McRedbox

As if movie rental stores didn't have enough to worry about with stuff like NetFlix and other quick & easy DVD-in-the-mail companies... plus BitTorrent and other online delivery mechanisms for movies... plus the nearly ubiquitous DVR (aka Tivo), allowing us to easily record a high-quality copy of shows we used to skip because they were on at the same time as some other show we wanted to watch... (we hardly ever rent movies these days!)

Now McDonalds' Redbox, home of the $1/night DVD rental, is expanding and no doubt coming to a neighborhood near you (if it's not there already). And the Redbox website is pretty cool & sassy - on the log-in page, it says "Lean over the keyboard whilst entering your password to foil spies," and "Log in here, lucky redbox account holders." And in keeping with the cover story on this month's Wired, there's even a button for "Get A Free Rental" (for new customers).

The writing has been on the wall for brick-and-mortar movie rental shops for quite some time. And this McRedbox just might be the final nail in the coffin. I wonder to what extent it will eat in to NetFlix? It doesn't offer the same variety, obviously, but it's cheaper and more immediate (a formula that seems to work well for McD's food offering).

More redbox wit:
DO NOT: Place discs in direct sunlight, on a heat register, in the microwave or in the toaster like a bagel. Also, do not scratch, fold, bend, "Frisbee" at roommates or family members, use as a coaster, or try to determine its Mohs Hardness Scale number by testing with various implements.

I don't care for Big Mac's, but I think I like this RedBox thing...