Vudu: The Newest Way to Rent Movies from Home

The way we rent movies is changing, with new technology there is no need to go anywhere since you can rent and watch movies from your home computer and now through your TV. It was almost 10 years ago when Netflix revolutionized renting movies and started its turf war with Blockbuster for online renting. After that, streaming video came along. Now there are many companies offering movie downloading however the section of available movies is limited and a high-speed internet connect is required. The next the thing hoping to revolutionize movie renting allover again is Vudu.

With Vudu you do not need a computer because it works directly thought your TV. Vudu does use the internet to deliver the movies to your TV though, and you must activate your account online. Almost all reviews of Vudu mention its smooth viewing and image quality. The box comes pre-loaded with the first minutes of the films, so the movie can start right as you hit play. The rest of the movie downloads after hitting play.

On their website they have the connection requirements for instant viewing, however slower connects work fine, instead of instant viewing you may have to wait five minutes or so for the movie to download. No biggie. The biggest bummer about the Vudu is the upfront cost, $400.00 for the box. In addition, unlike TiVo's pc-less service there in no monthly subscription to buy. You only pay for renting or buying a movie. Rentals prices range from 0.99 to 3.99, pretty much the same as if you were to rent a movie the traditional way.

Yes, it has some drawbacks. Like you cannot transfer movies to portable devices and movie rentals are limited to twenty-four hours. Moreover, there are only about 5,000 movies available (at this time, new movies are being added all the time). Nevertheless, is has improved on some of the pitfalls that plagued video-on-demand. I am excited to see where this go's. The concept is brilliant. The fact that its simple set up will appeal to the technically challenged and techies alike, will make the Vudu system very popular, especially when the price of the box comes down. I know if I had four hundred dollars, I would get one right now. Netflix's, Blockbuster and all the rest should be worried. Once all the kinks are worked out and it is improved with user feedback, I see every house with a TV having one.

Pre-ordered Vudu boxes should already be on there way since shipping was scheduled to begin at the end of September, the boxes will be available at many online and brick-and-mortar retailers this month (October).

To learn more or get one for yourself go to, http://www.vudu.com/

Here are just some reviews.

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-media-receivers/vudu/4505-6739_7-32589079.html

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9772789-7.html

http://newteevee.com/2007/09/17/will-vudu-cause-a-movie-rental-revolution/