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Verizon and Redbox Plan To Offer Streaming Movie and TV Shows In 2012

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Verizon is reportedly in talks with Redbox to team up and compete with Netflix by offering streaming video content to a variety of devices and set top boxes. The new service, code named Project Zoetrope, will be an internet only service and be available for devices running iOS, Android, Google TV, Xbox and other streaming boxes and browsers. Apparently, it’s still being worked out with content providers and will follow the typical blackout and release timings for new movies and television to keep execs happy.

According to TechCrunch, you can expect a launch on May 28th with a beta starting sometime in late April. Pricing structure is a little bit out of the norm with monthly credits along the lines of $6 for 6 credits to rent a movie costing 1 credit. Seeing how Rebox also offers physical disc rentals at their kiosks around the country, there will also be various pricing tiers offering physical rentals as well. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

[Via TechCrunch]

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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19 Comments

  1. Of course they offer all this after they get rid of unlimited data so people can’t even really take advantage of it.

    1. or rather they launched after they have extensive 4G coverage so people can actually use it. Not every thing is a conspiracy theory. And as Robert noted above, you’re going to want to use this via WiFi most of the time anyway.

      1. its a MOBILE network. have you been brainwashed or….

        1. brainwashed how??  By recognizing the fact that 4G is just now getting rolled out and becoming widely used?  How well do you think steaming these movies would be using 3G??  And then also realized that my wifi connection is yet even faster than 4G? 

          1. lol. Verizon is seeing $$$ from those tiered data overage charges once
            these Redbox movies start streaming in over that very 4G network.

          2. really mp, really? do you work for them (VZ) or do they pay you under the table?

          3. They’d stream pretty well actually. They do for Netflix and Hulu anyway, though I on AT&T

          4. Verizon 3G is generally slower than AT&T’s, and from my experience Netflix on 3G is painful. Long pauses, long buffer times…it’s not great, but it is workable. On 4G LTE everything plays almost instantly and doesn’t even stutter.

            I think that this double your data deal is a test of making users happier on 4G, and making 4 GB the small pack would allow for some streaming video. I use just under that each month and I watch TV shows over LTE. They would make less money on data, but get fewer complaints and probably get a lot of people to pay that monthly fee for video to make up for it. Happier customers that are willing to hand over more cash and show off features to friends. Sounds like a good way to expand.

            Also. Unlimited data would have been killed no matter what. Sadly the world of data, hardline and wireless, is moving toward capped and tiered plans. It annoys me that if I lost unlimted data that I would have to pay $50 a month for 5GB of data on normal rates instead of the $30. It sucks and would force me to Sprint :/ and they don’t work everywhere I go…I get to use my roommate’s Epic 4G as a judge of that.

          5. Actually, Netflix works pretty good on Sprint’s 3G.  Only thing is that it takes a little while to load a movie, but once it gets rolling the quality is good. So Verizon’s 3G should be no problem.

          6. WIFI can slow down too.  Sometimes my 4G is faster than my Comcast WiFi.

          7. Actually Netflix streamed just fine over 3g on my N1, the problem is data caps, not the streaming capabilities. 

  2. Even if I had unlimited data I still would mostly use it on my home wifi. 

  3. If they provide NEW movies this is something to get excited about. If its all older stuff we have Netflix for that.

  4. Redbox does not offer me
    great a deal like Blockbuster does, plus I have thousands of channels to stream
    from! I was offered the Blockbuster
    Movie Pass
    thanks to my TV provider DISH Network for only $10/mo. It includes disc rentals
    as well with over 100,000 titles to choose from. I can rent games, blu-rays and
    DVD’s by mail and there are no late fees or due dates. Working for DISH Network
    I can tell you that I’m able to stream 3,000 movies to my TV and 4,000 movies
    to my PC. All DISH Network customers can take advantage of this and new DISH
    customers can get 12 months free streaming so check it out. 

    1. Where do I send your commission check?

  5. Verizon(FIOS) or Verizon Wireless or both?

  6. that 5 or 10 GB CAP’s going to suck……

  7. This will be great! The only reason I have cable internet is to stream Netflix. It would be nice to dump that $35/mo bill. Assuming this service does not count against month data caps.

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