Cost | What to Enjoy | Features | News & Updates | Sales Info | Press Releases | Buy
Cost: VUDU – $149 | VUDU XL – $499
What to enjoy:
No, we’re not talking about a mystical religion, rather the VUDU box is your solution to downloading permanent Blu-ray quality movies. VUDU boasts 16,000+ built-in movies and TV shows, as well as a library of nearly 2,000+ titles in HD; the exact number of available titles grows each month. HD content comes in full 1080p.
Log into VUDU online and choose movies and shows to be instantly downloaded to the box. Titles are available for rent or purchase. SD rentals cost $0.99 – $3.99, and HD rentals cost $3.99 – $5.99. TV shows cost $1.99. SD movies cost $4.99 – $19.99. HD movies cost $13.99 – $23.99. An iPhone app allows you to select new titles anywhere.
VUDU XL comes with extra storage space (500 SD titles) and can be fully integrated into your home theater system through the use of the VUDU NetRemote. More on VUDU XL here.
Third-Party Features:
VUDU comes packaged with access to Pandora, YouTube, and Flickr. Their “On Demand TV” channel offers free TV programming, and the “Now Being Watched” channel is integreated with Google Maps to allow you to see what movies are being watched on other VUDU boxes across the world. VUDU has also been integrated into Web-enabled TVs from LG and Mitsubishi.
News & Updates:
BigPictureBigSound.com (10/12/2009): Criterion Collection Now Streaming Online via VUDU – “VUDU just keeps cranking out news — or at least endless entertainment. The company is about to announce its latest addition to the VUDU lineup, the Criterion Collection. Starting tomorrow, VUDU customers will be able to stream a wide selection of films from the Criterion Collection online via their VUDU box or VUDU-enabled Blu-ray player or television.” {Read more}
Video Business (05/07/2009): Vudu library to be available on Entone set-top – Entone, a provider of Web-based TV interactivity through telecommunication partners, has signed on to offer Vudu’s library of more than 14,000 movies and TV titles later this summer. {Read more}
Video Business (02/23/2009): Vudu to offer permanent high-definition downloads – Vudu beats industry leader Apple iTunes and other major retailers including Amazon.com and CinemaNow in offering the own-able high-def downloads, though for how long is unknown. Last month, rumors surfaced on some online blogs that Apple was selling a high-def download of Paramount Home Entertainment’s Iron Man, but it turned out to be a typo on the film’s iTunes page. {Read more}
Sales Info & Figures:
Wired (02/09/2009): Vudu Movie Streamer Plummets to $150 – . . . Vudu declined to provide sales numbers to substantiate its success. And Wired.com finds the claim dubious, as we believe the price cut has more to do with competing with Apple than high sales. The price cut appears long overdue, as Apple TV dropped from $300 to $230 in January 2008. {Read more}
Latest Press Releases:
06/04/2009: VUDU first to offer Buena Vista home entertainment movies download-to-own in high definition – VUDU Inc., a leading provider of digital on-demand entertainment products and services, today announced that the VUDU service is the first to offer titles from Buena Vista Home Entertainment for download-to-own in high definition. {Read more}
