Blu-ray coming to Redbox

While Redbox hasn’t exactly endeared itself to the studios, it has quickly become one of the most powerful distribution systems for film rentals. (Just ask Blockbuster.) To date, though, consumers who wanted to watch high definition movies didn’t have much use for the service.  

That may change soon, as the CEO of Coinstar (which owns Redbox) says Blu-ray discs will be available in the majority of the kiosks by the middle of the year. Prices will be higher for Blu-ray rentals, though Paul Davis didn’t mention any pricing in the announcement, which came at the recent Wedbush Securities conference in New York.

Davis expects about 15 percent of Redbox’s current customers to show interest in Blu-ray - a number that will likely escalate as Blu-Ray penetration expands.