48 Hours to Live: Disney to Rent DVDs

New rental program where DVDs will self-destruct after 48 hours and don’t have to be returned:

Disney home video unit Buena Vista Home Entertainment will launch a pilot movie “rental” program in August that uses the self-destruction technology, the company said on Friday.

The discs stop working when a process similar to rusting makes them unreadable. The discs start off red, but when they are taken out of the package, exposure to oxygen turns the coating black and makes it impenetrable by a DVD laser.

Buena Vista hopes the technology will let it crack a wider rental market, since it can sell the DVDs in stores or almost anywhere without setting up a system to get the discs back.

….Buena Vista did not disclose pricing plans but said the discs, dubbed EZ-D, would be available in August in select markets with recent releases including “The Recruit,” “The Hot Chick,” and “Signs. [Reuters]

And we all know rust never sleeps. Two thoughts: if the price is low enough, I don’t have a problem with a no-return “rental.” But, what about the environmental impact of millions of these things being thrown away? Can’t be good.