This. I don't understand why streaming a movie is so much more expensive than renting a physical DVD or VHS from a brick-and-morter store. If I want to watch a new movie, it is generally much cheaper to rent a DVD from redbox than watching it from any of the streaming services that allow you to rent it online.

It's because of the first sale doctrine. Redbox and family video can buy DVDs and Blu-Rays (at a maximum) at the same price as consumer DVD/Blu-Ray--and rent them out without permission from the copyright holder. That means video rental stores can undercut the VOD prices.

Consumers are willing to pay more for VOD because its easier. Having to return the disc is a pain in the ass.

... There used to be this little startup company and service, where you could queue movie/TV shows, then you would receive the discs in the mail, with a paid envelope to return them as well...

AFAIK - only in the US though, there was much talk at launch of how they got special deals with the US postal service.

Whatever happened to those guys...? (https://dvd.netflix.com/)

Apparently they still do it - I thought it was phased-out for streaming years ago.

It seems like there should be a similar mechanism for VOD. Although, VidAngel tried to do that and was sued almost to death by big media.

It's not possible to lend digital media out without making a copy(remotely streaming it still copying), which isn't protected by the first sale doctrine. Redbox isn't making a copy. That's the big difference.

Is it possible to play a DVD without making a copy in the DVD player's RAM?

What if I extend an HDMI cable from my DVD player to your TV?

My library manages to lend ebooks; they even have wait lists for them.

> My library manages to lend ebooks; they even have wait lists for them.

Those are made available in that format by the publisher. No equivalent for movies is available (as far as I am aware).

Also my understanding is that it was never entirely clear if lending ebooks like that in the US was legal or not. The publishers and lenders both carefully avoided the issue going to court IIUC. (Prior to the Internet Archive's actions, that is.)

Assuming that is true that seems like yet another place where the law isn't well adapted to a digital world.

You can also still subscribe to the Netflix DVD service, although it's degraded compared to what it used to be. They're obviously not replacing a lot of disks when they wear out.

Depends on your cost priorities.

If you're basically just walking by the box anyway while doing something you'd be doing otherwise, sure it's cheaper to drop $2 for a disc.

If you have to make a deliberate trip, you've transportation & opportunity costs. 2 round trips to the box, just to get/return the disc, is 6 miles total (1.5 miles one-way by road & parking lot) for me; at >$3/gal gas (wear/maintenance not included) that's >$1.50 plus the $2 rental. Then there's the time spent getting the disc, as several people wait around for someone to fetch it; if we're already at cumulative $4 cost, I'll pay the extra $1 (<$0.25 each) just so the group can watch what we want right now with a mere wiggling my thumb and not wait around half an hour.

...which is why Redbox puts its boxes in places where people already have to go anyway. It's funny that you think this all needed to be explained in such excruciating detail. It's not rocket science.

Read the post I replied to. I was answering thayne's "I don't understand..." by drawing out hidden costs.

I'm an engineer. I explain things in excruciating detail. That's what I do.

Redbox automated movie rental machines, perhaps?

what will users insert physical media into, these days?

One use QR codes?

USB ports?

Well blockbuster itself no longer exists, so don't count on that one.

Of course I meant their business model, but...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockbuster_(Bend,_Oregon)