In a continuation of the worst fad ever, it appears NCR's Blockbuster Express kiosk biz is the the latest to come down with a case of price hike-itis, following competitors Redbox and Netflix. Of course the cause behind this is the studios, who are pushing for higher rates on new release movies or delayed windows. The 3-2-1 pricing structure it has been testing kicks in on "Hot Movies" in the first month they're available, renting for $3 the first night (additional nights are still just $1 each, Blu-ray discs still cost $1 extra the first night), dropping to $2 after a month and then to $1 after 90 days. Expect the squeeze to be continually and evenly applied to your video rental options as long as Hollywood believes it increases sales.
At least with this price hike it is a tier pricing so you can choose which price you want to pay. If you don’t want to pay that much for a new release you can just wait until it is older just like you would with Redbox. Or you can go with the Blockbuster Movie Pass through my provider/employer DISH Network for only $10 a month. I get new releases 28 days before Netflix or Redbox, streaming, mail-in DVD, in-store exchange, 20 premium HD channels, and games and Blu-ray DVDs at no extra charge. I couldn’t ask for anything else.
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