# RedBox Instant on Premiere?



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Any word on when RedBox Instant streaming will show up on the Premiere?
Didn't the TiVo and Verizon settlement agreement include adding the RedBox/Verizon streaming service to the TiVos?


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

They had some wording where if Verizon met a deadline before the end of December I believe they wouldn't owe a portion. I want to say it was 26 million. It could be Redbox Instant or it could have something to do with their home media server.


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## celtic pride (Nov 8, 2005)

Word is redbox will start on december17 for around $6.00 a month for streaming and $8.00 a month for disc rental at 1 per week,But i havent seen anything as to if tivo will have this service at startup.


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## boboqui (Aug 26, 2010)

Redbox Instant video streaming service: 1-month trial


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Why the indirect link?

Direct Link: http://www.redbox.com/instant?hpa:auth:jvinstant

Of course the service isn't available yet and all you can do is sign up to be notified when they go live.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Neither one of the above links addresses the actual question.


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## HockeyFan (Oct 9, 2010)

The disc plan doesn't sound appealing.
Better to just rent from kiosk?

Streaming sounds interesting .
Already have amazon prime and Netflix .
Don't want to loose those because of 
tv seasons.

Paying $120/month for fios prime/75Mb Internet.
$79/yr Amazon and $7.99/month for Netflix .


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

The disc plan is renting from the kiosk. It covers four rentals a month from a RedBox Kiosk. Which by itself is worth $4.80 a month based on the price of their DVD rentals.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Actually the info they sent me said one month streaming would be $8 and that included 4 Redbox DVD rentals or $9 per month with 4 Redbox Blu-ray rentals.  But what matters is what content they have available which is a unknown at this point. 

If Tivo will support their streaming service or not is a good question - I haven't seen anything on what devices will support the service yet so there is still hope.


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> If Tivo will support their streaming service or not is a good question - I haven't seen anything on what devices will support the service yet so there is still hope.


From the press release:

_At launch, Redbox Instant by Verizon will be offered via the web, as well as through home entertainment, tablet and mobile devices, including iOS®, Android, Samsung® Blu-ray Players and TVs with SmartHub, LG Smart TV and Blu-ray Players, and Google TV. More devices will be announced in the coming months._

I assume Roku is on their hitlist. TiVo, not sure. The settlement with Verizon adds to the intrigue, without that I'd say no.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I haven't rented a physical disc in years. I had a Netflix 2 at a time plan for a while but I was taking months to watch the discs so I canceled it. Now when the mood strikes me to rent something I check Amazon or VUDU and pay the $5. 

I just got a new Samsung TV with SmartHub so I might check it out once it goes live.

Dan


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Dan203 said:


> I haven't rented a physical disc in years. I had a Netflix 2 at a time plan for a while but I was taking months to watch the discs so I canceled it. Now when the mood strikes me to rent something I check Amazon or VUDU and pay the $5.
> 
> I just got a new Samsung TV with SmartHub so I might check it out once it goes live.
> 
> Dan


Each to his own, but you are paying 5X what I do and I get a higher quality video.

But then I only rent maybe 2 movies a month so we are not talking about any real money and just renting from Amazon would take less planning, be a little easier, and there would be no issues with selection.

I go buy several redboxes at stores I shop at all the time plus they send me coupons several times per month.

It ends up costing my $1 for blu-ray disk with the coupon, I pick the disk out on line before I go out, I return the disk the next morning again at a store I am going to for other reasons anyway.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I rent maybe 1-2 movies a month, and it's typically a last minute decision made late at night when I'm bored. So for me the download/streaming model is much more convenient. I know it costs more, but not having to physically drive to a store/kiosk to pick it up is worth the extra money. If I rented more frequently I could see where it might add up but for my usage pattern $4-5 a movie isn't a big deal.

Dan


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I end up renting from multiple sources. Netflix, Blockbuster, 3d-blurayrental, Redbox, Vudu, Amazon, Xbox live, and as a last resort, PSN. All titles are not available from everyone. So the more choices available the better. I plan on trying out RedBox Instant when they launch as well. 

It's certainly a good deal if you can get four BD rentals plus streaming each month for only $9. It makes me wonder how bad their streaming offerings will be. That price just seems too cheap since four RedBox BD rentals are normally $6.


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> It's certainly a good deal if you can get four BD rentals plus streaming each month for only $9. It makes me wonder how bad their streaming offerings will be. That price just seems too cheap since four RedBox BD rentals are normally $6.


I'm thinking they just want to try and establish an initial customer base and/or a name for themselves. Then once they get more content, subscribers and make the service much more appealing, will slowly jack the rate up. Maybe not as fast as Netflix did last year (60% increase), but still to a point to make it more profitable.

I submitted both @hotmail.com and @verizon.net e-mail addresses to their website thinking they might give @verizon.net customers priority for beta testing. Sure enough, I got an e-mail in my Verizon inbox stating they will be handing out invitation codes soon & be on the look out. However, I didn't get anything in my Hotmail account yet. They say it will be 30 days to try it so once I get my code, I plan to subscribe and will try to report back here.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Just a note for anyone on the fence if you sign up you will eventually get an email with a free DVD rental (or $1 off a blu-ray) while you are waiting for the beta service to start. 

Wish there was a way to tell them we want the service supported on TiVos


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

atmuscarella said:


> Just a note for anyone on the fence if you sign up you will eventually get an email with a free DVD rental (or $1 off a blu-ray) while you are waiting for the beta service to start.
> 
> Wish there was a way to tell them we want the service supported on TiVos


Yea, I actually got this free DVD rental code. Might use it this weekend. I too wish and hope TiVo is supported, but I'm not putting up high hopes for this. Hell, it looks like their initial roll out of supported devices will simply be PCs, smartphone and tablets (iPad and android). That is fine and dandy, but sometimes I STILL like watching something on my 50" Panasonic Plasma


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> Just a note for anyone on the fence if you sign up you will eventually get an email with a free DVD rental (or $1 off a blu-ray) while you are waiting for the beta service to start.
> 
> Wish there was a way to tell them we want the service supported on TiVos


It's a $1.20 credit toward a BD rental. I used one of my codes with my last BD rental. It was 32 cents with taxes for me.

Sent from my HTC ReZound using Forum Runner


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## slacker9876 (Sep 1, 2004)

Just casting my ballot so that TiVo folks know I too want the RedBox on my Tivo


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## herbf (Oct 21, 2002)

I'd like to see support for RBI also.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

slacker9876 said:


> Just casting my ballot so that TiVo folks know I too want the RedBox on my Tivo


THIS WEB SITE IS NOT RUN BY TIVO AND NOBODY FROM TIVO OFFICIALLY WATCHES THIS SITE.

You need to contact them DIRECTLY to tell them you want this.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I just canceled my RedBox Instant service. Maybe I will try it again once it's available on more devices and they get the kinks worked out in billing.


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## rdodolak (Dec 18, 2008)

If you want Redbox Instant on TiVo tell them through this link. They currently have TiVo listed as an option, so that's good news, but the more requests they get the more likely the sooner it will come to the TiVo.

http://ebm.e.redboxinstant.com/r/regf2?a=0&aid=2089244760&n=2


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> I just canceled my RedBox Instant service. Maybe I will try it again once it's available on more devices and they get the kinks worked out in billing.


I just did the same; canceled my Redbox Instant service after using a one month trial beta code. To me, it wasn't really worth it and I just assume rent DVDs at the actual kiosks for $1.28/night.

I think the two pitfalls this new Redbox Instant service suffers from is streaming content and streaming devices. As of now, I think they really only support iPads, iPhones, and Android smartphones. No Android tablet support, No Smart TVs and no media streamers either (Roku, Netgear, WDTV, etc.). I'd like to be able to watch the streaming content on a larger screen if possible and right now that isn't possible.

The actual streaming content is nothing great either. Its more or less older stuff and no TV shows or series. Nothing to write home about.

Toward the end of my trial, I did get an e-mail informing me that they just got support for the Xbox360 and gave me a special code to use it with, but I don't have one. So until they come out with some more devices for streaming, I'm not seeing this as a "Netflix killer" like they try to claim.

I also realize this service just started & as with ANY new service in this area, there will be some growing pains. Hopefully over time it will improve and get better. The Amazon Prime service sort of started out the same way, but they have gradually grown and become a better service over time. Let's hope Verizon & Redbox can accomplish the same thing.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Well I may as well add my 2 cents. To start I will also be canceling before/at the end of the free month. 

I have no issues watching the service on my TV as I have a HTPC connected to it. But I have not been able to watch any movie without extend periods of buffering or having it flat out not work. I have a 6Mbs DSL service and generally do not have issues with Hulu SD content but have had issues with Vudu HD content at times (vudu would slip back to lower HD and on rare occasions even SD). But Redbox streaming doesn't seem to know how to deal with it. 

I also have issues with what is available, bottom line it was hard for me to find stuff may have spent as much time looking as I did watching. I like the idea of including some solid media in the price but it will need to improve before I am willing to pay for it.


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## RickL66 (May 13, 2007)

I tried Redbox Instant out for a couple of weeks and cancelled it. I was getting it on my Samsung SmartTV - so I could watch it on TV, not a little device like iPad, iPhone, etc. Anyway, it seems that most of the newer or popular movies cost something to watch. I have to pay $8 a month, and pay somewhere between $2.99 to $6.99 to stream HD movies. I could only find a few (maybe 10- or so) never-heard-of movies that I could stream at no charge, except for the $8 monthly fee. Not worth it.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

If you're going to pay per movie to stream I recommend VUDU. Their HDX video quality is fantastic and rentals only cost $5.99 or less.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Redbox shows their service as having 3 parts:
DVD/blu-ray rentals - called at kiosk
The monthly subscription service
and digital rentals or purchases
You can search through all their movies at once or the movies in one of the above 3 categories independently. The subscription category has a few 1000 movies in it. The problem is sifting through their lists is time consuming and if you do a title search it will show you movies from all 3 categories. They need some much better ways to filter and search for movies.

The whole thing is a different site than their original rental site and clearly shows it is in Beta and it really is.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Oh if anyone cares you have to install MS Silverlight to be able to view anything on a computer.


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## HockeyFan (Oct 9, 2010)

Seems like Netflix and amazon prime are
the Value leaders. 
Was hoping redbox would be a good value.

If rental price gets high enough, it makes
sense to just purchase the bluray.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

HockeyFan said:


> If rental price gets high enough, it makes
> sense to just purchase the bluray.


I did that today. There was a movie I wanted to rent which would have cost $5.99. I looked on Amazon and the BD was only $9.50 so I just bought it instead. If I watch it at least twice then it will have paid for itself.


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## magnus (Nov 12, 2004)

I was going to try the service but it was not over secured connection and they wanted my credit card. I decided to pass for now.


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

magnus said:


> I was going to try the service but it was not over secured connection and they wanted my credit card. I decided to pass for now.


For the little time I had this Redbox service, I actually used a prepaid American Express. This way, no worries about potential fraud as it only has value on it based on what I add. Also, if I didn't like the service (which I didn't), I didn't have to really worry about cancelling it before the 30 days were up as there was nothing on there so the charge wouldn't have gone through anyway.


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## stinastina (Apr 24, 2006)

I am hoping it comes to tivo, too. I am doing the trial as well but won't keep it unless I can watch it on a big screen.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> I had a Netflix 2 at a time plan for a while, but I was taking months to watch the discs so I canceled it ...


Tell me about it. I once had The Sum of all Fears out for 18 moths.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

gweempose said:


> Tell me about it. I once had The Sum of all Fears out for 18 moths.


That sounds like me with Netflix back in 2003 to 2005. The last few years that I watched DVDs. I had a bunch of titles that I had out for over a year before I returned them. Now when I rent a disc, if I have not watched it in a few days, I send it back no matter what. That way I have a steady stream of rentals coming, If I ant to watch them I do, if not they get returned.


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

I always had a personal rule with Netflix when I had one DVD at a time. It has to be returned the next day watched or not.


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## lujan (May 24, 2010)

innocentfreak said:


> I always had a personal rule with Netflix when I had one DVD at a time. It has to be returned the next day watched or not.


:up:


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

gweempose said:


> Tell me about it. I once had The Sum of all Fears out for 18 moths.


Wow, I don't think I was ever THAT bad.. but I think I did have a few for a few weeks, or maybe months.. though I'd still go through SOME DVDs..

Currently I'm not on netflix at all, though I do have Amazon prime and am barely playing with it -- I'd probably use it more if it were available on Tivo.. but I have played with it on iphone/ipad and will likely use PS3 at some point.. probably watch Under the Dome that way even though I'll Tivo it too to keep it... though I'll Netflix for Arrested Development some eon.


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