Staples to stock Flexplay self-destructing DVDs
We'd love to tell you all of this is simply a bad dream, but unfortunately for us, it's not. For whatever reason, Staples has agreed to start stocking 24 to 26 different newer DVD releases at a time "in standalone displays at the front of its stores." We're not talking about your standard discs, however -- we're talking about those Flexplay units that vanished completely years ago (or so we thought). For those who need a refresher (that's just about everyone, right?), these time-limited discs only function for 48 hours after they've been removed from their sealed packages, creating coasters after two days. This go 'round, Flexplay is pushing the recycling aspect while Staples is hoping that business owners pick up a title or two next time they come in looking for pens and paper shredders. Even more absurd? The $4 to $6 price tag on each.[Via PCWorld]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TrentD @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:28AM
This is so bad for the environment. I can't believe that a company would do this in a eco-crazed society in 2008.
Even if there's a way of 100% recycling these, the perception alone will hurt Staples, I think.
J.Goodwin @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:28AM
How does a play once DVD promote recycling?
DEEZNUTZ @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:54AM
Rip and burn it right away.
Sean @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:05PM
garbage! rip it and toss it.
Steve @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:37AM
Apparently you can request a prepaid mailer from their website to return the DVD to them for recycling. lame...
There are a lot more people out there that are thinking about what they are doing to the environment, but i still wouldn't say it's a majority. The people that are would spend antoher 5-10 to be able to keep the disc than to wait for a mailer. The rest of people aren't going to waste their time and throw it right in to the trash. I'd say the disposablilty of CD-Rs are right up there with water bottles for biggest waste of a resource (my opinion of course), we don't need disposable movies too. I hope this fails and fails quickly...
Mojo_Yugen @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:06AM
So their bright idea is to allow you to go to a website and request that a pre-paid mailer be sent to you? If they were serious about this would they at least include the mailer in the package you buy at the store?
It's almost like they don't really give a crap about the environment but only want to apply a liberal amount of greenwash to their unbelievably toxic product. Almost.
Achilles @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:33AM
"Flexplay is pushing the recycling aspect..."
How is this so? Seems very bad for the environment. What's the point of these type of DVD rentals??
jason w @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:50AM
With gas being what it is I may buy one, rip it, and watch it once before it dies.
Dana @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:12AM
I commonly think that complaints from environmentalists are absurd, but I agree with the above comments. This is an incredibly wasteful form of distributing media. Even if you mail back the used item, it takes gas in those mail trucks and energy to "recycle" the products.
Remember all that whining about the "long box" back in 1987? Where are those people now (hmph hmph michael stipe). This is far worse than extra cultivated trees being used so that record stores wouldn't have to buy new furniture. And whatever happened to those eco-packs anyway? No they aren't durable, but who's carrying around CDs these days? Let's get rid of all this excess plastic production and disposal.
MegaZone @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:14AM
RECYCLING?! Oh come on, I bet most of these go right in the trash.
I hope people buy this just to rip them, any company that sells ready-made-pollution like these deserves to have their content ripped and torrented.
kcmurphy88 @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:28AM
Looks pretty lame to me too, but heck, maybe they can make money on it.
One would hope, however, that they lose their shirts and prove to all future financial backers that this is a really dumb idea. Then again, they still make Adam Sandler movies, so what do I know?
Michael @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:34AM
For $4 I would rather rent a movie from Blockbuster and keep it for 14 days before I'm charged for it.
However, I would much rather just pay for a month of Netflix and rent a whole shit load, rip them all, and watch at my leisure.
John Drinkwater @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:05PM
Ewww, Divx is back :|
Evil! Kill it!
DrXym @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:32PM
Variations on this technology has been done multiple times before and they all flopped. This one will be no different.
trmacdonal @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:44PM
Why would anyone buy these? What advantage do they have over a rental from one of those red boxes in the grocery store? Just the fact that you don't have to bring it back? It cost the same as a regular rental, but they still want you to send it back. What a garbage product.
pakkman781 @ Jun 3rd 2008 1:24AM
Mmkay, lets see:
Hastings, $3.99 Rental, 7 days, $2 credit if I return the next day
Flexplay, $4-6, 2 days, wasted plastic, no credit.
No thanks.
I was just on wikipedia's page for these discs and it says these discs have a red dye to prevent blue lasers from reading them. No likey PS3? Or does it use a different laser for DVDs?
RogueAgent @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:19AM
Their argument regarding the environment is that it is worse for the environment to take the car down to the rental shop to return the disc than it is to scrap it after use.
DenverBob @ Jun 4th 2008 12:41PM
Wonderful (sarcasm)! More polymer-based crap for the landfills. It's not like we have an oil crisis or anything.
Inventors and marketers, start using your heads!