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Gadget Envy: Vudu Movie Download Service

10/29/07, 11:19 am EST

What It Is: An Internet-based movie download service with more than 5,000 films available for purchase or rent — the difference here is that you download everything into a glossy, black, minimalist box that’s about the size (and shape) of an Apple TV or Airport Extreme.

Who It’s For: Surround-sound-equipped, movie and music junkies who are bored by their cable company’s on-demand features and don’t feel like schlepping to the local blockbuster (or waiting for Netflix movies to come in the mail).

Why It’s Worthy: Since it uses peer-to-peer technology (the same as BitTorrent), Vudu’s download process is fast, meaning if you have a decent broadband connection, you can usually start watching movies instantly (while the rest of the movie downloads in the background). It’s got the latest HDMI connections for 1080p upscaling and 5.1 Dolby sound. Right now, it’s got an eclectic and varied list of about 300 music movies and concerts, everything from the String Cheese Incident, Todd Rundgren and the Roots to Klaus Nomi documentaries and the poor man’s Saturday Night Fever, Thank God It’s Friday! But the most impressive feature is the simple, smooth, and easy-to-maneuver interface and responsive remote, which blows your average clunky, unresponsive cable remote out of the water.

Our Only Complaint:
No HD, yet, and the built-in hard drive fills up rather quickly if you’re an impulse renter (or shopper), but Vudu promises the eventual ability to move purchased content to an attached external hard drive thanks to the two USB inputs. Also, you’ll need at least 2Mbps download bandwidth speed from your Internet connection, so if you’ve got less than that, you’ll have to upgrade to faster service (check your bandwidth at the Vudu site).

Cost/Where to Get It: Vudu.com; the player is $399; rentals are $.99 to $4.99; purchases $4.99-$19.99.


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Comments

carol | 10/31/2007, 1:15 am EST

While the interface and graphics are indeed smashing, the biggest thing about this company is the media content. Ten times that of AppleTV, 20 independents plus all 8 of the major studios vs only 3 by Apple, HD films coming in January on this same box. Also, no buying a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD only to get only half of the content avilable. Goodbye to Netflix and Blockbuster. The DVD will die, in my opinion.

bern90 | 10/31/2007, 1:19 am EST

I agree with everything said so far. If you pay $1000 or $2000 for a nice monitor, you want to have content. VUDU has more downloads than anyone, and it’s due to double in 6 months, Hi Def very soon, TV a la Tivo also very soon, and good techie stuff. I think those who cling to Blockbuster now and Netflix, will switch. The DVD will die and VUDU has the best download technology by far.

Bernie

leslie | 10/31/2007, 1:25 am EST

The movie studio wars over Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have stopped the sales of Hi Def movies in its tracks. VUDU may be the best thing for the movie studios, since they offer High Def with their technology, everything is available from all of the studios, and consumers are not scared that their Blu-Ray or HD boxes and collections will suddenly be obsolete. VUDU took away the bottleneck. Good job.

nam | 10/31/2007, 1:30 am EST

I’ve had it as a beta tester for four months, and the content continues to improve weekly. I will never again go to a store or mail in DVDs. I certainly not pay $800 to get a Blu-ray and then $35 to have to buy each HI Def movie. With VUDU you can buy if you want, but generally rent at a far, far better price. The graphics and the interface are great, by the way, but the content is where they are way ahead.

Nam

Geroge G | 10/31/2007, 1:32 am EST

I’ve had it about two weeks, and it’s a 10. Great graphics. Very easy to use. My wife loves it.

Wolf | 10/31/2007, 2:09 am EST

Unbelievably sharp. Good content. Forget the DVDs. They were last year’s technology, maybe the technology of ten years ago, but not the technology that’s available today. Click and the movie starts. That’s it.

we three | 10/31/2007, 4:10 pm EST

Agree – it’s a ten. Graphics great. 1080p. Never use Netflix again. 10 times content of AppleTV. Best hope for movie studios because it avoids the whole Blu-ray division. Great for us as well. Much, much cheaper than buying basic or Hi Def movies. Very user friendly, easy. My wife also is crazy about it.

Ray | 10/31/2007, 9:59 pm EST

Real good, but they don’t have first run movies right away. But it is good and very quick and sharp.

Vudu Lover | 1/3/2009, 6:11 pm EST

Okay Vudu Lovers like me. I use to rent from Netflix & Blockbuster 3 4 weeks ago that’s to Vudu those renting days are over, Every time I receive a DVD in the mail, it comes scratched , cracked or worse; delivered to the wrong address, I really don’t care about Blue Ray Disc since it cam out, to me it the corporation who makes them want more money for it and I refuse to buy it because I would have to find space in my Studio Apartment to store them. Vudu came to mind one year agao and I was hesitating to buy it or Apple TV. I had purchased Vudu instead and I’m satisfied with it. A ll that i ask for the Vudu Engineers and Sofware guys if they can add Hullu to the Vudu Lab, so I don’t have to watch it on my 20 inch Mac instead watch it through Vudu on my 37 inch HDTV. last I don’t care how expensive the hdx movies are, just that I can watch a movie when I choose to do so, not wait 2 days for a DVD to be mailed and get it cracked or scratched.

Vudu Lover | 1/3/2009, 6:15 pm EST

Okay Vudu Lovers like me. I use to rent from Netflix & Blockbuster 3 to 4 weeks ago, thanks to Vudu those renting days are over. Every time I receive a DVD in the mail, it comes scratched , cracked or worse; delivered to the wrong address. I really don’t care about Blue Ray Disc since it came out, to me it the corporation who makes them want more money for it and I refuse to buy it and besides the point; I would have to find space in my Studio Apartment to store them. Vudu came to mind one year ago and I was hesitating to buy it or Apple TV. I had purchased Vudu instead and I’m satisfied with it. Ony suggestion that i ask for the Vudu Engineers and Sofware guys that they can add Hullu to the Vudu Lab, so I don’t have to watch it on my 20 inch Mac instead watch it through Vudu on my 37 inch HDTV. last I don’t care how expensive the hdx movies are, just that I can watch a movie when I choose to do so, not wait 2 days for a DVD to be mailed and get it cracked or scratched.

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