Verizon is reportedly in talks with Redbox to team up and compete with Netflix by offering streaming video content to a variety of devices and set top boxes. The new subscription and downloading service, code named Project Zoetrope, will be an internet only service and be available for devices running iOS, Android, Google TV, Roku, Xbox and other streaming boxes and browsers. Traditional digital cable boxes will not be supported–this is an internet service.
Apparently, it’s still being worked out with content providers and will follow the typical blackout and release timings for new movies and television to keep execs happy.
According to TechCrunch, you can expect a launch on 5/28 with a beta starting sometime in late April. Pricing is expected to be monthly and credit-based, e.g. $5.95 per month for 6 credits, which could be used to rent movies and/or shows. There will be several tiers and some will include physical disc rentals, and of course there will be ways to purchase more shows if necessary.
It will stream in SD or HD to all of these devices, and local storage of video will be enabled for mobile devices and tablets.
RBR-TVBR observation: Yet more competition for cable—not only putting pressure on subscriptions, but VOD as well. Not only does cable have increasing pressure on programming from YouTube, Hulu and others, but the delivery of content via cable set top boxes vs. device set top boxes is also becoming a battlefield. Guess Verizon’s FiOS service is seeing this early and figures the content can come in via FiOS TV programming offering (can’t call it cable) or internet delivery.
