Editors' Note, March 16, 2009: The free Pandora Internet radio service is now available on Vudu.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Editors' Note, February 10, 2009: Vudu has cut the price of this product to $149.
When Vudu was first released in the fall of 2007, it was the first realInternet video-on-demand box worthy of the name. Unlike previousnon-starters such as MovieBeam and Akimbo, Vudu offered a decentselection of movies from all major studios--and, later, TV shows--forinstant on-demand viewing. Video quality was good to begin with (whencompared with other online video offerings); a later software upgradeadded HD video. Selections were available for purchase or rental, andthey could be ordered directly from the TV screen. Unfortunately forVudu, Apple updated its similar AppleTV box just a few months later to co-opt nearly all of theVudu's once-unique features. The early 2008 "Apple TV Take 2"upgrade added on-screen ordering (no need to sync withcomputer-based iTunes libraries); HD video (and improved standard-definition video); near-instant viewing for standard-def selections; and movieselections from all major studios. Those upgrades were above and beyondsome advantages Apple TV already had over Vudu: a lower price, built-inWi-Fi, and the ability to stream photos and iTunes music and video filesfrom networked computers.
Still, Vudu hasn't been standing still. Even while it's struggled atthe corporatelevel, Vudu has added TV shows and adult content to itsroster, as well as an accessory that adds wireless support. Inaddition to HD downloads, the company also now has a bargain channel thatoffers a rotating list of 99 movies for just a 99-cent rental. Thelatest feature hitting the Vudu docket is "HDXhigh-definition"--a selection of movies in 1080p HDresolution and 5.1 surround sound. It remains to be seen whether or notthe improved video and audio quality will be enough to distinguishVudu--now available for $300--from its competitors. But for purists whobemoan the lack of "true HD" from rival providers such as Apple,Microsoft, Sony, and Netflix, the impressive picture quality offered byVudu's latest upgrade may be just what the doctor ordered. Sweeteningthe deal is a $200 movie credit (when purchased at Best Buy beforeDecember 31, 2008), bringing the effective cost of the box to just$100.
Design
With its modest dimensions of 2.38 inches high by 8.88 inches wide by7.25 inches deep, the Vudu BX100 box looks like a slightly oversizeApple TV or Mac Mini--though it's thankfully finished in black, so itwon't clash with the rest of your home theater gear. Pick it up, andyou'll feel its 4.2-pound heft; it's densely packed with components,including the 250GB hard drive. The front panel is barren, except for acouple of indicator lights and the Vudu logo. The real action, ofcourse, is around back. The Vudu's rear panel includes every possibleoutput you'd want on a networked audio-visual device. HDMI and componentvideo outputs enable high-definition video output (you can specify 480i,480p, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p resolutions), and--unlike the Apple TV--theVudu will also connect to older TVs via its composite and S-Videooutputs. Digital audio can be sent to compatible TVs or AV receivers viaHDMI, optical or coaxial jacks, and analog stereo RCA jacks are alsoavailable. The Ethernet port provides network connectivity, and a USBport is available for future expansion (a second USB port resides on theleft-hand side).
The Vudu includes every possible AV output you could want, includingHDMI.The rear panel also hosts a little 4-inch antenna, but it's not forWi-Fi. The antenna interfaces with Vudu's unique remote. The contouredclicker has a dual teardrop shape that fits perfectly in your hand (andlefties will appreciate the fact that it's ambidextrous). Taking a cuefrom Apple's intuitive product design, the Vudu remote has only fivebuttons--power, back, home, more, and play/pause. But the biginnovation is a clickable mouse-style scroll wheel--it's used tonavigate the Vudu's onscreen menus, as well as to fast-forward andrewind videos. The remote takes a minute or two to get used to; we werefighting the urge to tilt the wheel left to move up through certainmenus--until we realized that's where the back button should be used.Once you quickly figure it out, however, it becomes second nature.
The only drawback: while the RF (radio frequency) controlmeans you don't have to worry about line-of-sight issues--so, you canlock the Vudu boxaway in a cabinet if you'd like--the lack of an infrared sensor on thedevice precludes the use of most universal remotes. Thankfully, Vudu hasadded an IRremote dongle to its lineup. It should offer interactionwith most programmable universal remotes, but the accessory will set youback about $40.
Vudu's first-time-out-of-the-box setup is about as simple as it gets fora networked home entertainment product (assuming you have a nearbyEthernet connection). If you use the included HDMI cable, the box canhave as few as three wires total: HDMI (to your receiver or TV), power,and the network cable. After the initial power up, Vudu presents anarrated onscreen walk-through that ensures you're getting working audioand video signals and network connectivity, explains how to use theremote, and helps you set up your Vudu account. Vudu does not charge amonthly fee, but you must link a credit card to your Vudu account andpreset it to charge in increments of $20, $50, or $100; your rental feesare then debited against those charges. Once it zeros out, your card isrecharged that preset amount, and the debit process begins again.
While basic setup is really easy, advanced users will appreciate avariety of expert options, including video, audio, and network tweaks.For instance, stereo or surround signals can be prioritized for HDMIoutput, specific high-definition resolutions can be set, and Vudu's data streamcan be prioritized on your home network. We particularly liked theflexible aspect ratio control (zoom, stretch, or full screen on 4x3 or16x9 TVs) and the capability to customize the overscan setting.
Like Slingbox and TiVo products, there's no built-in Wi-Fi option onthe Vudu. If there's no nearby Ethernet connection, you'll need awireless bridge or powerline adapter to get the Vudu online. Vudu alsooffers its own option: the Vudu WirelessKit is a pair of plug-and-play plastic bricks thatwirelessly communicate with one another. Plug one into the Vudu andanother into your home router (or any free Ethernet port on yournetwork), and you'll be good to go.
The interface
Of course, a video device such as the Vudu lives or dies by its onscreeninterface--and Vudu's got one of the better ones we've seen to date. Itlacks the fancy animations of the Apple TV interface, but it's far morevibrant and interactive than the Roku Netflix Player, with a clean,straightforward, and easy-to-navigate experience. Movies are representedby their posters, and the menu has just five main areas: Most Watched;New on Vudu; Explore catalog (where you can search by title, star,director, or genre); My Vudu (films and TV shows you've already rentedor purchased); and Info & Settings (audio, video, and network settingoptions, as described in the section above).
Maneuvering through each area is dead simple, thanks to the scroll-wheelremote. Movies have full summaries and rating info, and they're allcross-referenced by genre, stars, and director. And because all of thatinfo is essentially "hotlinked" (think IMDB), it's easy to navigatebetween them--jump from Aliens to all Sigourney Weaver movies, forexample, or everything directed by James Cameron. (The resulting listsare limited to titles available on Vudu--not the entertainers' entirefilmographies.)
Once a video is started (rented or purchased), it can be paused,rewound, and (once it's fully downloaded) fast-forwarded. A DVR-styleprogress bar is shown when any of those controls is engaged, and you canrewind and fast-forward as quickly or as slowly as you spin the clickwheel. If you leave a movie, it will automatically resume right whereyou left off (assuming, for rentals, that you return to it within the24-hour viewing window). But the key is the instant gratification thatVudu offers, which differs from the "queue and view" methods employed byAmazon On Demand and Apple TV/iTunes, as well as older Internetvideo-on-demand solutions such as Akimbo.
Using Vudu: Renting and buying movies and TV shows When you've settled on a movie or TV show you'd like to view, you'lloften have several choices, depending on the type of content: resolution(SD/480p, HD or HDX--more on that later); version (in cases wherethere's, say, a theatrical or unrated director's cut); and whether youwant to rent or buy. Not all content is available in all formats; someare standard-def only, and some content--especially new movies--is oftenlimited to purchase-only for several weeks, after which it becomesavailable as a rental as well. Movies rent for $1 to $6 each, with newerand HD titles skewing at the top of the price scale; you can also buythem--that is, have them live on the hard drive "forever"--for $5 to $20(purchases are standard-definition only). For the moment, TV episodesare also SD only, and they can only be rented for $2 apiece.
The box boasts have 250GB of space, which should be enoughfor about 100 hours of standard-def video (less for high-definition). (Vuduhad pledged to enable add-on storage--by connecting an off-the-shelfhard drive to one of the USB ports--but to date, that promise remainsunfulfilled). If you choose to rent, there are limitations: you have upto 30 days to watch the movie before it evaporates, and once you startwatching, the viewing period is only 24 hours long. After that, if youor a family member wants to watch it again, it will cost you anotherrental fee. (The fee is lower if you rewatch within 7 days of theoriginal rental's expiration.)
As indicated, some movies are available in up to three resolutions:standard, HD, or HDX. The first two--480p or 1080p--will beginstreaming in within seconds of hitting the "rent now" prompt. Qualityon the instant-viewing tiers is very good. "Near-DVD quality" is a termthrown around with reckless abandon these days, but for once, we foundthe description to be pretty truthful. As always, quality variesaccording to the source material, but the standard-definition images generallylooked good. The "Instant HD" tier looked better, with sharper picturequality in evidence, but--like most Internet-delivered video to date--itdidn't quite seem as good as DVD. Truly critical viewers--those who canappreciate the better resolution of Blu-ray versus standard DVDs--willnotice that details can exhibit some softness and backgrounds cansometimes "swim" during shots where the camera remains stationary.
However, the newer HDX videos were a totally different experiencealtogether. HDX movies are also encoded at 1080p resolution, but thebitrate is noticeably revved up from the middle HD tier. As a result,HDX movies aren't available immediately--you'll need to queue them upand wait several hours before viewing. (Thankfully, you can manage thisremotely by logging into Vudu's Web site. Start a download to the boxwhile you're at work, for instance, and it should be ready to go whenyou're at home.)
For viewers with large HDTVs, the wait will be well worth it. Weauditioned three HDX movies--Lord of War, surfing documentaryStep into Liquid, and The Chronicles of Riddick. The films exhibited excellent detail, and even high-motion action scenes were free of the solarizing and blockiness often noticeable in competing "high-def" content available on Apple TV and the Xbox 360. About the worst we could say was that the films exhibited visible film grain and some softness. the But we did head-to-head comparisons onLiquid and War to their Blu-ray counterparts, and the discs tended to show similar instances of graininess in the same scenes as well--so the softness and grain were inherent in the source and not, as far as we could tell, an issue with the encoding. (Likewise, we consider the preservation of a certain degree of film-induced graininess to be preferable to excessive edge enhancement.)
Also, much like Blu-ray movies the Vudu HDX files are in 1080p/24 format. They preserve the native 24-frame-per-second rate of film, which should be great news for film buffs with displays, such as many 120Hz LCDs and Pioneer's Kuro plasmas, that can accept and properly display 24-frame material. Conversely, some displays can't accept 1080p/24 at all, so owners of those displays with a Vudu will have to choose the 1080i output instead.
While Blu-ray still had the edge, the Vudu HDX movies were,hands-down, the best Internet-delivered video we've seen to date.They're also the first that noticeably outclass standard DVDs, as wellas the on-demand HD offerings from many cable and satellite providers.
Audiophiles note: Audio quality was also excellent. Many films offerfull Dolby Digital 5.1 surround that many listeners will find to be onpar with DVD soundtracks.
The content
One of the big drawbacks of the Netflix Player from Roku is that thecontent--while improving--is still somewhat on the lean side. Vudu, bycomparison, has cut deals with pretty much every Hollywood content ownerout there. That includes all the major studios (Disney, Fox, Sony,Lionsgate, Warner, Paramount, and Universal), plus a host of minor andspecialty players (including Image, Granada, and PBS). That doesn't meanthat the Vudu box instantly has access to the entire catalog of thosepartners, but it at least offers the possibility that their movies willbecome available on the box.
According to Vudu, its current library to be 10,000-plus titles strong, withabout 10 to 20 new titles per week being added. That includes moviesthat are hitting DVD the same week (alas, because of rights issues,they're for purchase only). The "99 titles for 99 cents" channel has arotating list of grade A movies as well.
Vudu also offers about 50 TV series, but the list is much spottier thanthe selections you'd find on competing services such as Apple TV, Xbox360, and the Roku Netflix Player. The company also offers adult content(that is to say, porn) on the AVN channel. Strict parental controls meanthat this content needs to be activated from the Web site and can beeasily hidden from view--so it's existence won't even be visible tothose who don't want it. (Likewise, the Vudu's parental controls caneven hide mainstream movies at any rating level--so you could create anall G/PG viewing environment at times, if you prefer.)
Vudu's Web sitelets anyone explore the current Vudu catalog offerings, so prospectivebuyers should definitely check out what's available before taking theplunge.
What we don't like
There's a lot to like about the Vudu, but it's not without itsshortfalls, either. Most notably, it's a closed system: unlike theiTunes Store, which lets you buy one file that can be watched on your TV(Apple TV), computer (iTunes software), or portable player (iPod oriPhone), Vudu downloads are limited to the one Vudu box to which youdownload them, with no option to offload to a portable device or PC. Anddespite its obvious networking and AV aplomb, the Vudu can't be used tostream any digital media outside the Vudu ecosystem. It would be great,for instance, if the Vudu could double as a digital media receiver,letting you stream at least some of the video, music, and photos fromyour PC's hard drive for enjoyment on your big-screen TV. And while thelack of Wi-Fi makes for easier networking configuration, many will beforced to use a bridge of some sort to get network connectivity for thebox.
We could also criticize Vudu for things like its pricing model, and thelimitations on viewing--a viewing window of 48-72 hours would bepreferable to the 24-hour one, for instance. But those issues areeffectively dictated to hardware manufacturers by the studios, sothey're largely the same on competing products, and outside Vudu's realmof control.
The other issue is one of Vudu's financial survival. Products like Xbox360, Apple TV, and Slingbox could still function, at least partially, inthe unlikely event their corporate parents faded away. But Vudu isessentially a start-up, and the box is completely dependent on thecompany pumping content to it. If the company ever folds--like Akimboand MovieBeam before it--the hardware essentially becomes an expensivepaperweight. (That's yet another reason that adding PC-based mediastreaming--which would work even if Vudu terminated its onlineservice--would be a welcome upgrade.)
Conclusion: Vudu or Vu-don't?
Is the Vudu worth buying? Indeed, it's a much better deal now than itwas when it was first introduced. The addition of more movies, thesuperb HDX video quality option, and the lower sticker price make theproduct more enticing than ever. At the same time, the competitors havestepped up their game as well. Apple TV offers much of the samefunctionality, and the Roku Netflix Player delivers a growing amount ofcontent at a flat monthly fee. That said, Vudu is setting itself apartas the current the king of picture quality in the set-top arena. Assuch, it remains recommended for owners of big-screen HDTVs who want thebest possible picture quality from their on-demand videos.