rental

Movie rental company Redbox is trying to improve its standing in the mobile market.

The company announced today that it has launched a new Android application that will allow its customers to look through available titles, find one of its kiosks around the U.S., and reserve films from the app. In addition, it updated its iPhone app to make the software more responsive to users when they rent movies. The app also now supports box art.

Redbox's iPhone app has performed well. The free application has been downloaded over 2 million times since its launch in December 2009, … Read more

Redbox owner Coinstar had a worse-than-expected fourth quarter as it severely underestimated the impact 28-day delays on movie availability, among other factors, would have on its operation.

The company said yesterday that it expects to make between $78 million and $82 million when it announces fourth-quarter earnings next month. Coinstar initially estimated that it would generate a profit of $84 million to $90 million. Moreover, it has revised its 2011 revenue outlook down from $1.85 billion to $1.70 billion.

"Overall, the performance of the Redbox business during the fourth quarter was not in line with our forecast,&… Read more

There are a great number of travel Web sites on the Internet that let you search flights, hotel listings, and car rentals, but if you want a quick way to get that info while on the go, check out the new Kayak for iPhone app. Though Kayak has been around for some time, the latest version for iPhone includes a completely redesigned interface and faster search results making it much easier to get your travel plans in order quickly. Like the older version, Kayak works seamlessly with the Kayak.com Web site.

Instead of the older tilelike interface, Kayak has … Read more

There are a great number of travel Web sites on the Internet that let you search flights, hotel listings, and car rentals, but if you want a quick way to get that info while on the go, check out the new Kayak for iPhone app. Though Kayak has been around for some time, this latest version for iPhone includes a completely redesigned interface and faster search results making it much easier to get your travel plans in order quickly. Like the older version, Kayak works seamlessly with the Kayak.com Web site.

Instead of the older tilelike interface, Kayak has … Read more

Apple and Netflix are competitors in the online movie rental business, but one analyst is suggesting that instead of competing, Apple should buy its rival.

Brian Marshall, an analyst with Gleacher & Co., suggested in a note to clients yesterday that Apple's iTunes movie and TV rental business is only about one-tenth the size of Netflix. He estimated that Apple rents approximately 475,000 TV shows and movies every day, while Netflix rents about 5.1 million DVDs and pieces of streaming media per day, according to Computerworld.

Looking at the cash side of the business, Marshall estimated that … Read more

Don't expect to find new Warner Bros. movies in Blockbuster Express kiosks the same day the DVDs hit store shelves.

NCR, the company that owns and operates Blockbuster Express kiosks (it licenses the name from Blockbuster), announced yesterday that it will get Warner Home Video films 28 days after they're released.

NCR said the deal will help it reduce acquisition costs on films because it previously paid full price at retail to get new Warner Home Video movies into its kiosks. However, when it did so, the company sometimes had the films available in its kiosks on launch … Read more

Some BlockBuster Express kiosks will start offering new DVD and Blu-ray releases on the same day they go on sale, reports say.

According to the Dow Jones Newswires, NCR, the owner and operator of BlockBuster Express kiosks, inked the rental deals with Twentieth Century Fox Film and Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The company will be offering films for $2.99 on DVD or $3.99 on Blu-ray discs on the first rental night. The program is rolling out in a handful of test markets, including Atlanta, Miami, and San Francisco.

NCR, which licenses the BlockBuster Express name from the movie … Read more

"Stoopid Andy"--not as stupid as his name implies (TM)--joins us on the show today along with MTI, otherwise known as Mark Licea, to fill in for Justin, who again is enamored by a printer.

You may not realize this, but Stoopid Andy is a bit of a computer genius. We spend a good portion of the first half of the show talking about how he transcodes Blu-ray movies that he owns over to an MKV file in H.264 using a variety of pieces of hardware and software. He does this just so that he can watch his movies in HD and Dolby Digital surround sound anywhere in his house. Kind of cool. But I think most consumers would rather just watch it on Netflix or rent it from iTunes.

Speaking of iTunes, Apple has changed the home page of its Web site with a mysterious message that reads: "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget. Check back here tomorrow for an exciting announcement from iTunes." As much of a fanboy as Wilson is, he's got nothing when it comes to speculation other than the rumors that have already been floating around the Web. We're hoping for iTunes music subscriptions or more streaming-media services from the cloud. We're going to be really disappointed if it is just the already announced iOS 4.2 download or the iTunes 10.1 download.

Facebook's new messaging service press conference started just right after the show was over today, so we don't have much feedback on that, except that tweens will certainly embrace it. We also mention that Wal-Mart will be offering free shipping to all its orders between now and December 22, but it's a little odd for everyone in the studio because there isn't a Wal-Mart within New York City!

Finally, we don't have time to get to the voice mails, but Wilson does point out that Jeff is dearly missed, and will hopefully be making his return tomorrow! *fingers crossed* He may have just decided to stay in sunny Hawaii and finish playing Call of Duty: Black Ops. You can leave him a message by calling 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or e-mail us at the usual address. Oh! And tell your friends about the show!

Apple has brought its movie rental and purchasing service to Japan.

Japanese iTunes users can now buy or rent over 1,000 movies from the top Hollywood studios, like Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., as well as films from several prominent Japanese studios. Apple said yesterday that Hollywood films, like "Toy Story 3" and "Sex and the City 2," will be made available to Japanese customers.

As soon as Japanese iTunes customers decide to rent a movie, they will have 30 days to start watching it. Once the film is started, it will be viewable for … Read more