that soon Redbox customers will be able to rent Blu-ray discs from the machines.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Houston Business Journal: DVD kiosk operator TNR Entertainment Corp. has hired a law firm to support its review of a recent policy change by Universal Studios that delays the distribution of Universal movies to kiosk operators. Universal’s policy change, which will take effect on Dec. 1, denies kiosk operators access to new releases until 45 days after the movies are available to the general public.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Electric Frontier Foundation: Self-service proponents, beware. Fred von Lohmann, legal analyst for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says Hollywood has launched a major offensive against DVD rental kiosks. Universal Studios recently announced a policy change that will severly limit the types of movies that can be offered at DVD kiosks and the revenue kiosk deployers can make from them. Earlier this month, Redbox brought a lawsuit against the studio giant, and TNR Entertainment Corp., another DVD kiosk operator, has hired a legal team in the wake of the announcement.
Click to continue
Thursday, 23 October 2008
VANCOUVER, Canada — The current global economic crisis may actually be good news for some businesses. According to a news release issued by DVDNowKiosks Inc., deployers of DVD rental kiosks may find themselves on good footing as the economy sours.
The state of the economy has society realizing that the times are changing, and DVD rental kiosks are offering a way for people to adapt to these changes.
In order to overcome financial strains, the general public will have to cut down on unnecessary forms of entertainment that can be costly for the average family. DVD-rental kiosks allow consumers to movies at home for a low fee. With soaring gas prices, DVD-rental kiosks are extremely accessible, as most of them are located within grocery and convenience stores, allowing for a one-stop shopping trip.
Robert MacIntosh is a regular customer at one of the DVDNow Kiosks in Las Vegas and has been able to rent movies more frequently because of the low rental cost.
"The kiosk I use is located in a corner store, so while I'm there picking up dinner, I can grab a movie on the way out," MacIntosh said. "It saves me a lot of time."
The rental of movies appears to be at one of its strongest periods in history because of the country's economic downturn. Even consumers who used to be inclined to purchase films are now renting instead, and as the winter approaches, this increase in rentals will be even more evident as people will want to stay indoors with their families.
As the rental industry continues to prosper, many savvy investors are making a relatively small investment in DVD rental kiosks in anticipation of large returns.
"We can't control the economy, but we can control the way we react to it, and, whether we prosper or lose," said Scott McInnes, chief executive of DVDNow Kiosks. "No one hopes for a recession, but I am pleased that our DVDNow kiosk owners are in a position to do very well regardless of the state of the economy."
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Home Media: Redbox has filed a federal suit against Universal Studios Home Entertainment that alleges Universal’s new revenue-sharing terms for DVD-vending operators violates antitrust laws and misuses copyrights. The suit claims Universal’s new terms would eliminate low-cost rental alternatives for consumers by prohibiting redbox from renting or selling Universal DVDs until 45 days after they hit the street, limiting the number of Universal DVDs the kiosk operator can stock, and requiring redbox to destroy Universal DVDs after they leave the kiosks, instead of being sold as used to consumers. Redbox is seeking an injunction that would prohibit Universal from limiting the number of its DVDs in redbox kiosks, fiscal damages, and declarations of copyright misuse.
Click to continue
Thursday, 02 October 2008
GLOUCESTERSHIRE, England — As a result of a record-breaking reception to an automated DVD rental kiosk in a Spar store in Formby, Liverpool, a second Movie Booth kiosk has recently launched in a Southport store to kick-start the surge of DVD rental kiosks in the Northwest.
According to a news release, the DVD rental kiosk concept has so far received an excellent response from the people of Formby since launching in May, with initial month rental levels surpassing all figures previously seen by The Movie Booth. As a result, The Movie Booth decided to deploy another kiosk on Merseyside to serve consumer demand.
DVD rental machines have experienced steady growth in the U.K. in recent months, with the credit crunch being given as the reason why people are staying at home and renting more movies. The Movie Booth kiosks operate using advanced robotics, making the rental of movies a fully automated experience for the customer. The kiosks placed in the Spar stores in Merseyside are expected to form the basis of the rollout of multiple kiosks across the Northwest.
As part of the Merseyside kiosk launches, Britain's Next Top Model finalist, Charlotte Denton, has assisted in giving demonstrations on how to use the kiosk during their first weeks of deployment.
"The Formby kiosk has started extremely well, as I knew it would, so we decided not to waste any time in getting the next one set up," said John Youssef, who is overseeing the deployment of the DVD rental machines at Merseyside. "We hope to launch two more by the end of 2008."
Every year in the U.K., 2.4 million adults rent four or more DVDs each month, according to the release. A further 7.6 million adults rent between one and three DVDs every month, and these figures suggest that recent news sounding the death-knell for DVD rental are unfounded.
Wednesday, 01 October 2008
Video Business: DVDPlay is dropping the price of its DVD rentals to match its larger rivals. Closely held DVDPlay, the No. 3 U.S. movie-rental kiosk operator, this week will drop the price of its daily rentals for both standard DVDs and Blu-ray discs to $1, the company said in a statement. DVDPlay, which also said it would expand its title selection, had been charging $1.49.
"In an economy of rising prices, our customers are looking for value for their entertainment dollars," DVDPlay president Charlie Piper said in the statement. DVDPlay's price reduction brings its fees even with the $1 daily rental rate charged by both Redbox and TNR/Moviecube for standard DVDs. Neither of DVDPlay's larger competitors offer Blu-ray.
Click to continue
Thursday, 11 September 2008
The Houston Chronicle: Tucked along the front wall of some grocery stores, right there with the coin counters and carpet cleaners, is another machine — one designed to draw business from Blockbuster and Netflix, but also to keep DVDs viable as more consumers get movies over the Internet. Depending on the brand of grocery store and the part of the country, shoppers are increasingly likely to see a $1-a-night DVD rental kiosk, including those installed by a Houston-based company, The New Release, as they push their carts toward the exit.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 09 September 2008
VideoBusiness.com: Mel Walter might work for a company that has been in business for 124 years, but he's still a big fan of spontaneity, especially when it comes to renting movies. "Seventy percent of people who enter movie-rental stores had no idea they were going there one hour before they arrived," said Walter, vice president of corporate development at NCR, the world's largest ATM manufacturer. "The options you have at home are minute compared to what you have in a 10,000-square-foot store or at kiosks with 4,000 DVDs connected to a server attached to a long-tail catalog." In the next 18 months or so, NCR will put more than 11,000 DVD kiosks into production, and the manufacturer has taken minority-ownership positions in two kiosk companies.
Click to continue
Monday, 08 September 2008
GLOUCESTERSHIRE, England — Following the positive initial reception by the people of Belfast to an automated DVD rental kiosk in Centra Finaghy, a second robotic machine has launched at a Centra store in Belfast this week.
The DVD kiosk concept has so far received an excellent response from the people of Belfast since launching in Upper Lisburn Road in May, and as a result of this The Movie Booth decided to add a second DVD rental kiosk to the city to serve consumer demand.
The launch of the new kiosk will allow all new users to claim their first rental for free until the end of September, and the kiosk will be updated with the latest new release movies on a weekly basis, and ongoing rentals at the kiosk will be charged at £2.50 (U.S. $4.37) for twenty-four hours. The easy-to-use kiosk utilizes pay-as-you-go technology to allow users to rent without becoming a member, and anyone using the kiosk will find it a radically different experience to visiting their traditional DVD rental store.
DVD rental machines are experiencing a steady growth in the ever-changing industry, and The Movie Booth kiosks operate using advanced robotics making the rental of movies a fully automated experience for the customer. The kiosks placed in Centra stores form the basis of a trial for The Movie Booth, which will see the kiosks rolled out across the brand should the trials prove successful. Centra Finaghy's Movie Booth has proved popular with customers looking for a cost-effective, convenient way to rent DVDs.
Paul Dugdale, who arranged The Movie Booth's deal with Centra said, "Our kiosk has received a great response in Belfast due mainly to the low price of renting a movie and the ease with which people are able to get hold of their favorite new films. We hope that our success will continue with our new kiosk and that this will lead to a further growth of our machine in Belfast and beyond."
Wednesday, 03 September 2008
The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee: John Michael is about to rent a DVD. But he's not standing in a chain video store like Blockbuster or an independent video store like 49er Video in Davis or Awesome Video in Sacramento. And he's not renting from Netflix. Instead, Michael, a 20-something Sacramentan, is standing in front of a large red box near the checkout counter inside a Safeway supermarket. He's about to put his credit card into the DVD machine, make his choice, have $1.49 charged to his account and walk away with a rented DVD.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
The (Vancouver, Wash.) Columbian: Vancouver-based New Edge Networks has signed a three-year, $1 million contract to build and manage a private data network that connects airports across the United States. The network will be used by Florida-based InMotion Entertainment, which rents DVD and video game-playing equipment as well as DVDs through 55 stores in 30 airports. It will allow InMotion to sell digital downloads of movies and music through in-store kiosks.
Click to continue
Friday, 15 August 2008
Nashville (Tenn.) Business Journal: Nashville International Airport is the first airport to get a redbox, a fully automated DVD rental system with new release rentals for $1 per night. The system is being installed this week. Wright Travel Agency's agreement with the airport includes two rental kiosks.
Click to continue
Thursday, 07 August 2008
DAYTON, Ohio — TNR Entertainment Corp., the second-largest operator of DVD kiosks in North America under the New Release and MovieCube brands, has named NCR Corp. as its exclusive supplier of self-service technologies and services.
TNR has approximately 2,200 DVD-rental kiosks deployed in the grocery channel.
TNR says it intends to place volume orders for NCR Xpress Entertainment DVD vending kiosks this year and in 2009.
In addition, TNR signed a multiyear Managed Services agreement with NCR, focused on kiosk high availability, which is critical in the consumer self-service market. With its suite of Managed Services, NCR is able to offer a turnkey solution that allows enterprises to deploy quickly and focus on growing their businesses.
NCR also announced it has made a minority equity investment in TNR. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"NCR's technology, combined with its development resources and global services capabilities, will help provide TNR the resources we need to continue our success going forward," said TNR president and chief executive Tim Belton. "This agreement will help unify our fleet of kiosks onto a single software platform, improve our quality of service to consumers and enable TNR to meet growing demand from our channel and distribution partners."
The NCR Xpress Entertainment portfolio includes a multichannel software platform and a high-capacity DVD-vending kiosk that enables rentals, sales of shrink-wrapped media or a combination – with a capacity of nearly twice that of competing units on the market today. Other NCR Xpress Entertainment options include digital download kiosks, as well as bare-disk handling capabilities and support for other types of digital media such as music and video games.
NCR also offers the ability for consumers to interact via the Internet or their mobile devices.
Tuesday, 05 August 2008
DALLAS — Blockbuster Inc., a global provider of media entertainment, and NCR Corp. a global provider of self-service and assisted-service technology, have entered into an agreement to deploy Blockbuster-branded, state of-the-art DVD vending kiosks in a pilot program that could be the first step of a national rollout of thousands of units.
The initial deployment of 50 Blockbuster-branded kiosks should begin in the third quarter of 2008 with all units expected to be installed by year-end.
The pilot vending kiosks initially will offer DVD rentals, but the machines will allow for future applications, including digital downloads and other services, such as sales of DVDs and video games.
The companies have not announced the markets or site locations for the first units.
Earlier this year, Blockbuster and NCR announced an agreement to test digital movie downloading kiosks in select Blockbuster locations. The first of those units is expected to be installed in two Dallas stores this summer.
"With NCR's advanced technology, these machines will dispense a wide array of DVDs and could offer digital downloading in the future, all under the Blockbuster brand," said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chairman and chief executive. "This initial rollout provides consumers increasingly convenient access to their favorite movies and is one more step in the fulfillment of our mission to transform Blockbuster into a multichannel provider of media entertainment."
Analysts are projecting DVD vending kiosks could grow by more than 60 percent over the next three years, increasing from 9,300 units at the end of 2007 to more than 22,400 by the end of 2010. Additionally, consumer spending on movies from vending machines during that same period is expected to grow from $197 million to more than $760 million.
Monday, 04 August 2008
CAMPBELL, Calif. — DVDPlay Inc., a DVD rental kiosk operator and developer, has announced it is celebrating this summer's Beijing Olympic Games by giving away free rentals nationwide through its new 'Lucky 8' promotion, according to a news release.
In the Chinese culture, eight is regarded as a lucky number and represents good fortune. In light of the international games taking place in China this year, 'Lucky 8' calls out eight of the most buzz-worthy Olympic competitions and rewards movie renters with a free DVD rental every time the U.S. wins the gold in these categories.
DVD renters who visit a DVDPlay kiosk on the designated lucky days are eligible for a free DVD rental by using a promotional code posted on the DVDPlay Web site, giving consumers the potential to win eight free rentals during August.
The 'Lucky 8' events include:
- Men's Swimming 400M - August 9
- Women's All-Around Final, Gymnastics - August 14
- Women's 50M Freestyle, Swimming - August 16
- Men's 100M Final, Track - August 16
- Men's BMX Final, August 20
- Women's Beach Volleyball Final - August 20
- Women's 200M Final - August 21
- Men's Basketball Final, August 23
"The Olympics are an exciting time to show our national pride and we wanted to salute the achievements of U.S. athletes," said Chuck Berger, chairman of the board and chief executive of DVDPlay. "With 'Lucky 8' when America wins, essentially everyone wins — possibly eight times. It's a fun way for people to bring the excitement just a little closer to home."
Thursday, 24 July 2008
CHELTENHAM, England — Nisa, a retail brand in the U.K., recently has announced news of a trial of DVD-rental technology in one of its biggest U.K. stores, according to a news release.
In response to the growing demand for product diversification in the retail sector, Nisa have launched a DVD-rental kiosk in a Cardiff, Wales, store with a plan to roll the product out across the group should the trial prove successful. This is in addition to recent kiosk launches in both Threshers and Spar stores in England. The DVD kiosk retail complement model has proved extremely successful in the United States with Wal-Mart launching the kiosks in all of its stores across the country.
With the growing demand for convenience in the home entertainment industry, traditional DVD rental stores have seen a downturn in trade that has led to both independent and national store closures. However, DVD-rental kiosks have been touted as a modern, convenient alternative to traditional DVD rental. One Gloucestershire-based company recently has launched kiosks in some of the U.K. and Ireland's leading retail groups with a view to developing the product into an essential part of the modern retail outlet.
Carlos Marco, managing director at The Movie Booth, said, “We have been working in this sector for several years now and what we have learned is that the retail industry is by far the best market for our product. We are now well-placed in many of the biggest retail names in the business, and expect kiosks placed in supermarkets, off-licences and convenience stores to be the most successful that we launch.”
The kiosk deployed in Nisa Extra signals the group’s intention to place DVD kiosks in stores across the U.K. as a means of increasing the range of in-store product offerings. The kiosks also have recently launched in Centra and Applegreen stores in Ireland, and have spread to off-licences with the first Movie Booth kiosk being launched in a Threshers store last week. Store owner Deborah Harris said, “I see many people going to supermarkets to buy DVD’s that they will only watch once or twice, and they are expensive. Oswestry’s DVD store closed down several months ago and there was nowhere to rent a DVD in town. With money being a squeeze at the moment, it’s now a fact that people are spending more time at home with their friends and family. The kiosk enables us to fill that gap in the market.” The Spar group will launc its first DVD kiosk at the end of July in Formby, Liverpool.
The expansion of DVD vending across the retail sector mirrors the growth that has occurred in the United States in recent years. In America, DVD-rental machines now outnumber the amount of traditional DVD rental stores, and the 7,000 machines in operation have been placed predominantly in grocery and convenience stores.
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Wired: Time to sell those ten-year old DVDs. NCR reached a licensing agreement with e-Play to manufacture DVD kiosks that can be used for rentals, sales or trade-ins of old DVDs. Right now the kiosks are available as part of a pilot program in Columbus, Ohio (including the airport), but e-Play plans to expand the program to include stores in Georgia and North Carolina.
Click to continue
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Azcentral.com: Is the future of DVD rentals a vending machine? For Redbox, the nation's largest DVD kiosk company; DVDPlay; and other DVD-kiosk makers, the answer seems to be yes. The vending machine-like kiosks first appeared in the U.S. in 2004 and in Arizona in 2006. The machines since have ballooned to more than 10,000 locations nationwide and about 500 locations in the Phoenix area, in groceries and stores such as Walgreens, Safeway and Circle K.
Click to continue
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
Video Business: Redbox, the largest U.S. operator of movie-rental kiosks, delayed filing its prospectus for a planned public offering after the stock markets had their worst second quarter in six years. The company, whose investors also include McDonald’s, looked to take advantage of its leadership position in a kiosk industry predicted to surge as movie-rental chain stores cut units.
Read more
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
CHELTENHAM, England — In the coming weeks, shoppers in the U.K. and Ireland will be able to benefit from the deployment of robotically operated DVD rental kiosks, and one machine being launched as a trial in a Tesco Ireland store initially could see the concept rolled out in 2008.
The kiosks, which offer users touchscreen access to a range of new release movies, also will be launched in Centra and Applegreen stores with an expected deployment across both the U.K. and Ireland, should the trials prove successful, according to a news release from The Movie Booth.
The Movie Booth is a new brand, based in the U.K., which supplies DVD rental kiosks to retail stores throughout the U.K. and Ireland. The kiosks enable users to rent movies on a pay-as-you-go basis, offering a modern alternative to the traditional high street DVD rental store.
"Customers use a touchscreen system to select and rent their movies, and it takes three steps to rent a film from the kiosk," said Carlos Marco Rider, managing director of The Movie Booth. "These new kiosks have been designed with the end-user in mind and have several features which make renting a DVD a simple process. The partnerships we are developing with retailers should ensure we achieve substantial coverage across the U.K. and Ireland by the end of 2008."
Friday, 20 June 2008
Telecomasia.net: Taking traditional movie rental to the next level, Digisoft.tv has introduced its eRental movie download platform that enables customers to download high-definition and standard-definition movies from an in-store kiosk to a portable storage device for later viewing at home. Digitsoft.tv developed the service in conjunction with Video Ezy of Australia and uses best-of-breed encryption and watermarking technologies from Verimatrix, the market leader in this space.
Read more
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
MINNEAPOLIS — iMOZI has announced a partnership with the Nash Finch Company to rollout DVD kiosks in a number of its corporate banners, as well as within its independent retailer affiliate stores.
iMOZI’s kiosks provide automated and digital self-service solutions. The DVD vending kiosks are located at the front of each store and each kiosk holds up to 750 DVDs, with about 200 different titles.
"This concept truly delivers a value-add to the shopping experience, while helping the retailer to drive repeat visits and customer loyalty," said Soheil Samimi, president of iMOZI. "As one of the most frequented and regular destination for many consumers, we believe that the supermarket of the future can certainly continue to become a major destination for getting movies and other media."
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
The (Johannesburg, South Africa) Times: MoviesStop has released DVD rental kiosks in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. The kiosks operate similar to the redbox DVD kiosks in North America.
Read more
Thursday, 05 June 2008
LUBBOCK , Texas – iMOZI has announced a partnership with United Supermarkets LLC to roll-out DVD kiosks across the chain’s locations in Texas.
iMOZI’s kiosks provide automated and digital self-service solutions. The DVD vending kiosks are located at the front of each store and each kiosk holds up to 750 DVDs, with about 200 or so different titles.
"The iMOZI DVD rental kiosk is a new way for United Supermarkets to be involved in the changing movie rental business and more importantly provide a service which our customers are looking for," said Tandy Arrant, category manager for the chain. "This is quick, fun, self-service, and a perfect fit for the busy lifestyles of our guests looking for one place to shop and pick up all their needs."
iMOZI, a kiosk technology and distribution company, provides a full turnkey solution for retailers to host or operate self-service media solutions.
Tuesday, 03 June 2008
ReadWriteWeb: Blockbuster is struggling, and seems to be trying as hard as it can to keep that moniker. Even though the company's finances are looking up, it continues to make one questionable move after another in its attempt to compete with Netflix, Apple, and Amazon. Blockbuster first started talking kiosks last November, and last week unveiled the prototype to the press. Despite some good revenue news, Blockbuster still seems like a company that's making all the wrong moves as it struggles to transition to the digital world.
Read more
Monday, 02 June 2008
CAMPBELL, Calif. — DVDPlay has announced that Charles "Charlie" T. Piper has been appointed as president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. Most recently, Piper served as senior vice president of operations for Blackhawk Network, a market leader in prepaid and payments network and card-based financial solutions. At Blackhawk, Piper established operational support for Blackhawk’s 80,000 retail partners and was also responsible for Safeway’s front-end revenue programs.
Before joining Blackhawk, Piper was vice president of corporate retail operations for Safeway Inc., where he developed key strategies for retail application and implementation. Piper’s retail career started in southern California in 1986, and he has held progressive store and division level positions across Western and Midwestern States before moving to a corporate leadership position. Piper’s experience includes 11 years with Albertsons prior to joining Safeway’s Denver division in 2000.
Friday, 30 May 2008
The Associated Press: Blockbuster Inc. recently unveiled a prototype of an in-store kiosk for downloading movies at its annual meeting, part of its plan to transform into more than just a DVD rental chain. The sleek prototype kiosk unveiled is just one way that Blockbuster is looking to deliver movies digitally. The design, which the company’s CEO said is likely to change with testing, offers a range of features to help customers make movie choices, including previews and recommendations. The company is working to reduce the download time for movies to about 30 seconds.
Read more
Friday, 30 May 2008
Home Media Magazine: DVD rental kiosk operator Redbox has been certified by the Payment Card Industry (PCI), which determines security standards for payment account data. The PCI conducted an audit of Redbox’s more than 7,700 machines to determine if they met the group’s standards.
Read more
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Blu-ray.com: DVDPlay announced that it will add Blu-ray titles to its popular kiosk-style DVD rental machines that are present at many grocery stores this June. The machines will offer these titles at the same $1.49 rental fee as their DVD selections. The first Blu-ray titles available via the kiosks will be "Untraceable" and "Men In Black," both of which should be available around June 10.
Read more
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Video Business: Redbox, the largest U.S. movie-rental kiosk maker, has announced that it named former JetBlue Airways chief financial officer John Harvey as its financial chief as the company prepares for an initial public offering. Harvey, a one-time Ernst & Young accountant, also held finance positions with America West Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Read more
Thursday, 28 February 2008
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — Redbox, a DVD rental kiosk featuring new release rentals for $1 per night, has announced an agreement with Walgreens to expand the presence of redbox to approximately 2,000 Walgreens stores nationwide. Currently available at nearly 250 Walgreens locations, redbox will install kiosks at approximately 1,800 additional Walgreens stores during 2008 and 2009.
The expansion of redbox to Walgreens locations nationwide follows the successful test of DVD-rental service in Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio-area Walgreens.
Redbox recently announced plans to feature redbox kiosks at the majority of Wal-Mart locations nationwide. Redbox kiosks currently are available at more than 6,800 locations nationwide, including leading grocery stores, select McDonald’s restaurants and Walgreens and Wal-Mart locations in select markets.
Monday, 14 January 2008
NEW YORK — The popularity of Apple’s iTunes and Redbox’s DVD-rental kiosk was evident Monday at the National Retail Federation’s annual Show & Expo, though not in the form of those devices.
The popular online digital music store and DVD kiosk were not on display at the NRF show, but their influence was felt on several of the retail digital media offerings on the show floor. Digital media kiosks were introduced by self-service giants IBM and NCR as smaller companies like Mediaport introduced their own products.
The rise in digital media kiosk popularity is due largely to consumer demand and the fact that only a small portion of music is bought on the Internet, said Dave Champlin, vice president of marketing for Mediaport.
“We offer them a place to get quality content onto their cool devices (such as a cell phone or MP3 player),” Champlin said.
Mediaport's MediaATM system is a self-service kiosk that allows consumers to download digital content such as movies and music on-demand. The company recently inked its first video-download deal with a major studio, NBC Universal.
Last week, Mediaport installed several of its kiosks at the Consumer Electronics show and let convention-goers download free NBC Universal-owned episodes, spanning such shows as 30 Rock and Project Runway. At NRF, Mediaport let attendees create a custom mixed-CD from the kiosk’s music catalog, which included Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
The launch of NCR’s Xpress Entertainment follows the company’s acquisition of Touch Automation, a privately held firm that provides the digital media merchandising kiosk.
The machine enables rentals, sales of shrink-wrapped media or a combination. In addition to transactions at the kiosk, future versions of the device will allow consumers to interact and download content via the Internet or their mobile devices.
“Self-service is best when all three self-service channels (automated kiosk, Internet and mobile device) are utilized,” said Mike Webster, vice president of NCR's self-service solutions. “This is only the first phase for this kiosk.”
Webster said the kiosk can be deployed in virtually any venue, including retail stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, quick-serve restaurants, shopping malls and airports.
IBM’s Digital Movie Kiosk, touted as the ATM for movies, is the culmination of a partnership with Ireland-based Portomedia. The kiosk allows consumers to rent or purchase DVD-quality movies, which are downloaded in under a minute to a small USB device called the Movie Key. The kiosk itself can be loaded with anywhere from 500 to 1,000 movies and can be refreshed with new content from a remote location.
“It’s essentially a Blockbuster in a box,” said Cathal Deavy, Portomedia’s director of marketing.
One of the reasons movie studios have allowed companies like Portomedia to sell its content is the kiosk’s use of DRM, or digital-rights management. For example, if a consumer rents a movie, that person may only have 48 hours to watch that movie before the movie’s license expires. That person would then have a chance to either rent the movie again or purchase it before they could watch it yet again.
Portomedia and IBM bypassed the Redbox-like DVD-rental kiosk for digital content because they see it as being more flexible, Deavy said. With a digital download kiosk, the content is always in stock and there are no returns.
Watch this Web site in the coming days for more news and insight from NRF 2008.
Friday, 07 December 2007
Phoenix Business Journal: Redbox has signed a deal with Walgreens to bring 160 automated rental kiosks to the Phoenix, Ariz., area. The agreement with Walgreens comes on the heels of successful partnerships in the Chicago and Houston areas. Redbox now is moving into Walgreens after previously focusing only on McDonald's restaurants and selected grocery stores.
Friday, 07 December 2007
Bloomberg.com: McDonald's Corp.'s $1 menu offers more than burgers, chicken nuggets and fries. Diners now can rent DVDs from automated kiosks for a buck, $3 cheaper than at Blockbuster stores. Blockbuster, the largest video chain, and Netflix, the biggest U.S. mail-order movie service, are losing sales to discount kiosks in an overall market that hasn't grown since 2001, said Adams Media Research. Adams estimates Blockbuster has 39.2 percent of the U.S. rental market, including franchised outlets.
Read more
Read also, Blockbuster challenges redbox in DVD-rental kiosk market
Monday, 26 November 2007
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. · Redbox, the fully automated DVD rental system featuring new release rentals for $1 per night, now features more U.S. retail locations than Blockbuster Inc. Launching 12 prototype locations in 2002, redbox recently installed its 6,000th fully automated kiosk · surpassing Blockbuster in the number of rental locations nationwide.
"Customers continue to embrace the redbox service, and our proven technology and production timeline have allowed us to expand rapidly in the competitive home entertainment industry,"� said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive officer of redbox. "We expect this growth to continue at a rapid pace through 2007 and beyond as redbox expands its leadership position and becomes a household name in communities nationwide."
Redbox now is available in 46 states and expects to be operational in every state in the continental U.S. by the end of 2007.
Redbox kiosks are available at select McDonald's restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers nationwide. In November 2007, redbox will install more than 400 new locations in markets including Baltimore; Dallas; Dayton, Ohio; Las Vegas; Little Rock, Ark. and Roanoke, Va.
Monday, 26 November 2007
Los Angeles Times: Blockbuster Inc. has begun testing movie rental kiosks at Papa John's pizza outlets and Family Dollar stores. Movies at the kiosks will be available for $1, substantially less than the cost for rentals at regular Blockbuster stores. The Blockbuster Express kiosks, which are about the size of a vending machine and hold 250 movies, are in three Papa John's International Inc. locations and seven Family Dollar Stores Inc. outlets in the Lexington, Ky., area, said Karen Raskopf, a spokeswoman for Blockbuster. The kiosks may help Blockbuster fend off DVDPlay Inc. and Redbox Automated Retail, jointly owned by McDonald's Corp. and Coinstar Inc. The two companies have lured customers from Blockbuster movie-rental stores by offering $1 DVD rentals at supermarkets, drugstores and McDonald's restaurants.
Read more
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
CAMPBELL, Calif. · DVDPlay, a DVD rental kiosk developer and operator, is now in more than 960 Safeway stores. Starting in 2002 with only eleven locations in the San Francisco Bay area, the company's recent accelerated growth has come through their partnerships with major grocery chains and convenience stores, as well as campus bookstores, and select fast food partners.
With competitive pricing that is up to 70 percent less than traditional video stores, DVDPlay continues to experience rapid growth within the industry boasting close to 1,300 locations, with plans to install 1,800 more locations by 2008. As of September, 2007, DVDPlay has kiosks in 37 states across the U.S. and Canada.
Monday, 19 November 2007
Video Business: DVD kiosks located in supermarkets, fast-food restaurants and other high-traffic locations will expand their share of the rental market to 25 percent within about three years, predicts the chairman and CEO of No. 3 kiosk operator DVDPlay. DVDPlay leader Chuck Berger said that kiosks · operated primarily by Redbox, TNR Entertainment and DVDPlay · currently hold about 2 percent of the roughly $8 billion rental market. He estimates the channel's share will grow to more than 5 percent in 2008 and more than 20 percent by 2010 or 2011, on dramatic growth in the number of kiosks in operation. He said DVDPlay in 2008 plans to add about 2,000 kiosks to its current base of 1,300 machines. Across the channel, about 8,000 new kiosks could be put into operation next year, he said.
Read more
Thursday, 15 November 2007
AmOnline.com: Redbox, the DVD-rental kiosk featuring new release DVDs for $1 per night, is now available in select Walgreens locations throughout the Columbus, Ohio, and Phoenix metro areas. Consumers can rent redbox DVDs in 33 area Walgreens locations throughout Columbus, Ohio, and 160 Walgreens stores throughout the Phoenix area, and can return the DVDs to any redbox kiosk nationwide. Redbox's expansion into Columbus and Phoenix-area Walgreens stores follows a successful installation of the service in select Walgreens locations throughout Chicago and Houston.
Read more
Friday, 09 November 2007
VANCOUVER, British Columbia · DVD rental kiosk provider DVDNow plans to expand the number of kiosks installed in North Carolina by a minimum 60 kiosks, according to a company press release.
Unlike DVD kiosk providers redbox and DVDPlay, DVDNow partners with local entrepreneurs who own and operate the equipment. DVDNow plans to hold workshops to attract potential kiosk carriers in the North Carolina area.
Friday, 09 November 2007
Reuters.com: Blockbuster wants to help customers connect their iPods and BlackBerries to their favorite movies and games in a service it hopes will build traffic back to its stores. Chief Executive Jim Keyes said the company is talking to both hardware and software makers about turning the video rental chain into a destination for loading digital media players with movies and games via a kiosk. The method should eventually be as easy as taking cash out of an ATM machine, he said.
Read more
Friday, 09 November 2007
ATLANTA · No longer content to place DVD rental kiosks solely in McDonald's restaurants and grocery stores, Coinstar and redbox announced it has deployed more than two dozen DVD rental kiosks in convenience stores across the United States. It plans to have 300 in place by the end of 2007, said Ray Taddeo, regional vice president of Coinstar.
Coinstar, which owns half of redbox along with McDonald's, showcased the DVD rental kiosk to convenience store owners, distributors and retailers at the 2007 National Association of Convenience Stores trade show at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Taddeo sited high-volume traffic as the main reason Coinstar and other self-service companies are introducing themselves to the convenience store industry.
"And we know that many of them are DVD renters," Taddeo said.
Redbox, located at thousands of McDonald's restaurants and in groceries around the United States, is the nation's leader in self-service DVD rentals, growing from 93,000 rentals in 2003 to more than 21 million in 2006. It is on pace to reach 40 million rentals this year.
Coinstar also introduced a financial services kiosk, which currently distributes prepaid cards at a handful of convenience stores. Future versions of the kiosk will include a bill payment application and money transfer capabilities, Taddeo said.
Monday, 05 November 2007
YourHub.com: The Douglas County, Colo., Sheriff's Office took a report recently about a credit-card recording device that was fraudulently attached to a DVD-rental kiosk at a grocery store. Sheriff's deputies determined that an electronic device had been put above the actual credit card reader. It was a device that was used to scan someone's credit card when they swiped it through the slot. They were able to take the device off of the box and turn it over to the deputies on scene.
Read more
Monday, 29 October 2007
The Washington Post: Walgreen Co. plans to put kiosks that can make DVDs of popular movies in drugstore photo departments next year, using a new system that would increase selection while avoiding piracy. Recent change in copy-protection rules governing DVDs have freed Walgreen and other retailers to tap this new movie market by letting consumers burn digital copies onto blank discs at stores, industry watchers said.
Read more
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Home Media Magazine: Movie Gallery's bankruptcy filing underscores the futility of the brick-and-mortar DVD-rental business model, said the chief executive of DVDPlay, a movie-rental kiosk company. Charles Berger, president and CEO of Campbell, Calif.-based DVDPlay, said the company spent more than $30 million perfecting a database and network-supported proprietary Web-based kiosk capable of holding more than 80 titles and 500 DVDs.
Read more
Sunday, 14 October 2007
Video Business: TNR Entertainment has in the last three weeks quietly undergone a senior management change amidst a redirection that will see the DVD rental kiosk operator slow growth and focus on improving execution in its current locations. The move by TNR, which operates about 2,000 kiosks under The New Release and Movie Cube brands, signals a change in corporate strategy from one of rapid growth to strengthening performance at existing locations.
Read more
Monday, 08 October 2007
Afterdawn.com: A city councilman in Union City, Ind., wants to force the owner of a McDonald's franchise to either remove the Redbox DVD rental kiosk that sits outside, or stock it with nothing but G-rated movies.
Read more
Thursday, 27 September 2007
The Wall Street Journal: A change in copy-protection rules governing DVDs is likely to quickly unlock a new market for selling movie discs via kiosks, where digital copies can be burned onto blank DVDs on the spot.
Read more (Subscription required.)
Monday, 17 September 2007
Video Business: Redbox, a kiosk-based DVD rental company, says its purchase of two technology patents will protect its business model going forward. One patent, called "Automated Merchandise Dispensing and Retrieval System,"� is for a system that allows consumers to rent DVDs from any of its 4,800 kiosks and return it to another one. A second patent, called "Article Dispensing System,"� is for a system that allows Redbox's field team to restock kiosks more efficiently by inserting a pre-packed unit each week.
Read more
Thursday, 06 September 2007
East Bay (Calif.) Business Times: After growing eight-fold in the past 18 months, TNR Entertainment Corp. is shaking up its executive team and putting the brakes on fast-track expansion plans. The Houston-based operator of DVD-rental kiosks has experienced an exodus of its executive team in the last two weeks with the exit of chief executive Richard Cohen, chief operating officer Jeffrey Karbowiak and chief marketing officer Tony Sciolla.
Read more
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
The Hollywood Reporter: Dozens of kiosks are soon expected to start popping up in Galway, Ireland. PortoMedia, a small technology company, is developing a DRM-friendly rental alternative to Blockbuster or CinemaNow. Porto's kiosks, which would be installed in retail locations, allow consumers to download movies to a flash memory card in just 15 seconds (at a rate of 1.5 gigabytes per second). The so-called "movie key" can then be plugged into the USB port of a computer, television monitor or mobile screen for viewing on the go or in the home. IBM, Samsung and Toshiba have come to the aid of Porto in the development.
Read more
Monday, 06 August 2007
Video Business: Independent rental stores are trying new tactics, including lower prices, longer rental periods and more DVDs stocked for sale, in a stepped-up effort to battle the $1 pricing of Redbox and other kiosks.
Read more
Wednesday, 01 August 2007
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. · Redbox has been named the 2007 Specialist Retailer of the Year by the Entertainment Merchants Association.
According to a news release, the award recognizes outstanding contributions and performance in the DVD and video game industries. This year marks the first for an automated retailer to receive the award.
The award presentation followed redbox's 50 millionth DVD rental, which was checked out July 4.
Thursday, 19 July 2007
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. · Polar Frog Digital is expanding its DVD-manufacturing-on-demand library to include college sports programming. In the deal, Polar Frog will distribute programming from Collegiate Images, to include a variety of men's and women's sports. Polar Frog will deliver archived games through its MediaIgloo DVD kiosk in the United States.
The launch of Polar Frog burn-on-demand DVD kiosks is expected to coincide with the start of the college football season.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. · Polar Frog Digital is placing its DVD manufacturing on-demand solutions, called MediaIgloo, into airports.
According to a news release, kiosks have been placed in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C. and Burbank, Calif., airports inside CNBC stores.
Polar Frog Digital says it also expects to launch its on-demand kiosks at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport by the end of July.
MediaIgloo allows customers to browse thousands of movies and shows from a local-source library and customize DVDs within minutes. Polar Frog Digital has licensed content from more than 50 studios and offers more than 5,000 unique DVD titles.
Thursday, 05 July 2007
CNNMoney.com: By August, Redbox will push its DVD-rental kiosks into new McDonald's markets, including Boise, Ind.; Des Moines, Iowa; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn.; Portland-Eugene, Ore.; and Las Vegas.
Read more
Thursday, 05 July 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Giant Eagle is preparing to dim the lights on its 100 Iggle Video locations to make way for hundreds of automated kiosks. A company spokesman described the move, which is expected to occur over the next nine months, as coming in response to industry trends and consumer demand, neither of which has favored the traditional movie rental market in recent years. Replacing the Iggle Videos will be redbox DVD rental machines.
Read more
Thursday, 28 June 2007
SeekingAlpha.com: Even though DVD kiosks have proven to be popular, Blockbuster Video has for the most part stayed out of the DVD-kiosk expansion. It could be that Blockbuster doesn't have the capital to pursue the technology, or it may be that it really doesn't see a future in kiosk rentals.
Read more
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. · Automated DVD-rental company Redbox now has more than 4,000 locations in the United States, reinforcing, the company says, it's position as the No. 1 self-service DVD-rental deployer in grocery stores and restaurants.
With kiosks in 2,600 grocery stores and more than 1,400 McDonald's restaurants, Redbox has doubled its market presence since Jan. 1.
Redbox is now among the top-four DVD-rental companies in the country in terms of annual revenue.
Friday, 15 June 2007
Video Business: Redbox is spreading its DVD-rental machines to 70 Wegmans Food Markets along the East Coast. About 4,000 Redbox machines are in use across the United States in grocery stores and McDonald's restaurants.
Monday, 11 June 2007
Video Business: Rental kiosk operators TNR Corp. and DVDPlay are taking a scientific approach to stocking their machines to appeal to supermarket shoppers. Both companies have placed virtually all their machines inside grocery stores. As a result, TNR and DVDPlay are analyzing rental habits, income levels, even personality traits of supermarket renters in an effort to determine the most profitable title selection and copy depth for grocery kiosks.
Read more
Wednesday, 06 June 2007
HOUSTON · TNR Entertainment Corp. announced that entertainment and finance executive Robert E. Genthert has joined TNR as its chief financial officer.
In his position, Genthert will be responsible for all of TNR's finance, reporting and accounting activities, including funding to further support the company's grocery-channel partnerships and new business development. He also will be part of a senior management group responsible for company's overall strategy.
Genthert's has been with The Walt Disney Company for 11 years. His most recent Disney post was as vice president of worldwide finance for Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment division. Subsequently, Genthert served as CFO for Warner Bros. Online, a division of Time Warner.
Tuesday, 05 June 2007
GULFPORT, Miss. · Gulf Coast DVDs has placed three ELO Media's DVmatic DVD-rental kiosks in Gulfport, an area heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
"Shortly after Hurricane Katrina's devastating impact on the area, I understood that there would be a need for affordable entertainment. And since there is only a handful of video stores in the area, some destroyed in the hurricane, I realized the opportunity exists," said Michael Smith, owner of Gulf Coast DVDs.
Friday, 01 June 2007
Idaho Statesman: Redbox DVD rental kiosks are now available at most Albertsons stores throughout Idaho, as well as some located in Washington, Oregon, Montana and Utah. Of the 243 Albertsons stores located throughout the Intermountain West division, 212 have already received redbox kiosks.
Read more
Read also, Research: DVD kiosk placements triple
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Investor's Business Daily: The number of DVD rental kiosks in the United States at the end of 2006 more than tripled from a year earlier, hitting 3,700 units. And that number could reach 9,000 by the end of this year. "They're really taking off," said Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research. "The real question is how far do they get."
Read more
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
(Jacksonville, Fla.) Daily Record: Ten charities, including Ronald McDonald House, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation and Kesler Mentoring Connection, are participating in Redbox's "Feelgood Movie Program." For the past month and a half, the 10 non-profit charities have been receiving monetary donations by the hour. The program, launched April 15, allows renters to donate the first night's rental fee of $1 to one of the charities.
Read more
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
Emsnow.com: Solectron Corp. recieved the 2007 Vendor Excellence Award from Redbox Automated Retail. The award honors companies that have driven the development, production and placement of Redbox DVD kiosks in grocery stores, McDonald's restaurants and other locations throughtout the United States.
Read more
Thursday, 24 May 2007
ATLANTA · The management team of FlickStation Media has confirmed they have received acquisition interest from a variety of interested parties and would start considering offers for their proprietary Automated DVD Kiosk and the technology that drives it.
"Our goal has always been to make the FlickStation fun to use and effortless to manage," said Dean Gebert, co-founder of FlickStation Media, in a news release. "We accomplished that goal by making the FlickStation an automated, turnkey solution that has no equal in the DVD Kiosk sector."
FlickStation Media's product offering is an enterprise-level suite of software and back-end data management services for the company's Automated DVD Kiosk.
The FlickStation solution features a customizable and localized GUI, as well as Web-based tools for real-time CRM and enterprise resource planning.
According to the release, researchers predict revenues from DVD kiosks will generate from $1 billion to $3 billion in coming years.
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
CINCINNATI · Kroger-owned Ralph's supermarkets, Food 4 Less and FoodsCo stores, all located in California, have completed the installation of 50 DVD-rental kiosks, bringing the stores' total number of kiosks to 161.
The kiosks, designed by The New Release (d.b.a. TNR), launched in Fresno, Sacramento, Salinas, Santa Maria, Cathedral City Chula Vista, Downey, Escondido, Fontana, Indio, Lancaster, North Hollywood, Ontario, Oxnard, Palmdale, Pasadena, Torrance, and Victorville.
"The Western United States has become one of TNR's biggest geographic regions, particularly California, and we consider this expansion as simply the beginning, based on the exceptional customer acceptance of the rental-kiosk concept and our strong relationship with Kroger," said Jeff Karbowiak, TNR's chief operating officer.
Thursday, 26 April 2007
PISCATAWAY, N.J. · E-Z Movie Rental, headquartered in Utah, used to have an established video rental service in the Foodland grocery store chain in Hawaii and in other states across the continental United States. In an attempt to streamline its business and reduce costs, E-Z Rental is slowly phasing out the shelf rack rental model and replacing it with ELO's automated DVD rental Kiosks.
"When you consider the costs of purchasing the titles, the labor involved in stocking the shelves and the fees paid to the store, the movie rental business has become less attractive as we have seen returns diminish overtime. Now, with these kiosks, we provide our customers the same great service but we increase our profit margins substantially," said Don Smart, chief executive of E-Z Movie Rental. "We have managed to squeeze a 200-300 square foot space into the DVmatic 550 that has a foot print of only 9 square feet. It is really unbelievable."
Smart has been successfully operating the DVmatic kiosks at a few Foodland prime and is contemplating replacing his shelf space with ELO's kiosks at all of his locations. The kiosks are Web-based and allow customers to reserve movies on-line and then go pick them up at the machine.
The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas (Maui, Hawaii) has also adopted one of ELO's DVD rental kiosks to provide the rental service to vacationers who are staying at the resort.
"Resorts must compete for vacationers by differentiating themselves," said Jeff Swanson, owner of the machine. "By providing this DVD rental service we accomplish two things · make the resort more attractive to vacationers and hopefully sell more time shares, and eliminate the hassle of dealing with patrons renting and returning movies while allowing the machine to do all the work."
The rental price at the resort is a whopping $6.00 per day. Jeff says that since resorts have a captive audience, customers are willing to pay a high premium for convenience. "Also, since there is not much foot traffic, we must charge a high price to make this a profitable business," he said.
Friday, 20 April 2007
Rfidjournal.com: Touch Automation is using RFID technology in CD- and DVD-rental kiosks. The company has deployed at least 1,000 kiosks, located mainly in grocery stores.
Read more
Monday, 16 April 2007
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. · Select Jewel-Osco locations are premiering redbox's fully automated DVD rental kiosks. Following a deal with SuperValu, redbox is installing its signature red kiosks at Jewel-Osco stores in Greater Chicago . By the end of April 2007, redbox expects to be available at almost all Jewel-Osco locations · nearly 185 stores.
"Featuring an unmatched price point, online guaranteed movie rentals and the convenience of renting and returning at your favorite retail locations, redbox is thrilled to introduce Jewel-Osco customers to the redbox experience," said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive of redbox. "Redbox continues to gain momentum in the marketplace as we offer consumers a quick, convenient way to rent their favorite new release titles."
Friday, 13 April 2007
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. · Renting movies in the Western United States is more convenient than ever as select Albertsons locations premiere redbox fully automated DVD rental kiosks. Following a recent agreement with SuperValu, the nation's third largest grocery provider, redbox is now installing its signature red kiosks at Albertsons stores throughout Southern California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming, Oregon, Utah and Washington. By the end of this month, redbox will be available at more than 350 Albertsons stores. Consumers may check out redbox DVDs for $1 per night at Albertsons locations, and can return DVDs to any redbox kiosk nationwide.
"Featuring an unmatched price point, online guaranteed movie rentals and the convenience of renting and returning at your favorite retail locations, redbox is thrilled to introduce Albertsons customers to the redbox experience,"� said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive of redbox. "Redbox continues to gain momentum in the marketplace as we offer consumers a quick, convenient way to rent their favorite new release titles."
"The redbox DVD rental kiosk is another way for Albertsons to keep up with the ever-changing video rental environment and provide a service which our customers are looking for," said Tom Lofland, vice president, center store, Albertsons Intermountain West Division. "Redbox's quick, self-service transaction is very easy and convenient for our customers and is a perfect fit for their busy lifestyles."
Redbox also recently announced it had surpassed 2,900 locations nationwide. The company started in 2003 with 12 machines.
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. · Redbox, a kiosk-based DVD-rental company, has surpassed 38 million rentals and 2,900 locations nationwide. Launching only 12 locations in 2003, redbox joins the top five DVD-rental companies in the United States, according to a news release.
In April, redbox says it expects to install more than 700 new locations, some of which will go in select grocery stores and additional McDonald's restaurants. In March redbox premiered in nearly 200 McDonald's restaurants in Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
"We are extremely proud to join the nation's top five DVD renters and reinforce our leadership position in the automated DVD rental category," said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive of redbox. By the end of June 2007, redbox will have doubled its Jan. 1, 2007, market presence to more than 4,000 locations nationwide."
Monday, 02 April 2007
Progressive Grocer: After two decades of renting videos, Wegmans Food Markets Inc. announced that all of its in-store video rental departments will close within the next six months to make way for Redbox video kiosks. The New York-based grocery made the decision to rethink the business in the face of the availability of new technology and will be redeploying video store workers in other area of the stores.
Read more
Friday, 30 March 2007
Videobusiness.com: Over the next five years, DVD kiosks could generate as much as $1 billion in revenue, representing 10 percent of the traditional rental market, according to a survey commissioned by kiosk firm TNR Entertainment Corp.
Read more
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
HOUSTON · In the first-ever comprehensive national survey of the DVD rental kiosk industry sector, 60 percent of current DVD renters expressed interest in renting from self-service DVD movie rental kiosks.
This represents a potential market approaching $1 billion over the next five years, applying selected data from the nationwide survey recently completed by TNR Entertainment Corp., owner and operator of DVD rental kiosks in supermarkets and grocery stores.
"There are several compelling factors supporting this significant migration from conventional rental venues. In addition to the strong national consumer interest highlighted in the survey, we have proven consumer demand in existing kiosk installations, exploding retailer adoption of the kiosk rental model, and the thousands of potential retail rooftops nationally · which translates into millions of future transactions,'' said Richard B. Cohen, chief executive of TNR Entertainment.
Among the findings in TNR's survey:
- Grocery retail-based DVD rental kiosks have broad consumer appeal among men and women of all ages and life stage classifications, especially those 30 to 54 years of age, and families with children.
- The rental kiosk value proposition to consumers is simple and compelling, driven by both lower movie rental costs and unmatched convenience · the "single trip" benefit.
- Reflecting the growth potential for the kiosk market, awareness is still developing · approximately one-third of all consumers surveyed indicated awareness of the self-serve DVD kiosk concept, but only 5 percent of the respondents had rented through one. Awareness and rental usage in more developed markets is substantially higher.
- Kiosk adopters would most likely migrate from traditional "brick and mortar" rental sources to the grocery or rental kiosk.
- More than one-third of DVD renters are frequent grocery shoppers, many visiting their grocery store on a daily basis.
Thursday, 22 March 2007
DOTHAN, Ala. · Movie Gallery announced that it is extending its movie kiosk program, which operates automated movie vending machines in supermarkets, malls and other high traffic areas.
The company currently has approximately 74 kiosk units in operation under the Hollywood Video brand and plans to rollout approximately 200 additional units during the course of 2007. The kiosk units provide around the clock availability of movies with minimal overhead and fixed costs.
Movie Gallery also announced that it will launch an online video rental service in mid-to-late 2007. The pilot phase implementation will be a low-cost friends and family program that will provide existing customers with another easy way to rent movies. The company believes that this new channel will complement its retail brick and mortar business and enhance consumer convenience and satisfaction.
"While we firmly believe that our retail brick and mortar stores will remain the foundation of our business, over the past three years we have been diligently pursuing alternative delivery platforms to further complement our base business," said Joe Malugen, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Movie Gallery.
Monday, 12 March 2007
Videostoremag.com: TNR Entertainment Group is launching a sweepstakes offering free movie rentals for a year. Starting March 16, TNR will hold a drawing and give one randomly chosen shopper the equivalent of free movie rentals for a year at the 1,500 The New Release-branded, $1-per-night rental machines across the country.
Read more
Thursday, 08 March 2007
SAN JOSE , Calif. · DVDPlay announced that David Borlo has been named vice president of business development. In his new role, Borlo will be responsible for managing the development and implementation of the company's global-sales strategy. By partnering with national grocery store chains, convenience stores and fast food chains, Borlo plans to grow DVDPlay's installed base 300 percent in the next two years.
Prior to joining DVDPlay, Borlo was founder and chief executive of Allure Fusion Media, a proprietary software solution company that specializes in creating digital networks for advertising, promotional and POS marketing. He has consulted as a digital media specialist for global retailers and global agencies, led innovation in digital signage and serves as a director for start-up companies. Borlo began his industry career at Earwax Productions in San Francisco .
Tuesday, 06 March 2007
Southbendtribune.com: With Redbox' DVD-rental kiosks entering the scene at more stores, questions about what might happen to traditional rental stores are being raised. Will more customers flock to the new rental kiosks or will they stick with the traditional way of renting movies?
Read more
Friday, 02 March 2007
DENVER -- Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owner of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, will bring single game and event ticket sales in-house for some of its venues using touchscreen kiosks in metro Denver Dick's Sporting Goods stores.
"We believe that we can save our fans money and provide the service our fans expect by operating our own ticketing system," KSE executive vice president Paul Andrews said. "Providing lower service fees and increased knowledge of our venues and events is something we believe is appealing to Denver's sports and entertainment fans."
The 2007 season of Colorado Rapids soccer, including the 2007 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, will be the first set of events to go on sale using the in-house system. The Rapids' season begins April 7 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a stadium that holds 18,000 for sporting events and up to 27,000 for concerts. Concerts taking place at the Paramount Theatre after July 1 also will be sold through the in-house system. Events at Pepsi Center and CityLights Pavilion will continue to be ticketed by Ticketmaster.
Friday, 02 March 2007
NORTH CANTON, Ohio -- DVDPlay, Inc., the leading operator of DVD rental kiosks, has signed an exclusive service agreement with Diebold, Incorporated to provide installation, maintenance and support for DVDPlay's rapidly growing network of DVD movie- rental kiosks. The agreement will cover more than 3,000 kiosks DVDPlay plans to have installed by the end of 2007.
"DVD movie-rental kiosks provide our customers with the convenience of renting a DVD in locations where they shop for other products," said Chuck Berger, chairman and CEO of DVDPlay. "Our goal is to have virtually 100 percent uptime at our kiosks and address any problems in hours, not days. Diebold Premier Services helped us to create a strong service support strategy to deliver on that commitment."
The DVDPlay kiosks under the agreement are installed in supermarkets and high-traffic retail locations throughout North America. The kiosks feature patent-pending software that enables dynamic pricing, promotion, inventory management, advertising and movie trailer insertions while capturing key business metrics. Diebold technicians will be dispatched from Diebold service centers across the country to address installation, service and repair issues.
"Diebold's service organization has supported self-service technology in ATMs for years," Berger said. "The company's project managers can help us identify service-related issues ahead of time, and its technicians already understand the technology involved."
DVDPlay kiosks enable customers to rent DVDs through an interface resembling an online checkout. The kiosks feature an inventory of DVDs that is updated every week with the latest releases. DVDPlay rental kiosks can provide consumers with DVD rentals at more competitive pricing than large movie rental chains.
Thursday, 22 February 2007
HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas has emerged as one of the most significant geographic markets for DVD rental kiosks with the recent expansion by TNR Entertainment Corp., the nation's largest owner and operator of DVD rental kiosks in supermarkets and grocery stores operating under The New Release brand.
The company recently announced that it has completed the installation of an additional 51 automated DVD rental kiosks at high traffic grocery stores throughout Texas. The new agreement with a major food retailer, part of TNR's ongoing aggressive expansion program nationwide, increases TNR's installed base to nearly 400 kiosks in Texas and makes the state one of the Company's largest single geographic markets.
"This new agreement will enable TNR to introduce even more customers in Texas - our home base - to the convenience and value afforded by the DVD kiosk rental concept," stated Jeff Karbowiak, COO of TNR Entertainment.
The new kiosks are located throughout central and southern Texas in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Laredo, Waco and surrounding areas.
TNR has served nearly 1.3 million customers and rented more than 9 million DVDs since its inception in 2002. The privately-held company, based in Houston, dominates the self-service DVD rental category in the grocery channel. TNR currently has more than 1,300 locations across the country in such grocery chains as A&P, Dillon's, Food-4-Less, Food Lion, Fry's, H-E-B, Kroger, King Soopers, Publix, Quality Food Centers, Ralph's, Roundy's/Pick 'N Save, and Spartan/Family Fare.
Tuesday, 20 February 2007
Lvbusinesspress.com: As brick-and-mortar video stores fight it out for a share of the declining video-rental market, the kiosk industry is giving the Las Vegas Valley its attention.
Redbox, an Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based firm was among the first to enter the fray last year, Now the big, red box may have some competition for movie renters seeking maximum convenience.
TRN Entertainment is hoping to outfox Redbox. The Houston-based firm is in the process of installing 15 movie-rental kiosks in Food 4 Less grocery stores.
Read more
Friday, 16 February 2007
Bankokpost.com: Content provider RS will re-launch its ready-to-download card this month as part of its plans to increase online content sales. The card will be changed to a reloadable stored-value card, and the company expects to offer incentives and rewards that allow it to track consumer behavior. RS also is testing a kiosk that offers movie downloads.
Read more
Tuesday, 06 February 2007
MINNEAPOLIS · SUPERVALU expects to roll out Redbox automated DVD rental kiosks at its Acme, Albertsons, Bigg's, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's, Jewel-Osco, Scott's Food & Pharmacy, Shaw's, Shop n Save, and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy locations, as well as other retail outlets. The Redbox DVD rental kiosks allow customers to use a touchscreen to select movies and pay with a credit or debit.
"Offering our customers in-store DVD rentals is just another way we are striving to make our customers' busy lives easier," said Duncan Mac Naughton, SUPERVALU's executive vice president of merchandising and marketing. "This service will enable our customers to combine two trips and save time."
The agreement with Redbox follows a successful pilot in several SUPERVALU locations.
"We are thrilled with the continued success of Redbox and the opportunity to build our reach and service for SUPERVALU customers," said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive of Redbox. "This is a great opportunity to introduce more consumers to the Redbox experience."
Each kiosk holds more than 500 DVDs.
Tuesday, 06 February 2007
HOUSTON · DVD rental kiosks from The New Release, a.k.a TNR,can now be found in three new markets on the West Coast.
According to a news release, the owner and operator of DVD rental kiosks in grocery stores is continuing its nationwide expansion with the installation of 174 kiosks in California, Nevada and Arizona.
The new kiosks, owned and operated under The New Release brand, are located in 75 Ralph's supermarkets and Food 4 Less stores in Southern California. Another 90 sites are planned in other parts of the state later this year.
In addition, TNR has installed 26 rental kiosks in Arizona at Fry's stores throughout Phoenix and Tucson , and 15 more at Food 4 Less locations in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nev. An additional 91 kiosks are planned for Arizona this year.
"The Western United States is a huge market for us, and this phase is only the beginning of a major presence for TNR," said Jeff Karbowiak, chief operating officer of TNR. "Our relationship with Kroger has enabled us to enter these markets quickly with a substantial deployment of kiosks."
Additional West Coast expansion plans in 2007 include installing more than 50 kiosks for the first time in Washington and Oregon. TNR says it expects to triple its network of 1,300 kiosks across 30 states by the end of 2007.
Monday, 22 January 2007
SAN JOSE, Calif. · DVDPlay, owner/operator of DVD rental kiosks, announced that Tom Szwak has joined the company as vice president of video.
Szwak joins DVDPlay from Monterey Media where he served as senior vice president of sales and drove sales of new release and catalog DVD and VHS product to retailers, distributors and Internet sites in the U.S. and Canada. Earlier in his 24-year career, Tom was vice president of purchasing at Blockbuster Entertainment where he was responsible for the purchasing and distribution of all products and merchandise to over 4,000 Blockbuster corporate stores, and for negotiating agreements with studios and distributors. Szwak left Blockbuster to take the position of senior VP of acquisitions and development, and later senior vice president of sales at Republic Pictures.
"Tom's leadership will play an instrumental role in developing and maintaining the strategic alliances with industry vendors," said Chuck Berger, chairman and chief executive of DVDPlay. "We are delighted to welcome Tom to our executive team. He brings a wealth of industry experience and expertise in purchasing to DVDPlay. His role is critical as we accelerate our roll out of DVDPlay kiosks to supermarkets, convenience stores, military installations and other high-traffic locations across the country."
Tuesday, 02 January 2007
Video Business: After a series of false starts, DVD burning has cleared its last technical hurdle, smoothing the way for movie download services and DVD kiosk companies to offer on-demand disc burning using CSS copy-protection technology.
Read more
Monday, 04 December 2006
Chain Store Age: DVD rental-kiosk company TNR Entertainment Corp. has just completed the installation of 170 new kiosks in Kroger stores operating throughout the Atlanta region. Operating under The New Release brand, TNR's newly established Atlanta presence is a part of its nationwide expansion efforts. TNR is adding more than 1,300 kiosks across 25 markets nationwide by early next year.
Read more
Thursday, 30 November 2006
Forbes.com: Redbox, the nation's leader in automated DVD rental services, and McDonald's announced an agreement to offer fully automated DVD rental kiosks to a growing number of McDonald's restaurants nationwide. Redbox kiosks will begin appearing in McDonald's restaurants in select new U.S. markets early next year, offering McDonald's customers the latest DVD titles for only $1 per night.
Read more
Wednesday, 29 November 2006
HOUSTON - TNR Entertainment Corp., owner and operator of DVD rental kiosks in supermarkets and grocery stores under the brand "The New Release," has just completed the installation of 170 new kiosks in Kroger stores throughout Greater Atlanta.
"The growth and vitality of Atlanta and surrounding areas make it an ideal choice for one of our largest geographic market installations," said Jeff Karbowiak, chief operating officer of TNR Entertainment. "This major new market for TNR is not only a significant extension of our strong relationship with Kroger, but it also allows us to introduce The New Release's unmatched convenience and value."
The new kiosks are located throughout Atlanta, Canton, Decatur, Douglasville, Dunwoody, Fayetteville, Gainesville, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Newnan, Roswell, Smyrna, and Tucker, among other sites.
Wednesday, 11 October 2006
The Chicago Tribune: Walgreen Co. is getting into the movie rental business. The nation's largest drugstore chain teamed with Redbox Automated Retail LLC, a McDonald's Corp. joint venture, to test DVD-rental vending machines at 38 stores in the Chicago area and Greater Houston. The fee is $1 and can be paid with a credit or debit card.
Wednesday, 20 September 2006
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. · Redbox, operator of fully automated DVD rental kiosks, announced it is adding an online reservation functionality.
Beginning Sept. 25, consumers can visit the Redbox Web site to confirm their chosen movies will be in stock. Once payment is confirmed, the selected DVDs are guaranteed to be available at chosen locations. Leveraging real-time inventory data, the site will provide an alternative location if the selected kiosk does not have the title in stock.
Customers can keep the DVDs for as long as they'd like for only $1 per night plus tax, and return their DVDs to any Redbox kiosk nationwide.
Tuesday, 12 September 2006
TOKYO - With one vending machine per an estimated 23 people, Japan has one of the world's highest vending machine densities per capita. One can buy almost anything from a kiosk or vending machine, from ice cream, rice and noodles, to watches, cell phones and even underwear. Now DVDs are joining that list.
Astala Vista, based in Tokyo, recently placed 10 automated DVD rental machines provided by ELO Media in Tokyo subway stations. The kiosks, branded in Tokyo under the Astala Vista name, will dispense the latest Japanese and Hollywood flicks for ¥350 (U.S. $3).
After a long search for the right automated DVD rental kiosk to bring to Japan, Astala Vista has contracted with ELO Media to provide its kiosks, network and software.
"We considered developing our own product since most vending machines and networks are produced locally, but we realized it would take too long and require much capital," said Mr. Saito, president of Astala. "It made more sense to contract an existing provider such as ELO Media that had years of experience and a good product."
Astala Vista plans to pilot the 10 machines in Tokyo subway stations for the next several months before installing another 50 by year-end. In the next two to three years, Saito believes it will quickly capture the Japanese market with several thousand machines.
"The average Japanese enduser is familiar with using kiosks for their services and is much further ahead of the American consumer in that respect. We believe this will catch on quite rapidly."
Tuesday, 05 September 2006
The New Zealand Herald: In a sign of the looming decline for the traditional movie rental and music retail business, Blockbuster is merging with CD chain Sounds. Icon Digital Entertainment (a new company owned by Blockbuster's New Zealand master franchisee Steve Dods) bought the local management of the Blockbuster brand, the 50-store Sounds music chain and specialist gaming retailer Games Plus. The merger will see Blockbuster stores expand into new areas, including digital downloading and retailing DVDs, CDs and computer games.
Users can now download movies, music and mobilephone ring tones over the Internet, posing a threat to the traditional movie rental store and music retailer. Dods said downloading kiosks would ensure Blockbuster could claim some of that business and would be rolled out in stores next month.
Read more
Tuesday, 05 September 2006
Dallas -- A new compact DVD vending kiosk has been released by TELeasy Corp., a Dallas-area company.
"It's a unique product," a TELeasy spokesman said. "The Mini Quik Flik can now exist in gas-stations, laundry rooms, convenience stores, mail rooms, coffee shops, etc. without taking up too much room and can still offer up to 300 movies for rent or sale."
The kiosk takes up less than 2 square feet of floor space. It is modular and it is substantially cheaper than TELeasy's standard Quik Flik kiosk.
The kiosk can be purchased to hold a minimum of 75 DVDs to a maximum of 300 DVDs. Increasing the kiosks' storage can be done with additional carousels.
Thursday, 31 August 2006
NEW YORK · DVDXpress Inc., operator of automated DVD rental kiosks, announced the launch of its Internet Reservations Service · a service that allows customers to go online and find what DVDs are in stock at any kiosk in the DVDXpress network. According to a news release, customers can reserve delete movies of their choice online.
"Due to the popularity of the DVDXpress kiosks among supermarket customers, our retail partners asked us to come up with a way to make the rental process even faster and more convenient for movie renters," said Arun Mathur, chief marketing officer for DVDXpress. "Now with the ability to browse and reserve DVD titles via the Internet, DVDXpress kiosks will be able to serve more customers even faster."
"We are thrilled to offer our customers the additional convenience of reserving DVDs online to pick up at the DVDXpress kiosks in our stores," said John Symons, executive vice president of sales and operations for BI-LO/Bruno's. "This has the dual benefit of speeding up the rental process at the kiosk and providing certainty that a shopper's favorite movie will be available when he or she makes the trip to the kiosk."
Wednesday, 30 August 2006
The video rental business changed the way consumers watch movies. Today another revolution is underway, changing the way consumers acquire and view their chosen films.
DVD rental kiosks performed well in 2005, with several companies jockeying for position in the newly formed space. DVDPlay reported a growth of 200 percent from the previous year, as well as an infusion of $20 million in venture capital from El Dorado Ventures. The company rented its 5 millionth movie in June 2006.
Redbox, the high profile venture that is backed by McDonald's and Coinstar, announced plans to be in 2,000 retail locations by the end of 2006. Coinstar has said that DVD rental devices are among its most profitable machines, outranking coin counting, vending and ATMs combined.
DVDNow, which distributes its machines through partnerships with local site owners, announced plans to be in 1,000 locations by the end of 2007. The company's business model, which allows site owners to purchase the machines outright, results in a mix of inventory that is reflective of regional demand.
Thursday, 10 August 2006
San Francisco Gate: A film-industry group is set to remove some of the procedural hurdles that prevented the legal recording of movies onto blank DVDs · a further sign that Hollywood studios are preparing to expand what consumers can do with downloadable movies.
Under rule changes soon expected to be finalized by the DVD Copy Control Association, retailers could create movie jukebox kiosks, with which customers can select, say, an obscure title and burn it to a DVD on the spot.
"It'll open the floodgates for a lot more premium content to be burned onto DVD," said Jim Taylor, a general manager at digital-video-software company Sonic Solutions.
Read more
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Daily Advance: First he was a Blockbuster customer. Then Internet DVD rental sites took off, and Rob Reardon switched to Netflix.
But when you're a movie buff watching at least three movies a week, new ways to get them are always alluring and Reardon confesses a new love -- he's fallen for Redbox.
Read more.
Thursday, 13 July 2006
Video Business: After about a year in limbo, DVDPlay has recommitted to installing rental kiosks in the entire Safeway grocery chain.
The company first moved its machines into Safeway stores in the spring of 2005, but DVDPlay stalled after 60 locations due to a lack of funding. After a $40 million infusion of capital and the appointment of new chief executive Chuck Berger, DVDPlay is set to roll into 1,600 Safeways by the middle of 2007.
Read more
Thursday, 06 July 2006
ePaynews: DVD rental kiosks are moving out of convenience stores and gas stations and into laundromats, health clubs, pharmacies and office towers as entrepreneurs test the new model. Rental stores such as California-based Valley Home Video are converting store space to DVD kiosks in response to rental-market conditions.
Read more
Wednesday, 05 July 2006
MercuryNews.com: DVDPlay of Los Gatos, Calif. raised more than $20 million in new equity financing from El Dorado Ventures, Emergence Capital Partners, Palo Alto Venture Partners and Vanguard Ventures, which participated equally in the funding. To date, DVDPlay has raised nearly $40 million.
The new financing will be used to fund DVDPlay's national rollout of its Internet-connected DVD rental kiosks. Each kiosk occupies about 5.5 square feet and has the capacity to hold more than 500 discs. The units are designed to be located in high-traffic locations such as grocery stores, convenience stores, business complexes, gas stations, colleges or even large apartment complexes.
Read more.
Tuesday, 27 June 2006
LOS GATOS, Calif. - DVDPlay, Inc., the leading U.S. manufacture and operator of DVD rental kiosks, announced today that it rented its 5 millionth DVD movie. DVDPlay's rental growth rate continues to accelerate - outpacing traditional big box rental store rates by a wide margin. All DVDPlay new release and top hit movies rent from $1.00 to $1.49, depending on kiosk location. First-time rental is free.
"We reached the four million rental mark on December 19, 2005, the five million mark on June 15, 2006 and we expect to hit 10 million rentals by year end," said Chuck Berger, Chairman and CEO of DVDPlay. "Our automated kiosks are rapidly gaining traction in retail stores and consumer acceptance has surpassed even our most optimistic plans."
Read more.
|
