What is the technology? Redbox and rental | What is the technology?

Redbox, once a dominant force in DVD rentals, filed for bankruptcy last month, leaving customers with questions about the movies they purchased through the service.

The company’s kiosks are no longer operational and its app has been removed from streaming platforms like Roku, along with all the content users had previously purchased.

In case you didn’t know, the company not only offered DVD rentals for $1 (later $1.75) per night, but also had a streaming platform where customers could purchase movies and watch them using apps on smart TVs, Roku, and other streaming devices.

After Redbox filed for bankruptcy, none of the apps work anymore and the libraries containing the purchased movies and shows are no longer available.

This situation highlights a common misconception about digital purchases: buying a movie online doesn’t mean you own it.

When you purchase through platforms like Amazon Prime, Apple or Google, you are essentially purchasing a license to view the content.

If the company goes out of business or the agreement with the film studio ends, your purchased film could be lost.

For example, if you buy a movie on Amazon Prime, you can watch it as many times as you want, but it could be removed from your library when the contract between Amazon and the studio expires.

The same applies if you cancel your Amazon Prime subscription.

While major platforms like Amazon and Google are unlikely to go bankrupt, their licensing agreements can and do change.

This means your digital movie collection is more vulnerable than you might think.

In the case of Redbox, customers who rented DVDs before the kiosks closed have no way to return them.

The company has not provided any instructions on this issue and no customer support is available.

To avoid further credit card charges, customers are advised to return the DVDs.

That is, provided you can find a functioning kiosk.

This serves as a reminder for consumers to be aware of the terms and conditions when making digital purchases.

It is also a cautionary tale about the potential pitfalls of using digital content libraries.