Blockbuster, Redbox adding rental kiosks at ridiculous speed

The DVD rental kiosk war continues to heat up, with NCR acquiring competitor DVDPlay to add around 1,300 kiosks under its Blockbuster Express umbrella, while Coinstar joyfully announced its surpassed expectations with the rollout of Redbox, now numbering 22,210 installations. For the last six months its maintained a pace of more than one kiosk every hour, 24/7. Is there anywhere you'd like to see one of these automated dispensaries that doesn't have one yet? Odds are there will be three new ones by the time you finish reading this post.

[wryker Posted Dec 10th 2009 4:36PM]

I've seen maybe 2 in Nashvegas - has yet to make any inroads here (and those two are Redbox)

[Mitchell Posted Dec 10th 2009 4:44PM]

They are all over KC but completely worthless as they don't have BD.

[Brian Posted Dec 10th 2009 6:52PM]

I am seeing them pop up all over around Seattle. But I haven't found any with Blu-rays. :(

[buriblazing Posted Dec 10th 2009 8:40PM]

Bring it ! the more the better competion

[sivartk Posted Dec 10th 2009 10:11PM]

The reserve online is the best part about RedBox. If Blockbuster doesn't do the same, they won't see my business.

There are about 16 redbox locations within 5 miles of me. Several of them 2 units at a single store.

[ah2049 Posted Dec 11th 2009 4:30AM]

I've seen three Red Boxes here in little Delaware. Two at two different Royal Farms locations, and one at a Wal-Mart.

I hope that they start offering Blu-Rays soon. That would increase popularity since Blu-ray players have come down in price so much recently.

[morphinapg Posted Dec 11th 2009 5:03AM]

I love these things but they are horrible for the economy. These types of things along with netflix are putting the video rental stores out of business, and with that taking away tons of jobs.

[moneymark Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:25PM]

@(Unverified)

Right, cause no one has to develop the software for distribution or disc management, run their massive business, run their distribution centers, or expand their business at Netflix. You're right, those 3 jobs at near minimum wage at your local Blockbuster are saving our country, we're all damned now cause of Netflix creating jobs throughout the salary spectrum. Oh and those Kiosks make themselves too, I almost forgot to add that.

[moneymark Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:30PM]

@(Unverified)

Right, cause no one has to develop the software for distribution or disc management, run their massive business, run their distribution centers, or expand their business at Netflix. You're right, those 3 jobs at near minimum wage at your local Blockbuster are saving our country, we're all damned now cause of Netflix creating jobs throughout the salary spectrum. Oh and those Kiosks make themselves too, I almost forgot to add that.

[blackacex22 Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:30PM]

@(Unverified) I worked at a video store for a year or so. It's a dead end low-pay job where even the managers are miserable, over-worked, and flat broke. As long as the USA is a capitalistic economy, even as industries consolidate and technology increases, opportunity for economic growth will abound! That is unless the gov. bails out video stores, you know to stimulate a dead business model..

[morphinapg Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:35PM]

@moneymark

I didn't say these didn't make jobs, but they take a LOT less jobs to operate than the stores. It doesn't matter if the stores don't pay good, some people are jobless and would gladly take something like that over nothing.

[cashmonee Posted Dec 11th 2009 11:45AM]

Here in Fresno we have a ton of Redbox. They even have some Blu-Ray. The problem is that the selection is crap. If it is a new title you are waiting at least 2 weeks to get it, and that is if you are lucky, plus it is always a crap shoot as to whether it will be available in Blu. Now I am noticing they are loading up the kiosks with back titles like Zoolander that no one wants. That space would be much better used for more copies of new release DVDs and BDs.

I was on the Redbox bandwagon early on, but, as I feared, as they are becoming popular, the system simply does not scale well at all. Now most locations have 2 kiosks with different selections, low stock of new titles, and long lines during peak times.

[blackacex22 Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:18PM]

Honestly, WHO CARES. Until more of these boxes start carrying BLU-RAY then what's the point?

[cadster Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:19PM]

I can stand at my local grocery store at the Redbox kiosk, look across the street at Walgreens, and there's ANOTHER Redbox kiosk! Now if they would just start renting BDs....

[michael Posted Dec 11th 2009 2:29PM]

@cadster There's at least 10 Redbox kiosks in my community, but only 2 locations (with 1 box each) are like that: outdoors at Walgreen's, and you can see the Hy-Vee across the street with one inside. It's handy though, as the other day during a snowstorm and single digit F temps, the Walgreens kiosk just showed a black screen and was unusable. Some days when it's raining and they're wet, the screens have been unresponsive too (too many inputs I guess). I was able to wipe it dry and return my movie, but not everyone knows that trick.

I would love to see BD rentals too.