Customer Reviews

VUDU Set Top Box for Movies On Demand

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Vudu's combination of solid Standard Def and High Def video performance, stable hardware/software, easy to use interface, ease of setup and instantaneous playback make it the closest product yet to the "killer" internet based movie delivery platform. But for a few small improvements and one very critical issue with the studios, vudu could be the next way most of us watch movies on demand.

First the good news:
* Video quality is excellent on the SD content and outstanding on the HD. On Hot Fuzz (SD) there were NO discernable artifacts and the upscaled pic (1080p) on my RS1 FP was as good as the same movie I saw upscaled on my Toshiba XA2. The HD on the Bourne movies was very good and compares favorably to any HD DVD or Blu-Ray that I have. Video quality is nailed on this product.

* Interface is excellent. Quick to browse. The search function is fast and filtering results are relevant . Interface is the best I have seen for a video service.

*Setup is very simple. I would have no problem giving this to any tech challenged family member who has the prerequisite network requirements. Also it comes with all the cables you need to set it up on your HD tv, including HDMI and cat 5 network patch.

* Customer service is readily accessible and responsive by both phone and email. They seem to be solidly behind their product.

*The software and firmware on the unit is being updated regularly. It appears VUDU is commited to making requested changes and fixes on a regular basis. New features (such as TV and HD content) are being rolled out quickly to customers.

*Movie load speed is instantaneous on the features I have watched so far. No lag or glitches in playback.


And the areas that are pretty good right now but need improvement...

* Sound is hit and miss. A good number of films are only in stereo. Vudu says this is what the studios have given them. New releases are coming in with 5.1 but not all.

* There is no Closed Captioning right now in the box.

* The remote is compact and simple, consisting of only a few buttons and a down-click scroll wheel. Even though it is a joy to use, it is RF only. I wish that I could integrate this with my IR Harmony remote.

* HD content right now is limited to the free Bourne Movies. As I mentioned the quality is excellent for both video and sound. More HD content is promised and would be the SELLING point for this product if they could have well encoded, quality new titles available for rent in DVD release time window.

* Price for entry is still to high. Vudu will need to come down to the $49 - $99 range for the initial hardware setup to be competitive. Indications are that the price is dropping.

The critical issue for Vudu? Studio release policies! Vudu is hamstrung right now by the fact that:

* some movies are not for Rent on first release but rather must be purchased. Movie purchase, even if a feature is in HD, is NOT where Vudu will attract customers. I don't go to Blockbuster to buy a film, and likewise I won't be buying a film from Vudu. However, I will pay more for a day/date release with the same DVD as Blockbuster has if I can just get it from Vudu. Even more so if it is in HD.

*New releases must rentable on the same day as they are released to DVD. This is THE market that Vudu will compete in. Catalog title rentals are great for the occassional view, but are not where Vudu's success will be made.

*HD content will be a HUGE driver for success. More HD content, especially HD new releases are necessary.

Vudu is a well executed, easy to use and stable product out of the gate. It is poised for greatness. If the above issues can be addressed, it will be under your TV sooner rather than later.

-Alex Baird-
Vudu Evangelist

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Update to review: 11/03/08

I wanted to update my review after living with and using the VUDU system for a year or so.

After this first year, Vudu is still being used extensively in my home theater. Vudu has consistantly updated and upgraded their product through both the interface and the quality of the movie software they deliver. This has improved the ease of use of an already great interface. For instance, they have grouped all their versions of a movie (Standard Def, High-Def, HDX (their blu-ray quality version) into a single listing so you no longer havea a confusing multiple list with each title. Sorting and finding movies has also been improved with the added bonus of "recommended" titles (think tivo recommendations) and a listing of the most popular rentals and purchases. In addtion they have instituted an archive feature where purchased movies can be stored on their servers to free up room on the local drives. Extended rental times and of course a much larger library of movies rounds out the changes to the interface.

The biggest and most important change for me though has been the quality of the movie software. The number of HD titles has been greatly increased. But more importantly is the release of many new films on the HDX format. This high bit rate codec is NOT a purchase/rent and immediate view format. It takes about two hours to download an HDX encoded title. However, the quality is truly the best of ANY downloadable service to date and is indistiquishable from a HD-DVD or Blu-ray. When I compared the HD-DVD version of "Chronciles of Riddick" with the HDX version it was impossible to tell the difference even on freeze frames swtiching back between the two. A similar comparison of the Blu-ray version of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and the HDX version confirmed this. It is simply amazing to be able to get such high quality video through a download service! There is a difference in the audio quality between the HD disc formats and the HDX, with the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray having the more advanced lossless codecs (Dolby Tru-HD, DTS-Master HD or PCM uncompressed) with richer sound. But HDX is encoded with a high bit rate DD soundtrack in up to 5.1.

Overall the Vudu is the internet based movie service to beat. Vudu has done an outstanding job of upgrading their product and seem hard at work on delivering even more features in the future.

I received my Vudu last week. Set up was a breeze. Just make sure you have an ethernet/power/HDMI or Component connections nearby.

As far as looks and functionality, they are spot on. This box is made from the same guys that brought you Tivo, which is a GOOD thing. Simple and intuitive menus make toying around on the unit a joy. The remote, while funky looking, feels great in the hand and works like a charm.

As far as content goes, while large at 5000+ videos, was lacking a little in the new release category. I'm a big movie buff, so perhaps its because I seen alot of them already. Xbox Live has a much better selection right now of newer movies... and movies in HD.

Another quibble was the purchase/rent options. Some movies are only for rent, some movies are only for purchase. There seems to be no consistency here. You just have to hope you get the right movie with the option you are looking for.

I am a huge Mac fan. And I purchased this unit over AppleTV. Why?

Because of content!

I firmly believe, that whichever of these companies figures out how to get HD content onto their boxes first, with good studio backing, will not only be the clear cut winner of home movie boxes, but be the winner of the HD format period. And yes, I'm talking about YOU HD-DVD/BluRay!!!!

So Vudu... get it done. You are in the perfect position to do so.

Having lived with a VUDU for the last couple of months, I can honestly say it has changed the way we enjoy our video experence.
Being able to select a movie to watch at the moment you start to watch is a wonderful experence, If the guys come by we can pick a "guys" movie, if the wife wants to see a "romantic" movie we pick one. If we are lucky to have the kids with us we can pick one that satisfies them.
With over 5,000 movies there is something for everyone.
The quality is great on my 52" LCD tv, better than DVD, plus no trips to the video store or waiting for the mailman, they are all in my VUDU.
This is truly a great product.

First off...I really do like this box. It has a wide selection of movies available for download, movies look good for Standard Definition (more on that later), and the navigation is better than all other products in this category. Here are my areas of concerns that VUDU could (and probably will) improve:
1. HD content. I know it is coming, so I won't dwell. But, it is lacking right now in this area.
2. RF Remote is great if you are placing the VUDU in a room out of view. But, If you want to use one remote for your whole theater, you are out of luck. I think having the ability to accept IR and RF would be a nice (and let's face it, inexpensive) option.
3. The remote that you are forced to use fits nicely in your hand, but it rolls away when you set it down. It is shaped like a flawed fortune cookie.
4. Also, I know this is a studio thing, but the ability to stream the purchased video to another piece of hardware is almost expected now from new, cutting edge devices. Streaming video from your computer to the VUDU would be nice too.

Don't get me wrong, the VUDU is great and kicks the butt of my MovieBeam (except in the HD department for now), I just want more.

As a final note. The VUDU actually comes with an HDMI cable! NONE of the HD products sitting under the tree this year come one, so roll that into the price when making your decision.

I got my Vudu for $399, a few weeks later it was $295. Smart move for Vudu, since Apple TV is trying to crowd them out of the market. Vudu is far better than Apple TV, it has more movies and a better platform for delivering them. I'll stick with the new kid on the block. The new price makes Vudu the better buy (more movies, more storage space, brighter horizon). I noticed that Vudu also dropped some vudu dollars in my account, maybe to compensate current owners for the price reduction in the box. Smart marketing.
The other big plus is that netflix and blockbuster are in my past!!!

Vudu is slick. From the ease of set-up to the feel of the remote in your hand, it's a user-friendly, quality product through and through. This is what you want for movies-on-demand: INSTANT ACCESS, right there in your house, when you want it, without having to plan hours or days in advance, or having to run out to the store, and again to return it. And the movies look gorgeous too.

My only quibble (and that's why I gave it 4 stars, not 5) is with the movie selection. While I've always found something--lots of things--that I've enjoyed watching, it wasn't always what I was looking for. But there are more and more choices each day and I expect that to continue as Vudu takes off. And it WILL take off--it's that good.

I bought my VUDU Box over Christmas when it was on sale. I had been looking into buying one for some time and decided to strike at this opportunity. I am incredibly frugal when it comes to new technology and I never buy anything without researching it first and pouring over the reviews. Most of the reviews I read for VUDU were polarizing: people either loved the box or they hated it. Very few fell into the middle. I decided I would give the box a try and see how I felt about it, and return it if I didn't like it. That was 4 months ago.

I agree with what most of the reviews here are saying. The quality of the box is top notch. The user interface is great and easy to use. Set up is quick and easy and can be done with 3 cables (In my case power, Ethernet, and HDMI). I think it is important to say that I do not have a huge home theater. The box is simply connected to my television (an older model HD). Not to say that the box isn't easily connected to massive home theater systems, just read some reviews on here or look at the outputs on the back of the box (it has almost every output imaginable). The point being that the box will work in your simple living room or in a big home theater. Anyways, setting it up was simple like I said: plug it in, confirm that the remote is working and that you can hear sound, watch the box download the latest titles, and finally link the box to your account. You have to do this on your computer, but it takes less than 5 minutes. You'll be glad you have the account online later as it makes managing movies simple.

Quality of the movies on the VUDU Box is outstanding. This is one aspect that almost every review agreed on, and I will also agree with. The first movie I watched on the box was The Dark Knight in HD. After selecting the movie and confirming that you want to rent it, the movie will begin to play. There was no delay for the entire movie and it looked great the entire time. I've never considered myself a video junkie, but even I can tell the difference between watching a movie on VUDU and watching a DVD or a movie on HBO or OnDemand. Everything on VUDU is clearer and just looks better. This isn't just new releases either. Take for example the classic film Heavyweights which I have watched on cable countless times. When I found this gem on VUDU I had to rent it. There is no reason a movie such as Heavyweights should look so good, but on VUDU it does. It's the added attention to every movie that makes me really appreciate the box.

This is the difference that I have noticed with VUDU compared to other streaming boxes. Because almost every box is locked into the same pricing structure, you will consistently get the same prices from box to box. However, VUDU gives you more for that price in terms of quality. You could rent a movie on Netflix or Amazon and watch it as if it was on cable, but what is the fun in that? The reason you buy the streaming box is to break away from mediocre looking movies. VUDU hits it out of the park in this category.

Now, why is the VUDU the hardest working box in the business?

First off quality. Standard definition movies are higher quality than normal standard definition. High definition looks way better than normal HD. Finally, HDX looks better than any other streaming medium you can find. No other box is offering movies in 1080p at 24fps. VUDU is offering a ton, and they don't cost any more than HD.

Second, selection. VUDU currently has over 13,000 titles in the library. Over 1,300 of these are in HD. I've consistently been able to find obscure movies that I haven't seen forever, as well as those that are coming out as new releases. New movies are added weekly both as rentals and as purchases. I've been able to find any movie that is available on my friend's Xbox with Netflix streaming on VUDU and oh, that's right, in higher quality.

Third, features. I have never seen a more comprehensive search feature than the one on the VUDU Box. This doesn't mean it is intimidating. You can do a simple search just by title or director/actor. You'll probably be able to find your movie this way. Or you can browse through genre (and add other genre's to the mix in case you are looking for say a Horror-Comedy-Western) or even search by year and critic's rating. VUDU Labs is another nice feature with access to YouTube and Pandora, as well as other online services. Though, I admit I use YouTube and Pandora the most. VUDU makes use of the HD feature of YouTube so the videos look pretty good on a bigger television. Pandora brings your stations to the television and I have found it is great to put on for background music.

Lastly, I don't know what to call this but it is the ability of VUDU to be first at everything and provide the best experience. It feels good knowing that VUDU is consistently delivering on their basic premise of instant high quality movies as well as constantly adding and improving the service. It's been almost two years I believe since VUDU introduced their box, and tons of competition has popped up. Yet nobody is delivering an experience as unique as VUDU, and they all seem to be one step behind what VUDU is doing.

This is why VUDU is the hardest working box in the business. They could have stopped with simply delivering movies but they kept going with quality, new features, selection, and the best experience amongst the competition. Why would they slow down now? I would find it hard to give the VUDU Box anything but a perfect rating because for this kind of technology (streaming movie boxes) they are the best right now.

There are so many good things to say here. As a Movie lover and collector, I currently own about 450 DVD's and running out of space to put them. Those shelves sure fill up fast. With the Vudu I can stop buying physical media and just purchase digital media and store it on the Vudu. with Over 5000 titles available and all in a nice little box my problem is solved. And with HD content @ full 1080p I don't have to worry about the format war that is ridiculous and just go with the Vudu. I had this unit for a month now and I love it. Instant watching, no waiting for downloads, nice!!! Great Job Vudu!!

Vudu changed our movie viewing experience. Who's in the mood for what? With over 5000 titles to choose from, and an easy to search feature, it is easy to find something that all want to watch. Can't remember the title but know who was in it. Easy to find! Many different search functions; title, genre, actor, director, etc. Very simple, logical and intuitive. This small box makes movie nights even more enjoyable.

And with HD around the corner, I no longer need to join the format war, either.

The Vudu is an absolutely phenomenal product. I've had the pleasure of being one of the first people to own one of these and it is something else. Do you love movies but hate waiting for the DVDs to arrive in the mail? Do you hate going out on a cold and snowy night and standing in line at your local video store only to find the movie you want is all checked out? Do you hate the small selection and poor quality on your cable or satellite video on demand channels?

If you said "yes" to any of these, then Vudu is for you. At the touch of a button, your movie INSTANTLY streams to you. No waiting in line, no waiting for the mail, you don't even have to get up off the couch. Just sit back and enjoy.

Picture quality is superb and many movies come in Dolby Digital surround sound with more being added all the time. Soon we expect HD content to be available via the Vudu. Why buy an HD-DVD or BluRay player then?

When Vudu says they have 5000 movies - they really mean it. More are being added all the time and you get content from all over the world. Like foreign films or indie festival films? Vudu is for you as well. Many of these titles you won't find at your local video store.

OK, I suppose I sound like a commercial. I'm not a Vudu employee. Just an enthusiast who love his new toy - that's all.