Audio Video News

Redbox will start offering Blu-ray rentals in the next few months. And the price, at $1.50 per title, is likely to turn heads.

The company is already beloved, of course, for its $1 DVD rentals, using the ubiquitous kiosks you've seen outside stores including Walmart, Walgreens, McDonald's, 7-Eleven, etc.

Redbox already has 23 percent of the rental market, with consumer awareness rising from 17 percent in February 2009 to 72 percent in April 2010. With 16.9 percent of Redbox customers already owning Blu-ray players, the company's decision to start renting Blu could give more of them a reason to adopt the format.

In addition to its rental operation, Redbox is about to test sell-through of catalogue titles at prices ranging from five to nine dollars.

Redbox recently signed pacts with Universal and Fox to rent new releases 28 days after they're available for sell-through. The idea is to let the studios sell some copies before the cheap rentals kick in.

See Home Media Magazine.

Update: Subsequent reports indicate that Redbox is charging $2, not $1.50, for Blu-ray rentals. That's for the first night. Each additional night is $1.