Stay Away From Da Vudu

As most people may know, the video format war is nearing it's end. However, what most people may NOT know, is who is winning the format war. HDDVD? Blu-Ray? Would you be surprised if I told you neither? The real front-runner in the video format war is not any physical form of video. It's the digital download. With programs and websites like iTunes and Netflix, people can buy, rent, and stream just about any movie straight to their PCs, laptops, and even the X-Box 360.

Enter Vudu. Instead of using an external website or program to stream or download videos, the Vudu set connects straight to your TV and your internet. Once that's done, it brings your local video store (and then some) straight to your fingertips. Nifty isn't it? All for one low cost (mostly) of $499 which includes the box, all the peripeherals and professional installation.

So, let's compare Vudu and the current leader in online rentals: Netflix.

Netflix:
Monthly Subscription Fee: $8.99 to $23.99 (depending on the number of DVDs you would like to be allowed to have out at any time)
Cost Per Rental: None. Unlimited rentals and streaming video are included in the monthly fee.
Late fees: None. Keep the movie as long as you want and return it at your convenience.
DVD Selection: Usually pretty decent. Most new releases become available for rent as soon as they're released.
Streaming Selection: Awful. Most of the options available here are at least several years old, bad quality, or straight to DVD selections...or all of the above.

Vudu:
Monthly Subscription Fee: None. Vudu runs on an intuitive "pay-as-you-go" system. When your account starts running low on credits, it automatically charges your credit card for a pre-set amount of $20, $50, or $100.
Cost Per Rental: $1 to $4 Vudu also provides the option of buying movies for $5 to $20.
Late fees: None. The movie starts immidiately after the authorization and you lose access to it once the movie ends. However, you can pause the movie and resume it the next morning.
DVD Selection: None. There is no hard physical copy involved in Vudu.
Streaming Selection: Apparently, superb. If you can find it at your local video store, you can find it in the Vudu selection.

It seems like a not-too-bad deal. So...why should you "Stay Away" from da Vudu? It's just not worth it right now. I currently pay $8.99 a month for my Netflix subscription, and I can play DVDs and stream some videos live, both on my X-Box 360. (Oh yeah....and the Vudu doesn't play video games.) There's usually a 3-day turnaround on my Netflix DVDs. So, assuming I recieve a movie and get it back in the mail the same day (my wife and I usually watch the new movie over dinner and pop it back in the mailbox before bed) I get 10 DVDs a month. Under Vudu's system, that's $10 a month vs. $8.99 for Netflix PLUS unlimited streaming videos. And, even if you count the cost of my X-Box 360 to counter the cost of buying the Vudu system (which, again, doesn't play video games) I still only paid $399 for my X-Box as opposed to $499 for a Vudu. Nevermind the fact that, in order to make Vudu shine in all it's glory, you have to have a High-Def television as well.

So, at this juncture in time, the Vudu is simply not cost effective. Maybe in a couple of years, after the cost of the core system has dropped a couple of hundred dollars, they eliminate the rental fees, allow me to move videos that I've PURCHASED to a secondary system (like a PC, laptop, or DVR), or preferably all of the above, I might consider changing my stance on this subject. Until then, get a subscription to Netflix and enjoy.