HD Soon - Very Soon

[Nded]

Have you read the Vudu HD Press Release ? http://forum.vudu.com/showthread.php?t=1968

Don't ask when - you'll know about it the moment they're available.

[AndrewAZ]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

Hopefully they will be in 5.1.... But honestly I would rather see the "newer" movies available 5.1 before I see any HD movies..

[Nded]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

Every HD title I've seen on my Vudu (Beta Testers Server) has been in 5.1. I will be shocked if they aren't in 5.1.

[mag12203]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

This is the first great news from Vudu. It definitly makes my $299.00 purchase worth it.

[redwein]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

This is excellent! It is really nice to see the studious publicly endorsing Vudu. It may just yet become the 800 lb. gorilla for VOD. I wonder if they will loosen up on some of the restrictions on SD too.

[RonV]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

This is excellent! It is really nice to see the studious publicly endorsing Vudu. It may just yet become the 800 lb. gorilla for VOD. I wonder if they will loosen up on some of the restrictions on SD too.

One can only hope this is first of some great announcements....

[mbustin]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

One can only hope this is first of some great announcements....

I hope the second great announcement will be the availability of closed captions or subtitles

[marzie]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

Hopefully they will be in 5.1.... But honestly I would rather see the "newer" movies available 5.1 before I see any HD movies..

Agreed. I was encouraged to rent two new releases (Next and In the Land of Women) and find both of them to be 5.1. I noticed that Spiderman 3, Surf's Up, and Superman Doomsday are all 5.1. It is heading in the right direction.

[NA9D]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

We told you guys it was coming!

Just wait till you see it! And yes, I believe to be considered an "HD" film, the audio has to be in DD5.1 as well...I think that's universal for all HD content.

[junk]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

For those on the Beta servers, is there a simple way to identify HD content prior to downloading? Is there an icon or something of the sort? I'd just like to know what we should be looking for when it drops.

[NA9D]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

For those on the Beta servers, is there a simple way to identify HD content prior to downloading? Is there an icon or something of the sort? I'd just like to know what we should be looking for when it drops.

It should say "HD" next to the title. I don't know what the final UI will look like for HD content. Hopefully they will have a filter for it or an "HD Only" section. Of course doing a search for "HD" should work...

[Nded]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

Looks like November 23 is the magic day for HD availability. Please forgive this "cross-posting" but not everybody may be in the mood to read the whiners thread:

VUDU and Universal Studios Home Entertainment to Deliver Bourne Trilogy Directly to the Living Room in High Definition Just in Time for Holidays

Included With the Purchase of the VUDU Set-Top Box, VUDU Customers Get High Definition Versions of The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy and an Option to Purchase The Bourne Ultimatum Starting on December 11, 2007 VUDU Users Don't Need to Run to Video Store or Wait in Line on Release Day for the Ultimate Action Thriller

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- VUDU Inc., the company that brings instant access to video content to the living room, announced an unprecedented collaboration with Universal Studios Home Entertainment to deliver the entire Bourne Trilogy in high definition (HD).

In a groundbreaking HD arrangement, VUDU and Universal will offer the three installments of the franchise available through the VUDU service in HD with Surround Sound. Starting November 23rd, and for a limited time, VUDU will begin offering an amazing bonus to its existing and future VUDU customers; the purchase of a VUDU set-top box now includes permanent copies of The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy in HD -- a $50 value. In addition, beginning December 11th, VUDU customers will be able to purchase The Bourne Ultimatum in HD for $24.99.

By providing VUDU customers access to the Bourne Trilogy, VUDU expands its service to include HD content for the first time. These HD movies complement more than 5,000 titles available for rent or purchase directly through the television, without requiring a PC, cable service, or satellite TV subscription. The availability of The Bourne Trilogy expands on a previously announced agreement with Universal to deliver content in HD format.

"Digital delivery of HD movies through VUDU makes it easy for consumers to get the high quality content they most want to watch, when they want to watch it," said Tony Miranz, VUDU's Co-founder and EVP for Sales & Business Development. "Our agreement with Universal gives lovers of the Bourne series instant gratification in glorious HD right from the comfort of their own home. We share Universal's passion for providing viewers with the ultimate in video content, and look forward to collaborating on many more top-quality Universal releases."

"Universal is committed to providing new and innovative entertainment experiences for consumers," said Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms. "VUDU's breakthrough technology speaks to the evolving digital distribution market and is a perfect way for Bourne fans to get the best motion pictures in superior home video quality in the timeliest manner possible."

VUDU enables high-speed broadband customers to get instant access through their TV to more than 5,000 movies from all the major and more than 20 independent studios and distributors. VUDU delivers movies to consumers as they are released by the studios to DVD and maintains an up-to-date library of current releases. VUDU lets consumers watch the movie they want to watch when they want to watch it -- no planning necessary, no computer required, no software downloads, and no cable TV service or satellite subscription needed.

Availability

VUDU can be purchased at select retailers and online including Tweeter, Magnolia, MyerEmco, Amazon.com, VUDU.com, and other select AV retailers. About Universal Studios Home Entertainment Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric,with 20% owned by Vivendi.

About VUDU

VUDU is dedicated to bringing instant access to thousands of mainstream movies to every living room. Through relationships with every major US movie studio and more than 20 independent studios and distributors, VUDU offers the optimal home entertainment experience for consumers. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Silicon Valley.

[Taveanator]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

Super awesome. What about the tech. specs?

-I'm assuming HD also includes 5.1 obviously
-DL size/speed? Does this change anything about the instant-on feature? IE does it take longer to DL the first few minutes of an HD movie than it does an SD movie?
-Only new titles from here on will be in HD or will older titles be available in their HD format as well?
-expected purchase/rent price?
-Regular 1080P support? (not 1080/24) **Edit** - Just now realized that it's 1080i not p, is that true?
-Will this require a software upgrade?

so excited....so many questions. This will actually be the first time watching an HD movie on my 1080P (the whole reason I bought the damn thing) set.

Mods please feel free to move this to an HD questions thread or something.

-T

[MaxH]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

-DL size/speed? Does this change anything about the instant-on feature? IE does it take longer to DL the first few minutes of an HD movie than it does an SD movie?

You will need about 4Mbps download speed for instant viewing, IIRC.

-Only new titles from here on will be in HD or will older titles be available in their HD format as well?

Well, as this says, the two earlier Bourne movies will be in HD, and the third when it's available. I don't know where VUDU is pushing hardest, but they know we want mostly science fiction and action movies in HD. I am pretty sure they're looking for any and all HD content...within reason. I don't think we need any Three Stooges in HD.

[NA9D]

Re: HD Soon - Very Soon

Hey - didn't we tell you guys to trust us!

We would not lie to you guys or BS you. When we say things are coming, we mean it...There's more good things coming down the pipe as well...

As for the download, these movies should all be pre-downloaded to you box. So when you have access to them - THEY WILL BE THERE already...No need to stream.

As for additional HD content, we don't know at this point. Time will tell, but I expect that by the time Christmas arrives, we'll have a decent amount of HD content available. It's a guess, but I think it's a good one.