New Competitor

[Slappy]

For the new release junkies.

Studios' and Netflix's Newest Threat: $1 Online Rentals From Zediva

NEW YORK - New online film rental service Zediva, which offers current DVD titles for as low as $1, may become the latest headache for Hollywood studios and the latest challenger to Netflix, DVD rental firms and cable video on demand services.

Zediva, which just went live to a broader audience after a year-long beta trial with what it says were a few thousand beta users, allows users to watch movies, which are newly released on DVD, via the Internet - on computers and select Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players and other devices - without the delays of other services...

[Pihk]

Le sigh. :-(

[thatboy]

The company says it is focusing on current and major titles.

 

Well, that makes them pretty much useless for me.

 

Their business model is also on shaky legal ground.  I remember back when video rental was just starting, there were rental locations that, in addition to movies, would rent a small room with a player to watch the movies in.  Technically, you were renting the movie and the space to watch the movie separately, but they were shut down on the grounds of "public exhibition" of the films.  The Zediva model strikes me as something similar.

[Slappy]

They are fighting that one on the fact that as one person rents a video that DVD is off limits to anyone else, therefore adhering to rental rules.  A little like our library does digital rentals, it is very slowly taking off too.  They have a number of copies and if it is rented out you have to waited for a copy of it to become available, at the end of two weeks it is no longer accessible.  My only complaint is you can't renew your rental like you can with their traditional books but it is neat as it grows to grab a book now and again to read on my phone. 

 

I don't know if this Zediva will last or not but I am kind of hopeful because if they take some of the mainstream maybe NF will start catering back to the population that wanted what BB didn't carry.  I doubt it but a girl can dream right?

[Spindaddydad]

would rent a small room with a player to watch the movies in.

Hey I know those places. Put a quarter in the slot, the movie starts in a small peephole.

[Knaldskalle]

Do you have to pay for the tissues?

[Biff]

No, and the vanilla pudding is free too!

[Biff]