Top Journalists in DVD Rental
Thomas K. Arnold Media Play News
Publisher and editorial director of Media Play News; veteran reporter and industry voice on the home video market and physical rental channel. Specialties: Home entertainment trade; physical media (DVD/Blu-ray/4K); retail and kiosk rental economics; studios and distribution strategy.
David Bloom Next TV (columnist); also contributes to Forbes
Los Angeles–based columnist and consultant who writes on the collision of tech, media and entertainment; frequent coverage of distribution shifts affecting rental and disc markets. Specialties: Streaming and distribution strategy; business of home entertainment; physical vs. digital consumption trends.
Samantha Chery The Washington Post
Features writer whose reporting documented Redbox’s shutdown and contextualized the end of a major DVD-rental brand for U.S. consumers. Specialties: Features on entertainment and media; coverage of Redbox shutdown and impact on physical-media era.
Samantha Clark DiscDish
Co‑founder and editor of DiscDish, a site dedicated to disc release news and interviews for mainstream and indie titles. Specialties: DVD/Blu-ray release coverage; consumer and retail-facing disc news; interviews with filmmakers and distributors.
Michael Coate The Digital Bits
Journalist and film historian whose Digital Bits column chronicles the history and showmanship around significant films and their home-video presentations. Specialties: Physical media history and exhibition; disc-format retrospectives; home video legacy coverage.
Todd Erwin Home Theater Forum
Longtime reviewer and podcast guest offering practical guidance to disc buyers and commentary on retail availability and streaming competition. Specialties: Disc reviews and consumer guidance; retail and streaming deal tracking; home-video hardware context.
Daniel Frankel Next TV
Managing editor covering the business of streaming and video distribution; frequently reports on corporate moves impacting physical-media availability and Redbox. Specialties: Video business and streaming; corporate/financial developments affecting kiosk rentals and disc supply.
Erik Gruenwedel Media Play News
Trade reporter with extensive coverage of home entertainment’s physical and digital sectors, including kiosk/rental developments. Specialties: Home entertainment business; retail channels (including kiosks); international distribution and regulatory moves.
Scharon Harding Ars Technica
Senior technology reporter whose coverage of Redbox’s app removal examined consumer rights and the shifting ground between digital purchases and physical ownership. Specialties: Consumer tech and services; platform policies; implications of app withdrawals on owned/purchased content.
Dade Hayes Deadline
Business editor reporting on corporate and financial developments across streaming and distribution that also frame physical media’s role. Specialties: Streaming economics; corporate strategy; M&A and bankruptcy events that shape distribution ecosystems.
Bill Hunt The Digital Bits
Founder and editor-in-chief of The Digital Bits; widely followed for daily reporting on disc releases, industry chatter and the health of the physical-media market. Specialties: Disc-release news and analysis; physical media advocacy; studio and retailer relations; DVD/BD/4K trends.
John Latchem Media Play News
Executive editor who oversees Media Play News’ editorial output and market research while reporting on packaged-media and retail channels. Specialties: Trade reporting and research; packaged-media charts; retailer programs (sellthrough and rental).
Laurence Lerman DiscDish
Founder/editor with decades of home‑video editorial experience, known for consumer-facing disc coverage across mainstream and indie titles. Specialties: Disc-release news and reviews; catalog and indie coverage; curation for collectors and retailers.
Elliot Maras Kiosk Marketplace
Veteran editor covering kiosks and unattended retail, frequently reporting on deployment, operations and wind‑down issues relevant to DVD rental machines. Specialties: Self-service and kiosk industry; retail partnerships; kiosk deployment and removal logistics (including DVD kiosks).
Jay Peters The Verge
News editor whose reporting on Redbox’s shutdown captured the asset liquidation and end of disc-kiosk operations from a consumer-tech lens. Specialties: Breaking tech and streaming news; platform and app shutdowns affecting access to purchased media.
Stephanie Prange Media Play News
Editor-in-chief and associate publisher steering MPN’s coverage of packaged media, streaming and retail—including kiosk rental developments. Specialties: Editorial leadership; disc/streaming news; retailer programs and industry awards.
Janko Roettgers The Verge; Lowpass (newsletter)
Investigative journalist who chronicled Redbox’s decline and bankruptcy, detailing effects on employees, partners and kiosk operations. Specialties: Streaming/media investigations; corporate restructurings; deep reporting on Redbox’s operational collapse.
Tim Salmons The Digital Bits
Contributing editor known for extensive Blu‑ray/4K reviews and columns that help frame demand for physical media and rental interest. Specialties: Disc reviews and catalog coverage; home‑video curation and collector insights.
Todd Spangler Variety
Business editor who has chronicled corporate moves around Redbox’s parent company and broader ramifications for home distribution. Specialties: Digital media business; streaming platforms; corporate and legal filings affecting home‑entertainment distribution.
Ralph Tribbey DVD & Blu‑ray Release Report
Editor/publisher of the DVD & Blu‑ray Release Report, a long‑running resource documenting domestic disc releases and trends relevant to rental and retail. Specialties: DVD/Blu‑ray title tracking; weekly release reporting; industry data and analysis on disc pipelines.
Was this page helpful? We'd love your feedback — please email us at feedback@dealstream.com.