I think that Vudu is a great product, a solid product. It works well, it has a good interface, but has some issues getting content (that last part just takes time and some shrewd bizness).
But if one is to look around at the competition, a clear delineation from what Vudu does and what the others do is becoming clearer and clearer each day.
I think that eventually it's not the lack of titles that will kill Vudu, it's the lack of capabilities beyond just streaming movies. Let me give you some examples:
Vudu, I love your interface, your sexy little box, and your awesome remote. Can you become my all-in-one set top box (minus games of course)? Sad part is, even if Vudu can, my PS3 may be the only box for me in the long-run because it has the gaming capability. But then again, gaming's not for everyone.
But if one is to look around at the competition, a clear delineation from what Vudu does and what the others do is becoming clearer and clearer each day.
I think that eventually it's not the lack of titles that will kill Vudu, it's the lack of capabilities beyond just streaming movies. Let me give you some examples:
Apple TV - Movies, TV, rentals and purchases. Plus ability to stream music and movies from other machines on your network. Integration with iTunes a HUGE plus. And the ability to watch YouTube is great. If you could just browse the web without hacking it...
Popcorn Hour - I just heard about this today, but it appears to be very similar to the Apple TV, with many of the same capabilities. (Actually seeing this product come to market, thinking about it's feature set and who they're aiming for, made me realize that a company like this probably doesn't even consider Vudu a threat because of it's lack of features beyond rentals/purchases of movies/shows.)
Sony Playstation 3 - Here's the one to really watch out for. Sony has said that movie downloads are coming, probably once HOME goes online. But the beauty of this box is that it can do 1080p, play Blu-Ray, stream content from other machines on your network, AND play the best looking games made for consoles today. Sony's taken their time to release all the features of this box, working on getting it right. The XBox crowd has railed against Sony for coming to market a year later than the 360, for lack of game titles - but Sony's been concentrating on QUALITY, not QUANTITY. A classier, cleaner UI, better exclusive platform games, open source friendly (you can install Linux, it's allowed and encouraged) - basically an overall more satisfying user experience. Oh, yeah, did I mention a really decent web browser (and if that's not enough, surf from your Linux boot on the same machine, using a BT keyboard and mouth on your couch). PS3 sales have finally overtaken 360 sales for the first month (Jan 08) and it's looking like 2008 is going to be THE YEAR of the PS3.
XBox 360 - Netflix has hinted that streaming downloads are coming to 360 and PS3, plus who knows what else MS has up their sleeves. The XBox also pulls media from other machines on your network. Overall not as capable as the PS3, the 360 has MS's deep pockets behind it and their intense desire not to lose.
The big question is, can Vudu be updated via software to have these capabilities? If not, I think that they'll eventually suffer because of lack of these other features. And lack of WiFi is a hit as well, as most of these boxes have it or it's an option.Popcorn Hour - I just heard about this today, but it appears to be very similar to the Apple TV, with many of the same capabilities. (Actually seeing this product come to market, thinking about it's feature set and who they're aiming for, made me realize that a company like this probably doesn't even consider Vudu a threat because of it's lack of features beyond rentals/purchases of movies/shows.)
Sony Playstation 3 - Here's the one to really watch out for. Sony has said that movie downloads are coming, probably once HOME goes online. But the beauty of this box is that it can do 1080p, play Blu-Ray, stream content from other machines on your network, AND play the best looking games made for consoles today. Sony's taken their time to release all the features of this box, working on getting it right. The XBox crowd has railed against Sony for coming to market a year later than the 360, for lack of game titles - but Sony's been concentrating on QUALITY, not QUANTITY. A classier, cleaner UI, better exclusive platform games, open source friendly (you can install Linux, it's allowed and encouraged) - basically an overall more satisfying user experience. Oh, yeah, did I mention a really decent web browser (and if that's not enough, surf from your Linux boot on the same machine, using a BT keyboard and mouth on your couch). PS3 sales have finally overtaken 360 sales for the first month (Jan 08) and it's looking like 2008 is going to be THE YEAR of the PS3.
XBox 360 - Netflix has hinted that streaming downloads are coming to 360 and PS3, plus who knows what else MS has up their sleeves. The XBox also pulls media from other machines on your network. Overall not as capable as the PS3, the 360 has MS's deep pockets behind it and their intense desire not to lose.
Vudu, I love your interface, your sexy little box, and your awesome remote. Can you become my all-in-one set top box (minus games of course)? Sad part is, even if Vudu can, my PS3 may be the only box for me in the long-run because it has the gaming capability. But then again, gaming's not for everyone.
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