It seems like nothing stands still when it come to technology and the way our technology is delivered. One of many notable changes of late are the dvd rental machines. You may know these are Redbox, though there are other brands too. 

DVD rental machines are pretty much found all over the country. According to their website, Redbox has over 25,000 locations. That means that you should have no trouble finding a machine for your video rentals no matter where you live. 

I live in a very small town, surrounded by another very small town, and their are at least 2 of these machines within an easy drive. 

But, you may be asking, is renting a movie from these machines better than going to the local video rental store or getting them in the mail or online? 

Well, honestly that depends a lot on you and your needs. 

There are other kiosk style DVD rental services but they are all similar though actual pricing may vary. This information is for Redbox and is accurate for now, check the details yourself before you rent. 

Here is a short overview on how these machines work as well as some pros and cons to consider:

1. Since there are so many of these machines, and since they are always located where you already shop such as in grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, etc. they are convenient. 

2. These machines can carry as many as 600 + DVDs and usually have over 200 unique titles available. 

They also have some games available for rent. 

3. The pricing is very reasonable. You can rent a new release for only $1 or $2 for a video game. 

The rental price is a one day rental and you have to return it by 9 pm the following day. If you don't return it, you will be charged another days rental price. 

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When you rent you will use your credit or debit card and you will enter your email address. Redbox will send you a receipt to that email address.

4. You can usually get either a DVD or a Blueray for the current new release titles. 

5. You can even reserve a movie so you know it will be available when you go to pick it up. 

6. You can even go to their website to see a list of latest releases so you know if there are currently any movies or games you want to see or play. 

7. You just return them to the kiosk you rented them from and drop them in the return slot. 

As you can see, renting your DVD's in this way is easy and inexpensive. But there are some downsides too. 

One of the biggest downsides, in my opinion, is that though you have 200 titles to choose from, you are still somewhat limited. Your average online or offline video stores offer thousands of titles to choose from. 

If you are interested in a movie that is older or slightly more obscure, say a documentary for example, it is quite likely that you won't be able to find it. 

To me, it seems like it makes the most sense to use dvd rental machines only if you rent occasionally, you only want the newest releases and you don't mind having to go out to return them.

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