Analysts confirm that Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is considering a delay of the DVD release for the movie “Up”, but not a delay in the normal sense of the word. You will still be able to buy it on November 10, or rent it from the video store on November 10, or even get it mailed to you from Netflix on November 10. If you’re really lucky, it may be available to borrow from our public library. The delay being considered is only for redbox distributors.

I remember the first time I noticed movie rental company favoritism. Blockbuster Video had a special release of “Miss Potter”. Although it wasn’t available at redbox, I didn’t think anything of it at the time since it simply wasn’t a mainstream film. That’s how favoritism and unfair trade practices often begin.

Now redbox is struggling to offer it’s rental service using current releases with many major studios. By delaying the redbox release of the Disney/Pixar movie “Up”, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is likely to become a part of the pending lawsuit with Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video. The resistance to allowing redbox to conduct business will have many consumers scratching their heads.

Does the recession have Disney searching for revenue? That’s not likely. The movie industry is booming. Movie tickets are up 9%, while revenue is up %11. To date, Disney’s movie “Up” has grossed $290,866,563. It can be seen in 3-D cinema for ticket prices around $15, or in 2-D with ticket prices ranging from $9 to as low as $4 if you go to the right place at the right time of day.

How can Disney take issue with the differing cost of the rental price when there are already so many differing costs at the box office? Is this the studios last effort to keep high-priced “Wow, what a difference” video rental stores in business?

Having to wait to rent “Up” from redbox is going to confuse many parents, especially when chanting children saw commercials saying the DVD was released. How is that even legal? Should the commercials state “now available to rent or own – unless you’re renting with redbox?“

Aside from amassing captial to legitimize it’s lawsuit against the studios, what can redbox do to address this issue? Should it place the released movies on their online website and provide an explanation when the movie isn’t available? Is there a rental protest movement in the makings? What would make the studios stand beside redbox as the future in video rental?