Last month we reported on certain Walmart locations in the northeast getting e-Play kiosks, and now Best Buy is getting in on the action.
e-Play not only does $1-per-night DVD rentals like Redbox, but also rents video games (which Redbox is testing now). In addition to that, though, the e-Play kiosk will allow customers to “trade-in” their old DVDs and video games for store credit or money back on your credit card.
According to an article at VideoBusiness, Best Buy will begin testing these kiosks in Dallas and Austin, Texas locations in the near future.
e-Play is partially-owned by NCR, the same company that has partnered with Blockbuster on the Blockbuster Express kiosks being rolled out. NCR also recently bought TNR, owners of MovieCube kiosks, turning NCR into a major competitor for Redbox in the coming months and years.
Competition is always good, and will hopefully bring innovation to the kiosk space, which is currently dominated by Redbox and their 16,000+ kiosks. While I don’t think we will see prices being driven down below $1 per night, I do think we will see new features being added in an attempt to woo customers.
What are some things you would like to see kiosk companies add that would earn your business? (Not including the oft-requested “separate return slot”!) I think online rental, Blu-ray discs and video games are a good start, but everyone is already moving in that direction. What else would get you excited?
An ipod/iphone dock and/or a usb port for thumb drives. Plug in the device, get a digital file that expires after a certain amount of time (just like itunes movie rentals) and never have to worry about returning movies or charges for additional days. I would easily double or triple my redbox renting if they added this feature and kept the price at $1.
That is a great idea! I would also like to log into my computer and download a movie. Watch a movie and never leave the house…sounds good.
a drive-thru kiosk fo those of us with kids in the car and dont want to leave them in there while standing in line or checking out the movies!
There actually are drive through kiosks in some locations. I saw one while I was in Denver last week. Good thought, though!
Okay, then… MORE of them! We need some of those here in Fresno, CA… there are Redbox locations everywhere (although _still_ none in any McDonald’s; can we get some there and let the drive-thru crew return movies?), but no drive-thru’s.
Really, drive-thru returns themselves would be nice… I find it inconvenient to have to go into a store just to return a movie; I typically grab movies when I’m already in the store doing something else.
Agree…a drive-through JUST FOR returning would be great. My library has an outdoor return-only dvd box and it works great–but like a drive-thru Redbox kiosk, it doesn’t have to accept/process the return immediately for the next patron. A drive-thru kiosk for renting seems like a nightmare as once your car is in line, you’re stuck there…waiting..waiting… with nothing to stop the undecisive/browsing person ahead of you from taking FOREVER! ALSO with you that Redbox kiosk in every McDonalds is top priority for those of us who live in areas without kiosks in our McDonalds, or Walgreens….sniffle, sniffle…
That’s the whole point about Redbox and most ‘machines’. They place them where there is business traffic.
And the store that agrees to have one is to attract more business. You have to go to the store to return the movie.
Also, a returned movie becomes immediately available for the next customer. That’s why you’ll never see a drive-thru return. It’s ‘convenient’ for you, but not for Redbox, nor the business…
Well,… my Giant Eagle superstore is ALWAYS busy but also has only ONE Redbox kiosk… HOWEVER, for the Giant Eagle patrons buying their groceries, Giant Eagle makes it ‘convenient’ for ALL its busy, busy patrons by offering a regular check out, a self-scan check out, AND an express check out for those patrons with 12 items or less. In other words, Giant Eagle addresses all the needs of all its patrons there to buy groceries/promote business. Just think Redbox should consider, and address, the ‘inconvenience’ to those Redbox patrons who are just returning a dvd BUT have to wait 10 minutes or more behind the dilly-dally browsers who take forever deciding on which dvd to get. Needs to be either a separate screen for the undecided browsers and/or just a return slot at each kiosk.
They could drop the price below $1 in creative ways.
For example, they know how much you rent based on the email they send the receipts to, so after 5 rentals they send a 1-night rental code to that email address. (like those frequent buyer punch cards.)
Or they could sell rental packs. eg, $10 gets you a pack of 12 1-night rental codes. Just automate it with the email address, having to remember to bring the code every single time is a bit frustrating.