Redbox Instant Launches Private Beta

[MacRumors]

Redbox Instant by Verizon went live today, allowing people to sign up for a private beta to use the streaming service.

Interested users can enter an email address to receive a code that will provide eventual access to Redbox Instant on the computer or on a mobile device, using the accompanying Redbox Instant iOS app, which was released today for the iPad and the iPhone.

Redbox's video streaming service is priced at $8 per month, which is on par with the pricing of both Netflix and Hulu Plus. It also comes bundled with four physical DVD rentals per month from Redbox kiosks, which can be upgraded to Blu-ray for an additional dollar.

Like Netflix, Redbox plans to offer a variety of movies from sources like Warner Bros. and the pay TV channel EPIX, though the service will not have any television shows at launch.

Traditionally, Redbox offers top Hollywood hits, with the top 200 movies from major studios stocked in its retail locations. Its content library will be smaller than what Netflix is able to offer, but it will focus on providing more recent releases.

Redbox is planning to send invites to the new streaming service over the coming weeks via email, and each invite will come with one free month of access.

Article Link: Redbox Instant Launches Private Beta

[dugbug]

Please AirPlay please... I signed up. When I get a code ill check.

[charlieegan3]

Yay another streaming service the UK will likely never get.

[Caliber26]

The only way they'll successfully compete with Netflix is if they offer the same selection available at their kiosks. If they cripple their streaming catalogue, like Netflix does, and only offer old stuff, it'll see lukewarm success at best.

[jpix55]

Signed up, downloaded the app, got a message saying my device is compromised and that the application will not initialize.

No RedBox streaming for jailbroken iDevices??

[kwiiboy]

Originally Posted by jpix55

Signed up, downloaded the app, got a message saying my device is compromised and that the application will not initialize.

No RedBox streaming for jailbroken iDevices??

Did you try restoring?

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by Caliber26

The only way they'll successfully compete with Netflix is if they offer the same selection available at their kiosks. If they cripple their streaming catalogue, like Netflix does, and only offer old stuff, it'll see lukewarm success at best.

Agreed! If the kiosk has 100-200 titles and the online service has, say, a quarter of that, we have a problem

(But I don’t think Netflix intentionally “cripples” what they’re able to offer online... they merely intentionally make it impossible to know BEFORE you sign up just how limited their streaming library is! If I do Netflix again, it will have to be discs. Just let me rent discs PER title, not flat subscription, and I’d love it.)

[jacjustjac]

When I saw "by Verizon" I thought maybe perhaps I can finally watch a streaming show over my iPhone 5's LTE connection without draining half a month of data. Alas, I thought too soon.
What happened to the talks of subsidizing carriers for data used by streaming services like Netflix? Watching movies on my phone isn't something I do often, but the first service to [bring back] *real* unlimited cellular streaming would be an A+ in my book.

[dugbug]

Originally Posted by Caliber26

The only way they'll successfully compete with Netflix is if they offer the same selection available at their kiosks. If they cripple their streaming catalogue, like Netflix does, and only offer old stuff, it'll see lukewarm success at best.

I don't think its netflix choosing cripple the catalogue, I think its just really hard for these companies to negotiate streaming rights for a buffet-style all you can watch service.

[McGiord]

Good competition! The price is good as no commercials and included 4 discs! Interesting, let's see how this market evolves, we are getting closer to better services and hopefully Apple releases something to really change the game.

[IzzyJG99]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Agreed! If the kiosk has 100-200 titles and the online service has, say, a quarter of that, we have a problem

(But I don’t think Netflix intentionally “cripples” what they’re able to offer online... they merely intentionally make it impossible to know BEFORE you sign up just how limited their streaming library is! If I do Netflix again, it will have to be discs. Just let me rent discs PER title, not flat subscription, and I’d love it.)

Indeed. Early on if a new movie came out on a Tuesday, often you'd get it on a Monday from NF. Now they have a contract with most studios and distributors to release the new DVD one month after it's in stores. A movie that sells well they're not going to put up onto streaming for a while, if at all. But a movie that sells poorly they put up a week or two later. Personally I don't see any reason why they can't offer it all for streaming. I'm sure they will at one point in the future. Halfway there, I guess.

If NF was smart they'd broker dealers like the cable companies do to offer On Demand programming of new releases in theaters. The grosses on a movie would go up, that's for sure. God knows NF has money if they managed to get contracts with Disney's stuff.

[milo]

It's always good to see new competitors enter this market, but until we see the specifics of which and how many titles they offer, this service could be fantastic or it could be pathetic.

With a free month, no reason not to try and get in on the beta to check it out.

[Jayse]

Personally, i don't like a Red Box...

[eRondeau]

That definitely sounds like a well-established porn website... makes you wonder what they were thinking.

[FooMan2011]

Cool?

[jclardy]

Doesn't seem too bad, it really depends on the selection. 90% of the stuff available on Netflix streaming is just filler crap (Like low budget knockoffs of big name releases.) If Redbox can get some good TV shows, a few good indie films, a few classics, some good documentaries and a decent selection of semi-recent releases for streaming then Netflix will have some competition.

Price-wise I like it a lot better, it is like Netflix before upping the prices ($7.99 for streaming plus 1 DVD - which with mailing times was typically 4 movies per month.)

[David085]

I sign up just now.

[WatchTheThrone]

Originally Posted by jpix55

Signed up, downloaded the app, got a message saying my device is compromised and that the application will not initialize.

No RedBox streaming for jailbroken iDevices??

There's a fix for that in cydia which hides that you're jailbroken but I don't recall the name of it

[PDXoPDX]

Originally Posted by dugbug

I don't think its netflix choosing cripple the catalogue, I think its just really hard for these companies to negotiate streaming rights for a buffet-style all you can watch service.

This. The streaming services would love nothing more to offer everything on demand. Unfortunately, the content companies have a vested financial interest in subscription cable and prefer that you consume content their way or not at all – or even better, their way and for more money.

[ConCat]

NO NO NO NO NO! Now the studios will be splitting contracts between more steaming services than before... This is going to make finding the content you want on whatever streaming service you subscribe to even harder. I'm all for competition, but when it comes to video streaming services like this, more tends to not be a good thing... I just hope the studios start to get a little bit more flexible, or this is going to be bad news for all of us.

[camerons1986]

Originally Posted by WatchTheThrone

There's a fix for that in cydia which hides that you're jailbroken but I don't recall the name of it

What you are thinking of is an app called Xcon in cydia

[RedCroissant]

Originally Posted by Jayse

Personally, i don't like a Red Box...

That's because you're crazy.

[ZacNicholson]

i no longer use netflix or redbox. i just jailbroke my iphone and installed xbmc. i can just from that. plus it has way more choices than these two.

[Pinkie Pie]

Just signed up for an invitation code, despite already subscribing to Netflix, Hulu+ and Amazon. (Siiiigh.) I hope Redbox has something NEW to bring to the table.

[milo]

Any word on whether they're planning support on boxes like Roku and game consoles? Until they do that it's not a viable option for many users.

Originally Posted by jclardy

90% of the stuff available on Netflix streaming is just filler crap (Like low budget knockoffs of big name releases.)

I don't know if that's so much a Netflix problem, so much of video content anywhere is arguably just filler crap, whether it's broadcast TV, cable, even in movie theatres.

Netflix definitely needs to improve their content, particularly new releases, but is there a comparable service that offers a better selection? Netflix does have a lot of quality TV content, for us it has been worth having just for that, probably way more than we would ever have time to watch. I'd love to see a better selection of movies but even so, in the meantime it's a great service and easily worth every penny to us.