Coinstar feels pinch from Netflix, considering name change to Outerwall

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Bellevue-based Coinstar, which operates coin counting and movie rental kiosks, is considering a corporate name change to Outerwall. The new name is meant to “signify innovation and pushing the walls of retail out into a new dimension through current and future automated retail solutions,” the company noted in a press release. Coinstar, perhaps best known… Read More…

Redbox Instant by Verizon available to public by March

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We’ve been waiting and waiting for our Redbox Instant beta access here at GeekWire and are wondering when we’ll receive our invitation. But now we know for sure that the service will be here, at the very least, in two months. Redbox Instant by Verizon CEO Shawn Strickland told reporters this morning at the CES… Read More…

Watch out, Netflix: Redbox Instant priced at $8 per month

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Redbox parent Coinstar and Verizon today announced more details about their joint venture streaming video service, confirming its pricing model and new agreements with big movie companies. Later this month, Redbox Instant’s invitation-only beta product will offer unlimited streaming of thousands of movies at $8 per month, along with four one-night credits per month for actual… Read More…

Ticketmaster challenger? Redbox to offer event tickets

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First DVDs, then coffee, and as recently as last week, streaming video. Now, Redbox is entering the live event arena. The unit of Bellevue-based Coinstar is now offering tickets to concerts and sporting events for an added fee of that all-too-familiar price of $1. The catch is that the tickets will be for the “cheap-seats,”… Read More…

Your next cup of coffee, brewed by Redbox?

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Coinstar will seek to build on the success of its Redbox $1 movie rental kiosks with a line of automated machines that dispense coffee “that tastes pretty close to a cup from any upscale coffee bar,” according to reporter Nick Wingfield of the New York Times. The Bellevue-based company is currently testing the coffee machines in partnership with… Read More…

Coinstar buys NCR assets for $100M, shares soar on Redbox sales growth in Q4

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It has been a very busy day at Coinstar. The Bellevue maker of coin-counting machines already announced a strategic partnership between its Redbox video rental business and Verizon. Now, the company has released strong financial results for the fourth quarter along with the purchase of assets from NCR’s entertainment business. The asset purchase includes Blockbuster Express… Read More…

Look out, Netflix? Redbox and Verizon joint venture to offer DVDs and movie downloads

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Coinstar’s Redbox unit and telecom giant Verizon have formed a new joint venture that will combine online movies and DVD rentals in a unified subscription service for consumers. The companies announced the initiative this morning, saying they plan to start rolling out a combined service in the second half of this year. Pricing wasn’t announced, but the… Read More…

Redbox raises DVD rental prices by 20 cents

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Redbox is raising prices on DVD rentals from $1 to $1.20 due to higher operating costs associated with debit card fees. It marks the first time in eight years that the unit of Bellevue-based Coinstar has increased daily DVD rental prices. “The amount was selected to best offset expenses, while keeping our value commitment to… Read More…

Afternoon Radar: Facebook music, Redbox vs. Netflix, another secret iPhone lost in a bar

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Busy news day today across the tech industry. Some of the biggest stories catching our attention …  Facebook plans to launch a music service next month in partnership with existing services Spotify, MOG and Rdio, reports Mashable, citing two anonymous sources. Seattle-based Rhapsody has so far fended off Spotify’s U.S. launch, but Facebook brings hundreds… Read More…