RSSParamount defies Fox, Warner, tries out $1 Redbox rentals
By Tim Conneally | Published August 26, 2009, 2:06 PM
Like Sony Pictures and Lionsgate Entertainment before it, Paramount Pictures has agreed to supply its films to Redbox DVD rental kiosks. The $1 per night rentals that Redbox offers have caused a good deal of controversy among motion picture studios and has resulted in legal actions on the part of 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., both of whose opinions are clearly on record: Cheap rentals devalue their DVDs.
Paramount's availability on Redbox will only be a trial, where the studio receives detailed rental metrics from the kiosks until the end of 2009. The studio will then evaluate the impact and viability of Redbox, to decide if it wants to stick with the program. At the end of the four-month trial, Paramount will have the option to extend it to 2014, with an "out clause" after two years.
Like its deal with Sony, Redbox has agreed to destroy Paramount's rental copies after they're taken out of circulation rather than re-sell them.
Redbox, a subsidiary of CoinStar, has taken both 20th Century Fox and Warner Home Video to court to "protect consumers' rights to access new release DVDs." Both studios want to force Redbox to receive their titles 28 days after they're released in stores.
I love how these studios are crying their dvd's are devalued, and at the same time, already raising the rip-off prices of dvds. Dvd's used to be standard $20. Then they went down to $15. Now, a common theme is to release 2 main versions, a 2-disc version for $25, and a single disc version for $20. So basically, they are charging $5 more for the 2-disc version that you used to get for $15. (And are making a lame excuse as saying it includes a whole other disc...granted it only costs them $.01 to include)
Score: 1
|I hope that this makes the general public aware of the fact that the reason they are worried about the devaluation of he DVD is because of the incredible markup they have on them in the first place to maximize their profits. When people realize that the $1 rentals is still profitable for the members of the MPAA, then quite a few things are going to come to light, including the ludicrous judgments being pursued by the *AAs over file sharing....
Score: 3
|I'm surprised to see these at Walmart (may be at others stores but that's only where I see this). I should think they eat into DVD sales if someone can just go there and rent it and be done with it. I admit I rent rather than buy nearly 100% of the time, but then I'm not one to usually watch a movie a second time.
Score: 1
|There are very few movies out today even worth a dollar rental- and you are exactly right GhoS- most folks won't watch a decent movie a second time, much less a crappy movie a second time-
Hollyweird knows this all too well. Now I fell sorry for all those mega star actors and actresses out there - how are they going to afford a mansion on the east coast, mansion on the west coast, multiple Ferrari's, and weekly trips to Paris for shopping when "we" only pay a dollar, one time. Don't forget the Director, studio executives, etc all need those things too , and get them when you shell out $20 for that dvd-- proof us average folks have been over charged for movies and dvd's for a long time.
Score: 1
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