All About VUDU and TV Shows on Demand

Founded in January 2004, VUDU is a leading media technology and movie and TV show content delivery and media technology company. Owned by Walmart (since 2010), it allows you to buy, rent and watch the latest, and some evergreen, HD movies, video games and TV shows. This streaming TV service is available on many devices because of its numerous apps

VUDU is a user-friendly, pay-per-episode service. Sign-up is free and there are no subscription or late fee.s The content can be streamed via a high-speed network connection to a variety of networkable devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones, Blu-Ray and smart TVs, HDTV, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation, XBox, and VUDU Spark devices.

 

VUDU is a pay-per-use service, meaning that you pay a one-time fee for each movie or TV show that you rent or purchase. This is different from subscription services like Netflix and Hulu Plus that require a monthly fee to watch an unlimited amount of content. VUDU rentals are streamed to compatible devices and can't be downloaded to your computer or portable device. Pay-per-use services like VUDU and iTunes generally receive titles on the same day they arrive on DVD, while subscription services often have to wait a much longer time to receive big-ticket home-video releases.

You can now watch many movies and TV shows in HDX on VUDU. To see if a movie is available to stream in HDX on your computer, click on your movie of choice and you will see a purple banner at the top that says "HDX Now available on PC/MAC computers".

Help and Support are excellent. There is no live chat available, but VUDU provides you with an email form if you have any concerns that aren't handled in the community forums or FAQs.

VUDU Pricing

VUDU runs on a variable cost structure. TV shows in standard definition cost less than those in HD quality. Prices for season passes range based on the show. VUDU gives you have the option of watching many of the first episodes for free.  so you can make sure you like the show enough to purchase the season pass.

Most movie rentals have a range of pricing. However, for sneak previews and extras, the cost may be slightly higher. If you’re buying a film make sure to check out the Deals tab as there are always a variety of sales going on for single movies, bundles, and even collections.  

When you rent you can watch a movie or show an unlimited number of times in 24 hours.

VUDU also offers a free UltraViolet account. UltraViolet is a new movie industry standard that allows you to put your movies in the cloud, keeping a permanent record of all your movie purchases so you can build your digital movie collection safely and securely. With UltraViolet, you can now easily access your movies anytime, any place on your favorite connected devices, including your TV. 

Comparing TV Show Availability and Cost

When it comes to the number of TV shows offered by online TV streaming sites, the video on demand sites seems to have a complete list of current shows. In fact, almost all of the VUDU TV show titles are available on other subscription services. Both Amazon On Demand and iTunes have extensive lists of current and classic TV shows, in high definition and standard definition.  

So what do the subscription services and video on demand services offer?

Netflix — With Netflix, each episode is included in the monthly fee. With VUDU you are paying for each episode watched.

Hulu — Hulu's basic service is free and offers most of the popular TV shows. Typically, Hulu will stream a TV show about a week after it airs, sometimes sooner.  Only five of the most recent episodes of a TV show are available on the free service.

Hulu Plus — The subscription Hulu Plus service is available on many media streamers, TVs, and home theater devices. Many TV episodes are available the day after broadcast.  Hulu Plus subscribers can access all episodes of tv shows.

Both subscription services — Hulu Plus and Netflix — and video on demand services — iTunes, Amazon on Demand and iTunes — offer standard-definition and high-definition video streaming.

 

Which TV Streaming Option Is the Best Value 

Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu Plus require a monthly subscription – the price of the subscription is often a bargain compared to the cost of renting individual TV shows on VUDU and another video on demand services. Still, unlike such subscription services as Netflix and Hulu Plus, VUDU is free until you rent a title.