Verizon-Redbox Deal Offers Another Streaming-Video Option
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CREDIT: Redbox |
Redbox, which makes kiosks that dispense DVD and Blu-ray rentals, has teamed up with Verizon to offer streaming video, the two companies announced today.
And that's about all we know.
The brief statement didn't mention pricing or any limits on stream rentals (say, 24 or 48 hours to watch). Nor did it say how the streaming offerings fit in with the kiosk rentals, which have been Redbox's killer feature.
Only a fraction of movies are available for streaming. Kiosks fill in the gap. And according to Redox, 68 percent of Americans live within a three-minute drive of Red box's more than 38,000 kiosk locations. Driving to one is a lot faster than waiting for a Netflix disc in the mail.
Price and ease of use for the new service will probably be the most important factors in deciding what streaming service to use, as selection is pretty well set by what Hollywood can live with.
And it may be some time before we know. The companies have said only that service will be up "later this year."
