ez-D: not DVD rental, not DVD purchase coming soon

[allisolm]

ez-D is being rolled out in April and May in a number of test markets, including FL. Papa John's and 7-Eleven are participating.

You get a movie for $5.99/$6.99 and it is good for 48hrs after it is removed from its packaging. No returns, no late fees. Aimed at impulse buyers and those who don't like to rent.

This has been tested in Austin, Peoria, Charleston and Kansas City. Anyone done it? New markets for April are Denver, CO Phoenix, AZ, all of FL and San Antonio, TX.


Newspaper article here. Website here.

 

[Zim Hosein]

It's going to fail, end of story!

 

[Ikonomi]

No way in hell I'm paying six or seven dollars for a DVD that only lasts for two days. You can buy good DVDs that will last you forever for $20. Budget DVDs are anywhere from $10 to $15, and they'll last forever too.

How much does it cost to rent a movie from Blockbuster, anyway?

Maybe if they lower the price to half that.

 

[Kilrsat]

Circuit City's Divx format all over again. This will fail too.

 

[Aves]

Didn't Disney try this last year with horrible results?

 

[Dulanic]

Too expensive for it to ever work.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: Kilrsat
Circuit City's Divx format all over again. This will fail too.

exactly...everyone remembers divx when it wasnt a format for movies on your computer right??? Oh, no one does?

I dont either.

 

[TechnoPro]

Not that I'm an extreme tree hugger or anything like that, but the very thought of a disposable DVD is ridiculous. It will fail, just like the original Divx.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Not that I'm an extreme tree hugger or anything like that, but the very thought of a disposable DVD is ridiculous. It will fail, just like the original Divx.

You must love AOL then!

 

[GermyBoy]

Originally posted by: Ikonomi
No way in hell I'm paying six or seven dollars for a DVD that only lasts for two days. You can buy good DVDs that will last you forever for $20. Budget DVDs are anywhere from $10 to $15, and they'll last forever too. How much does it cost to rent a movie from Blockbuster, anyway? Maybe if they lower the price to half that.

That's what I'm thinking. BB costs so much now, it's almost 1/4 of the cost to BUY a movie nowadays.

BB has been ripping you off for years. Too bad the smaller, cheaper videogame rental places are going out of business though.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Not that I'm an extreme tree hugger or anything like that, but the very thought of a disposable DVD is ridiculous. It will fail, just like the original Divx.

According to the website they plan to have an extensive recycling program, including prepaid mailers, which if it's true is a lot better than most products.



My first thought was like others, that this would fail like the Circuit City divx, but on reflection it might actually be succesful, if they get the right moives in the right locations, there is a lot more potential for impulse buys than there was at Circuit City.

 

[bentwookie]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Not that I'm an extreme tree hugger or anything like that, but the very thought of a disposable DVD is ridiculous. It will fail, just like the original Divx.

 

[TommyVercetti]

If it plays in regular DVD players, then it might have potential. I thought DivX failed because it required a special DVD player, and manufacturers were not trying to integrate that into the existing DVD players.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Not that I'm an extreme tree hugger or anything like that, but the very thought of a disposable DVD is ridiculous. It will fail, just like the original Divx.

You must love AOL then!

Haha, very true. But fortunately, I never get them mailed to me anymore. Although, by posting this, I have most likely tempted fate and will now be saturated with those bloody discs.

 

[Bootprint]

Isn't this a little late in the game now that DVD writers are relatively cheap now?

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Dead Parrot Sketch

My first thought was like others, that this would fail like the Circuit City divx, but on reflection it might actually be succesful, if they get the right moives in the right locations, there is a lot more potential for impulse buys than there was at Circuit City.

I doubt it will succeed, mainly because of the proliferation of automated dvd rental kiosks. From what I've heard, the profit margin for these machines is very high for retailers who place them in their stores, and they are already pretty popular here in NYC.

 

[Jzero]

It needs to be a lot cheaper. A LOT cheaper. Comparable to, or cheaper than the average rental cost, which is around $5.

 

[bentwookie]

Originally posted by: Jzero
It needs to be a lot cheaper. A LOT cheaper. Comparable to, or cheaper than the average rental cost, which is around $5.

can't get cheaper than my $1 rentals.

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

I don't see how anyone can think this would work. Way too expensive for what you get.

 

[kami]

Yeah it'll die, just like DIVX.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: Dead Parrot Sketch

My first thought was like others, that this would fail like the Circuit City divx, but on reflection it might actually be succesful, if they get the right moives in the right locations, there is a lot more potential for impulse buys than there was at Circuit City.

I doubt it will succeed, mainly because of the proliferation of automated dvd rental kiosks. From what I've heard, the profit margin for these machines is very high for retailers who place them in their stores, and they are already pretty popular here in NYC.

never heard of the automated rental things, how do they work?

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: Dead Parrot Sketch

My first thought was like others, that this would fail like the Circuit City divx, but on reflection it might actually be succesful, if they get the right moives in the right locations, there is a lot more potential for impulse buys than there was at Circuit City.

I doubt it will succeed, mainly because of the proliferation of automated dvd rental kiosks. From what I've heard, the profit margin for these machines is very high for retailers who place them in their stores, and they are already pretty popular here in NYC.

never heard of the automated rental things, how do they work?

They are small kiosks, about the size of an ATM. They have a touchscreen that allows you to select your movie (you can even watch clips of the movies). Once you've selected your movie, you swipe your CC and it spits out the dvd in a slim case. I believe they're about $5 for 24 hours. When you're done, you simply return it back to the same kiosk. I don't know what happens if you don't return it within 24 hrs... Many Duane Reades have them in Manhattan.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Isn't this a little late in the game now that DVD writers are relatively cheap now?

What does that have to do with it?

 

[Jhill]

I would just get moviebeam before I bought one of these discs.

 

[DaveSimmons]

So if you watch one movie a week, you pay more than Netflix and live with a crappy kiosk selection of "top 40" movies. w00t?