For movie aficionados, the online movie library called Vudu, Inc. is a blessing. The on-demand streaming service based in Santa Clara, California was founded in 2004 and was formerly called Marquee, Inc. From February 22, 2010, Vudu has started operating as a subsidiary of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. What sets them apart is the fact that with their service, you have the liberty to rent individual titles in high definition or standard format, instead of streaming based on a monthly subscription. What’s even more special about them is you can even purchase a movie outright if you really love it. This on-demand set up is perfect for the customer that only wants to pay for what they watch, instead of paying a monthly or annual subscription fee.
With perhaps the maximum collection of HD movies to stream from, movie-watching is a pleasant experience on Vudu. Even the rentals are near the quickest of all the movie streaming sites. This is validated by the fact that you are able to stream videos the same day the film is released on DVD. That surely is one of the biggest advantages of using their service. Being equipped with HDX, it can make the experience of watching 1080p movies something to treasure. Vudu is also popular amongst TV show lovers as new shows are regularly added, but you have to check if the TV shows are available for 24 hours or not depending on the deal that they have with the studios.
Vudu might currently be a subsidiary of Wal-Mart, Inc., but do not expect any of the big discounts that are typical of Walmart. The cost, though, is worthy of the great service. The pricing for movies vary from $4.99 to $24.99 for purchase, while for a rental the cost comes down between 99 cents and $5.99. For TV shows, the rate is $1.99 SD or $2.99 HD if you are looking to purchase. The price for a whole season is expectedly higher and ranges from $16.99 to $43.99.
Another advantage of using the service is that viewers can stream movies anywhere – from PCs or Macs, to Xbox and Blu-ray players, home-theaters, Sony Playstation3, Android, iPad, and even Roku. With Walmart announcing big plans last year about Vudu’s expansion beyond the United States, their future indeed looks bright. The retail giant took the first huge step in catering to movie lovers in Latin America by launching it in Mexico in June 2012. The Vudu Mexico library is a film paradise containing as many as 2,700 titles from Sony, Paramount, Disney, Lionsgate, amongst others. The international expansion, though, is yet to continue on such a grand scale after the Mexico launch. But Walmart has made its intentions clear that it wants to seize a bigger share of the market. They have plans to make Vudu available in 30 Latin American countries as well as throughout Europe and Asia. For movie fans shifting from the USA to Europe or any country, the absence of Vudu will be a letdown. In such cases, you can still try to have the benefits of Vudu through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), if you’re familiar with setting one up.
Unlike some of the other streaming services available, Vudu is not ad supported. Therefore, the movie or show you rent will not be interrupted by commercials. But the satisfaction of watching the latest movies in high-definition beats everything. With a maximum video quality of 1080p and a maximum audio quality of Dolby 5.1 or 7.1, Vudu puts its focus on delivering the highest quality streaming.
Another piece of news that will surely gratify fans of movies is that Vudu has made a partnership with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE). Through this partnership they promise to deliver digital movies along with Vudu Extras +. On select Sony Pictures titles, the giant production company will be giving features such as ‘Clip and Share’ and ‘Enhanced Scene Search’ that will add another dimension to film watching and will give film buffs the opportunity to know more about their beloved movies.
Through the ‘Clip and Share’ features, many trivia, featurettes as well as deleted scenes will be made available whereas the ‘Enhanced Scene Search’ will give a grand opportunity to go to the favorite scenes inside a film. What’s even more amazing is that if you have the movie in your library then you are allowed to have access to Vudu Extras+ without shelling out a penny. Thus you get the experience of watching films on discs without having to buy or rent one. Thus, Vudu has surely added another dimension to entertainment, making it easy to access and far more enjoyable.
Overall Ranking: 6.5/10
Homepage: www.vudu.com
