Will Vudu get updates now that no hardware is made?

[greggwebster]

Recently I bought a Vudu XL. The basic platform is wonderful, it has some price issues, like SD movies costing about 20% more then a DVD I can buy at Walmart (the new owner) but in general the whole platform is well run.

Then comes my worries. Recently I read and then confirmed that VUDU will no longer produce hardware but instead will seek to put the product piggy backed on other products like DVD players and TV's. In theory this is great and the bigger the support basis we can get is wonderful. What worries me is the owners of the actual VUDU hardware (like me) being left out of new support products. For instance if I were to sell my VUDU on ebay today I could get about $250 for my VUDU XL. Fair enough. If I were then to buy a VUDU enabled BlueRay Player I could then have VUDU but also Netflix and possibly Hulu. So being a supporter of the actual VUDU company might in the long run shoot me in the foot? Will I not get all the benefits that other people get from not buying Vudu, like being able to watch netflix or hulu?

I just wonder if I should sell my Vudu now and go with something that seems a little more open to options? Or will Vudu realize this and support their own product like say sharp would support their users?

[jimmyh]

Re: Will Vudu get updates now that no hardware is made?

Hello Greggwebster,

I assure you that VUDU has every intention of providing further support to set top box owners. Future upgrades will be made available to both the set top box and embedded platform.

[greggwebster]

Re: Will Vudu get updates now that no hardware is made?

First, thanks for responding to my post and second its good to hear that Vudu expects to support hardware they no long produce. It makes me feel a little better but not fully at ease.

That aside I'm confused about the vudu labs, or more specifically the Internet TV. So one would think that internet tv or tv on demand would be the same if you are on VUDU or Windows 7 Media Center or a opensource program called Miro. All should look to the internet to see what is out there for free, what they can get, and display that to you. However, they are not.

Windows 7 offers more programs and includes other programs such as netflix on demand. Miro offers more 'free' demand shows but does not offer netflix. Vudu offers the fewest programs and of course does not let me access my netflix account. So hooked up to my TV is a windows 7 computer to allow Miro and netflix and Vudu for a faster movie release in rentals, great storage of bought movies and easy use for my kids to watch disney movies I buy for them. Out of all of these it seems that teh VUDU box could offer the same content as my computer does?

The lines have been blured so now a computer can and probably is hooked up to a big screen and you can watch HULU, NetFlix, Network website programming, and much more. I would think it would even be logical if we see VUDU become a plug in for the Windows Media Center? Why then can't Vudu support its users so they can watch Hulu, More Internet TV on Demand, and yes...the dreaded Netflix? I've heard time and time again how this would be be a good business model. I respectfully disagree. If I have a platform that allows me to do everything, as I see the new 3d tv's will be doing, then why hurt users of your proprietary hardware (especially now that you will no longer produce that hardware). Open it up! Let us use the hardware as our sole platform for VUDU movies, More free internet TV programs, and even streaming netflix accounts. For now I plan on keeping my VUDU XL with a limited number of bought movies on it but unless the future of this hardware changes and is allowed to open up to other markets its seems to me that the logical solution is to gravitate to a TV or BlueRay player that allows more freedom? Infact it makes me think this 'apple' like business model will send Vudu the way of apple tv, I really don't want to see that.

My suggestion is that you overlook the immediate negative market or business model that allowing a owner to use more Network TV or Netflix will cause a loss of profit and instead look at it that if you don't allow this eventually the users will find a platform that does allow this freedom. I know for me I like Vudu, I like the quality, I like the speed and I will keep using it. In conjuction with that I like how Netflix allows me to watch entire seasons of TV at no additional cost. So for me I will have multiple devices to allow me to view content the way I want to. And someday when a device that supports it all is cheap enough to jump I will. I would still use VUDU but I just want freedom to use all the toys and right now that promise seems to be with Samsung or LG and not my VUDU XL.

Thanks,
Gregg

[aaronwt]

Re: Will Vudu get updates now that no hardware is made?

No device will do everything. there isn't even a device out there that comes close to doing everything. And if there ever is a device that can do everything, there will always be a specialized box that does it better. that's why I always expect to have at least 3 boxes to deal with all my video watching.

[greggwebster]

Re: Will Vudu get updates now that no hardware is made?

Although I realize that every product does not do 'everything' the LG BD590 and the LG BD390 come close. Cinama Now, Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Flicker, Picasso, Pandora, external hard drive play, and my more are part of what they can do. Added to that if you buy the LG BD590 then you can even down load HDX VUDU movies and it will store it on its internal 250 gig hard drive to watch when it gets done. Plus it will also play BlueRay movies (but what blueray player won't?)

From what I'm reading from sources like CNet more TV's and BlueRay players will have similar functionality.

So although I understand your post that not everything can do everything I do think the VUDU hardware can do more. I like the hardware, the remote, and the way it works. I just want it to do what a $300 blueray player will do.

-Gregg