membership or pay per movie???

[azzuri09]

i just wanted to know would anyone else also be interested if vudu have a monthly membership fee like hulu or netflix instead of paying per movie.i know it streaming in 1080p and stuff would cost them alot more and they would need to charge more which i would still go for.Anyways back to question which method would you prefer? currently i have membership with netflix and would love if vudu would have the same option..

[canadien37]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

I have used VUDU since it's beginning, I prefer it the way it is because I use it as my digital library....I own a lot of movies on the service and overall have gotten a great experience with it.....I don't think a subscription plan would work in VUDU's case, the studios would even be more strict than they are now.....Then there is the money issue, I think the studios look at VOD/Electronic sell-thru as the new money-maker......I have Netflix as well, so when the wife doesn't want to see a film I want to watch, she has the option to watch Netfilx on another TV, It is VUDU only in my HT(in terms of a streaming service)...........Just sayin'

[raaurora]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

I prefer the pay as you go model. I probably average 1-3 movies a month so it works well for me.

[coachkecz]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

I prefer VUDU to remain a pay-as-you-go service. The Netflix model works for them because they negotiated amazing deals for the content before anyone realized how big streaming video would be.

I think VUDU should be focused on their HDX offerings and promote themselves as the source for HIGH QUALITY movies. I would bet that a subscription model would be less profitable. And when the profits go down you can bet that quality will go with it.

I think it will be hard for anyone to compete with Netflix right now using the same subscription model. How will they differentiate themselves? -More movies? That is tough to do given the huge catalog Netflix already has. -Deals with different studios? Outside of a handful of studios (e.g. Pixar, Disney), most consumers have no idea who makes a given film. So you need to compete on quality, convenience, target consumer or usage type.

Netflix basically owns the subscription-based, acceptable quality, watch anywhere (including on your phone) market. Amazon is shaping up to be the big player in ppv rental with their continued development of their Android app store and cloud-based storage.

Where does that leave VUDU? Again I go back to high quality. They do also seem to have a great collection of classic films as well. So maybe the focus is on great films, great quality; a high-end offering for the discerning consumer. Granted, that does not quite fit with their parent company, Wal-Mart. So maybe this points to a coming problem for VUDU.

Thoughts?

[canadien37]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

IMO, VUDU has always focused on quality of films they provide, with mostly top notch encodes...I have always felt VUDU was designed from the start to be a high-end service....When they made their own boxes, there were three types: the BX100, The XL and the XL2, which was a rackmount unit installed by home theater professionals.....This is why I decided to take the plunge and I haven't looked back....I hope with Wal-Mart now owning them, things will improve and IMO, they have in many ways......

There have been rumors about VUDU being part of some VOD services that will be allowed to show movies 3 months after theatrical release for $30.00......I just read an article about DirecTV VOD showing films 10 weeks after theatrical release...So things on the internet video space are really changing....

[aaronwt]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

IMO, VUDU has always focused on quality of films they provide, with mostly top notch encodes...I have always felt VUDU was designed from the start to be a high-end service....When they made their own boxes, there were three types: the BX100, The XL and the XL2, which was a rackmount unit installed by home theater professionals.....This is why I decided to take the plunge and I haven't looked back....I hope with Wal-Mart now owning them, things will improve and IMO, they have in many ways......

There have been rumors about VUDU being part of some VOD services that will be allowed to show movies 3 months after theatrical release for $30.00......I just read an article about DirecTV VOD showing films 10 weeks after theatrical release...So things on the internet video space are really changing....

Yes I read where VUDU would be part of that. But why spend $30 when it will be available to rent for $6 or less 30 to 60 days later? If you didn't see it in the theater, why see it 60 days after the initial release for $30?

Now if it was available for $30 when it was first released at the theater, that would at least make more sense.

[canadien37]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

Good point, but there are people that will pay that much to avoid the hassles of the theater....Plus there is that "gotta see it now" mentality....I don't think I would take advantage of this, but maybe if a film like "The Hobbit" was available on release day, I would get some friends over and check it out on my HT.....

[cinema13]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

Yes I read where VUDU would be part of that. But why spend $30 when it will be available to rent for $6 or less 30 to 60 days later? If you didn't see it in the theater, why see it 60 days after the initial release for $30?

Now if it was available for $30 when it was first released at the theater, that would at least make more sense.

This is not new...it's actually already in place and has been for a while. Films currently in theaters (from the Tribeca Film Fest) are available to see in HD now! There at least 5 or 6 titles up at the moment, with more to come in about 6 weeks or so. Then there are movies that are already available BEFORE they open in theaters. Right now, HOBO W/A SHOTGUN (with Rutger Hauer) and 13 ASSASSINS are up. Price is $11.00 for HDX. A few days before they open in theaters, they are shown (one night only) for FREE on HDNet Movies. Once they hit theaters, the streaming (and VOD) price drops to $8.00. Other films that have followed this plan: BLACK DEATH, RED CLIFF, CEREMONY (Uma Thurman), and VANISHING ON 7th AVE. Now admittedly, these are not studio blockbusters...but they are all PRE-theatrical releases at a sane price. And I'd prefer them to paying $30 for an Adam Sandler flick...and that's AFTER it's hit theaters!

[HansW]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

I think current model is great, watch as you go.. Just get the HDX working without the buffering issue and it would be even better...

[coachkecz]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

Yes I read where VUDU would be part of that. But why spend $30 when it will be available to rent for $6 or less 30 to 60 days later? If you didn't see it in the theater, why see it 60 days after the initial release for $30?

Now if it was available for $30 when it was first released at the theater, that would at least make more sense.

I don't see this doing very well. Ignoring for a moment the limited reach of DirecTV's HD service, I'm not sure how large the target segment is for this offering. Or even who that segment is. From a cost stand-point it only works for families larger than 4, or groups of friends (but really, you're going to ask your friends to pony up cash when they come over to watch a movie?).

So the pricing puts it in competition with theaters, where for the same cost you get a social component and an immersive cinematic experience. The viewing experience (i.e. home on your couch) puts it in competition with Netflix, Red Box and VOD, from which you can select from 10,000+ movies for $4-$8.

They're clearly over-estimating the value of "almost-new" movies. If you're interested in sharing the cultural experience of the latest must-see movie then you'll see it in the first few weeks while people are still talking about it.

The more I think about it, the dumber this whole thing seems. Unless this is just a way to move us closer to same-day-everywhere movie releases. Even for a movie like The Hobbit, though- how many people have the kind of HT system that would make the theater experience a non-issue?

[cinema13]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

They're clearly over-estimating the value of "almost-new" movies. If you're interested in sharing the cultural experience of the latest must-see movie then you'll see it in the first few weeks while people are still talking about it.

The more I think about it, the dumber this whole thing seems. Unless this is just a way to move us closer to same-day-everywhere movie releases. Even for a movie like The Hobbit, though- how many people have the kind of HT system that would make the theater experience a non-issue?

Agreed. Considering that the first film they are thinking of doing this with is an Adam Sandler movie, I doubt it would have the same "gotta see now" quotient as, say, GREEN LANTERN. And, considering that THE HOBBIT will be the first film to be shown at 48 - 60fps (and an advanced 3D technology to go with it), no HT set-up will come close to that. Even in 2D, the higher frame rate should be something to experience.

[aaronwt]

Re: membership or pay per movie???

This is not new...it's actually already in place and has been for a while. Films currently in theaters (from the Tribeca Film Fest) are available to see in HD now! There at least 5 or 6 titles up at the moment, with more to come in about 6 weeks or so. Then there are movies that are already available BEFORE they open in theaters. Right now, HOBO W/A SHOTGUN (with Rutger Hauer) and 13 ASSASSINS are up. Price is $11.00 for HDX. A few days before they open in theaters, they are shown (one night only) for FREE on HDNet Movies. Once they hit theaters, the streaming (and VOD) price drops to $8.00. Other films that have followed this plan: BLACK DEATH, RED CLIFF, CEREMONY (Uma Thurman), and VANISHING ON 7th AVE. Now admittedly, these are not studio blockbusters...but they are all PRE-theatrical releases at a sane price. And I'd prefer them to paying $30 for an Adam Sandler flick...and that's AFTER it's hit theaters!

Yes those movies are not $30. Their prices are more reasonable. Plus I'll typically watch those from HDNet.