Cost: $1 per rental

What to enjoy:
Found in a number of supermarkets and pharmacies, Blockbuster Express is Blockbuster’s video rental kiosk, allowing you to rent movies for $1 straight from the machine (which, yes, does look a lot like an ATM). As for rental fees, if you turn the DVD in past 9 pm the next day, you pay an extra dollar.

Features:
Blockbuster Express is out in competition with Redbox. Both offer instant rentals charging a dollar a day rentals and have hundreds of film available, however Blockbuster Express offers email coupons for free movies. The one drawback: Blockbuster Express doesn’t offer as many movie titles as Redbox, plus the machines aren’t nearly as widespread. Moreover, while Blockbuster does have a big name brand, they don’t have the ability to reserve films online, as Redbox does, but they are the new kid on the block and they promise to have more on the horizon.

News & Updates:
Video Business (8/12/09): – NCR-made machines expected to be in all Big Y stores by Sept. 3 – “Blockbuster is expanding its customer reach with a deal that will put Blockbuster Express DVD rental kiosks in Big Y grocery stores throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.” {Read more}

Press Release:
Street Insider (8/17/09): NCR Accelerates Deployment of BLOCKBUSTER Express(TM) DVD-Rental Kiosks in Publix Super Markets – NCR Corporation has reached an agreement to operate its DVD rental kiosks in Publix Super Markets, the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the U.S. NCR plans to complete the installation of its BLOCKBUSTER Express DVD-rental kiosks in most Florida-area Publix stores by November 1. {Read more}

Cost | What to Enjoy | Features | News & Updates | Press Releases

Cost: $1 per rental

What to enjoy:
Found in a number of supermarkets and pharmacies, Blockbuster Express is Blockbuster’s video rental kiosk, allowing you to rent movies for $1 straight from the machine (which, yes, does look a lot like an ATM). As for rental fees, if you turn the DVD in past 9 pm the next day, you pay an extra dollar.

Features:
Blockbuster Express is out in competition with Redbox. Both offer instant rentals charging a dollar a day rentals and have hundreds of film available, however Blockbuster Express offers email coupons for free movies. The one drawback: Blockbuster Express doesn’t offer as many movie titles as Redbox, plus the machines aren’t nearly as widespread. Moreover, while Blockbuster does have a big name brand, they don’t have the ability to reserve films online, as Redbox does, but they are the new kid on the block and they promise to have more on the horizon.

News & Updates:
Video Business (8/12/09): – NCR-made machines expected to be in all Big Y stores by Sept. 3 – “Blockbuster is expanding its customer reach with a deal that will put Blockbuster Express DVD rental kiosks in Big Y grocery stores throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.” {Read more}

Press Release:
Street Insider (8/17/09): NCR Accelerates Deployment of BLOCKBUSTER Express(TM) DVD-Rental Kiosks in Publix Super Markets – NCR Corporation has reached an agreement to operate its DVD rental kiosks in Publix Super Markets, the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the U.S. NCR plans to complete the installation of its BLOCKBUSTER Express DVD-rental kiosks in most Florida-area Publix stores by November 1. {Read more}

Blockbuster Total Access

Cost | What to Enjoy | Features | News & Updates

Cost: Plans range from $8.99 – $19.99

What to Enjoy:
Choose from Blockbuster’s huge inventory–over 90,000 titles–and watch them without fear of late fees. Blockbuster also allows a limited amount of in-store transfers.

Third-Party Features:
While Blockbuster does offer online streaming, it’s not through their Total Access plan. However, they do offer Blu-ray movies without an extra charge; and, for an additional $4.99, you can rent video games.

News & Updates:
Engadget.com (2/23/2009): Blockbuster hamstrings Total Acces rental plan – “You know what the last thing a losing company should do? Something that makes even more of its customers jump ship. As Blockbuster looks to cut costs and buy fewer DVDs from studios, the company is also hoping that Total Access customers don’t notice a tiny change (posted in full after the break) in the fine print.” {Read more}

Cost: $1 a night

What to enjoy:
Redbox offers movie rentals at one dollar a day at its 15,000 kiosks (many located in stores nationwide). You can return the DVD the following day, at any kiosk, not only the one from which it was rented. If you keep the film an extra day, your credit card is billed only one more dollar. Redbox also allows viewers to pay and reserve their movie online so it’s available when they arrive at the kiosk. Blu-ray rentals are also only $1, though the discs cannot be reserved online, and are not available at every location. Video game rentals are available for $2.

Features:
While Redbox has a huge number of DVDs, most of them are new releases. They don’t have the library as deep as Netflix’s, nor Blockbuster OnDemand, but their easy pick up and drop off rental method, makes them a convenient choice for renters.

News & Updates:
Engadget (8/17/09): Redbox debuts $2 video game rentals – “If you’ve been waiting expectantly for Redbox to launch its much dreamed-of video game rentals kiosks — well, dream no more. Word has come down from on high that it’s happened, and we’ll tell you: we couldn’t be more pleased. For $2 a night (which isn’t really a great premium compared to Blockbuster’s $9 for five nights), you can hit up the kiosk and grab games for Nintendo DS, Wii, PS2 and 3, and Xbox 360.” {Read more}

Video Business (8/13/09): Warner lines up with Fox, Uni on kiosk window – “Warner Home Video officially lined up with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Entertainment in pushing a later release window for DVD rentals through vending kiosks.” {Read more}

Variety.com (8/12/09): Redbox files suit against Fox – “Redbox has filed suit against 20th Century Fox because of the studio’s new distribution terms, which would prohibit Redbox kiosks from carrying Fox DVDs until at least 30 days after their initial street date.” {Read more}

Variety.com (8/11/09): Redbox lands Lionsgate DVDs – “Lionsgate has signed a five-year, estimated $158 million deal to distribute its DVDs to the kiosk operator on a film’s initial street date, according to an SEC filing by Redbox parent Coinstar. The output deal, which runs through August 2014, guarantees Lionsgate an approximately 7.4% market share in Redbox kiosks.”{Read more}

Sales Info:
L.A. Times (8/4/09): Redbox revenue more than doubles, testing new pricing models – Redbox has filed suit against 20th Century Fox because of the studio’s new distribution terms, which would prohibit Redbox kiosks from carrying Fox DVDs until at least 30 days after their initial street date. {Read more}

Cost | What to Enjoy | Features | Video | News & Updates | Press Releases | Editor’s Assessment

Cost: Instant comes free with Subscription

What to Enjoy:
According to their website, Netflix is the world’s largest online movie rental service, boasting a deep well of over 100,000 titles (both movies and TV shows) available on DVD and Blu-ray. Netflix Instant is a free service to all subscribers that streams on-demand, DVD-quality movies and TV shows for viewing on any computer (PC or Mac). Netflix boasts “over 12,000 movies & TV episodes” are available via the stream. Depending on your subscription, you can watch as many movies as you want, as often as you wish.

Third-Party Features:
Netflix Instant’s stream is available on Xbox 360 (via Xbox LIVE Gold Membership) and Roku through exclusive partnerships. PlayOn gives Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii owners access. Netflix Instant are also integrated into various Web-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players from LG, Vizio and Sony.

Editor’s Assessment:
Netflix has emerged as the leading DVD rental service in the United States and with their Netflix Instant integration into web based televisions and Blu-Ray players they seem to be making huge strides in the field.

Cost | What to Enjoy | Features | News & Updates | Sales Info | Press Releases | Buy

Cost: iPod Classic = $249 (120GB) | iPod touch = $229 (8GB) | iPhone = $199 (3G S)

What to enjoy:

iTunes

iPods come packaged with the ability to sync video along with your music, giving you the ability to take your favorite music and movies wherever you go. At the heart of the operation is iTunes, Apple’s media player that is compatible for both the Mac and PC. Use iTunes to copy your entire CD library to your iPod, as well as download new music and movies through the iTunes Store. Simply sync your iPod up and you’re ready to enjoy it all on the go.

iTunes opened its music store in 2003, and in the years since, has gone on to sell over 6 billion songs. In 2008, iTunes surpassed Wal-Mart, becoming the number one music store in the United States. Along with music, you can rent or buy audiobooks, music videos, movies, TV shows, games, and the very popular apps. iTunes 9 has made great strides in better organizing the store, including easier browsing and navigation, app management, as well as new products: iTunes LP – download full albums + artwork and liner notes; iTunes Extras – DVD bonus material (audio commentary, deleted scenes, etc.) packaged into movie downloads. iTunes comes with an add-on, Genius, which turns your playlists more into a radio station by playing similar songs based on the artist or genre.

Movies and TV shows are available for rent or purchase, and can be synched over to iPods, the iPhone, as well as Apple TV. Movie rentals last for 30 days, and must be fully watched within 24-hours of it being started. Most content is available in SD, however there is a growing library of HD content, currently priced at $19.99. TV content can be bought as single episodes, or as a season pass, giving you access to each new episode as it comes out.

Third-Party Features (via the iPod touch & iPhone):

The iPod touch and the iPhone further enhances the mobile movie-going experience. The iTunes Music Store app allows you to make purchases and rentals directly through the device, saving the extra step of “synching.” There are also many apps that you can download, giving you the ability to stream live via a Wi-Fi network, manage your Netflix queue, and even allow you to control your set-top box remotely.

News & Updates:
Mashable (09/09/2009): Apple Announces iTunes 9 – “Today is Apple’s Rock and Roll keynote, where the company is expected to announce a range of new products and software upgrades. One of new products has leaked a little early though: iTunes 9. While iTunes 9 is not yet downloadable, we were able to gaze over Apple’s promotional feature list.” {Read more}

BBC News Magazine (06/29/2009):Giving up my iPod for a Walkman – A 13-year old boy exchanged his iPod for the Sony Walkman, comparing the modern portable media player to it’s now 30-year-old grandfather. {Read more}

Variety.com/Technotainment (04/20/2009): Forget Apple TV… the iPhone is becoming Apple’s set top box – The Apple TV has, to be blunt, been something of a dud. Not that many people are willing to spend $230 to get all the TV show, music, and movies they download from iTunes onto their television. {Read more}

Sales Info & Figures:
Mercury News (09/28/2009): Apple: 2 billion ‘apps’ downloaded by iPhone, iPod touch owners – “iPhone and iPod touch owners have downloaded 2 billion “apps” from Apple’s iTunes App Store, the Cupertino company reported today. More than 85,000 software applications, or apps, are available for downloading, Apple said in a statement. Some of the apps can be downloaded for free, and others for a fee.” {Read more}

CNN Money (05/18/2009): iPod sales headed for their first decline analyst – Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster puts a positive spin on it, but his analysis of retail data issued Monday afternoon by the NPD Group suggests that the Mac, whose sales declined year-over-year last fiscal quarter for the first time in nearly six years, will be joined next quarter by the iPod. {Read more}

Latest Press Releases:
06/22/2009: Apple Sells Over One Million iPhone 3GS Models – Apple® today announced that it has sold over one million iPhone™ 3GS models through Sunday, June 21, the third day after its launch. In addition, six million customers have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software in the first five days since its release. {Read more}

04/16/2009: Apple Premieres Movies on the iTunes Store in Germany – Apple® today announced that movies from major film studios including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), The Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures Television and independents including Universum and Shorts International are now available on the iTunes® Store in Germany for purchase and rent. {Read more}

Buy:

Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (7th Generation)

Apple iPod touch 8 GB (3rd Generation)