Redbox Instant Streaming Service Begins Beta Testing In January
The Redbox Instant video streaming service is scheduled to begin beta testing January, according to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam. According to Engadget, the Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, and Hulu Plus competitor is expected to offer a $6 per month unlimited video subscription.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Verizon and Redbox originally planned on launching a streaming service in the second half of 2012. The joint venture has a 65 percent stake by Verizon and 35 percent by Coinstar/Redbox.
Based upon the latest news, the streaming service collaboration with Redbox, dubbed Redbox Instant, now won’t launch commercially until sometime during the first quarter of 2013.
Initially, the Redbox Instant streaming service will have less to offer than Netflix, but there are some notable new titles like Iron Man 2 and Thor that will be included in the unlimited streaming sections. For an extra $2 per month, Redbox Instant customers may receive four DVD rentals each month from physical Redbox locations nearby.
No word on whether there is an extra charge for Blu-Ray movies, which is what Netflix does for physically shipped movies. On-demand access will start at just $0.99, allowing popular titles to be accessed from the comfort of home.
If the leaked screenshots are correct, then Microsoft Silverlight will be used for rendering video on the web instead of Adobe Flash. This means that non-Microsoft platforms will probably have trouble using Redbox Instant.
The good news is that Verizon and Redbox are expected to produce apps for Android, iOS, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3. Perhaps even the Wii and the Wii U might be able to join in on the Redbox Instant fun.
