Why would someone use the VUDU service when Netflix is available?”
Vudu has licensing agreements with almost every major Hollywood studio as well as independents to offer approximately 16,000 movies for either renting or purchase via digital networks, the No. 1 retailer said in a statement. Google’s Ad Platform Update Google uncrates an updated online-ad platform for publishers and wins approval to enter the energy business. Plus, the ITC agrees to investigate Apple’s claims against Nokia. (Feb. 9) “Combining Vudu’s unique digital technology and service with Wal-Mart’s retail expertise and scale will provide customers with unprecedented access to home-entertainment options as they migrate to a digital environment,” Wal-Mart Vice Chairman Eduardo Castro-Wright said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Wal-Mart intends to close the acquisition of the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Vudu in the next few weeks. The firm’s investors include Greylock Partners and Benchmark Capital, among others. The move puts the retail giant into direct competition with big te
Vudu is one of a handful of companies that let you rent or buy digital movies over the Internet. But because of its relative obscurity, it has not been a hit. The idea is presumably that Walmart’s massive retail network — and relationships with electronics companies, which are starting to build Vudu into their devices — could help the service compete against Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, the cable industry, and others. Will it work? Maybe, but only if Walmart can figure out a killer pricing model and achieve a level of ubiquity that other paid, on-demand Web video services have not. People just aren’t going to go out of their way to spend a lot of money to rent a movie over the Internet, when they can either spend a little money to rent it in physical format, or spend a similar amount to rent it from their cable provider. (The reason Netflix streaming has become so popular is that it’s a free service in addition to your monthly DVD rentals — not something you need to pay extra
Netflix: Value: For cheapskate movie lovers, nothing comes close to Netflix. For about $150 upfront and $9 bucks a month, you can watch virtually anything ever filmed, anytime you want. Shell out $45 for a basic upscaling DVD player such as the Philips DVP3960 (a newer version of the model I used for testing), and watch any of 100,000 titles—movies and TV episodes—on discs delivered by mail ($9 for one disc at a time, $14 for two at a time, etc.). Vudu: Value: Netflix’s main competitors cost a lot more. Take the Vudu box. It sells for $295, and pricing varies for each film, from as little as $0.99 for a back-catalog rental to $19.99 for a recent-flick purchase. Furthermore, many films are offered only for sale. (I’d be willing to spend $3 to check out National Treasure 2 on a slow evening, but not $20 to own it.) With only 6,000 titles currently available the choices are fewer.
