By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.

TV Answer Man, I like streaming but I agree with my husband that the Blu-ray disc looks better. Is there any way to rent discs now? Is Netflix still doing it with the red envelopes? What about the Redbox things? How do they work? — Marcia, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Marcia, I concur with your husband. The Blu-ray disc, whether it’s 4K or high-def, usually offers a better picture than the streaming version of the movie or TV show. Netflix recently shuttered its DVD business, but the Redbox kiosk is still alive and well, although its number has fallen from 41,000 to under 30,000 in the last five years.

How Does the Redbox Kiosk Work?

The Redbox kiosk looks basically like a soda vending machine and is quite easy to find once you go to one of the locations because of its bright red color. The machine carries from one to a couple dozen copies of each movie advertised in the box. But not every box has every movie available from Redbox; for example, you might find the Blu-ray edition of Barbie in one Redbox kiosk but not in the one a mile up the street.

To find out which movies each kiosk currently has, you can download an app on your smart phone or iPad that gives you an up-to-date inventory. I’ve used it and it’s very helpful. You can also check your local kiosk’s inventory by using Redbox’s web site and clicking on a movie that you want to rent. The site will tell you which kiosks have it in stock. And to find out where the closest Redbox kiosk is to you, click here.

What’s the Redbox Rental Price?

Now, what’s the price, you ask? To rent a HD Blu-ray title overnight, the cost is $2.25 plus tax. (They also still carry DVDs for the same price.) The tax might vary slightly based on where you live.

Redbox is also renting some 4K titles in select markets for $2.50 a night, but they are tough to find and a random search of the so-called available markets show few 4K titles actually being available. For what it’s worth, Redbox says these are the 4K markets: Austin, Colorado Springs, Des Moines, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Reno, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane and Portland, Oregon. (Redbox hasn’t added any cities to that list in several years.)

You have until 9 p.m. the day after you rent the movie to return it. If you don’t return it by then, you will be charged for another day’s rental for each day the movie is out. If you don’t return it for 17 days, you will be charged the maximum price for a purchase. And speaking of purchasing, Redbox allows you to buy some titles at the kiosk. The HD Blu-ray Barbie, for example, is $5.99.

(Note: You can return it to any Redbox kiosk in the United States, not just the one where you rented it.)

You are eligible to rent three different movies the first time you use a Redbox kiosk; after you’ve used it once, you can rent five different movies at a time.

You pay for the movie by using a credit card. But you can also go online at Redbox.com, set up an account and reserve your movie online. Then, when you go to the kiosk, you will touch the button that says, ‘Reservation Pickup.’ After that, you swipe the card you used to make the reservation and pick up your disc. (You can also make reservations using the Redbox app on your smart phone or tablet.)

Marcia, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.