Blu-ray and DVD sales - We're number 2, but we try harder
10-25-14, 12:48 PM
#2001
DVD Talk Special Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Given the price and the convenience, I think Redbox is a decent model for renting physical media.
I have lazy friends who just order their movies via their cable providers and pay $5.99. "Ah, it's only five bucks, whatever...". At the end of the month they get a bill for $60 because they said that 10 times a month.
No, you won't find The 400 Blows or even Pulp Fiction but let's face it, do Redbox renters care about such films?
Those that really care about those films probably already own them or would rather buy the Criterion Collection version.
I think the only thing that will hurt Redbox is universal for all forms of home entertainment is that there are too many choices of different things to watch and do (text, surf the net, movies, TV, games etc.) and only so much free time.
10-25-14, 01:10 PM
#2002
DVD Talk Hero
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
I never much enjoyed Redbox's selection. They filled their roster up with a lot of junk titles since the primary studios tried to freeze them out as much as possible.
Always catering to the lowest common denominator is not a winning market strategy. That is the bulk of their business but smart companies realize you need to inject a little more variety, even if by the numbers those selections aren't as profitable.
Always catering to the lowest common denominator is not a winning market strategy. That is the bulk of their business but smart companies realize you need to inject a little more variety, even if by the numbers those selections aren't as profitable.
10-25-14, 03:30 PM
#2003
DVD Talk Special Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Decent enough to put everyone else out of business. Which confirms the opinion that most of the rental business is about new releases. (6 to 12 new releases per week). Always has been.
But if your new release business is declining, what other options does Redbox have? The one advantage Redbox has over all the streaming services is there is no license required to purchase and rent discs.
I wouldn't miss Redbox. Maybe some decent rental stores will open up.
But if your new release business is declining, what other options does Redbox have? The one advantage Redbox has over all the streaming services is there is no license required to purchase and rent discs.
I wouldn't miss Redbox. Maybe some decent rental stores will open up.
You have an expensive, 2,000 square-foot store where people stand around and read the back covers of empty boxes sitting on shelves deciding what they want to watch. Couple that with the cost of heating, electricity, furnishings, upkeep and employee salaries etc, the concept wasn't meant to last.
Redbox is declining but I'm sure it is still "profitable". DVD was extremely popular, made lots of money and set a huge precedent for business executives to work like crazy to try and top it. Because the successful business model states that if you're not selling more and more and making more and more money, you've failed.
On a simplistic money in/money out level, I'm sure they are doing just fine.
Last edited by orangerunner; 10-25-14 at 04:26 PM.
10-27-14, 05:06 PM
#2004
DVD Talk Special Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
The only reason Redbox is still viable is because of the new releases. The other stuff is just filler to make it look like they have a decent selection. But the cheap $1.50 rentals are what is keeping it from becoming a dinosaur sooner rather than later. Those movies cost $5-$7 to rent on digital.
10-28-14, 01:50 PM
#2005
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re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Ah, but the problem is that catering to the lowest common denominator is a winning strategy. The government, education and media have dumbed-down our young people so much during the past couple of decades that there is little critical thinking or demand for quality, and Redbox is feeding right into that, as are the studios and t.v. Wish it wasn't so, but there it is.
10-28-14, 02:13 PM
#2006
DVD Talk Special Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Running a small shop for 20+ years, I would tell suppliers to fuck off if I thought they working against me. Obviously, not as simple when you are stocking kiosks across the country, but still a mystery to me why redbox continues to work with the studios.
It's an interesting business. I just read there are 30,000 indie films produced per year. And while netflix whines about the high cost of licensing from the major studios, they tell the indies "don't call us will call you".
It's an interesting business. I just read there are 30,000 indie films produced per year. And while netflix whines about the high cost of licensing from the major studios, they tell the indies "don't call us will call you".
If a film is a hit in theatres or at least familiar enough that people recognize it as a theatrical release, the title lends itself to a certain credibility.
Straight to video titles are often tainted as being bad films, even more so if they have big name-brand actors.
The Redbox in my area contain films such as Before Midnight, Grand Buddapest Hotel, The Butler, Seven Years a Slave, Lovelace, Liberal Arts, The Way Way Back and other smaller indie films that are certainly worth watching.
10-28-14, 09:37 PM
#2008
Suspended
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Ah, but the problem is that catering to the lowest common denominator is a winning strategy. The government, education and media have dumbed-down our young people so much during the past couple of decades that there is little critical thinking or demand for quality, and Redbox is feeding right into that, as are the studios and t.v. Wish it wasn't so, but there it is.
The bulk of people want boom films, they are not going to watch some shitty indie film.
11-04-14, 11:06 PM
#2011
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Riiiiiight. But I ordered it from Amazon UK, since Di$ney didn't bother releasing it here in 3D. Actually placed the order mainly for "Step Up All In" which is also getting snubbed in the US, but also got Maleficent to make it worth paying for shipping. Disney can stick their 2D Blu-rays up their ass 
Not too long ago most Blu-Rays sold for $30- they were close to laserdisc prices the first few years they were out. I remember being wowed enough when I was able to get a new release for under $20, but that was when I was already grabbing HD-DVDs on clearance for an average of $5 each.
No Blu-ray should cost more than $10.
11-06-14, 04:15 PM
#2012
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Still a BR buyer.
Many films I love are no longer available on NetFlix and I do not want my movies depending on the Internet to watch. Believe or not the Internet does go down at times.
..and their will come a day I will had to pay "Per Amount" of Internet I use, so it will cost me $$$ every time I watch a movie.
Make mine BR.
Many films I love are no longer available on NetFlix and I do not want my movies depending on the Internet to watch. Believe or not the Internet does go down at times.
..and their will come a day I will had to pay "Per Amount" of Internet I use, so it will cost me $$$ every time I watch a movie.
Make mine BR.
11-07-14, 03:27 PM
#2014
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
I feel the same way when I'm buying $2 blurays of mediocre action movies, from the local dump bins. Watch once (or twice) and it ends up on my bookshelf collecting dust.
11-07-14, 03:38 PM
#2015
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
11-11-14, 08:05 PM
#2017
DVD Talk Hero
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
It will be interesting to see how Black Friday does this year.
11-12-14, 01:07 AM
#2018
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
I'm predicting that I will buy less this Black Friday than I have any before. (Bought 50 DVDs on BF 2007, for comparison. Went nuts on $5 BDs in 2010.) Didn't count how many I bought last year but it wasn't a whole lot. Nothing in the ads so far is getting me excited this year.
11-18-14, 04:35 PM
#2020
DVD Talk Legend
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
Damn, what were the big titles that week?
11-18-14, 05:07 PM
#2022
DVD Talk Special Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
From HMM:
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/mar...k-ended-110814
This week is as good as it gets. No other week the rest of the year favors this year over last by such a wide margin.
I thought it would be up higher than 22%.
Box Office Comparison UP 95.22% From the Previous Year
Street Title Box Office | Street Title Box Office
|
11/4/14 Maleficent $241.35 | 11/5/13 White House Down $73.10
11/4/14 Planes: Fire & Rescue $59.17 | 11/5/13 Grown Ups 2 $133.67
11/4/14 Hercules (2014) $72.69 | 11/5/13 Parkland $0.65
11/4/14 Step Up All In $14.90 | 11/5/13 Lovelace $0.36
11/4/14 A Most Wanted Man $17.24 | 11/5/13 Passion $0.09
11/4/14 The One I Love $0.51 | 11/5/13 Girl Most Likely $1.38
11/4/14 Frontera $0.06 | 11/5/13 As I Lay Daying $0.02
11/4/14 Archipelago $0.01 | 11/5/13 Syrup $0.00
11/4/14 The Christmas Candle $2.26 |
11/4/14 The Dog $0.04 |
11/4/14 A Five Star Life $0.31 |
|
Total Box Office Power: $408.53 | Total Box Office Power: $209.27
Street Title Box Office | Street Title Box Office
|
11/4/14 Maleficent $241.35 | 11/5/13 White House Down $73.10
11/4/14 Planes: Fire & Rescue $59.17 | 11/5/13 Grown Ups 2 $133.67
11/4/14 Hercules (2014) $72.69 | 11/5/13 Parkland $0.65
11/4/14 Step Up All In $14.90 | 11/5/13 Lovelace $0.36
11/4/14 A Most Wanted Man $17.24 | 11/5/13 Passion $0.09
11/4/14 The One I Love $0.51 | 11/5/13 Girl Most Likely $1.38
11/4/14 Frontera $0.06 | 11/5/13 As I Lay Daying $0.02
11/4/14 Archipelago $0.01 | 11/5/13 Syrup $0.00
11/4/14 The Christmas Candle $2.26 |
11/4/14 The Dog $0.04 |
11/4/14 A Five Star Life $0.31 |
|
Total Box Office Power: $408.53 | Total Box Office Power: $209.27
This week is as good as it gets. No other week the rest of the year favors this year over last by such a wide margin.
I thought it would be up higher than 22%.
11-18-14, 05:14 PM
#2023
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11-18-14, 05:27 PM
#2024
DVD Talk Hero
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
It's not just that the tiles of that week sold well, it also helps that the titles sold that week in the previous year (which is what the comparison is, if I'm not mistaken) did not sell that well. That's why it's not a very accurate measure of overall trends.
11-18-14, 05:32 PM
#2025
DVD Talk Special Edition
re: Blu-ray and DVD sales - #2, but we try harder
They went Blu. Who would want to watch a movie in standard defintion in 2014?