vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for service

[bluedrop]

vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for service. after all, they are in it for profit, and we are paying for our internet connections, and its only the business class internet connections at least here in the city that i live in, which is a huge city, that offer *unmetered internet service* and well, thats too much money. AT&T dsl, is now currently testing, metered plans, which is spooky, comcast, those horrible people, who have no decent customer service relations, are exclusively metered, so with vudu, banking on using P2P to enhance, its users service, its only seems right that the end users see the benefit of their internet dollars

or at the very least, offer us cheaper rentals

todays economy is horrible.

i literally had to shell out $20 extra dollars, just because vudu didn't credit me my $50 in movie credits from the christmas special, which i am going to make sure they return to me.

[jleavens]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

I don't disagree that you should have been able to redeem your $50 without spending another $20. But personally I'm not sure if that was disclosed somewhere before or not.

As for your other demands as to what VUDU should provide: You did do some basic research on what you were buying before you bought it, right?

[Nded]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

Good news - more "free" stuff is coming in 2009 thanks to Rich Internet Applications. I think you'll enjoy everything the owner community is able to add to the system thinks to RIA - I know I already have some ideas.

[Nded]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

I'm not promising anything, but I would point out that AT&T has been "testing" picture-phones since the 1960's, and so far they've never truly rolled them out. Hopefully they'll stay true to form and test metered DSL service for 50 or so years.

[redwein]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

Even with Comcast's 250 GB monthly limit, I'll bet that the upload done by Vudu for other peers (remember you should expect to use your own bandwidth for the downloads to get the movies you watch) will be very small compared to that limit, thus not really "costing" anything.

[rstone]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for service. after all, they are in it for profit, and we are paying for our internet connections, and its only the business class internet connections at least here in the city that i live in, which is a huge city, that offer *unmetered internet service* and well, thats too much money.

If only the world really worked like that, I'm sure my cell phone company isnt going to give me anything "Free" just because someone calls me, using my minutes. Nor do I think I'm going to get anything free from the cable company, just because they are using my cable line to tie other customers in the area into their cable system.

While I agree that VUDU's service benefits from our bandwidth, that benefit is also used for our own benefit as well, so it is not like everyone else benefits and we get nothing in return. We also benefit from the P2P network, and it is in our own best interest to participate, as P2P has some inherent benefits that streaming does not provide.

[HeadHodge]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

VUDU could do the same as Electric companies with Net Metering.

You get credits if you add energy to the power grid.

You get debits for using energy from the power grid.

[aaronwt]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

So how much bandwidth are my three VUD boxes using on a daily basis? Approx 300kbs constantly 24/7. I'm on FIOS so I have no caps.

[RonV]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

I disagree in the 300kbs constantly. I see from 12 to 300kbps. Only a couple days a week do I see my two VUDU's sending 300kbps per box and its only for a few hours at a time. I have been collecting bandwidth data on my network for over 3 years now and the VUDU's outboud bandwidth isn't much of a impact.

So how much bandwidth are my three VUD boxes using on a daily basis? Approx 300kbs constantly 24/7. I'm on FIOS so I have no caps.

[jokeysmurf]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

I don't disagree that you should have been able to redeem your $50 without spending another $20. But personally I'm not sure if that was disclosed somewhere before or not.

As for your other demands as to what VUDU should provide: You did do some basic research on what you were buying before you bought it, right?

It was definitely not disclosed at all.

[rstone]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

It was definitely not disclosed at all.

Well I don't know if I'd agree with you jokeysmurf, when you select on the holiday special on VUDUs website, while you are correct it doesn't say next to the amount they will charge you more, at the bottom there is a link that says "TERMS OF SERVICE" which you probably chose not to read, and instead selected "Add to Cart." However, if you had taken 10 seconds to read the terms of service you would of seen the disclosure that...

"Per movie viewing charges, applicable taxes, and any other fees incurred will automatically be debited from your VUDU Service Account. Fees are payable only in U.S. dollars. Your VUDU Service Account will automatically recharge once the account balance is depleted by charging the credit card linked to the account either the amount specified by you and initially charged during the account set-up process, or a default amount of $20.00. We may change the fees and charges in effect, or add new fees and charges from time to time."

Should VUDU be held responsible for people failing to read the terms of service? I say no.

Now do I think you should of been charged $20, if you have credit attached to the box, as I said before, absolutely not. But to say VUDU never disclosed the initial charge is false.

[NA9D]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

This has been explained multiple times before, but you do get a significant benefit from having your box in a P2P network:

1.) Lower cost for Vudu to distribute movies = a more viable financial model for Vudu and makes it more likely for them to survive. Also = lower cost of movies.

2.) Faster and easier distribution of movies - Vudu suffers none of the buffering or waiting issues of other VOD services.

Your box uses little upload bandwidth in general. You won't go over any limits with its limited upload.

Also, your $50 will be credited once your box is activated - it may take a little bit but you will get the credits.

[aaronwt]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

I disagree in the 300kbs constantly. I see from 12 to 300kbps. Only a couple days a week do I see my two VUDU's sending 300kbps per box and its only for a few hours at a time. I have been collecting bandwidth data on my network for over 3 years now and the VUDU's outboud bandwidth isn't much of a impact.

I haven't checked to see exactly the amount that is being sent but all three boxes link lights are always flashing like crazy. This only happens on my other devices when a decent amount of data is being sent or received. And Everytime I check the upload bandwidth on the VUDU boxes, it always shows around 330kbs upload. this is on all three boxes anytime of day I look.

I'm looking at the one in this room. It's fluctuating between 325kbs and 338kbs. It was the same earlier today, yesterday etc.
I have no problem with it. And maybe mine are constantly uploading because I have so much bandwidth to spare on FIOS.
But I'm just saying in my situation, my 3 boxes do seem to be uploading constantly 24/7. The only time it probably isn't is when I'm downloading a title.

I just checked my other two boxes and they are also uploading right around 330kbs.
They are always doing this every time I check the upload speed. If they only did this periodically, sometimes when I check it I would expect there not to be be any uploading. But this is not the case. They are always uploading.

EDIT. I see this one just went into screen saver mode and it stopped uploading. As soon as I took it out of the screen saver, the upload speed went back up to around 330kbs. I leave my boxes off/standby so they aren't usually in screen saver mode.

EDIT: It must stop uploading when it first goes into screen saver mode and then it continues again. I just checked after it had been in screen saver for a few minutes and it was uploading at the 330kbs speed.

[HeadHodge]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

But I'm just saying in my situation, my 3 boxes do seem to be uploading constantly 24/7. The only time it probably isn't is when I'm downloading a title.
be any uploading. But this is not the case. They are always uploading.

Thanks for the movies!!!

[Nded]

Re: vudu should do more "free features" since we offer up our P2P bandwidth for servi

I'm wondering if aaronwt's observation is a matter of "bad timing" - yesterday they upped our catalog from 12,600+ titles to 12,800+ titles.

Typically the new catalog updates come out on Thursday, but for some reason (New Years Holiday ?) we got our catalog updates earlier this week. This morning I'm seeing zero traffic, and my network is sitting idle (upload and download).