Q. I am a 4K TV owner but I am upset at the high prices of 4K discs. Has Redbox expanded that 4K rental trial yet? I want to rent the darn things! — Eddie, Cleveland.
Eddie, as you know, Redbox in May began renting a handful of 4K titles (Black Panther, The Martian, The Commuter and The Matrix) in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Detroit, Austin and Miami.
The kiosk rental service said the launch was a trial and that more markets (and titles) would be added shortly.
Click Amazon: Today’s Deals of the Day.
Click Amazon: See Today’s Top-Selling TVs!
The announcement was great news for 4K TV owners due to the nearly-nonexistent rental market for 4K, and the fact that Redbox was only charging $2.50 per night for a 4K nightly rental, which is 75 cents more than a DVD nightly rental and 50 cents more than a regular Blu-ray nightly rental.
However, since the May launch, Redbox has yet to expand the trial to more cities and there’s no indication that it plans to do so anytime soon. In addition, the company has removed its 4K title page from its web site.
Both developments are not great news for 4K TV owners, but we can only hope that Redbox is merely taking its time evaluating the market and still has plans to eventually go nationally with a 4K rental offering.
Need to buy something today? Please buy it using this Amazon.com link. This site receives a small portion of each purchase, which helps us continue to provide these articles.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
