Who I am - Longtime Vudu and UVVU user here. I own 600+ titles and have spent thousands and thousands of dollars with Vudu building my collection. So I'm a truly dedicated user and fan.
Why I'm concerned about UVVU - I can't help but feel like I'm investing in a sinking ship. I went with Vudu primarily because it supported UVVU and DMA, and I wanted the assurance that my movie collection was safe even if my provider (Vudu) went under. UVVU is all but dead now--it seems to have completely failed in its effort to create a single digital locker across platforms. More and more UVVU providers are backing out all the time, the studios are disassociating themselves with it, and it increasingly seems likely that Vudu will be the only U.S. UVVU provider before long.
Why I'm concerned about Vudu - Apart from the UVVU issue, I also feel like Vudu just hasn't really advanced at all in the past several years. I tried encouraging Vudu to make changes, making my "top 10 list" of requests 2 1/2 years ago, but they haven't made a single one of them and as far as I can tell haven't made any other significant improvements to their product in years. There are many more features that could be added to the list now (lack of actual HDR10 support, lack of HDX->UHD upgrades, overpriced UHD movies, etc.). There are countless other feature requests that we've all seen 1,000 times on here that Vudu just completely ignores. From my perspective, they aren't doing anything to show they care for their customers and they're making basically no product/tech investment, all while being passed up by competitors.
The Competition - With my main reason for having selected Vudu (UVVU compatibility) being rendered mostly worthless, I now look at the competition and wonder if it's time to jump ship. Apple is now offering UHD movies for 33% less than Vudu, AND they're upgrading all movies for free. Apple, Amazon, and Google also all have better interfaces than Vudu and are easier and friendlier to use. At this point, I have few if any concerns about Apple/Amazon/Google sticking around...in fact, I'd feel a lot more secure about the future with any of them than I do with Vudu/UVVU.
The Decision - For the above reasons, I think if I was starting my collection from scratch today, I would almost certainly go with Apple, Google, or Amazon. Only thing keeping me here now is the fact that my collection already exists here and can't be transferred. Still, I'm tempted to just jump ship and start over with a new provider that has more longevity, better technology, and listens to its customers more.
Thoughts? Anyone else have similar doubts/questions/concerns? Am I missing something?
Why I'm concerned about UVVU - I can't help but feel like I'm investing in a sinking ship. I went with Vudu primarily because it supported UVVU and DMA, and I wanted the assurance that my movie collection was safe even if my provider (Vudu) went under. UVVU is all but dead now--it seems to have completely failed in its effort to create a single digital locker across platforms. More and more UVVU providers are backing out all the time, the studios are disassociating themselves with it, and it increasingly seems likely that Vudu will be the only U.S. UVVU provider before long.
Why I'm concerned about Vudu - Apart from the UVVU issue, I also feel like Vudu just hasn't really advanced at all in the past several years. I tried encouraging Vudu to make changes, making my "top 10 list" of requests 2 1/2 years ago, but they haven't made a single one of them and as far as I can tell haven't made any other significant improvements to their product in years. There are many more features that could be added to the list now (lack of actual HDR10 support, lack of HDX->UHD upgrades, overpriced UHD movies, etc.). There are countless other feature requests that we've all seen 1,000 times on here that Vudu just completely ignores. From my perspective, they aren't doing anything to show they care for their customers and they're making basically no product/tech investment, all while being passed up by competitors.
The Competition - With my main reason for having selected Vudu (UVVU compatibility) being rendered mostly worthless, I now look at the competition and wonder if it's time to jump ship. Apple is now offering UHD movies for 33% less than Vudu, AND they're upgrading all movies for free. Apple, Amazon, and Google also all have better interfaces than Vudu and are easier and friendlier to use. At this point, I have few if any concerns about Apple/Amazon/Google sticking around...in fact, I'd feel a lot more secure about the future with any of them than I do with Vudu/UVVU.
The Decision - For the above reasons, I think if I was starting my collection from scratch today, I would almost certainly go with Apple, Google, or Amazon. Only thing keeping me here now is the fact that my collection already exists here and can't be transferred. Still, I'm tempted to just jump ship and start over with a new provider that has more longevity, better technology, and listens to its customers more.
Thoughts? Anyone else have similar doubts/questions/concerns? Am I missing something?
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