We've seen it in the flesh, and we must say
VUDU is doing things right with its move to a device-agnostic service. They haven't chucked a single feature, and the interface is rather responsive for a TV-based video service (though not quite as flashy as its PS3 and Xbox 360 counterparts). Even with a bit of crummy hotel internet getting in the way, the device managed to buffer streams of 720p and 1080p content at a fairly rapid rate -- besting a best-case-scenario Netflix buffer time in most cases. It's clear that the 5.1 surround, 1080p-equipped HDX format, which can downgrade its bitrate based on available bandwidth, is really going to eat up your pipes, but the 720p looks quite good even in the face of a somewhat limited connection. While LG and
Vizio are the jumping off point for this service, it's VUDU's stated aim to land on pretty much any home theater device that'll have them -- we can't imagine Microsoft or Sony taking very kindly to the offer, but it's hard to argue with this level of HD selection. Video of the service in action is after the break.
posted Jul 30th 2009 11:12AM
So where's the video. Stating "Not Available"
The latest harry potter movie was dumb, wheres the finale? Another $10?
One more book to go. But they're making TWO movies out of it. So you got two more to go before the end. Ack!
From what I've heard(from Gizmodo) on the LG TV's you can't turn off their TruMotion setting and it makes pretty much all live-action movies look like crap. I'll take 1080p downloads on the 360 on my Philips 1080p 120Hz display where you can turn that setting down/off.
And yes, I'm aware the 360 doesn't have 1080p yet but it is coming in Fall.
Everything looked very 24p to me. 120Hz is a major pet peeve of mine, so I think I would've noticed.
I don't care any more about resolution. a 10-bit 720x540 video feed looks better to me then a 2-3 bit 1080x1920. Lossey compression for streaming just makes buying high end TVs pointless.
I am all for digital distribution...but how about full quality stuff...
oh wait...our broadband backbone would break!
-_-...guess ill stick with these crappy BluRays
You have a good point.
Most 720 content will be almost indistinguishable from 1080 content when it's streamed. The best 1080 content currently is BluRay and Satelite. All other forms have to suffer tremendous compression.
notice the price is cheaper than 360 and ps3.
3.99 for a hd rental? NICE!
For existing VUDU box owners or those familiar with the service we see several new items in this short video.
1) I dont think the LG or Vizio display remotes have a scroll wheel so that means navigating with up, down, left right. It's not bad, but one of the best parts of VUDU was the simple and fast navigation with the rf scroll wheel remote.
2) HDX movies were able to play instantly. Previously this was not an option even if you had a 50mbps connection.
3) Instant playback may have been possible because they mention the quality was degraded for slower connections. This was never the case with VUDU before as the quality was always fixed and it would just download to the hard drive until enough had been downloaded to seamlessly playback the entire movie.
4) Chapter selection and graphical FFWD/REW. Chapters were never available on the traditional VUDU box.
These features show that VUDU is moving away from its most unique feature, the proprietary peer network. It now looks to be a completely streaming solution with possibly no internal hard drive, hence the need for dynamically adjusting PQ to the available bandwidth and the need for chapter skipping.
I need more on demand!
Wait a sec....
You can rent it in HD or HDX but you can only OWN it in SD?
I'm still waiting for a box where I can purchase in (full) HD and keep the copy for myself. Businesses come and go too quickly to trust that they can keep the actual movie and I'll be able to watch it any time I want. I guess Vudu would be best used for rentals. But that's what Netflix is for. So I'll keep on waiting.....
It’s the studios that are the culprit here, not Vudu or any other service like Vudu. It's a joke how behind the times the movie studios are when it comes to online, streaming and digital data. They are so worried about losing money, they are losing millions a day in spite of it.
Let us buy or rent a movie online the same day it is is released on DVD/BluRay! And for that matter, let us watch new releases at HOME the day they hit the theater! Going to the movies is fun once in a while, but I would gladly pay $20 to watch a new release at home on my couch, as I'm sure millions of others would.
HDX? Gah, not another unnecessary TLA (three-letter acronym). We had "Full HD" already, I was just getting used to that!