If you like to stream occasional TV shows or movies but do not watch enough content to justify paying subscription fees for a service like Netflix or Hulu, you can consider using Vudu. With a mix of free content, on-demand rentals, and movies available for purchase, it's a perfect service for the rare viewer. So let's take a look at what Vudu is, how much Vudu costs, and who can use Vudu services.
What is Vudu?
Walmart had owned Vudu for around 10 years. However, in April 2020, the company made it public that it had concluded an agreement with the Fandango ticket service for its sale. At present, Fandango has promised that there will be no immediate changes to the Vudu service or brand, even though it is already running a competing service called FandangoNOW. It is not irrational to expect the two brands to be placed on an interface in the future.
Image Credits: Vudu.com
Vudu also integrates with various digital locker services in addition to rentals and purchases, so that you can view streams of content purchased from other services.
What can I see in Vudu?
As of this writing, more than 24,000 movies and 8,000 TV shows are available for streaming through the Vudu app. These figures indicate that Vudu has one of the largest content libraries among all streaming services out there. The content itself is varied. You'll find Hollywood blockbusters, children's shows, independent films, documentaries, anime, musicals, and more.It is Vudu's license agreements that allow the service to have such an extensive library. It has agreements with the main studios and more than 50 independent producers. Also, the site often offers new movies and shows before or after the DVD release date. The feature sets Vudu apart from its competitors like Netflix, making viewers wait for the latest content.
Bundled Movie Collections
You have probably seen similar movies packaged in stores. They often appear in the boxes at meager prices. You will also see movies grouped in electronics departments and presented as gift ideas. They are excellent solutions if you like an actor or a particular genre. Maybe you went crazy with packages after deciding to spend time watching movies with shared features.
Vudu offers bundled movies in digital formats. Sample deals currently available include two Clint Eastwood movies for $ 10, any movie from the 70s for $ 7, and the entire series of HBO shows discounted up to 50%.
Who can use Vudu?
Vudu is currently only available for viewers in the United States. It was available in Mexico, but Walmart closed the service in 2014. Vudu was never available in Canada or anywhere else. You should be able to use a Virtual Private Network for free streaming of Vudu movies and TV shows outside of the US.
How much does Vudu cost?
Creating an account on Vudu is free and there is no monthly subscription fee. You can start watching free content right after signing up and if you want to buy or rent movies and TV shows, you pay accordingly. Rental rates typically range from $ 1 to $ 6. Purchases can cost up to $ 20, depending on the quality chosen and the film's popularity and age in question.
How to watch Vudu
One of the significant advantages Vudu offers is the flexibility related to the devices you use with it. Unsurprisingly, you can tune into PC, Mac, Android, and iOS and there are apps for all the major streaming boxes too (including Roku, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV).You can also view Vudu videos on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nvidia devices and natively on some smart TVs.
Most impressive, though, is Vudu's support for Blu-ray players. It's a feature that Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, or other traditional streaming services don't offer. Many models are compatible, with Vudu in particular Samsung, LG and Sony products.
How to use Vudu: What you need to know?
Vudu has some additional features and quirks that are worth noting.
By clicking on a title, you can learn more about it. You'll see a plot synopsis to determine if a movie suits your mood. You'll see an evaluation by members of the Vudu community and discover the movie's score on Rotten Tomatoes.
While browsing Vudu, you will come across movies available in HDX. HDX is a format created by Vudu that offers a quality resolution of up to 1080p.
Vudu has now completely phased out its HD offerings and has completely switched to HDX. At the time of the launch of HDX in 2016, the company also offered free updates to all users with HD titles already purchased from its libraries.
SD copies are still available for most videos, often at a lower price than the HDX version. Some titles also have UHD versions available.
Convert physical movies to digital content
Vudu has another unique feature that you won't find replicated among its competitors: the ability to convert your Blu-ray discs and physical DVDs into digital copies.
You can convert using the Android Vudu application or via a browser on iOS. To get started, scan the barcode of the TV show or movie which you need to convert and the application will show you the next steps. A DVD to SD costs $ 2, Blu-ray to HDX conversion costs $ 2 and a DVD to HDX costs $ 5.
Of course, you can save yourself the trouble and rip the DVD directly to your computer.
Large Collection of Free Movies
Another feature that separates Vudu from Netflix and iTunes is its abundant collection of companion content. To order what's available, click the free link in the site header menu.
Most of the free content contains ads. But going into advertising is a small price to pay to access such a large library of free content.
Some content currently available for free includes Troy, Blue Mountain State, and Redemption.
What are you going to watch from Vudu this week?
No matter how you prefer to consume the media, Vudu is an excellent alternative. And now as you know what Vudu is, you can consider it as one of the best alternatives to Netflix.
The content library represents multiple genres and extends beyond recently released material. Its feature to use Vudu to convert physical movies to digital movies sets the service apart. Hopefully, these features remain active while Fandango makes changes to the app.
