The Evolution of Movie DVD Rental

The evolution of movie DVD rental is in the midst of a peaceful and welcome technology driven revolution. While picking up a prescription, shopping for groceries or grabbing a burger, you simply approach an approximately six foot tall box-like structure and for just $1 plus tax, applied to either your debit or credit card, pick out a new movie release for the evening. After making your DVD choice, the entire transaction takes about sixty seconds.

Self service video rental is a growth industry that has allied itself with high traffic consumer heavyweights like Publix, Food Lion, Kroger, McDonald's and Walgreens. Moviecube, a division of TNR Entertainment headquartered in Houston, boasts of over 2100 locations housing about 700 DVDs in each of their blue colored kiosks while Redbox, jointly owned by a McDonald's subsidiary Coinstar, also offers about the same 700 DVDs in each of their bright red colored kiosks at approximately 4800 kiosks including, of course, McDonald's.

The concept of self service kiosk movie rental DVDs began around 2003, however, a lot of trial and error initially occurred with placement of the kiosks in poor locations with inconsistent repeat traffic. Also, the pricing plan was around $2.99 per rental plus late fees which is about what you might expect to pay at one of the chain movie rental brick and mortar establishments like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. Yet many industry visionaries pressed on with their ideas while losing money in the venture, hence refining the process and technology to the current impressively marketed system.

Whether renting a movie DVD from Redbox or Moviecube there is no mistaking the convenience and value of choosing from hundreds of titles, including many new releases. In these increasingly tough economic times you can literally rent ten DVDs from a kiosk for the same cost of a trip to the movie theater, popcorn not included!

Customer service is offered either via website or 800 number. Digging their heels in, Redbox recently opened a new 24,000 square-foot facility in Downers Grove, Illinois that employs over 200 customer service representatives. Expect to receive an automated reminder confirmation email after renting and after returning your DVD from either vendor.

Many people avoid fads or anything that may appear to be a short lived proposition. It's no fun to become attached to something then left with the void when that something disappears. Self service movie DVD rental has definitely found a strong niche market in a thriving industry that will continue to grow, even evolve as it continues to meet a fundamental need in society for inexpensive and readily available entertainment.