The vending technology inside DVD-rental kiosks has long been a mysterious concept, particularly when considered in light of the often limited selection offered on the machines. Entertainment kiosk maker e-Play recently began a test rollout with Wal-Mart and touted its naked disc-dispensing technology, which it says allows for a selection in the thousands, versus the few hundred choices typically available from other brands.
DVDNow Kiosks Inc. says in a news release that it also often sees customers complain about long lines and a slow selection process. To speed up the rental process and give customers a glimpse of what goes on inside a DVD-rental kiosk, the company has equipped each of its kiosks with a clear glass front panel, allowing customers to directly view the available selections.
"Since consumers can immediately tell how many DVDs are in the machine and which titles are available, the selection process occurs faster, and line-ups are significantly reduced."
In addition to the glass panel, DVDNow's 250 Touch model now also features a 15-inch LCD screen for browsing selections and a second high-definition display that plays movie trailers.
Scott McInnes, CEO of DVDNow, says the faster rental process facilitated by the glass panel enabled the company to introduce these additional features:
 | The problem with other kiosks is that you may hope that a particular movie is available, but you have to wait in line in order to find out. Kiosk rentals are driven in large part by convenience, and if you have to wait in a long line to rent or return a movie, the appeal starts to diminish. Speeding up the average transaction time has allowed us to introduce additional features, such as viewing movie trailers that are very popular with movie renters. |  |
