First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

[bubka1]

I must say, when I got the gift as a gadget-lover, I was VERY skeptical. Just didn't see the point with many other services offering similar products available.

But, I will say, I love my VUDU. Pretty solid selection, GREAT interface, super-convenient; overall definitely adds to my entertainment experience.

However, there are a couple of things I would like to see changed (much of which has been echoed elsewhere in this forum).

First, and foremost; titles available should be available for BOTH purchase and rent. The most common rationale for not allowing this I see is that VUDU is at the mercy off the film companies, and that THEY decide which of the two "formats" will be made available to this service. I certainly understand from a financial perspective the advantage of limiting the rentals in the immediate release period (unfortunately), but I don't understand why some of the older titles are not available in both formats. It seems as if every title that I would like to add to my library is available only for rent.

Second, all titles that ARE available for both purchase and rent, should be available for purchase within the 24 hour renting period for the difference in the cost between the rental and the purchase price. Just makes sense for everyone involved if you ask me.

Bring me The Big Lebowski, Dude. It has been cited as the first cult film of the internet era. A perfect platform would be the VUDU.

[Nded]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

Great first post! Welcome to the Vudu forum. I hope you will keep involved and provide this type of feedback on a regular basis.

[redwein]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

It seems as if every title that I would like to add to my library is available only for rent.

Interesting perspective. Many of the renters here (I'll put myself in this category) have the opposite complaint; that many of the movies they want to rent are available for purchase only. It really would be great if the studios, etc. can get this figured out.

[NA9D]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

I certainly understand from a financial perspective the advantage of limiting the rentals in the immediate release period (unfortunately), but I don't understand why some of the older titles are not available in both formats.

It's counter-intuitive but let me try to explain the intricacies of the environment we operate in here.

First of all, digital and physical content have different licensing agreements. Second in the digital world in the studios, there are two different business units. One is for digital purchases and the other for digital rentals. Individual contracts need to be made with each. Some studios like Disney will probably never offer their content for purchase. Others, like Sony, are primarily ownership studios.

Now as for the older content. If a movie was made within the last ten years, there are clauses in the contracts between the studios and the content owners governing digital distribution. For movies older than 10 years, there is no such clause. So if content is to be distributed digitally for a given movie, approval has to be given by EVERY SINGLE content owner in that movie. What is a content owner? Writers, musicians, composers, etc. People who basically wrote the content and who have ownership of content in a movie have to give approval and unanimous at that. If a single content owner does not give their approval to the distribution then nothing happens - the movie isn't cleared. It gets worse. Let's say one of the content owner dies and then the ownership goes to his/her estate. Then all the beneficiaries of that estate have to give approval to the distribution, etc. If children of a writer or composer are fighting over the estate, is it likely that anything will get approved?

So it's a rather complex and daunting process. My understanding is that studios have floors of lawyers working on nothing but this sort of thing. So while we have previously placed a lot of blame at the feet of the studios, this is not necessarily the case. It goes a lot deeper as the business models and the rights are very complex.

Thanks for the questions! I hope I was able to answer some.

[HeadHodge]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

My viewpoint is much more simplistic.

It's all about Greed.

When "they" perceive there's money to be made, the flood gates WILL open.

The rest of it is the same stuff you see when you agree to an online terms and conditions document, that no one ever reads.

[NA9D]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

I agree that once they see there is money to be made, it will open. But the biggest issue is that Hollywood is extremely concerned with their content being downloaded over the internet. Period. It's secure with services like Vudu and AppleTV, but they need to be convinced that it won't be able to take their content and turn it into a bit torrent type thing.

[HeadHodge]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

I agree that once they see there is money to be made, it will open. But the biggest issue is that Hollywood is extremely concerned with their content being downloaded over the internet. Period. It's secure with services like Vudu and AppleTV, but they need to be convinced that it won't be able to take their content and turn it into a bit torrent type thing.

Well sure I agree with that. That's why things like DRM encryption is important, to give them a sense of security. And even though lots of people don't like it, it doesn't help the cause when people prove they can hack it.

Online shopping didn't get much traction until https was adopted by the browsers and made easy to use for the customer. But it also helped that the credit card companies were willing to take the risk of liability.

Don't know who would be the equivalent of the credit card companies though in the case of content theft.

[jclem]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

Hey NA9D, Thanks for that somewhat detailed explanation. There sure is a lot that goes on behind the scenes! Guess we have to keep those lawyers busy.
Seems to me that the only viable "work-around" is for Vudu to continue to add titles as rapidly as possible. That way, if we can't find the one we're looking for now, we at least have 10,000 or more from which to choose.
I, like many others here on the forum, would prefer as much HD content as possible, so that we don't have to "fret" as much about the disc format war--which I guess is sort of over and has now become a "which download format" war.

[bubka1]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

NA9D, thanks. Certainly complex, and one can only hope that this issue will be resolved at some point in the near future when older formats become less the norm.

[Rusdude]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

That's a very nice summary, Jon. Perhaps, it should be stickied.

[NA9D]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

I can edit a version and put it up as a sticky. Good idea.

[NA9D]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

That's a very nice summary, Jon. Perhaps, it should be stickied.

Done and then some!

[HeadHodge]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

Done and then some!

I just read your new post. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for the time and effort you have obviously put in it to provide us with that info.

You mention the writers strike. Since the strike has recently ended, do you have any thoughts on whether the settlement will help make title availability easier or just more difficult?

Now back to the fun... Is there anyway I can buy a hard bound version of your book? Also, do you plan on a Trilogy anytime in the future?

[NA9D]

Re: First time post, from a 4 month owner (with reflections)

I just read your new post. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for the time and effort you have obviously put in it to provide us with that info.

You mention the writers strike. Since the strike has recently ended, do you have any thoughts on whether the settlement will help make title availability easier or just more difficult?

Now back to the fun... Is there anyway I can buy a hard bound version of your book? Also, do you plan on a Trilogy anytime in the future?

No idea on the writer's strike. I'm simply a field sales engineer in Chicago who sells electronic components to the wireless and medical industry. I have no idea on what impact the writers strike and the ensuing settlement will have on services like Vudu or the movies that can be had.

As for my book, well it's not coming any time soon. Perhaps some day I'll have a collection of memoirs of all my internet postings and political/societal philosophies!