Red Box Instant (Beta)

Supposedly the Xbox gets the exclusive console release of Red Box Instant (though I'm sure that is really just a timed exclusive). I got a beta code, but I want to save my use of it (which will give me 1 free month) until the Red Box Instant app is out for Xbox, because I have no interest in playing movies on a computer. Major Nelson said it would be coming soon (well he said "in the coming days") to people already in the beta. Has anyone in the beta gotten the app yet?

No, I'm doing the same as you.

Signed up for the beta on Redbox, but haven't got a code yet.

I'm interested to see how their selection is. I don't often use Redbox, as while there are a few machines within a coupe of miles of me (I live in a big city), they all happen to not be along my direct route to/from work.

But I'm willing to give it more of a go if the streaming selection is good too since it comes with 4 discs a month since the post office is getting rid of Saturday delivery come August. That will mean I can only get 1 disc a week on my 1 disc at a time plan. Where as now I watch one on the weekend and mail it on Monday. Which gets me one Wednesday that I watch that night, mail Thursday and get a new one Saturday.

The $11 or whatever after Bluray fee and tax isn't that great a deal for only 1 movie a week. So maybe Redbox will be worth it depending on pricing (have to factor in gas from going a couple miles out of the way to get to a machine--as well as the hassle--though).

I also have Amazon Prime for the shipping, so I get those streaming as well. So maybe it would be smarter to just use that for streaming and grab new releases from Redbox unless the Redbox streaming selection is a lot better.

Wow...awesome news! I didn't realize this was ready to go. Just got in the beta myself. I'm curious if their streaming selection will really be much better than Netflix (if new releases were streamable, why would they give you the 4 discs per month?) Definitely willing to try it out. Right now, the wife and I basically have Netflix for movies/old shows and Hulu+ for new shows. $16 a month works out way better than having cable. And when we want a new release movie, we just go to a Redbox machine. We'll see if Redbox Instant brings anything different.

Yeah, there almost definitely won't be new release given the 4 discs part of the plan.

It would be nice if you could eventually pay to stream a new release for 24 hours for the cost of Redbox Bluray rental. Rather than $4-5 like on Amazon Instant Video. Even $2-3 would be doable and worth it to save the hassle of having to go to the machine twice for each movie.

[quote name='dmaul1114']Yeah, there almost definitely won't be new release given the 4 discs part of the plan.

It would be nice if you could eventually pay to stream a new release for 24 hours for the cost of Redbox Bluray rental. Rather than $4-5 like on Amazon Instant Video. Even $2-3 would be doable and worth it to save the hassle of having to go to the machine twice for each movie.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that would be great. That would pretty much destroy Amazin Instant Video, Vudu, etc. Just gotta wonder if they could afford all the server space charging only a couple bucks. I'm really curious though. Redbox has to be bringing something different to the table here. Otherwise, it'll basically be pointless. If it's not newer stuff than Netflix, I don't know how it could be better...other than having disc rentals built into the plan. And if that's the only difference, then it needs to have just as much content.

I'm probably one of the few who has always been happy with Netflix streaming. I never expected it to have brand new movies and I'm definitely satisfied with the amount of content...much of which is great stuff. And the fact that I can use it to put on Sesame Street to get my daughter to stop screaming makes it worth everything, haha.

Good point on the 4 discs. That really would be pointless if you could stream the movies too. You'd never use the discs. Maybe, though, they will have some of the new releases available for streaming?? Anyone used their beta code and seen the library?

And we also love Netflix streaming (but we get discs from them too).

By the way: RBI

[quote name='crunchewy']Good point on the 4 discs. That really would be pointless if you could stream the movies too. You'd never use the discs. Maybe, though, they will have some of the new releases available for streaming?? Anyone used their beta code and seen the library?

And we also love Netflix streaming (but we get discs from them too).

By the way: RBI[/QUOTE]

Ok, I just did because the waiting was getting on my nerves, lol. It's a one month trial. If I lose out on a couple days of Xbox 360 app usage, oh well. Stand by...

EDIT - So far...I'm not really blown away. They have a "Just In" section that includes Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, No Strings Attached, Swordfish, Three Kings, Sphere, You've Got Mail, and The American President.

Their "Popular" section includes Ben Stiller's All-Star Comedy Roundtable, Thor, Young Adult, Paranormal Activity 3, The Expendables, Muppets from Space, and Big Daddy. the last two movies have a "Last Chance" banner above them...which I would guess means they'll be removed soon.

Then, there's a "New at Kiosk" section to let you know what you can go rent at a machine.

Then, there's an "Awesome 80's" section which includes Steel Magnolias, Back To School, Summer Rental, St. Elmo's Fire, Risky Business, Flashdance, and Wargames.

You CAN pay extra to stream newer releases. I'm looking at Dark Knight Rises right now with a price of $4.99 for SD or $5.99 for HD (ouch!) Yeah, so that's basically pointless and can be gotten elsewhere. DKR and Seven Psychopaths seems to be the newest movies they have though. Other "pay extra to rent movies" include Bob the Builder: Teamwork Time, Thomas & Friends: Engine Friends, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Back to the Future, and Jaws. Not all movies carry DKR's price tag though. The older ones do $2.99 SD/$3.99 HD.

EDIT 2 - Ok, whew...they do have more than that. When you're first looking at it, it doesn't seem like it because when you click "view all" it still shows those same movies. But if you click "subscription" at the top, you get their full list. Scanning for "important" movies now.

Mostly stuff that's on Netflix: The Lincoln Lawyer, True Grit, Captain America, The Last Exorcism, and A LOT of stuff that's at least 10 years old. I should note, that's from their "Featured" category too (which oddly enough...isn't on the front page, lol). When you sort by "All", the list gets even more weird. Lots of music documentaries (Always Whtiney Houston, Justin Bieber), no name family movies (Upon a Midnight Clear, 16 Love), crappy horror movies (Bloody Bloody Bible Camp, Ghost Attack), etc. Yeah...it gets really, really bad...

I realize it's a beta, but this does nothing to convince me to drop Netflix. It might be decent for people on a disc plan who want to not have to rely on the mail anymore. But I'd say the streaming library is barely better than Amazon Prime streaming...if that.

I got a beta code a few weeks ago. I signed up, saw how horrible the library was, and immediately canceled before I forgot and was charged.

[quote name='n8rockerasu']
I'm probably one of the few who has always been happy with Netflix streaming. I never expected it to have brand new movies and I'm definitely satisfied with the amount of content...much of which is great stuff. And the fact that I can use it to put on Sesame Street to get my daughter to stop screaming makes it worth everything, haha.[/QUOTE]

I love the netflix and amazon streaming, but can't get by with only using it as I'm mainly interested in watching newer releases. I've watched most of the older movies I'm interested in seeing, so I really only use streaming for some TV series and documentaries--and occasionally an older movie I never got around to, or something from the past year or two that hits streaming before I get around to it on my disc queue.

I actually don't have Netflix streaming right now--just one bluray at at time. The Amazon Prime streaming (that I again have for shipping--videos and Kindle lending library just nice freebies on top of that) is good enough for me since I only stream a few things a month right now. Selection isn't near Netflix's, but still plenty of TV shows, documentaries and some semi-recent movies.

[quote name='dmaul1114']I love the netflix and amazon streaming, but can't get by with only using it as I'm mainly interested in watching newer releases. I've watched most of the older movies I'm interested in seeing, so I really only use streaming for some TV series and documentaries--and occasionally an older movie I never got around to, or something from the past year or two that hits streaming before I get around to it on my disc queue.

I actually don't have Netflix streaming right now--just one bluray at at time. The Amazon Prime streaming (that I again have for shipping--videos and Kindle lending library just nice freebies on top of that) is good enough for me since I only stream a few things a month right now. Selection isn't near Netflix's, but still plenty of TV shows, documentaries and some semi-recent movies.[/QUOTE]

I can understand that. I guess if you value the discs more than the streaming (I have no disc subscription right now and just use a Redbox machine 2-3 times a month), then 4 discs a month + "some streaming" for $8 might be reasonable. I guess if you could convince yourself that the discs were $2 each and the streaming was free, then maybe it would be worth it. But if you think Neflix streaming is thin, I'm not sure you'd be able to assign any value to this. It's really not pretty, haha.

It's not that I think that Netflix streaming is thin. Just that it doesn't offer enough for me that's not on Amazon Prime streaming which I already get for "free" since I have had prime for shipping for a long time as I order things from Amazon almost every week.

I do think it's unlikely I'll bother with the Redbox plan though. If anything I'll just pay more and go up to 2 discs at at a time on Netflix once Saturday delivery stops. I just hate the hassle of having to run to the machine twice, worry about the due time etc. vs. just getting a disc in the mail. It's fine if I just wanted to watch a new release or two a month, but since I like to do at least a couple a week it gets to be a hassle with adding that many errands to the already hectic schedule. So I'll probably just stick with Netflix unless Redbox has a lot more newer releases on streaming.

I wasn't impressed by their instant selection and cancelled the trial. If they improve their selection, I'll check it out again down the road but I'm not a huge renter of discs as it is. When Netflix had their streaming/disc package for one price, I would sometimes sit on the discs for months before returning them.

I recently started using the local Redbox kiosk that up by the corner has station. I've been diggin' it thus far, plus the free rental codes are always a plus. One of the other positives is that there seems to be a bevy of Redbox kiosks locally. So whenever I have to run to work or get errands done, odds are there's a kiosk on my way either to or from.

I'm going to give it a shot when I get my code. The $8 package wouldn't seem to bad to me. Knowing I can go pick something up less than a quarter mile from me and drop it off in the same length isn't a problem for me. Streaming, on the other hand, will probably be the make-or-break sell point to me.

[quote name='pitfallharry219']I got a beta code a few weeks ago. I signed up, saw how horrible the library was, and immediately canceled before I forgot and was charged.[/QUOTE]

I did the same haha. I signed up and never used it for about 2 weeks before I just cancelled it. I only rent about 2 movies a month from their kiosks so the 4 free rentals are a bit useless when I would only use 2. It might fit the needs of some pople but not for me.

For me, I don't see it as a Netflix replacement. But there are lots of gaps in Netflix. So if Redbox can fill those gaps on a piecemeal basis, then I'm all for it. Redbox is letting you rent movies individually without a Redbox subscription. If the price is good, great! If it's as high or higher than renting from Microsoft, then Redbox becomes kind of useless for me.

I love Redbox machines because the movies are cheap and they rent games cheap as well. It's the "cheap" that's the key. If it's not cheap, I'm going to stick to the options already out there.

However, if Redbox can match Netflix in content, with the pricing being similar and also having some discs included in the subscription, I can totally see switching. Netflix is spending tons to add original programming which is a mistake for me personally. I don't want to spend on original programming. I want a bigger library. If Redbox can add content without resorting to pay the huge fees for original programming, that would make me happier. I was mad when Netflix cut the DVD/Bluray business from the streaming. Because the streaming library was much smaller than the disc library. Which meant I lost over half of the total Netflix library. Unless I paid double the subscription.

It looks like Redbox can be the old Netflix which is fine by me if they accomplish it.

thanks for the heads up. got a beta trial code.

[quote name='dirtyvu']For me, I don't see it as a Netflix replacement. But there are lots of gaps in Netflix. So if Redbox can fill those gaps on a piecemeal basis, then I'm all for it. Redbox is letting you rent movies individually without a Redbox subscription. If the price is good, great! If it's as high or higher than renting from Microsoft, then Redbox becomes kind of useless for me.

I love Redbox machines because the movies are cheap and they rent games cheap as well. It's the "cheap" that's the key. If it's not cheap, I'm going to stick to the options already out there.

However, if Redbox can match Netflix in content, with the pricing being similar and also having some discs included in the subscription, I can totally see switching. Netflix is spending tons to add original programming which is a mistake for me personally. I don't want to spend on original programming. I want a bigger library. If Redbox can add content without resorting to pay the huge fees for original programming, that would make me happier. I was mad when Netflix cut the DVD/Bluray business from the streaming. Because the streaming library was much smaller than the disc library. Which meant I lost over half of the total Netflix library. Unless I paid double the subscription.

It looks like Redbox can be the old Netflix which is fine by me if they accomplish it.[/QUOTE]


I don't think it makes much sense to get this and keep Netflix.

If you need to fill in gaps in Netflix,you can just rent individual discs from Redbox and most people who are Netflix streaming only will probably spend less than the $8 a month on this doing so.

Hell, it makes more sense to just add back Netflix disc service to fill in the gaps in the streaming since that's the same cost and doesn't involve the hassle of going to and from the Redbox machine.

[quote name='dmaul1114']I

If you need to fill in gaps in Netflix,you can just rent individual discs from Redbox and most people who are Netflix streaming only will probably spend less than the $8 a month on this doing so.

Hell, it makes more sense to just add back Netflix disc service to fill in the gaps in the streaming since that's the same cost and doesn't involve the hassle of going to and from the Redbox machine.[/QUOTE]

No, what I'm saying is to use Redbox to rent individual streaming movies to fill in the gaps (assuming the Redbox library doesn't match Netflix in the long term). Redbox's system is offering the ability to watch movies without the $8/month subscription. So if the movie is like $1 or $2 to rent individually, that could totally fill the gaps.

But if Redbox can ramp up quickly and match Netflix library, I could imagine switching over and dumping Netflix. I still didn't like getting shafted and losing all the DVDs/Blurays.

[quote name='dirtyvu']No, what I'm saying is to use Redbox to rent individual streaming movies to fill in the gaps (assuming the Redbox library doesn't match Netflix in the long term). Redbox's system is offering the ability to watch movies without the $8/month subscription. So if the movie is like $1 or $2 to rent individually, that could totally fill the gaps.

But if Redbox can ramp up quickly and match Netflix library, I could imagine switching over and dumping Netflix. I still didn't like getting shafted and losing all the DVDs/Blurays.[/QUOTE]

So, you just didn't read the thread before posting then, lol. I already said Redbox individual stream rentals cost anywhere from $2.99 (for old ass SD movies) to $5.99 (for newer release HD movies). Not really setting the world on fire with those prices.

Yeah that's not worth it. Amazon is a little cheaper and they give out free credits pretty often with bluray or TV purchases etc.

I'll just stick with the prime streaming and Netflix for Bluray. If I can't get enough discs when Saturday mail delivery goes away I'll just up it to two discs at a time.

[quote name='n8rockerasu']So, you just didn't read the thread before posting then, lol. I already said Redbox individual stream rentals cost anywhere from $2.99 (for old ass SD movies) to $5.99 (for newer release HD movies). Not really setting the world on fire with those prices.[/QUOTE]

no, I saw your post. but I haven't tried out the service yet and haven't seen the prices myself. and haven't seen prices on any web articles. so that meant a wary eye because reading things from a message board, you have to be a bit wary. no offense.

I don't think we'll ever see new releases on streaming services--be it part of subscription or individually available for $1-2 like discs at Redbox machines.

Studios want to leave people with some incentive to buy Blurays/DVDs and they know they'd loose sales if people could watch around launch for a buck or two without leaving the house.

Hell, most of the big studios make Redbox and Netflix wait 28 days after release before giving them discs to rent. So I strongly doubt they'll concede to new releases on streaming services for low prices. At most they'll stay in the $4-6 range to be about the same as the cable/satellite ppv movie prices as a way to get that money from people who don't have TV service.

So I'm not sure what Redbox is going for here. Streaming selection likely won't match Netflix. The 4 discs a month is nice I guess for $8 (does that include Bluray or just DVD though?). But it's a huge hassle to have to go to a machine and worry about due times vs. just getting discs in the mail with no due dates. Individually purchased streams of new releases could have been better, but they couldn't even match Amazons prices--most new releases are $3.99 in SD, 4.99 in HD on there. And again they offer promotions with free streaming video credit pretty often with purchase, or free in Amazon Local Deals.

[quote name='dirtyvu']no, I saw your post. but I haven't tried out the service yet and haven't seen the prices myself. and haven't seen prices on any web articles. so that meant a wary eye because reading things from a message board, you have to be a bit wary. no offense. [/QUOTE]

LOL...wtf? Ok wary internet guy. Believe these?
Oh no...but I could have Photoshopped them to make a point that means absolutely nothing as opposed to just trying to be helpful and share information. Damn you big brother and your endless conspiracies!!! *shakes fist*

[quote name='dmaul1114']So I'm not sure what Redbox is going for here. Streaming selection likely won't match Netflix. The 4 discs a month is nice I guess for $8 (does that include Bluray or just DVD though?). But it's a huge hassle to have to go to a machine and worry about due times vs. just getting discs in the mail with no due dates. Individually purchased streams of new releases could have been better, but they couldn't even match Amazons prices--most new releases are $3.99 in SD, 4.99 in HD on there. And again they offer promotions with free streaming video credit pretty often with purchase, or free in Amazon Local Deals.[/QUOTE]

This is a good question. I was at least looking forward to the 4 free blu-ray rentals with my trial. But I did a little digging around the site and found this.
So, yeah. This trial is now completely worthless to me. It's almost to the point where I'm offended by Redbox calling this a service. It brings absolutely nothing new to the table, and what it does bring, other companies do better. Why bother?

Also, for people wondering about the Xbox 360 app, I found this while browsing around the help section.

http://redboxinstant.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/869

Well, looks like it's just a $1 more for Blurays ($9 a month) so that's still decent. Netflix is (I think, site's down so I can't check what I pay) $2 a month more for Bluray.

But yeah, still not worth it for me. Getting discs in the mail is just so much easier. My schedule is hectic as shit so I don't like doing things that add extra errands to it.

no need to be so overly sensitive rocker dude...

alright, the app finally came out and I went browsing for half an hour last night. not too bad. it's not a netflix killer but it did have a number of streaming titles not on Netflix that I was interested in:

gattaca (yay!!!), swordfish (naked Halle Barry!), training day, proof of life, wild wild west, executive decision (die hard on a plane), space cowboys, blue thunder, the shining, sphere, poltergeist, pay it forward, message in a bottle, starman (another great one!), sleepwalkers, a knight's tale, the glass house, deep blue sea, i still know what you did last summer, the pelican brief, glory (finally!), karate kid part iii, iron eagle, close encounter of the third kind, miss congeniality, go, anna nicole smith: exposed, the american president, dumb and dumber, weekend at bernie's (yes!!!!), loverboy, risky business.

i do wish they showed more titles on the screen at a time. 8 is way too small. too much scrolling. I guess it's like the Netflix app in that it's better to set your queue on the PC than on the Xbox as the PC lets you see much much more titles at once.