This has been discussed quite a bit at High-Def Digest and it just seems stupid.
USB loading speeds may finally be pretty solid on USB 3.0, but there are very few consumer products which have USB 3.0... So, USB 2.0, and file sizes of several GB for a DVD quality movie. For 1080p with BD quality, we are looking at 20GB+ and transfers which could take 30+ minutes for ONE movie.
So, while it loads your USB stick (or other memory card) you go shopping, if you want to. Then you have to return and pick it up.
In theory, the concept seems nice and easy, but what is the cost advantage? We have Redbox at a buck a day. A bit more for Blu-ray, and it's right there, ready to pick up and go. We have streaming which gives us near (or more?) than DVD quality pretty much instantly.
Perhaps, when we see some wireless type solution in stores which you wave a usb stick of some sort under a scanner and it loads 1-5 movies on it in under ten seconds, then we will have a marketable product. But, right now, I just don't see it being the case. Especially when you consider the alternatives which are already there.
Might as well add, there must be an industry wide standard for this format which multiple studios and CEMs stand behind or else there will be many movies unavailable or multiple players required to enjoy a film. We just got through with a recent format war and consumers likely have zero interest in another.
Just not sure this will ever make sense. Streaming IS the future, and Redbox/Netflix are very good now solutions, with a bit of the future already being thrown in. Flash memory is not likely to ever be a part of this game.
