Chicagoist: The Future of Movies (If You Can Afford It)

quack

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:04:02 -0600

Bittorrent + mac mini + HDTV with DVI connection means this "vudu" can bite it hard. $4 for "near DVD quality"? Nice business model... for me to poop on!

cjohn17

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:55:00 -0600

I would wait to pull the trigger on this product. There are a lot of unanswered questions. Many titles and new releases are purchase only, not available for rent. There is no way to archive (legally) the movies you do purchase, so if the box dies, what about your purchases? No answer from VUDU. Unlike most rental outlets, VUDU does not get new titles every Tuesday so you have to wait for the new release, sometimes weeks later, to show up and then hope you can rent it. According to the VUDU forum moderators the box can hold about about 50 movies at standard definition. HD movies will fill up the VUDU hard drive quickly. Unlike a DVD, which you can play on your computer or DVD player, you can't play your purchased movie anywhere but the VUDU box. So why buy a movie from VUDU? Got me. Even VUDU's own polling shows many users are not interested in purchasing. To me, the only point to buy this box would be to rent movies and to keep from having to go a rental store. Yet VUDU's current rental selection is rather poor. Worse, movies that have been available to rent at Blockbusters for years are only available for purchase. The most disturbing element about VUDU is their library is chock full of just plain crap. That stuff you can rent. We're talking movies that Mystery Science Theater wouldn't even find amusing. So VUDU's selling point about 5,000 titles is wildly overstated. The moderators explain that movie studios force VUDU to take on these junk titles but the reality is these movies can barely called movies. There more like home movies made by untalented amateurs in their garage. THESE ARE NOT films that come form major studios like VUDU would have you believe. THESE ARE NOT idie gems. What VUDU does have is a good idea that is technically executed well. They do have one technical issue that could impact their service down the road. ISPs are starting to throttle back bandwidth on large streams like this. VUDU operates like a torrent so it will definitely attract the attention of ISPs if they grow in viewership. This issue could be the 800 lb. tech-gorilla in VUDUs closet. But in my opinion, they erred most by filling their movie catalog with trash and not providing mainstream titles for rent on a timely basis. The price for the VUDU box is about $200 to high for what they offer. As currently configured, VUDU will fail unless they address this critical problem. I should also mention RonV (the post above) is a VUDU senior forum moderator so he has a vested interest in VUDU. I am a beta tester for the product and have been asked to give my opinion and to test the service. Tech guru Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal came to much the same conclusion as I did. "Vudu might cast a spell on users who don’t mind its poor selection and high-bandwidth requirement to deliver instant downloads. But for me, the convenience of Vudu is no convenience at all. As is, its lackluster selection, high prices and slow downloads make it more of a letdown than anything else." http://solution.allthingsd.com/20071010/downloadable-movies-in-a-box-wheres-the-magic/

RonV

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:10:05 -0600

Hey everyone, yes I have a VUDU and if you are a movie lover of classics, current titles, and independents this box is for you. Some movies are rentable some are just purchasable. Some you can do either. It depends on the mood of the studio's and how they distribute the content. VUDU is just the middleman in this regard. Prices range from 99 cents to 3.99 for rentals and purchase prices vary. VUDU just announced that the Bourne movies are to be the first HD titles. And based on the press release the first two in the series are going to be a free purchase. On the internet side the current crop of movies are in standard definition and with a internet connection that supports 2 mbps downstream you can watch the movie in real time. The VUDU has a 250 gig HD so a lot of content can be stored. It has a wireless remote so the VUDU can be locked in a cabinet or displayed as you see fit. One drawback is that since the remote is wireless you can't use a universal remote with the unit. But there are plans for network control so those with high end home theater and automation systems should be able to integrate the VUDU. When watching a standard definition movie on the VUDU on a HD set the video is up-converted and looks great. I watch 300 and compared it to the HD version on DVD and there was very little difference in the quality. But the quality is all dependent on the source material. Some older titles like Plan 9 From Outer space sill have some of their black and white defects from the original reels. Is it worth 399? I would say yes from a convenience point of view. No waiting for Netflix or making the trip to the video store. I have found titles in their library of movies that I only remember watching when I was a kid. The family also loves the VUDU and I'd go broke on rentals if it wasn't for the parental controls. Did I also mention that the search feature is probably the most powerful of all video on demand services out there? You can search by Genre, Release Year, Critics Ratings, Studio, Foreign, etc. Also there is the ability to link to actors and directors when viewing the movie info to find other movies they worked in. I have found more movies this way. I could go on and on but I just wanted to give everyone the highlights.

jswede

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:47:00 -0600

"near-DVD quality"? what, are we stepping backwards here? Near-HD is one thing, but almost as good as a crappy regular DVD? I couldn't sit thru 5 minutes.

the new guest number 2

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:27:52 -0600

What, you don't appreciate a spontaneous ride into the Danger Zone?

Hugh G Rection

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:29:12 -0600

I think you should have to prove home ownership to own a home theater system. Apartment living above/below someone's subwoofer while Top Gun is being watched, sucks. And then there's the noise of all that spontaneous bufu'ing one must endure...

Stephen

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:11:25 -0600

There's a Muvico out by Rosemont which I've been wanting to try, but... well... it's in Rosemont. I think it's a great idea! Goodbye, Brew & View at The Vic...

Louis Frascogna

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:06:53 -0600

I keep seeing these, but it seems that a $399 box that only does movies doesn't really make sense. Doesn't a TiVo do the same thing. They are now linked to Amazon's Unbox Store, you can rent either on Amazon.com or go through your TiVo menus. XBox360 has a movie store, and those movies often come in HD. Finally, not to mention the enemy, but actually, Comcast's set top box has a pretty extensive selection of HD and non-HD movies onDemand. They even have a number of B rate movies for free onDemand.

Shannon

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:33:59 -0600

that thing looks pretty sweet. how fast does your broadband have to be? and does that remote have a, er, force feedback mode?