Vudu app in TCL smart TV only offers SD playback

[canitjustwork]

I'm having the same problem on my Toshiba Smart (Fire) TV. I just installed the Vudu app and it won't play anything more than SD, even though I purchased HDX for the movie. I was trying to watch through my old Blu-ray player, but I was getting the message "unable to stream this movie at the moment due to a network error" for just one particular movie (the one I wanted to watch, of course). So I tried through the TV, and it will play, but only in SD so the resolution is poor. Wonderful.

[RBBrittain]

There is reason I recommend people NEVER use Smart TV apps and instead buy a Chromecast Ultra, NvIdia Shield, or Apple 4K TV box

Smart TV will always let you down

I've never had an issue with Vudu in 4K on either my year-old TCL 4K Roku TV or my brand-new Vizio SmartCast 4K TV, or Vudu in HDX on my old Vizio 3D TV (original Yahoo-based VIA smart platform) though I haven't had it on since before Fandango bought Vudu. The problems being posted here involve specific TVs on the Android TV platform, apparently because Vudu must approve each individual model for HDX & up; that is a transitory issue. (I would assume external Android/Google TV boxes also must be individually approved, including the Shield as well as the new Chromecast with Google TV which replaced the Ultra. The Ultra, of course, was a casting-only device like other Chromecasts prior to the new model.)

The problem with smart TVs in the past (including original VIA which pioneered third-party but Yahoo was a bad partner) may have been a lack of app selection, but most current smart TV platforms don't have this problem, including the major proprietary platforms (Samsung, LG, current Vizio SmartCast) that have added more apps to compete with third-party platforms like Roku or Android/Google TV that always had numerous apps available (Sony generally uses Android TV; TCL & Hisense used to use Roku TV almost exclusively but have each released some Android TV models in the last year or two). There's still an app or two that I can only get on my Roku Ultra, but there's also a few apps on my Vizio that aren't on Roku (and not just Vizio's WatchFree which is essentially a branded version of Pluto TV).

Edit: Another reason why Vudu in particular has had few issues between different smart platforms is that Vudu has used a consistent interface across virtually all platforms (other than browser & mobile) I've seen -- possibly a side benefit of Walmart essentially imposing Vudu support on almost every smart TV, Blu-ray player, streaming box, gaming system, etc. it sells (an area Walmart succeeded in where Best Buy & Target failed, and even Amazon had problems with for awhile). The Vudu interface on my new Vizio 4K TV is almost identical to that on my old Vizio 3D TV; the biggest difference is the 3D TV uses the old Vudu logo on its app icon & initial startup screens (Yahoo leftovers) before changing over to the current Vudu startup screen, as well as its supporting 3D instead of 4K. That may be why the indications noted in another thread suggest Fandango *may* be merging FandangoNow into Vudu instead of the other way around; FandangoNow has improved greatly since its M-GO days but it still isn't up to Vudu's standard.

[diamond204]

I've never had an issue with Vudu in 4K on either my year-old TCL 4K Roku TV or my brand-new Vizio SmartCast 4K TV, or Vudu in HDX on my old Vizio 3D TV (original Yahoo-based VIA smart platform) though I haven't had it on since before Fandango bought Vudu. The problems being posted here involve specific TVs on the Android TV platform, apparently because Vudu must approve each individual model for HDX & up; that is a transitory issue. (I would assume external Android/Google TV boxes also must be individually approved, including the Shield as well as the new Chromecast with Google TV which replaced the Ultra. The Ultra, of course, was a casting-only device like other Chromecasts prior to the new model.)

.

I found out in this process that Vudu must authorize each and every TV model to work in HD. Some slip through the cracks. And that is when this issue arises. Once they fix the model, it is fixed forever.

[RBBrittain]

I found out in this process that Vudu must authorize each and every TV model to work in HD. Some slip through the cracks. And that is when this issue arises. Once they fix the model, it is fixed forever.

Though I had assumed this affected only Android/Google TV devices, this appears to be an appropriate explanation. They probably have to authorize EVERY device model, but that's easier for standalone Blu-ray, streaming, etc. boxes with fewer distinct makes & models (with OR without the infamous Vudu Spark, which died at birth because Walmart was TOO good at forcing Vudu support into other more versatile devices) than for TVs which generally tend to have many more makes & models; my "recertified" (factory refurb) replacement Vizio I got today came in a box intended for a different 2020/21 Vizio model of the same series & size, though its labels and the TV itself were the correct replacement model. Samsung alone has a dizzying array of seemingly overlapping TV models, though I didn't want any of them as Samsung doesn't support Dolby Vision, which Vudu is a major supporter of, on any of its 4K TVs. (Samsung favors its own royalty-free HDR10+, even though fewer studios use it than regular HDR10 or DV. Vizio is the only major brand with both DV & HDR10+ on all its 2020/21 4K TVs, a key reason I went back to Vizio this time.)

Still fits my point, which was that vonDubenshire's hatred of smart TVs is misplaced -- especially since that's the vast majority of new TVs nowadays, even with all the different model numbers. It's much more profitable nowadays for TV manufacturers to monetize smart platforms, especially lesser brands that license Roku or Android/Google TV platforms to compete with the big guys.

[MackAttack86]

I just got a new TCL TV and spent 2 hours on the phone with Vudu with no results. I hope TCL and Vudu get this straightened out soon!!! I can't even get my movies to play in SD!!!!