Redbox Instant to launch in March; Android app updated for Nexus 10 support4
A lot of folks are having trouble getting invited to RedBox Instant, the company’s video streaming subscription service, right now. It’s a limited beta that requires an invitation, so unless you can find a buddy to give you a code or find some way to get a code through the invitation form you won’t be able to use it quite yet.
Folks will be happy to know that the wait will soon be over, though, as CEO Shawn Strickland has confirmed the service would fully launch at some point in March. RedBox Instant is a service brought to us by the collaboration between RedBox and Verizon.
It’s a fitting marriage considering each company’s emphasis on the color red in their marketing and branding, but there doesn’t seem to be any other strategic move as the beta is currently open to anyone that can procure an invite. The service will cost $8 a month and give users access to thousands of titles to stream, including more mainstream and recent rental options for an added cost.
For that price you’ll also be getting 4 DVD rental credits per month, so if you visit one of the 42,000+ kiosks frequently this isn’t a bad deal at all. Those able to get an invite right now will get the first month and four credits for free, so it’s the perfect opportunity to try out RedBox as a whole if you’re not sure what it’s all about. You can try your luck here or ask around if you’re interested.
In related news, the RedBox Instant app has been updated in the Play Store. The good news is that the Nexus 10 is now supported, and the changelog also exclaims that the developers “squashed some bugs.” Unfortunately they didn’t squash the one issue holding many people back from using the service — the fact that rooted users are denied access.
That stunt has earned the app a 1.5 star rating in the Play Store, and while most rooted folks can disable superuser in the SuperSU app it’s something we wish RedBox obliterated altogether. I digress, though — the fear of piracy will do that to a company. Download the app and give it a try if you have an invite and are either not rooted or can disable superuser access.