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Vudu adds Sony TVs to its list of compatible 4K devices
Vudu users with Sony 4K TVs can now watch hundreds of movies in ultra HD, thanks to an update to its Android TV app. If you've got auto-updates enabled, you don't need to do anything to enjoy a clearer, crisper picture -- it's ready to go. If you don't, just update to the new app from the Google Play Store.
Movies Anywhere includes your FandangoNOW flicks
Movies Anywhere has strengthened its position as the go-to movie library platform by welcoming FandangoNOW into the fold. This means that Movies Anywhere users can now access the films they've purchased via iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play and of course FandangoNOW, from one central location. It doesn't matter where or how you bought the movie, just link the account to Movies Anywhere and you'll have access to it.
Interactive '#WarGames' series goes live on March 14th
#WarGames is a new interactive series from Eko and Her Story creator Sam Barlow, and it's set to hit Steam, Vudu.com, HelloEko.com and the Eko iOS app on March 14th. #WarGames is a fresh take on the 1983 film of the same name -- minus the hashtag, of course.
iTunes snafu made ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ available almost a month early
When you check out the Thor: Ragnarok page on iTunes, it says pre-orders of digital copies are expected to arrive on February 20th. But as TorrentFreak reports, some people got their hands on the Marvel film about a month early due to some sort of snafu with iTunes and Movies Anywhere.
Disney ‘Movies Anywhere’ adds flicks from Fox, Warner, Sony and Universal
Frustrated with the current state of DVD/Blu-ray digital copies and buying movies from online stores like Vudu or iTunes? A new connection between studios and stores may be the best fix we'll get, now that Fox, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros (but not Paramount and Lionsgate, so far) have linked their libraries to Disney's Movies Anywhere setup. Confirming rumors from earlier this week, the Keychest-powered system that Disney has used for its own movies since 2014 will now unlock movies from all of those studios, covering over 7,300 titles. If you haven't used Movies Anywhere with a Disney, Pixar, Marvel or Lucasfilm flick, it's very similar to the Ultraviolet system the other studios have focused on until now. Once you create an account you can watch movies through its app and website, or through stores that participate with it, which include iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu and Google Play. Linking the accounts is relatively painless, and for a limited time, viewers can unlock access to five free movies (Big Hero 6, Ghostbusters (2016), Ice Age Jason Bourne (2016), The Lego Movie) by doing so.
Disney, Fox, Warner and Universal may team up on downloadable movies
After nearly a decade of battling between movie lockers, Disney may finally have support from other studios. According to a report from Bloomberg, "several major Hollywood film studios" are signed up to participate in a new film service with Disney, including Fox, Warner and Universal. Since 2010, most of the industry has relied on Ultraviolet to enable cross-store digital movie ownership, with the exception of Disney, which launched its own Movies Anywhere service in 2014. Most of us got our first taste of the systems that link purchases across stores like iTunes, or Amazon via digital copy codes included with DVDs and Blu-rays. The studios hope that by finally banding together, they can convince customers to buy more movies instead of relying on subscription services or other avenues to get their flicks. There's no word about what might happen to studio support for Ultraviolet, or stores that support it like Walmart's Vudu, but Disney Movies Anywhere currently links to iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, FiOS and not Microsoft. The other major studios, Lionsgate and Paramount, are reportedly "supportive" but aren't joining yet.
Vudu movie streaming comes to Apple TV on August 22nd
It's not just Amazon that's bringing an arguably overdue video service to the Apple TV in the near future. After a tease in June, Vudu has announced that its streaming movie service will come to Apple's media box on August 22nd, or weeks ahead of the originally announced fall release. You likely won't pay for movies directly on the device given Apple policies taking a cut of in-app media sales (we've asked Vudu for clarification). Still, this means you can watch your purchased or rented Vudu shows on the Apple TV without resorting to AirPlay on one of your iOS devices.
Vudu's mobile app rips digital copies of your Blu-rays
Walmart's Vudu streaming arm has unveiled the "first mobile offering" to convert nearly 8,000 movies on DVD and Blu-ray to digital HD files, it says. It's an expansion of the company's existing desktop conversion service, but lets you convert your physical library using the mobile Vudu app instead. As before, the price to convert files you already own is $2 for either a Blu-ray disc to HDX or a DVD to SD, or $5 to up-res a DVD to HDX (hint: your TV might do the latter already).
Vudu's upgraded mobile app brings offline rental viewing
Unlike some big streaming video services, Vudu isn't sitting on the fence when it comes to offline playback. The Walmart-owned provider has revamped its Android and iOS apps with several big features, most notably an option to download your rentals -- you can watch that movie in mid-flight even when the in-air WiFi is lousy. You'll also have access to movie extras for supporting titles, and iOS users now get both higher-quality 1080p HDX streaming as well as AirPlay. And if you're still attached to hard copies, you can buy discs inside the app instead of heading to the web. So long as you live in the US and like Vudu's à la carte approach to movies and TV, you can check out the upgrade right now.
Vudu offers ad-supported movies 'on us'
For years, Walmart-owned Vudu has had a reputation for its high picture quality and ties to Ultraviolet digital copies. Now, the video on-demand store is trying something new: free movies. There is a catch, however, as the free flicks will contain advertising breaks. Otherwise, viewers will be able to log in from computers, phones and TVs to watch movies like True Grit, Mad Max and more without paying a dime. It's an interesting scheme, and if anything, may get more people to try out the Vudu app installed on their TV, game console or Chromecast.
Your NVIDIA Shield now plays Netflix videos in HDR
NVIDIA just underscored one of the advantages of having a high-powered streaming media hub: you can roll out new video features before anyone else. It's delivering an update to its Shield set-top box that introduces high dynamic range Netflix video on supporting TVs -- a first for a stand-alone device, NVIDIA claims. You can also watch YouTube videos at both 4K and 60 frames per second, while Vudu 4K support is equally new. And if you're an audio junkie, you'll be glad to know that Dolby Atmos' extra-immersive audio gets a direct pass-through when you're using apps like Vudu, MX Player and NVIDIA's own media gallery.
'Deadpool' downloads are setting sales records early
Fox's Digital HD plan to sell movies online ahead of their disc release appears to be paying off, as it just announced that CGI-heavy Deadpool is the fastest selling superhero digital HD movie. Of course, it being incredibly well-received doesn't hurt, but racking up a million sales before the Ultra HD Blu-ray / Blu-ray / DVD debut next week is pretty nice. According to Fox, it's the studio's "best performing" movie ever under the program, which saw it go on sale via the likes of iTunes and Vudu on April 25th.
Vudu's latest iPad app finally has picture-in-picture
Vudu, Walmart's answer to Netflix, has finally brought its app up to speed with Apple's latest hardware and iOS 9 features. The iPhone version supports 3D Touch, letting you access personal and "last watched" settings more quickly, and you can now get notifications for deals and other offers. Best of all, the iPad app supports iOS 9's multitasking option with picture-in-picture, letting you tweet and do other stuff while you halfheartedly re-watch Fear the Walking Dead. Hulu has had that feature for months, but Vudu users get bragging rights over Netflix subscribers, who still have to (ugh) switch between apps to multitask.
Vudu movies take advantage of your Dolby Atmos and Vision gear
If you've been itching to put your Dolby Atmos- and Vision-capable home theater gear to work, you'll be glad to know that you now have one more streaming option besides Microsoft and Netflix. Vudu has started streaming Warner Bros. movies (such as Mad Max: Fury Road and The Lego Movie) with full Atmos and Vision support, so you'll get more immersive audio and a high dynamic visual range if you have the right TV and speakers. There's no mention of Vudu offering similarly upgraded titles from Sony or other studios, but don't be surprised if the catalog expands quickly.
Vizio's high-end 4K TVs are on sale at (some) Best Buy stores
After more than a year of waiting Vizio finally opened up orders for two models from its "Reference Series" line, and now it's expanding the rollout. At Best Buy's Magnolia Design Center locations (they're a bit more limited than the regular Magnolia in-store units you're probably used to seeing, here's a list), well-heeled buyers can order up a $6,000 65-inch Ultra High Definition TV packing Dolby's HDR tech, or go big with the $130,000 120-inch model. Of course, at that price, some of you may want to window shop before making a purchase, and a rep told one AVS Forum poster that they may have in-store samples coming. This close to CES you may want to wait for what 2016's TVs have to offer, but Netflix has that ultra wide color tech, 384 LED lighting zones plus UHD apps from Netflix, Amazon and Vudu.
Vudu starts streaming 4K movies to the Roku 4
Vudu's 1080p HDX streams were once considered high quality for streaming movies over the internet, (now they're even watchable on phones) but in the last year Amazon and Netflix surpassed them with 4K resolution and even HDR. Now Vudu is stepping up its game with some 4K flicks, currently available only through the new Roku 4. For the moment it has 12 movies viewable in 4K (check the list after the break), with prices of $10 for a rental and $25 - $30 to purchase. According to Vudu, you'll need an 11Mbps connection to stream the high-res versions that it's marked Vudu UHD. The option will be coming to other platforms including Vizio's 4K TVs soon, and for the ones that can handle it, there's support for HDR and Atmos surround sound too.
Vudu finally delivers 1080p HDX movies on Android devices
One of the best features of Vudu's movie service has always been its high quality video, and now you can view it on mobile devices. The latest version of Vudu for Android brings a native interface for the first time that's far easier to use and looks better on screens of all sizes, as well as the ability to play HD (720p) and HDX (1080p) quality streams or downloads. That's a feature that's still not available on iPhones and iPads, but it should work on "select" Lollipop or higher devices (read: capable of high-res video and the accompanying DRM).
You can (legally) download the 'Star Wars' movies starting Friday
While the world waits for the next entries in the Star Wars saga (Episode VII on December 18th, followed by the Rogue One spinoff next year and Episode VIII in 2017), Disney, Fox and Lucasfilm have finally worked it out so you can buy the movies as digital copies. Sure a Blu-ray set came out a few years ago, but if physical media isn't your thing then Friday is the big day (yes, they're still the "special" editions). The movies will be available globally through retailers like Vudu, Xbox, PlayStation, Google Play, iTunes, Amazon and others. If you need a reason to do the digital double-dip, take a peek at the promised new extras, like "Discoveries from Inside" featurettes for each movie, and "Conversations" between key contributors. Vudu is taking pre-orders on the full set for $90 (US) and Google Play shows the individual movies for $20 each -- in case you're wondering, the Blu-ray set is listed on Amazon for the same price.
Walmart quietly launches its low-cost streaming video stick
Do you like the idea of a streaming media stick for your TV, but find that even Google's Chromecast or Amazon's Fire TV Stick costs more than you're willing to pay? You'll want to visit your local Walmart, then. The big-box retailer tells GigaOM that its Vudu Spark dongle, teased at the FCC back in November, is already available at 2,400 stores for $25 -- that's at least $10 less than its big rivals, and as much as the upcoming Matchstick. More stores are coming soon, Walmart adds. It's a tempting offering, but there's a good reason why it's so affordable. As hinted earlier, the Spark is only useful for watching Vudu purchases and rentals. That's fine if you're not picky about how you get your movies and TV shows, but you may have to shell out more if you're determined to use Hulu, Netflix or any other online video service.
'The Interview' spreads to cable VOD, DirecTV, Vudu and more theaters
In the space of a few days, Sony Pictures' The Interview has gone from unreleased to impossible to avoid. Cable video on-demand operator inDemand has added the movie to its roster, so for $5.99, pretty much anyone with pay-TV service can rent it right now instead of needing one of Google's video services, Xbox or iTunes. It's also popped up on WalMart's video service Vudu in the past day, is available via DirecTV, and according to Variety, as of Friday the number of theaters where its playing will grow to 580, compared to 331 on Christmas Day. If you're still on the fence about viewing you can use our opinion or that of others, but the movie that couldn't be stopped by North Korea (and/or company insiders) has already reportedly brought Sony $15 million through its unconventional release.
