Redbox Instant
I was recently given the opportunity to try out Redbox Instant. I leaped at the offer because I've had nothing but 100% postive experiences with the Redbox company, and I adore my Netflix subscription. I'm not looking to replace it any time soon, but I'd definitely love to have something that compliments it. Oh how I had such high hopes for Redbox Instant.
I say right now, because I have very high hopes for Redbox Instant. I suspect that in a year’s time, they very well may be the vaunted Netflix-killer they've set out to be. However, that day is a long, long way off. Here's hoping that they survive to make it to that point.
Right now, their selection of movies that are included in the free unlimited streaming package is limited. I’ve heard estimations of around 2000 titles, though I doubt most of these are included in the subscription. Either way, it’s a case of quality vs. quantity. I’ve heard such descriptions as “.99 cent bargain bin crap” and “a selection that makes me think of a VHS store one week before closing.” Truthfully, there is a mix of newer movies, but a lot of the content is older stuff. Most of the subscription offerings are 1980s and 90s fare, with a large portion of direct to video titles. If you love old 50s and 60s sci-fi and horror, it will be right up your alley. Folks looking for newer content will be mostly disappointed. There is very little content that is not already available on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
It seemed to me that the biggest majority of the streaming content (especially the newer titles) was not included in the subscription. The website also does a very poor job of differentiating between subscription-included and paid streaming movies, to the point that several times I found myself confused as to why I was being asked to confirm payment for a movie. Renting a streamed movie through their service isn’t cheap, either. In order to watch The Dark Knight Rises through their streamed service, I would have had to pony up $5.00, compared to the $1.20 that it would cost me to rent a DVD copy from their kiosk. No, the free four credits that you get with the fully fledged subscription do not apply to these.
As far as these credits go, I think I got more use out of them than I did the streaming service. However, when I rented movies using these credits, I was only allowed to rent two movies at a time. It didn’t matter if I paid for part of them or not. It was a strict limit of two, period. I’ve been a Redbox customer for years, and normally can rent up to 5 discs (including 2 games). However, using the credits completely killed this. I have never run into this issue using their monthly codes for free movies, so I’m not sure of the root cause of this.
As far as the website itself goes, I absolutely hated it. I never received any actual error codes, but I found using it frustrating at best. My biggest complaint about it was that when inputting your password, you have one chance to get it right. One. If you screw up, you’re locked out for at least thirty minutes. Locking an account after repeated failed password attempts is par for the course; locking an account after one attempt is aggravating. I spent more time locked out of my account than I did actually using the service. Is this because I’m a big dummy who can’t remember her password? Possibly. However, I do have one excuse to clutch at blindly. When I registered with Redbox Instant, I used a different email address to register at Redbox.com. When the two accounts where tied together, the website would randomly decide to switch which one I used at log in. If it didn’t like the one I used, it would completely lock me from the account for thirty minutes. Usually I gave up at that point.
When I did manage to get into my account, and found a subscription-included movie that I wanted to watch, I found that streaming from the service was smooth and fast. I didn’t have any more hiccups from this service than I do from Netflix.
They got the part where the push the content to you right. What they’ve really screwed up on is where you actually receive the content. As of right now, you can watch you movies on your iPad, iPhone, Mac, PC, and some Android devices. What you can’t watch is on is most internet connected televisions, Roku devices, PlayStation 3s, or any rooted Android devices. At the time of this writing, an Xbox 360 exclusive app has just launched.
I realize that this is merely a case of waiting for the apps to be developed, but they jumped out of the gate with an iPhone app. I’ve heard it said many times that the PlayStation 3 app is the most commonly used method to connect to Netflix. Personally, I use my Xbox 360. What I do not use is my iPhone or my tablet. I don’t really even like watching movies on my Windows based laptop. However, the majority of my subscription time has been spent being forced to use these devices exclusively. This is an aggravation that I see really hurting their initial launch, and an expansion of these platforms is the most requested feature. After all, why would I switch over to a new service when my old one lets me watch movies (and television shows) however I want?
Unfortunately, Netflix Instant already has a miniature controversy on hand. As I mentioned above, Redbox Instant will not work on rooted Android devices, be they tablets or phones. The company’s stance heavily implies that there are no non-piracy related reasons to root an Android device. Do they ever come out and say this? Nope. They never will. Does reading their page explaining what devices are compatible with the service come off that way? Yes, very much so. Whether or not the companies like it, rooting a device has been upheld by the courts as 100% legal. There are so many reasons to do it, and very few of them have anything to do with piracy. It’s a shame that the service is punishing their more technically minded customers.
All in all, the service is full of unrealized potential. In a year’s time, if they continue expanding their selection, I’m sure they will formidable player in the world of streaming media. As of right now, though, you’re better off taking half of the subscription fee and just renting from one of their kiosks.
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