Verizon & Coinstar Launching Redbox Instant Streaming Video Service This Month

Sure, finding a Redbox kiosk in your neighborhood might be pretty easy. But going anywhere to get a movie, even as far as your mailbox, much less getting in your car to drive somewhere, is so 2009, right? That need for instant access to movies is what’s leading Redbox owner Coinstar to hook up with Verizon to launch their very own video streaming service, set to debut later this month. 

The two companies will be battling it out with dominant video streamers Netflix almost a year after they first announced their partnership. The new service will be called Redbox Instant by Verizon, and will first roll out as a public beta later in December, reports Reuters.

Subscriptions start at $8 per month, which will get you unlimited streaming and four one-night credits for DVDs from a physical kiosk. Users who want the unlimited streaming option plus the ability to rent Blu-ray discs will be able to pay $9 for that package.

That’s pretty good, considering some Netflix users who pay $15.98 per month to get streaming and two DVDs at a time can barely manage to return DVDs fast enough to rent four in one month (and by some users I definitely mean I tend to hang on to DVDs way too long).

Now the important question — Netflix is all about the red theme, but then Redbox has the word “red” in it and Verizon’s theme is red. It’ll be interesting to see how they try to set their service apart from that hue, which is closely associated with Netflix in the streaming market.

Redbox to launch video streaming service this month [Reuters]

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