VUDU price dramatically slashed to $99* for the holidays

We know it's a touch late to be ordering up a gift for unwrapping on the 25th, but this one just might be worth the IOU you'll likely be forced to give. VUDU's movie set-top-box, which typically goes for $299, is now priced at just $99 for a limited time. Of course, VUDU forces you to purchase $50 in movie credits along with it (thus the asterisk being applicable here), but it's not like you're just going to buy this and never watch anything, right? There's also a bundle that includes a Wireless Kit at 50% off (now just $49), making the grand total for a VUDU, $50 in movie credits and a Wireless Kit only $198. Let's just say now is about the time to buy if you've been holding off on a VUDU -- we hear those HDX titles are mighty tasty!

[Thanks, Rob]

[Macca @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:40AM]

Great deal, but I'll pass.

[Cris @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:44AM]

Desperate deal?

[dennis @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:49AM]

I dunno. Up until now, you could get a Vudu box for $299 and receive $200 movie credit gratis, as a holiday promotion. Vudu added HDX and internet content. Then the XBox 360 added Netflix HD and MS claimed it would add free internet content. Then Roku added Netflix HD and free internet content. The new price for the Vudu sounds about right -- it's like the XBox 360 without the games and player community, or Roku without the Netflix subscription, or whatever. This whole thing is kind of a mess.

[nudu @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:31AM]

Nobody buys them that's why. $99? I'll pass too. $29? Maybe.

[jesus @ Dec 24th 2008 6:17AM]

@nudu:

I work at Best Buy and I beg to differ. Really knowledgeable & insightful comment though.

[Nick Spacek @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:59AM]

Could just be too that they're going out of business and have a ton of hardware on hand that they are losing money on anyways. So now they get people to but the hardware (to recoup a small amount of cost) and the movie credits, knowing that the user will not have time to use the movie credits before the company goes under.

[Rick @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:04AM]

As an owner of an xbox 360, Roku box, and a Vudu, I realize there is definitely some overlap, but each absolutely serves a different purpose for me -- let's the the biggest thing out of the way: the HD content on the Roku does not compare to either the Vudu's 1080i or the 360's HD movie catalog (not including Netflix), so if I'm going to watch something that will benefit from HD, I'd only even consider one of these platforms. I typically tend to lean toward the Vudu in this case because of it's interface, flipping through and searching for movies is so much nicer -- it's like using IMDB.com. You see an actor, then click on him or her and see what other movies they've been in, and so on... a big part of the fun of the Vudu is actually *selecting* what movie you're going to watch, if you can believe that.

The Roku is used primarily for Netflix TV shows or movies that are old and don't really benefit from anything beyond 480p.

In general, I only use the 360 for games because browsing for movies just isn't as easy or enjoyable, and I can't shake the feeling (especially when I use the controller to pause or fast forward) that I'm using my game console to watch movies.

On a side note, from a non-expert's opinion, the HDX 1080p Vudu movies look great, but the difference from their 1080i offerings isn't really enough to warrant the download time (1080i content begins playing immediately). And for that matter, usually the DVD-quality (standard def) movies look so good -- better than DVD in my opinion -- that unless it's a brand-new action movie or CGI movie, I'll save the 2 bucks and watch the "DVD quality" version.

[vypergts @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:50AM]

Netflix should just buy Vudu.

[dennis @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:55AM]

@Rick: Thanks, nice overview. Any thoughts about free internet content, or has it not been implemented on anything yet?

[Rick @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:15AM]

@ dennis:

As far as free internet video goes, I think there may be a 360 plugin (are there even such things? I seem to remember reading about them at some point) that allows you to watch Hulu. I know AppleTV -- which is probably closer in terms of functionality/costs to the Vudu than anything else, allows you to watch YouTube videos (not to mention videos on your home network).

In hindsight, if the newer version of the AppleTV had been available when I purchased my Vudu, I probably would've purchased that instead, primarily so I could view videos on my networked PCs. I don't think AppleTV does "instant on" videos (not that having to wait a few minutes is ever really an issue). The movie library available for AppleTV and Vudu is pretty much identical -- which is to say I'm often disappointed with "classic" movies not being available, and their hands are still tied by the movie studios as far as new releases go: when a movie is released to DVD, your only option for the first month is to *purchase* for $20; after that period you can then rent it. It's stupid, but it's a pretty universal limitation.

I think there are some standalone devices that are *just* for streaming internet video to your home theater setup, many of which Engadget has discussed -- most of which I can't remember at the moment. But if you're really looking just for YouTube, I think the AppleTV would be the way to go.

[Ryan Rife @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:09AM]

I think it's the only online video service that offers surround sound.....so this is a pretty good deal if you've been looking to switch to online downloads.

[David S @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:10AM]

Do you still get the $200 movie credit? My main problem with giving a VUDU as a gift is that you are basically giving your loved one a money hole that they have to drop money into in order to enjoy the product. At least with a movie credit, they can get their feet wet and see the promise of the system before they start getting sucked into the money hole.

[spam_free @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:10AM]

That's what I'd like to know too. If so, this would make an awesome after-holiday "oops I forgot about you" gift. Can't seem to find this info on their site. :-(
Can anyone confirm or deny this $200 movie credit?

[Darren @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:51AM]

The $200 credit is not incuded with any other offers from what I found. I would rather spend $150 for the box and a $50 in movies than $299 and get a $200 movie credit that expired 4 months after you acivate if its not used. Plus your $50 in credit will not expire and I am not out as much cash.

[jivetrky @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:10AM]

OK, I'm not real familiar with Vudu service, but I gather it is something like:
I could buy this Vudu for $100 and then have to pay $2-4 for each rental (or purchase outright for ~$20) And then I'll have access to 10,000 movies. Ok, whoopde doo, I get $50 in movie credits. At $3.99 each, that's 12 rentals.

OR I could buy an Xbox360 for $199 and use my current Netflix sub and get access to 12,000+ movies for free? Or say $8.99 a month if you don't have a sub. And this is in addtion to physical DVDs to my house. Then I can also use the XBox 360 to watch any movies I have on my PC and also play games with it?

sounds like a great deal Vudu!

[Rick @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:16AM]

@jivetrky:

Yes, you've got it about right. Depending on the size of your TV, however, the Vudu movies look substantially better (I've found the streaming Netflix is actually pretty poor quality, and I have a solid download speed). Finding movies is also a lot easier (and as I mentioned earlier actually enjoyable) on the Vudu, and the sound is a lot better. None of this really matters though if you don't have a large television and/or good sound system.

If you don't care about those things, and you already have a Netflix subscription, then no, I wouldn't by the Vudu.

[brian @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:14AM]

I've had a VUDU box for a year now, and the quality of the picture, the sound, and the reliability of the service has been excellent.

[JMGNYC @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:28AM]

I don't want to be part of anything that's going to be doing any sort of P2P service.

[metfoo @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:36AM]

allow me sto add my own media on teh internal hd, then we'll talk

[JimDog @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:37AM]

@Rick

Excellent comments...however I'd like to point out that when you say:

"When a movie is released to DVD, your only option for the first month is to *purchase* for $20; after that period you can then rent it. It's stupid, but it's a pretty universal limitation."

Just an FYI, according to a recent interview with the CEO of Blockbuster, the new Blockbuster set top box will be different than all of the other boxes because movies will be available 30 days after they're released in the theater (not after they're on DVD).

[Rick @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:05PM]

@JimDog:

That makes sense because I think Blockbuster has always been the one to "blame" for the purchase-only-for-first-30-days limitation. I think Blockbuster (among other physical media renters, like Netflix) have contracts that say they are the only ones who are allowed to *rent* movies when they are released physically. However it's interesting Netflix doesn't allow you to stream brand new releases either; I don't know the details of these contracts.

Another interesting-but-frustrating limitation has to do with HBO and other premium movie channels. You'll notice a few months after movies are released on VOD they will completely disappear (for rental or otherwise) from the VOD services -- this is because HBO has contracts that give them exclusivity for a certain period when they show the movie.

These are all very archaic rules that I'm hoping will eventually disappear when the studios realize that physical media is on the way out.

[Unknown @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:43AM]

The $200 credit is probably NOT good for Pr0n. boo! (b/c that is their edge in the battle here)

Maybe. I mean, my MovieBeam box is kinda lonely... a playmate is what it needs, right?

[muller @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:50AM]

Doesn't anyone remember moviebeam?

[Andrew @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:35PM]

I have a 360, PS3, Roku Netflix, Apple tv and a Vudu box . I find myself watching more current movies on the Vudu box and the old tv shows and movies on my Netflx player. The Vudu box is nice, I would take that over my apple tv.

[kikar @ Dec 23rd 2008 6:27PM]

Same here. I own the AppleTV, Roku, TivoHD, PS3, Xbox360, and Vudu. XBox and PS3 are ggod for games but their quality in movies is lacking. Not to mention not being able to redownload TV shows on the PS3. with Vudu at least you can archive your purchases and they are working on external HDD connectivity. The Roku is used for old TV shows. and the Apple TV get use from TV shows i.e. X Files etc... that I want to own. Their movie quality and service are painful. I have been watching movies and half way through they had to stop and buffer, and I have a 20mps connection. Vudu is instant and the HD movies are 1080p and SD are 480p but the box upconverts to 1080p. I use netflix but I have rented more movies from Vudu in the last year than from BB and Netflix over the last three. Because I can rent what I want when I want. This box is not for everyone but you should knock it if you hven't tried it. Since they have added web content and released RIA so third parties can build apps (much ike Apples app store) this box keeps getting better and better.

[Rudy @ Dec 23rd 2008 5:38PM]

its just another box that can download/rent movies. big whoop.

[Iridium @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:17PM]

But, but, but digital downloads are the future. Discs are dead.

Looks really bad for VUDU. Within a year every digital download service that doesn't offer a pysical disc service is going to die.

Movie downloads aren't going to overtake anything until the average home internet connection is three times as fast for half the price.

I've tried streaming movies though my cable connection and more often than not they play for a few minutes and then pause for a few seconds and then start playing again. One movie got halfway through and then had a connection problem and I had to wait a half hour for the rest to download before I could start playing it again.

The service just isn't there yet.

[DanSt @ Dec 26th 2008 1:40AM]

If you buy from Vudu's website, you can only get the $200 instant rebate plus the $50 credit for a total of $149. If you buy from Best Buy, they only offer the Vudu for the full price of $299 but you get the $200 free movie credit.


Buying from Best Buy and receiving the $200 free movie credit is clearly the better deal, saving you $49, but this is assuming you can watch around 40 rented movies in 4 months. If you can't watch more than 30 rented movies in those 4 months, then the $200 rebate is probably the deal for you.

[CS @ Jan 2nd 2009 12:07PM]

Best Buy = player + $200credit for $299
Online = player + $50credit for $149

Check your math; the price for the player is $99 either way, but with the best buy deal, you're forced to buy $200 worth of downloads vs only $50 online. The 'better' deal is online, but neither saves you any money over the other.