VUDU first on-demand service to sell HD and HDX movies
By Darren Murph 
posted Feb 24th 2009 12:01AM
posted Feb 24th 2009 12:01AM
VUDU FIRST TO SELL ON-DEMAND MOVIES IN HIGH DEFINITION
2009 Oscar-Winner "Man on Wire" among First To Be Offered; Other Films Offered from Independent Studios FirstLook, Kino, Magnolia
Santa Clara, CA, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 – VUDU, Inc., a leading provider of digital on-demand entertainment products and services, today announced it has achieved another industry milestone by becoming the first on-demand service to offer high definition movies for download to own on its popular 1080p Internet Movie Player. HD movies are available for purchase today to all Vudu owners.
Until now consumers have been restricted to renting HD movies from on-demand services, including VUDU's library of over 1,400 HD movies, the largest HD library in the world. Today VUDU unveiled a collection of over 50 HD movies from top independent studios that are available for both rental and download to own. Movies offered in this collection will be available for purchase in both instant HD and VUDU's industry-leading HDX format at the same price. HDX is the highest quality on-demand format available anywhere on cable, satellite, broadcast, or the Internet.
Magnolia Picture's Man on Wire, the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary that has been showered with critical praise and global film awards, is among the first titles to be offered for purchase in HD on VUDU, along with critically acclaimed Transsiberian and War, Inc. from FirstLook Studios.
"Consumers are clamoring for the ability to own digitally-delivered titles in high definition, especially in our HDX format, and we are excited to be the first in the industry to meet this consumer need," said Edward Lichty, VUDU's EVP of Strategy and Content. "This is a watershed event for the industry as well, signaling the studios' recognition of and confidence in digital delivery as an increasingly important part of their business. We expect to see a continuing expansion of digital rights in the coming months."
FirstLook Studios, Kino, and Magnolia Pictures are among the independent studios offering films for sale on VUDU in HD. VUDU plans to offer every HD release from these studios for purchase as they are added to the service, day and date with DVD release. All current films and subsequent additions to this HD collection will be available to purchase in instant HD and VUDU's industry-leading HDX format.
"We are thrilled to work with VUDU to offer our new releases for sale in HD when they are released on DVD," said Dean Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of FirstLook Studios. "We continue to explore every channel for distribution, and the emerging digital platform that reaches consumers in their homes directly on their HDTVs via VUDU is an important new channel for us."
High definition titles purchased from VUDU can be stored on the consumer's VUDU box or in the VUDU Vault, a free online storage option for movies and TV shows that enables consumers to free up disk space while still retaining access to all their purchased titles. Movies are priced between $13.99 and $23.99.
VUDU's library of more than 14,000 movies and TV episodes, including more than 1,400 HD films, is updated weekly with new releases and library titles. VUDU is the only service to offer both instant start HD and HDX, the highest quality on-demand format available anywhere. Designed to deliver an optimized cinematic experience to owners of 40-inch and larger HDTVs and projectors, HDX with VUDU's TruFilm™ technology features a virtually artifact free 1080p picture and immersive, high definition sound.
Additionally, VUDU offers access to popular Internet based content, from video, music and photos from popular sites such as YouTube, Flikr, and to games and social networking applications, directly on the TV, all easily accessible using the VUDU remote control with no need for a PC.
About VUDU:
VUDU is a leading provider of digital technologies and services that deliver Internet entertainment to consumers' HDTVs and Home Theaters. VUDU's 1080p Internet Movie Players, the VUDU HD, VUDU XL and VUDU XL2 are designed to deliver tens of thousands of on-demand movies and TV shows directly to HDTVs. All versions support native instant start HD as well as HDX, and automatically upscale standard resolution movies. All movies are displayed in 1080p resolution at 24 frames per second, the cinematic gold standard.
Through relationships with every major US movie studio and more than 40 independent studios and distributors, VUDU offers a vast array of on-demand choices at the highest quality. The VUDU collection is constantly updated, and newly released movies from major studios are available on the same day as the DVD is released. Consumers can finally watch great movies without the hassles associated with traditional services:-no driving, no mailing, and no monthly fee. For more information, visit http://www.vudu.com/.
"HDX" isn't a real format. So what is it that they're peddling as "HD"?
This is pretty much pure spam, a straight PR page.
Nice "reporting", Engadget.
I can't believe that I'm defending Darren but HDX is a format FOR VUDU. They have HD formatted/encoded movies and HDX. It is streaming optimized format that reaches Blu-ray quality to some extent so comparison is indeed valid.
The quality remains to be seen, but you don't put proprietary nonsense in the headline as if it means something. Words like "stereo", "H.264", and other industry-wide terms have meaning and tell the reader something. Putting brand-specific gimmicks in the headline as if we're supposed to know what they are simply makes the poster look like a company shill.
If the company's top-of-the-line encoding only approaches Blu-Ray, then whatever they're calling "HD" is a fraud. Not that most things labeled "HD" aren't...
It's sad that the FCC failed so completely in its task to define HD and the future of the U.S. TV system. Technology exists to measure visually perceptible degradation. The FCC should have set not only raw resolution requirements, but established requirements for that resolution to be maintained in MOTION pictures. Today's crop of compressed garbage would have failed that test and others that could have been specified even 10 years ago.
I think you bought into the hype of BD PR machinery. Unlike what you would like to believe HD doesn't stand for Blu-ray. Blu-ray is merely the highest encoded HD footage, but HD is anything 720p and above, so it's definitely not "fraud" as you classify it.
As for quality and the need to be proven. There's really no such need. Those who have it (including myself) can vouch that aside from slightly lower DD 5.1 audio, HDX is as good as Blu-ray in PQ (maybe just a tiny bit softer - many usually don't notice as I watch it on 106" screen).
Vudu's HD quality, albeit, 720p is still HD and significantly better the DVD which many people are fine with. HDX was introduced to match Blu-ray for those who are more demanding and is 1080p.
Just some facts before, you start yelling FCC and fraud. The fact is digital downloads are taking over. Movies for rent are already dominant and day and date from most studios, on-demand video is offering now purchases too and even Sony is offering huge digital downloads for rentals but they are experimenting now with selling games. Not in too distant future they will also offer purchases (just watch).
Packaged media cannot be saved IMO. The numbers are shrinking and Blu-ray isn't helping so it's good that there are alternative ways now.
"Unlike what you would like to believe HD doesn't stand for Blu-ray."
Who said it did? Blu-Ray isn't even all that good, but here come downloads that are not even as good as that.
Most "HD" IS fraud, and it pervades the whole industry. For example, we have Panasonic selling 960 x 720 as HD. And that's an acquisition format. For the end user, we have DirecTV peddling their utterly abysmal picture quality as HD. The eventual format may wind up being 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720, but the image is actually inferior to that of a regular DVD. Come on, take a LOOK at this garbage.
The ATSC shat out a spineless, flailing "spec" that allows 18 different picture formats and INTERLACING. The allowance of interlacing (a relic of the '30s) tells you right there that this "next generation" TV standard is hopelessly outmoded already. Combine that with no provision for codec updates to every piece of equipment, and you have a massive boondoggle.
The widespread marketing of "digital quality" insults consumers, but they don't call the perpetrators on it. They don't even THINK about it: Every answering machine these days records digitally, making their barely intelligible recordings DIGITAL QUALITY.
We have the best video-display equipment ever available to the consumer, and nothing to play on it. We have a hash of compression artifacts, banding, and macroblocking that wouldn't stand up to a 27-inch screen let alone the 50-inch TVs you find so often today.
DEMAND BETTER.
IC: Can you, perhaps, take your comments somewhere else?
In the real world, the one I live in and presumably Bozster does, and presumably most regulars at Engadget HD do, HD has a meaning. It's the system that's "high definition" in comparison with "SD"'s "standard definition". According to the ITU, HD is anything with 720x1280 (height x width) pixels of resolution or better.
That's what HD means. There's such a thing as good HD, great HD, bad HD, and awful HD. But they're all HD. If one of my local DTV stations were to squeeze six 720p channels into one multiplex, then it's safe to say they'd all look like ass, but they'd still be HD.
So it does include Vudu's Blu-ray quality "HDX" and their standard "HD". It also includes poorer quality systems such as Netflix's online HD streaming service, AppleTV, Hulu HD, YouTube HD, cable HD, etc. Vudu has chosen bitrates and codecs for HDX similar to those of Blu-ray, so if you admit, however grudgingly, that BD is HD, then HDX has to be too. But even if you don't, in the real world, the rest of us do consider it HD.
As we do ATSC HD.
Yes, in answer to your question, we should be demanding high quality. Here's how not to demand it however:
- Pretending something isn't HD because it's compressed enough to show artifacts.
- Demanding some companies branded products be debranded and described generically using the technical details (what next? In the next "HD round-up" a demand that "TWC added USA HD, TNT HD, and TBS HD, to its service in Charlotte, NC" be rephrased to "An operator of cabulousvisional services added three audio visual streams containing mixes of movular, dramatical and comedial content"?)
How do we demand it? We demand bitrate and codec combinations that result in less artifacts. We make a distinction between good HD and bad HD, and we demand better bitrates where we see bad HD. And on the very, very, rare occasion that a company claims to be producing HD when they are producing content with a lower base and/or transmitted resolution than commonly accepted definitions (such as the ITU's) we call them out on it.
But redefining HD to mean "High quality HD" is a dead-end. It makes those who resort to such tactics look, well, dumb. On a technical level, you're wrong, and that's all anyone will see, your wider argument in favour of higher quality video will be discarded with the rest.
"In the real world, the one I live in and presumably Bozster does, and presumably most regulars at Engadget HD do, HD has a meaning."
So? The point is that "HDX" DOESN'T.
Even though this is a huge milestone for digital downloads I would still be hesitant to buy movies through any proprietary service. I love Vudu but until there's some kind of unified DRM for services like this I think I'll limit my purchases and stay with them for rentals primarily.
I've never bought movies to own on any digital download service just because of the uncertainty of DRM systems.
The main point is that their box doesn't allow you to backup your movies but one good thing they are doing is the ability to redownload your purchases so you are at least covered there.
Overall, this is indeed huge news. It's a good start.
Bozster, Digital Downloads are taking over? With such small percentages overall, I hard call it taking over.
Netflix has had some success with the Xbox fanbois when the service was announced to them during the 4th quarter but the air will come out of that balloon this year. With their limited attention span and limit on the wallets most Xboxers will lose interest in paying each month for netflix streaming and they will be off to something else.
When mum and dads everywhere have a box on their tvs that can get digital downloads, then we can talk about Digital Downloads taking over. Until then NOT GONNA HAPPEN
This is why I think subscription based systems are, ultimately, the future of downloads. What Vudu's doing with the "allowed to redownload" thing is a step forward, but you're still relying upon Vudu's continued existence to make that work.
The other possibility is Toshiba's plans regarding SD cards will come to fruition, but they seem thus far to be hung up on allowing other people to do the work. It'd be more positive if they used their influence within the DVD Forum to get a non-proprietary standard out there that everyone can sign on to.
Owen - I'm with you on this topic. I laughed at Information Central crack at nice "reporting" for it appears he hasn't done is homework on VOD/Vudu. For the past week I have looked into VOD services for I'm getting tired of my Netflix subscription.
I'm on the 2 DVDs at a time subscription. I'm tired of the wait between the mailings AND when a popular movie, Batman Dark Knight for example, comes out I might have to wait a week or so just to get it. Now, I also have an Xbox and like Owen stated the early hype on getting Netflix movies through the Xbox was great but then you realize A) the video quality is sub-par at best, and B) the selection is PITIFUL.
I tend to believe that the DVDs will soon to be a thing of the past for consumers will pay for "instant" viewing instead of waiting a day or two. Plus the constant cleaning of the DVD drives when Neflix dirty DVDs corrupt them.
From what I read on other reputable/legit sites, Vudu does offer the most selection of HD movies and has the best quality. however, I'm wary of their pricing model.
first off,to bozster & info central,both of you have valid points;but,there's still an issue that needs to be addressed:bandwidth caps. with regards to reading this article,this is the 1st i've
heard of vudu's proprietary"hdx"format.if it truly comes close to rivaling blu-ray(e.g.1080p/24fps),i can't begin to imagine the time it takes to download to a vudu hd let alone how much bandwidth a month is being used in the process.i think it's a bit disingenuous for reporters to continually talk about d.downloads taking over and not mention the effect bandwidth caps will have on an ever increasing streaming/downloading community. or,has this subject become obsolete(definitely need a response on that one)? another thing is pricing:$23.99? you can get most br discs for that price online and even@best buy on their release date;with a physical copy(dvd/br),you're paying for a disc,packaging,etc. am i the only one who thinks this is a bit much to be paying for something that's basically eliminating the middleman? maybe,with greater acceptance,prices will come down;but for right now,i can't see eschewing a dvd/br for an"hd"download.
"this is the 1st i've heard of vudu's proprietary"hdx"format.if it truly comes close to rivaling blu-ray(e.g.1080p/24fps)..."
It does all HDX content is 1080p/24fps with full surround audio. It look better than some blu-ray encodes.
"...i can't begin to imagine the time it takes to download to a vudu."
About four hours.
Show me the prices major studios are going to demand via Vudu, Apple and Microsoft for purchasing HD content and then I'll be impressed. If "near DVD" SD content already goes for 14.99 then you can bet that there is going to be a big premium for new HD content.
Anybody can get cheap content from indie filmmakers and tiny documentary publishers that are just happy to have any audience at all (just look at Netflix's Watch Now selection). The real test will be how much the mainstream content will cost. If its 25 or more dollars and its stuck on a single box and your ability to continually watch what you paid for is contingent on Vudu's solvency then thanks but no thanks.