Redbox is the last nationwide optical disc rental place that might soon be shut down

[HDTV1080P]

If consumers in the USA lose the rental market for physical media it will lead to in a few years most likely the end of brand new releases on optical media like DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray. Everyone should try and rent a 4K Blu-ray or Blu-ray at their local REDBOX in order to try and save physical media.

https://www.redbox.com/

Physical optical disc media cannot survive without a rental option. Streaming movies, Kaleidescape download movies, cable TV, and satellite TV all offer both rental options and purchase options for movies. That has been true for all optical movie media formats starting with Laserdisc back in 1978 and growing nationwide in the 1980’s and 1990’s, then in 1997 DVD came along and Blu-ray in 2006 (2016 4K Blu-ray).

REDBOX is the last nationwide renter of 4K Blu-ray discs for $2.50 a night, and $2.25 a night for 2K Blu-ray and $2.25 a night for 480i DVD discs. However, the over 40,000 REDBOX locations nationwide are in danger of possible being shut down since the company might be forced to file bankruptcy.

The average consumer lives around 5 to 10 minutes from their closes REDBOX automated machine that holds around 700+ rental movies and 1,400+ rental movies for locations that have more then one machine. But soon unless someone steps in to save the Blu-ray and DVD rental business, being able to rent a movie on optical disc nationwide might cease to exist.

Quote

“Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s late 2023 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission served as a stark revelation of the company’s deepening financial troubles. The reported net loss of $636.6 million for the year, a sharp escalation from the $111.2 million loss in 2022, painted a bleak picture of Chicken Soup’s fiscal health. This significant downturn prompted the company to issue a dire warning in its filing: without securing additional financing, Chicken Soup faced the prospect of scaling back or even ceasing its operations, potentially necessitating recourse to bankruptcy laws for protection.”

https://theubj.com/business/chicken-...-to-investors/

[HDTV1080P]

In the ideal world Sony or another company part of the Blu-ray Disc Association should consider stepping in and purchasing the REDBOX machines if a logical business agreement can be made. The REDBOX machines could be all stocked with 4K Blu-ray discs and 2K Blu-ray discs with a coupon for existing REDBOX customers to get a 2K Blu-ray player mailed to them for $49.99 and a 4K Blu-ray player mailed to them for $99.99.

If the nationwide rental market is lost then physical optical media from most studios will go out of production in a few years. There are around 28 million optical discs in those 40,000+ REDBOX machines that can be rented nationwide.

[cheez avenger]

GameFly will pick up their business slack should they go away.

[HDTV1080P]

QUOTES

"Chicken Soup or the Soul Entertainment revealed in an 8-K filing to the SEC Friday that has secured time and financing from its primary lenders in hopes of avoiding bankruptcy."

"The struggling corporate owner of the Redbox DVD rental kiosk business has secured $175 million in working capital, with $75 million being turned right back around to pay off its substantial debt."

https://www.nexttv.com/news/chicken-...oid-bankruptcy

[HDTV1080P]

Various companies in the USA are having issues, the economy is bad for certain industries. Hopefully Dish Network satellite TV does not go under. Some people in America without cable TV and slow internet need satellite TV.

quote

"Last quarter, EchoStar disclosed a “going concern” about its ability to continue operations without additional funds. This comes after EchoStar completed its acquisition of Dish Network in January.

https://www.satellitetoday.com/finan...ts-bankruptcy/

[HDTV1080P]

With over 36,000 REDBOX locations around the United States, each REDBOX holds up to 700 optical discs which are a mixture of 4K Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and 480i DVD discs. In many smaller cities and some rural areas REDBOX now has around 3 different 4K Blu-ray titles to rent for $2.50 each (some larger cities might have 6 different 4K Blu-ray titles that are stocked in each machine). Plus, several dozens of 2K Blu-ray titles to choose from for $2.25 each. Plus, 480i DVD discs. Technically REDBOX could stock around 700 different titles in each machine if they wanted to give the best amount of choices, however when new releases are offered in three different optical disc formats and if the demand is high for that new release perhaps 12 or more of the same titles need to be stocked in each machine. But less popular older releases 1 title for each machine gives the ideal selection.

When at a REDBOX machine one can search by which optical disc format one is interested in to see all the 4K Blu-ray titles, standard Blu-ray titles, or 480i DVD disc titles.

https://www.redbox.com/

[hometheatergeek]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

With over 36,000 REDBOX locations around the United States, each REDBOX holds up to 700 optical discs which are a mixture of 4K Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and 480i DVD discs. In many smaller cities and some rural areas REDBOX now has around 3 different 4K Blu-ray titles to rent for $2.50 each (some larger cities might have 6 different 4K Blu-ray titles that are stocked in each machine). Plus, several dozens of 2K Blu-ray titles to choose from for $2.25 each. Plus, 480i DVD discs. Technically REDBOX could stock around 700 different titles in each machine if they wanted to give the best amount of choices, however when new releases are offered in three different optical disc formats and if the demand is high for that new release perhaps 12 or more of the same titles need to be stocked in each machine. But less popular older releases 1 title for each machine gives the ideal selection.

When at a REDBOX machine one can search by which optical disc format one is interested in to see all the 4K Blu-ray titles, standard Blu-ray titles, or 480i DVD disc titles.

https://www.redbox.com/

I used to rent a couple of Blu-rays (no 4K available in the Atlanta area) movies a week from Redbox. However, in the last couple of years, with all of the streaming services available, Redbox has had very few new releases of physical media. Redbox would rather rent PPV movies instead.

[jeffarent]

Redbox went downhill after they lost the contracts with certain studios.

[stonesfan129]

I would rent from Redbox if they had new movies there. They have had nothing new since about July-August of '23. I think Barbie was the last major title I rented there.

[meremortal]

Redbox is likely extremely important at this stage. Collectors here probably overlook them, but there are Redbox kiosks at so many key places people regularly shop. It's pretty much the only major physical media rental model left besides public libraries.

[apollo828]

Originally Posted by meremortal

Redbox is likely extremely important at this stage. Collectors here probably overlook them, but there are Redbox kiosks at so many key places people regularly shop. It's pretty much the only major physical media rental model left besides public libraries.

By chance, I walked past a Redbox kiosk near my parents' place. It advertised Redbox's streaming service, and whatever was in the actual kiosk was stuff I'd never heard of. Redbox is basically dead at this point, at least if you want to watch anything that isn't low-budget drek.

[Phillip c. Niethe]

I hate redbox, they and Netflix are massively responsible for the down fall of Rental stores and physical media…I still firmly believe their was a conspiracy to destroy that market just to eradicate physical manufacturing so they can charge a monthly fee as well as make you pay the same amount as physical only now they don’t have to invest in making it, as well as controlling and altering content according to Social and political agendas. They remove and or downgrade your PQ and Audio. Hundreds if not thousands of American’s lost their businesses and those rental shops employed a lot of people.

[HDTV1080P]

With REDBOX estimated 40,000 automated machines offering low cost rentals at half the price as Blockbuster stores and other rental stores that no longer exist, it is true that REDBOX was the replacement to physical rental stores. REDBOX become the exclusive physical media rental place nationwide for 4K Blu-ray, 2K Blu-ray, and 480i DVD. Now since streaming is so strong and popular, REDBOX is the last nationwide rental place for optical discs in person. REDBOX is in danger of being replaced by low bit rate 4K streaming with lossy audio. Yes REDBOX offers high bit rate 4K Blu-ray discs with lossless audio that is better quality then any streaming company on the planet, but most people prefer lower quality streaming in the home then to make a 5 minute trip to the local REDBOX automated machine to pick up a movie.

[HDTV1080P]

The cheapest TV entertainment is free in the clear ATSC broadcasts (advertisements pay for the programs, taxpayers pay for the programs, and for PBS channel people make donations to keep the channel on the air). However, the second cheapest form of TV entertainment is renting a 4K Blu-ray disc at REDBOX for $2.50 a night or $2.25 a night for a standard Blu-ray disc. Renting a new release on streaming, cable TV, or satellite TV is not as good of quality and many times starts at $5.99, which is more then double the $2.50 price that REDBOX charges.

REDBOX not only offers the best picture and sound quality with 4K Blu-ray rentals, but they are the most economical way to watch a new release and ideal for people that are low income. Getting rid of REDBOX will hurt the people making the federal minimum wage at $7.25 per hour. Yes in some states in the USA people are being paid $7.25 an hour and a $2.25 Blu-ray rental for the night is something that is more affordable. Some people making $7.25 an hour have no Internet service and no streaming service, and instead use free public WI-FI to send and receive emails. Also some people that rent from REDBOX if they really like the movie will end up purchasing the movie to own. Since REDBOX is the last public nationwide physical media rental place in existence, getting rid of the almost 40,000 machines would be a devastating blow to physical optical media. Physical media cannot survive without a nationwide rental place like REDBOX.

[HDTV1080P]

REDBOX use to offer 4K Blu-ray new releases for $2.50 and $2.25 for 2K Blu-ray new releases. However, because of money issues new releases at REDBOX is on pause.

Select quotes from article

“Redbox kiosks saw a 52% drop in revenue to $15.45 million in the fiscal first quarter ended March 31. That compared with revenue of $32.25 million in the previous-year period, according to corporate parent Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s 10Q fiscal filing.”

“CSSE attributed the kiosk revenue decline to the vendor’s inability to stock theatrically released titles, resulting in no new rental title releases available to consumers."

“Indeed, Universal Pictures is currently in litigation with CSSE claiming $16.8 million in unpaid fees and related legal costs, according to the filing.”

“We expect to continue experiencing a lower level of kiosk rentals through the second quarter and into the future until such time that we are able to obtain new titles, as well as stock titles of consequence on a consistent basis,” CSSE said in the filing.”

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/redbox...studio-movies/

[stonesfan129]

Mine hasn't had new films in it since last August.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Mine hasn't had new films in it since last August.

Seeing as most customers want to rent new releases, this further demonstrates how irrelevant Redbox has become.

[HDTV1080P]

Most people have not even seen 50% of the movies that are located in the REDBOX machine. Therefore, some people will continue to use REDBOX for renting older releases. It is very affordable at only $2.25 to rent for the 24-hour period. If things turn around and bills are paid, REDBOX in 2025 might start getting new releases once again.

Rental is very important with physical media; some people do not have the storage space or money to buy every single title released.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Most people have not even seen 50% of the movies that are located in the REDBOX machine. Therefore, some people will continue to use REDBOX for renting older releases. It is very affordable at only $2.25 to rent for the 24-hour period. If things turn around and bills are paid, REDBOX in 2025 might start getting new releases once again.

Rental is very important with physical media; some people do not have the storage space or money to buy every single title released.

If 50% of the movies in a Redbox machine are movies that people do not want to see, that's a pretty big problem. New release movies have always driven both sales and rentals and Redbox not having them will likely be the last nail in their coffin. Their dismal revenue figures more than make it clear that Redbox is not where people choose to rent movies, new or old.

No one said that rental was unimportant, but rentals are hardly confined to physical media. There are lots of ways to see a movie and if a viewer likes what they see they can then usually buy it on disc... or as a digital copy if storage space is such a problem for them. For many renters, though, they are "one and done" after having seen a movie; they have no desire to own a copy at all.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Again, the above are just some ideas that WILL never become an actual reality.

Corrected that closing statement for you.