Digiboo Vs. Redbox: Which Movie Kiosk Is The Better Choice?

Is Digiboo, the new kiosk movie service that allows users to download films instead of spitting out traditional DVDs, a threat to the more established Redbox brand of kiosks?

Digiboo is currently in only three locations -- Portland International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport--although the company is planning kiosks in more areas.

The way Digiboo kiosks work is you select a film, insert a USB storage device into the kiosk, pay with a credit card and upload the film to your computer

If you use a USB 2.0 device, downloading a move takes between two and five minutes. A USB 3.0 device can take as little as 20 seconds, according to Digiboo.

Selecting movies from a kiosk is something consumers of media are familiar with through Coinstar's Redbox, which has 29,000 locations across the country and offers video game rentals along with movies.

So which is the better choice: Digiboo or Redbox?

Locations

Digiboo has three locations and there's talk of expansion while there are over 29,000 Redbox kiosks in the United States. Edge: Redbox

Video games

Digiboo is currently restricted to films while Redbox offers games for the Xbos 360, Wii and Playstation 3. Edge: Redbox

Returns

Movies purchased through Digiboo expire electronically while Redbox movies have to be returned to a kiosk, with charges up to $1.59 a day for Blu-ray purchases. Edge: Digiboo

Selections:

Digiboo says it has hundreds of titles at its kiosks while Redboox kiosks can fit up to 200. Edge: Digiboo

Blu-ray/HD title availability:

Digiboo does not currently offer HD viewing options, although the company says to stay tuned for support of high-definition movies. Redbox has Blu-ray titles available. Edge: Redbox (It's a wash once Digiboo has HD titles available)

Verdict:

Digiboo beats Redbox on no-hassle returns and movie selection, while Redbox has more kiosks, the ability to rent video games and Blu-ray titles.

For now, Redbox has the edge, but Digiboo's expansion plans and intentions to provide HD quality movies may make it a viable option in the future.