DVDPlay kiosks drop rental price to a buck
(Credit:
DVDPlay)
Blockbuster charges something like $4 for an in-store DVD rental. Let me tell you something: Iron Man was good, but it wasn't that good.
DVDPlay kiosks, which can be found in grocery stores and other locations around the U.S., just permanently lowered rental prices to $1 per day. The move, which brings the company's prices in line with its competitors, also applies temporarily to Blu-ray discs as well.
Each kiosk holds about 100 new-release titles. You don't have to sign up for anything or use a special DVDPlay card: just choose a movie, swipe your credit card, and presto, the movie pops out like magic. When you're done, bring it back to the kiosk and slip it into the return slot.
Yes, the selection is quite limited compared with Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and other movie stores. And your dollar gives you only 24 hours to watch the movie. (You get charged another buck for each additional day.) So you have to be diligent about returning it. But, hey, if you rent just one movie per week, you'll save about $150 over the course of a year. That's a lot of microwave popcorn.
Thanks to reader Shankar for mentioning this deal.
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog. 
The downside, RedBox machines hold only contemporary movies & generally only those of interest to a very wide audience. Art house movies I still have to get from an actual store.
All in all, though, I like the idea.
Red Box willeven send you a code each week for a free movie, sometimes two. It is a great service, great price, and very easy to use. Finally something where you get a price break for added automation less human and brick and morter overhead.
I've been gouged several times by Blockbuster/Hollywood Video prices...if I can find one of these DVD kiosks in my local grocery stores, this'll save me SO much money.
- by lbytesxk October 5, 2008 6:27 AM PDT
- If this is a redbox, that's always been $1/day. The whole deal is designed around the fact that people will forget to return the movie for a couple of days so they will end up paying like $3-4, and even if you are a minute late the next day charge applies. At least BB gives you 2 days plus a week for all new releases. And as someone else pointed out, these boxes only have mainstream new releases of which about 0.1% are actually watchable including the Iron Man which isn't worth a penny much less a dollar.
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