DVDs on the Dollar Menu

It's 5 o'clock. You're leaving work. Your fridge at home is embarrassingly empty, resulting in a mandatory detour for groceries on your way home. You peruse the aisles, buying more than you probably need. And then it hits you: what are you going to do tonight? Enter Redbox, the DVD kiosk found in a Wegmans near you.

When you think of vending machines, you probably envision candy bars and pop, not a DVD-slinging rental machine. But Redbox is just that. The bright red, aptly named machines hold more than 500 DVDs of approximately 70 new-release titles. You use the kiosk's touch-screen to select a movie, swipe your credit or debit card, and keep the disc for as long as you like for just $1 a night (plus tax). There's no late fees, you just own the DVD after 25 days. You can even go online (www.redbox.com) to reserve a movie for pick-up. And rentals can be returned to any Redbox location. Talk about some serious competition for the other guys: no waiting for DVDs to arrive in the mail, no paying $5 for one rental.

Since Redbox launched in 2002 the company has expanded from just a few kiosks to more than 2,200 nationwide. There are currently seven of them in area Wegmans and, due to expansion plans, you may soon be able to find them next to your Happy Meals. In November the company signed a contract with fast-food giant McDonald's (Redbox is a McDonald's subsidiary). Currently, Redbox can only be found in McDonald's restaurants in Baltimore, Denver, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City, with more cities to come this year.

While the cute little machines bring a whole new meaning to dinner and a movie, there are also some potentially frightening implications. A McDonald's franchisee in Colorado recently placed a couple of the kiosks in his restaurant's drive-thru. Talk about over-convenience; are we that lazy? And, sure, it's convenient, but are we really ready to hear, "Would you like fries with that DVD?"

For more information on Redbox locations, available titles, and prices check out www.redbox.com.