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  • Redbox Instant Is Already Officially Dead

    Redbox Instant Is Already Officially Dead

    Redbox Instant, which was once considered a possible threat to Netflix, is already shutting down less than two years after its launch. Of course it was really only considered a threat to Netflix before its launch, which was completely underwhelming with a very lackluster catalog compared to the streaming giant’s.

    Redbox Instant was the result of a partnership between Redbox parent Outewrall (originally Coinstar) and Verizon The service actually carried the Verizon brand under the banner Redbox Instant by Verizon. A message on the service’s site says:

    Thank you for being a part of Redbox Instant by Verizon. Please be aware that the service will be shut down on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

    Information on applicable refunds will be emailed to current customers and posted here on October 10.

    In the meantime, you may continue to stream movies and use your Redbox kiosk credits until Tuesday, October 7 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

    We apologize for any inconvenience and we thank you for the opportunity to entertain you.

    Sincerely,
    The Redbox Instant by Verizon Team

    Some now wonder how long Redbox itself will be around as physical discs work their way closer to obsolescence.

    Image via Redbox Instant

  • PlayStation 4 Video Streaming Apps Officially Announced

    Throughout the past eight years, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii consoles have slowly become more than video game machines. Each console now has access to a number of streaming video and other apps that expand their functionality beyond household gamers. The PlayStation 3 even managed to become the most-used Netflix streaming device last year.

    With the next console generation only weeks away, consumers are now expecting the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to have streaming video apps from day one. Though Microsoft has certainly let it be known that TV is a focus for the Xbox One, Sony has been focusing on gamer nostalgia for its PlayStation 4 marketing campaign.

    Today, with the launch of the PlayStation 4 only eight days away, Sony has finally revealed what streaming video apps its new console will have available at launch.

    Unsurprisingly, the most popular streaming video apps will all be on the PS4 day-one. Netflix and Hulu Plus will be available, as will Amazon Instant Video and even Redbox Instant. Streaming sports will also make an appearance with the NBA Game Time and NHL GameCenter Live apps, which also require subscriptions to use. Those with access to the EPIX channel can also enjoy that channel’s programming on a PS4 and the VUDU streaming video store will also be available.

    Beyond the obvious apps, the PS4 will also have several niche video streaming apps. Sony’s Crackle is a given, but the Crunchyroll app will come as a nice surprise for fans of Anime programming. Also, the YuppTV app will be available, providing access to over 150 Indian TV channels and hundreds of Indian movies.

  • Chromecast To Get More Content From Vimeo, Redbox Instant

    Google surprised everyone last week with the announcement of the Chromecast. The Chrome OS-based Nexus Q successor streams content directly to your TV from YouTube, Netflix and even your Chrome browser. Google said it would work to secure more partners to bring more content to the device, and those partners are already lining up.

    Gigaom reports that both Vimeo and Redbox Instant have said they’re working to integrate Chromecast into their apps. Other services like Plex and HBO Go haven’t officially said they would be supporting the new device, but signs are pointing to both announcing something in the near future.

    All of this support for Chromecast is the perfect illustration of why it may very well succeed where the Nexus Q failed. For starters, it’s incredibly cheap at $35, but more importantly, it’s easy to develop for. Google has already released a Chromecast SDK preview and developers need only integrate it into their own app. Most other devices, like Roku, require companies to build apps specifically for it.

    The Chromecast has been out for less than a week and its prospects are already looking far better than the Nexus Q’s. It doesn’t hurt that the device is backordered on the Google Play Store while the majority of reviews have been positive. It really looks like Google has a hit on their hands with Chromecast, and this recent surge of support from content companies is a good sign.

    As an aside, you might want to check out ifixit’s teardown of the Chromecast. Google packed quite a bit of tech into the tiny dongle, and it gives you a new appreciation for how much of an improvement it is over the ill-fated Nexus Q.

  • Redbox Instant Will Soon Be On Roku

    Redbox Instant Will Soon Be On Roku

    Roku announced on Thursday that it will soon be getting Redbox Instant. Roku announced writes in a blog post:

    We’re always working to bring Roku customers the best range and quality in streaming entertainment, and today we’re excited to announce that Redbox Instant by Verizon will arrive on the Roku platform this summer!

    Redbox Instant subscribers will be able to enjoy thousands of popular movies on Roku as well as buy and rent the newest releases on-demand.

    The channel will be available on Roku 3, Roku 2, Roku LT (models 2400 & 2450), and Roku HD (model 2500) players in addition to the Roku Streaming Stick when Verizon launches it.

    Redbox also announced this week that Redbox Instant is now available for Google TV, working on the following devices: the 47G2 and 55G2 Google TV-enabled Smart TVs from LG, NETGEAR’s NeoTV Prime with Google TV, the Sony Internet Player NSZ-GS7, and the Vizio Co-Star.

    Clearly getting on as many devices as possible will be key to the success of the service as it competes with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and others.

  • Redbox Instant Now Available For Google TV

    Google announced today that there is now a Redbox Instant by Verizon app for Google TV.

    Redbox Instant senior product manager Brad Bowers writes on the Google TV blog, “It’s Friday night and you want to watch a movie. Great! If you have Google TV, now you can enjoy a flick in your living room using the Redbox Instant by Verizon app available through a supported Google TV device.”

    The app works on the following devices: the 47G2 and 55G2 Google TV-enabled Smart TVs from LG, NETGEAR’s NeoTV Prime with Google TV, the Sony Internet Player NSZ-GS7, and the Vizio Co-Star.

    Redbox notes that you need to make sure you have the latest version of your device’s firmware.

    Redbox Instant on Google TV

    Redbox Instant on Google TV

    “The app delivers the full Redbox Instant by Verizon experience right to your living room,” says Bowers. “This includes access to your subscription disc and streaming package, and ability to purchase and rent the latest new releases from the Redbox Instant store.”

    You can sign up for the service from the web or through the app itself.

  • Redbox Hits 1M Rentals in Canada in Just 10 Months

    Redbox has just hit a major milestone in Canada. In only 10 months after launching the first kiosks outside of Vancouver (and eventually spreading across Western Canada), the company has hit 1 million total rentals.

    To celebrate this milestone, Redbox is offering specific rental deals to Canadians, which can be found on Redbox Canada’s Facebook page until April 11th.

    “We’re delighted that Canadians have chosen Redbox as their destination for easy, affordable entertainment a million times over in just 10 months,” said Ron Cihocki, country manager, Redbox Canada. “To thank Canada for helping us reach our one millionth rental, we invite customers to enjoy great rental offers by visiting our Facebook page over the coming weeks.”

    For Redbox, Canada is a market in its infancy. In the U.S., Redbox sees 62 million rentals a month. As of the end of 2012, Redbox had rented out over 2.5 billions discs to U.S. customers.

    Of course, Redbox kiosks are everywhere in the U.S., with over 34,000 locations nationwide. 68% of the U.S. population lives within a 5-minute drive of a Redbox kiosks. By comparison, there’s less than a thousand Redbox kiosks in Canada – so 1 million rentals is a big deal.

    Redbox kiosks in Canada, like Redbox kiosks in the U.S., have just recently received a boost from the brand new Redbox Instant service.

    Redbox Instant, the company’s streaming service with partner Verizon, just launched out of beta and became open to the public earlier this month. The service costs $8 a month for unlimited streaming of over 4,500 movies (no TV shows yet), and also contains 4 free DVD rentals built into the monthly price.

  • Redbox Instant’s Xbox 360 App Is Now Live

    Redbox Instant’s Xbox 360 App Is Now Live

    Another piece of the Redbox Instant puzzle has just fallen into place, as the Redbox Instant app for Xbox 360 is now available to download. Microsoft first announced the app back in February, saying that it would be coming in the “very near future.” It looks like they were waiting for Redbox Instant to come out of its beta period.

    Which is what happened last week. After a three-month beta, Redbox Instant finally launched to the public.

    Redbox Instant costs $8 a month, and that includes unlimited streaming of all 4,600 movies (no TV shows yet) in the Redbox Instant catalog, as well as a bonus 4 free DVD rentals from Redbox kiosks (which pays for over half the price itself, when you think about it). For $9 a month, you can upgrade your subscription to include Blu-Ray discs in the total package.

    As of now, this is an exclusive deal – the Xbox 360 is the only console to feature a Redbox Instant app.

    “Attention Redbox fans: the Redbox Instant by Verizon app is available on Xbox 360 now. Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers in the U.S. can sign up for Redbox Instant by Verizon and start enjoying Hollywood’s newest releases, in addition to a movie-lovers collection of popular classics available for unlimited streaming. Redbox Instant by Verizon also offers the ability to purchase and rent new releases and stream them directly into your living room through Xbox 360 without needing a subscription.” says the Major Nelson blog.

    The Redbox Instant app also supports voice and gesture control via Kinect.

    Yes, as with most streaming apps on the Xbox 360, a Xbox Live Gold membership is required. If you’re not a Gold member and you still want to check out Redbox Instant app – you’re in luck. The app will be unlocked for all Xbox LIVE members for a limited time.

  • Redbox Instant Now Open to the Public

    Redbox Instant Now Open to the Public

    Back in January, at CES, Redox Instant CEO Shawn Strickland said that the service would move out of beta and be open to everyone by the end of March.

    And it looks like he’s a man of his word. Today, Redbox Instant is officially open to the public.

    “Disc + digital for everyone! We’re now open to the public,” tweeted Redbox Instant this afternoon.

    Redbox Instant, which launched its private beta back in December, costs $8 a month and gives subscribers access to over 4,500 movies (no TV shows yet). There’s also a bonus 4 free DVD rentals built in to the monthly price, which pays for over half the fee itself.

    Redbox Instant doesn’t boast the quantity or quality of content available on Netflix Instant. A recent analysis showed that out of the “first 50″ titles streaming on Redbox Instant, 40 are available on Netflix too. It’s not to say that Redbox doesn’t bring anything to the table, but it’s going to fight to compete with the entrenched services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

    Back in February, we learned that Redbox Instant would be coming to the Xbox 360 as a console exclusive. Of course, to access that app you have to be a Xbox Live Gold member.

    [GigaOm]

  • Redbox Instant Coming (Exclusively) to Xbox 360 in the “Very Near Future”

    Redbox Instant Coming (Exclusively) to Xbox 360 in the “Very Near Future”

    Microsoft has just announced that Redbox Instant, the company’s streaming video venture with Verizon, will be coming to the Xbox 360 as as console exclusive.

    “Today we’re happy to reveal that Redbox Instant by Verizon will be coming to Xbox 360 in the very near future,” says the Major Nelson blog. No other details were provided on the exact launch date of the new app, simply the “very near future.”

    Also adding to a vagueness is the phrase “coming days,” which is the time frame in which current Redbox Instant beta participants will receive an email with a special access code. Redbox Instant is currently in a beta testing phase, but is likely to open up to everyone by March.

    As is the case with Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu, and most other Xbox apps, an Xbox LIVE Gold membership will be required to use the new Redbox Instant app. Redbox Instant itself costs $8 a month ($9 for Blu-ray), and that includes full streaming access as well as four additional physical rentals.

    Score one for Microsoft as they’ve just landed another streaming video option to tempt users into paying for Xbox LIVE Gold – even if Redbox Instant’s current offerings leave a lot to be desired.

  • Redbox Instant Will Open Up to Everyone By March

    Redbox Instant Will Open Up to Everyone By March

    Redbox Instant will be available to everyone in the U.S. by the end of the first quarter, according to a statement from CEO Shawn Strickland today at CES.

    After a long wait, Redbox Instant by Verizon finally launched in beta last month. It’s a gradual rollout, and as of right now you still need an invitation to be able to join.

    The service costs $8 a month, and gives subscribers access to a library of 4,500 films. Film, specifically, as the service doesn’t yet offer any TV shows.

    Of course, Redbox Instant will be competing with other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Instant Video. As you would expect from any brand new streaming service, it’s starting off kind of slow. That is, the selection is not quite on par with its competitors. A recent analysis showed that out of the “first 50” titles streaming on Redbox Instant, 40 are available on Netflix too. Redbox Instant will continues to add titles leading up to its public launch, but it has a ways to go to match the content options available on other services.

    What it does have, however is that nice little bonus built into the subscription: 4 free DVD rentals from Redbox kiosks. That alone is worth $4 of the monthly price.

    [via VentureBeat]

  • Redbox Instant’s Early Streaming Selection Doesn’t Hold Up to Netflix

    Redbox Instant’s Early Streaming Selection Doesn’t Hold Up to Netflix

    It’s a given that streaming services aren’t very good when they begin. Netflix’s Watch Instantly service was filled with obscure programming for at least a year before deals were made to provide subscribers with decent content. So, it’s no surprise that Verizon’s Redbox Instant doesn’t yet have the exclusives that would set it apart from other, more established video streaming services.

    An analyst with BTIG today released a comparison of Redbox Instant to other popular streaming services, and the outlook isn’t pretty. Of the “first 50” titles Redbox Instant will have streaming at launch, 40 of them can also be found on Netflix. The remaining 10 aren’t the type of movies that will sell the service to customers, at least not the ones that have the money to pay for a streaming video service. Many of the exclusives consist of concert flicks such as Taylor Swift: Just For You, Biebermania, and Lady Gaga: One Sequin at a Time. Killjoy 3 is also included, for fans of obscure horror.

    That isn’t to say Redbox Instant will be devoid of popular movies. Thor, Rango, and the latest Transformers movie can be found on the service. It’s just that they can also be found streaming through Netflix, Amazon, and Epix.

    So, Redbox Instant will be off to the slow start that other video streaming services. However, it’s a necessary step for Redbox, as even their breakthrough kiosk business will eventually become outdated as physical media formats become obsolete. With this in mind, Redbox Instant’s offers of bundled-in kiosk DVD rentals could help the service build a solid base of customers in the short-term.

  • Redbox Instant Finally Here, Kevin McAllister Ecstatic

    The Redbox Instant Twitter account tweeted the big news today. The service (by Verizon) is starting its gradual roll-out (but you do still need to get on the waiting list).

    Redbox Instant is here

    The service is $8 a month (it’s free for one month), and gives users access to unlimited streaming movies and 4 DVD credits per month.

    The U.S. has been waiting nearly a year for Redbox to launch its answer to Netflix Instant, and now the battle should heat up substantially. It will be quite interesting to see how many deals Redbox is able to make to get more content. Right now, the service has a long way to go to catch up to Netflix on that front. It doesn’t even have TV shows, and the movie selection is far less than Netflix, but it is just getting started. Let’s see how it plays out.

    The mobile apps are now in Google Play and the App Store (via 9to5Google).

  • Redbox Instant Release Date And Pricing May Have Been Leaked

    Redbox Instant should be launching soon. Reports back in the summer had it pegged to launch late this year. Now, here we are heading into December, and nothing yet (other than the closed beta, of course).

    GigaOm’s Janko Roettgers stumbled across a help section about the service, which has now been removed from public view. According to Roettgers, the section revealed that subscriptions are priced at $6 a month for unlimited access to the subscription video catalog and $8 a month for that plus four Redbox credits, good for DVD rentals. Users will be able to reserve the rentals from the Instant site, Roettgers says.

    The service also provides on-demand rentals and sales, starting at $0.99 with service available on the web, Android, iOS, Xbox 360, and some Samsung TVs and Blu-Ray players.

    A possible release date was also revealed, according to the report, as beta testers are told that they won’t be able to access DVDs through the subscriptions until December 17.

    Of course, being how none of this is public, any of it is subject to change, so we’ll have to keep everything here filed in the rumor department for the time being.

    Redbox Instant is a joint venture between Redbox and Verizon. TiVo settled litigation with Verizon in September, and part of the agreement involved TiVo and Verizon “exploring, among other things, future distribution of Internet video services” developed through the joint venture – namely Redbox Instant.

  • Redbox Instant Streaming Service Coming Your Way…Eventually

    Redbox Instant Streaming Service Coming Your Way…Eventually

    If you’re looking for another way to stream video other than the already available options like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and the like – another service is one step closer to becoming a reality.

    Back in February, Redbox parent company Coinstar and Verizon announced a partnership that they said would culminate in the launch of an all-new Redbox streaming service, titled “Redbox Instant.” We were told that the service would be subscription-based, and would include packages that gave subscribers access to physical DVDs as Redbox Kiosks as well as access to the streaming content.

    Now, according to Fast Company, Redbox Instant is launching in internal alpha testing today. Soon after that, we’ll see a beta program, and eventually the service will go live in the closing months of 2012.

    The Redbox Instant website is up and displays this landing page:

    We still don’t know anything about the pricing structure – except that it will definitely be subscription based. Here’s all that the Redbox Instant site has to offer right now:

    All consumers have immediate access to new-release DVD and Blu-ray Disc® movie rentals through more than 36,800 Redbox kiosks nationwide and can instantly view popular entertainment content anywhere, anytime, using the devices they prefer with a Redbox Instant by Verizon subscription and video on-demand streaming service. The venture plans to introduce its unique product portfolio in the second half of 2012.

    “DVDs at the kiosk + instant streaming hits, all in one fist-pumpin package.” Sounds like a worthy competitor for your streaming video dollars – but we’ll have to see the details before we make any such assertions.