REDBOX

I'm sure by now, most of you have seen a Redbox at Shoprite or Wegman's. It's an awesome concept, and for the most part, the system works really well. All you need is a credit card and the willingness to spend only $1 a night for a movie rental.

The interface of Redbox is pretty straightforward. You can search for a movie by name, category, or release date. They often get new movies on the day that they are released. Once in a while, when I try to get a new release, the DVD that I am looking for doesn't even show up in the system, even though on the posting next to the machine it says that the movie was already released. This has only happened a couple of times, and it is more of a rarity than a stnadard.

A great benefit to the system is that you can return the movie to any Redbox location. So let's say that you are going on a roadtrip to Florida with the kids. You can rent 3 movies in NJ, return them in Virginia, pick up 3 more movies in Virginia, return them in Georgia, get 3 more movies in Georgia, and return them in Florida. It's a very practical and logical system.

A major drawback, if not the only one, is that the Rebox library is somewhat limited. If you are looking for a movie that was released more than a few months ago, it's pretty much a flip of a coin as to whether or not you will find it at the Redbox.

Drawback aside, Redbox is a dirt cheap, user friendly system that provide great utility to the avid movie watcher. You practically can go to any grocery store now and find a Redbox out front. Take advantage of the service and make sure to pick up some popcorn while you're at the grocery store.