Walmart Streaming Movie Service VUDU Coming to Apple TV on August 22

[SupaDav03]

I ment in 4k. They are not perfect but I do feel they are better than the iTunes and I’m an Apple fan. They do have faults, right now they are not doing 4k movies in hdr 10 but in Dolby Vision. If you have a television that supports Dolby Vision it’s great but unfortunately Samsung and Sony have not as of this moment.

Ok. Your right. For 4K it's Vudu or nothing. I actually like Vudu but prefer iTunes do to having most of my colllection reside there. Def think having Vudu available on almost all devices (basically Fire TV/Stick is the only missing) makes the appeal a lot stronger.

Again, I richly understand how it can be framed as a "choice" in defense of Apple. What if one of these players doesn't have 30% of the revenues to share with Apple? Is it still a "choice" to NOT be on TV or shall they just lose money because the lack of sufficient profit margin is no excuse for them?

And yes, I also know about the well-rumored Netflix "special deal" with Apple that apparently got them a hefty discount off the norm. So if I'm also a big player like Amazon or Vudu, do I want to accept Apple's normal deal or get the same discount they gave to Netflix? Is that me being the bad guy for not enriching Apple at the full deal or is that Apple being the bad guy for playing favorites?

The point is that it's quite possible that both Vudu and Amazon just held out because they are villains wanting to stick it to Apple by NOT making all the money they could have made from Apple people via a presence on TV. Or one can recognize the illogic of that and then "think different" about why those players are basically about everywhere else but only just now making it to a very popular STB like TV where a lot of added revenue can be realized? Sure, it could be that they are simply villains. Or it could be because they want a comparable deal they can live with. Which seems plausible? (rhetorical: they have to be villains, as Apple cannot possibly have any hand in the delay in pursuit of more money for Apple. It MUST be the other players.).

It may not be a choice they like, but it's still a choice nonetheless.

 

[burgman]

Walmart has a streaming service .....wow...

Sun is pretty bright when you peak out from under that rock isn't it .

 

[2010mini]

Of course the SIZE of the cut can be the same as preventing since Apple is known to take theirs "right off the top." If there's not enough left over or if it's basically a wash or loss, it's almost the same as "preventing" (by basically pricing them out of being interested in being there).

"We" almost always frame this as the other guys fault (plotting against Apple, not wanting to work with Apple, looking out for their own hardware, etc) but we almost never share the idea that maybe it's Apple that stands in the way of some deals getting done... by demanding too much.

Last I checked Apple takes 30% and in some cases 15%??? None of this is a policy of preventing others from selling content. The quote states Apple prevents (does not allow) selling content within apps.

That is not an accurate statement.

The statement should read “Apple’s revenue cut is too large to offer in-App purchases” But that would just be an opinion. As I have stated, Apple’s current policy has not dissuaded others from selling individual movies within their apps.

 

[mmm1345]

Most studios prefer Vudu over iTunes.

I think Universal is the only one right now then let's you redeem for both (and disney).

Fox is either.
WB is only UV

That's always been the case. Vudu has always pretty much been the preferred service to iTunes copies. Sure you'll occasionally find digital copies that will work with both services or give you a choice but it is extremely rare for studios to offer a Digital Copy code that's exclusive to iTunes. What they do, do, that drives me crazy is offer iTunes with iTunes Extras for the iTunes version and won't have extras on Vudu. I personally prefer Vudu to iTunes for the simple reason that it doesn't lock you into a single device.

 

[garylapointe]

Again, I richly understand how it can be framed as a "choice" in defense of Apple. What if one of these players doesn't have 30% of the revenues to share with Apple? Is it still a "choice" to NOT be on TV or shall they just lose money because the lack of sufficient profit margin is no excuse for them?

Their apps work just fine without the ability to purchase in them. There is nothing stopping them from making an AppleTV app.

Amazon Video and Vudu both work excellent on my iPhone and iPad. I spend money on their services on the web and the apps work great. Amazon Prime is a subscription at Amazon's site, Amazon wants the customers (me!) happy or they (me) might stop using Amazon Prime and use some other app.

The only thing Apple is stoping them from is the spontaneous sale. I do wonder how many spontaneous sales they lose and they earn 0% (instead of 70%), but that's up to the marketing department.

Is that me being the bad guy for not enriching Apple at the full deal or is that Apple being the bad guy for playing favorites?

Where are you getting all this BAD GUY stuff?

My only complaint is when people word it that Apple refuses to put their app on the app store because it's competition, it's not like the reasoning is all that complicated.

For Vudu and Amazon, they're already put it in the iPhone/iPad store, it's not like they have to do it from scratch.

The point is that it's quite possible that both Vudu and Amazon just held out because they are villains wanting to stick it to Apple by NOT making all the money they could have made from Apple people via a presence on TV. Sure, it could be that they are simply villains. Or it could be because they want a comparable deal they can live with. Which seems plausible? (rhetorical: they have to be villains, as Apple cannot possibly have any hand in the delay in pursuit of more money for Apple. It MUST be the other players.).

VILLAINS and BAD GUYS, it's all a little overly-dramatic.

All they have to do is make the app, that's already been coded for iOS on the portable devices, for the AppleTV and they're ready to go, they don't even need to start from scratch. Money is not required, no deal is required. Get the app on the site, when people complain they can't purchase from the app, tell them Apple wanted too big of a cut.


I do wonder about the integration with the TV APP, if Apple has any additional requirements for that integration...

 

[BuffaloTF]

Seriously? It's the interface that you don't see when actually watching something that stops you??

Here's the new interface https://blog.vudu.com/someones-having-a-big-monday-were-just-having-a-monday/

Their interface is pretty awful. It's like the Roku to the Apple TV. It works once you start streaming - works well even - but maaaaannnnnn is it ugly getting there. Whereas iTunes movies are like owning the disc with how it has title screens with all the selections and all that fun stuff. Vudu is getting there, kinda... you got some movies with at least dedicated backgrounds once you drill in before hitting Start Movie.

 

[tennisproha]

The only thing that sucks about this is the 3rd party market for UV codes will now see even higher prices. As those within the Apple ecosystem can watch UV movies without airplay.

There's a 3rd party market for UV codes? Where?!

 

[CaneCollegeboy]

Another thing to remember is that VUDU offers free movies with ads. You don’t even need to spend a penny to watch some movies. With amazon and VUDU you get the best of all worlds on the Apple TV.

I do wonder if the Apple TV can do Dolby Vision via software.

 

[garylapointe]

Well crud. All the movies that I had via Cinema Now, and supposedly linked to UltraViolet, aren't showing up in VuDu. I am considerably less thrilled now. Thanks Bestbuy.

Check out MyUV.com and make sure you don't have more than account.

I had one UV account with a username and another with an e-mail address (the username ID was even using the same e-mail). They let me merge them. I think Target or BB or whomever was giving me something free so I created a new ID and didn't even realize it.

 

[2010mini]

There's a 3rd party market for UV codes? Where?!

http://ultravioletcinema.com/

 

[twobelowpar]

There's a 3rd party market for UV codes? Where?!

I sell new releases every week on Google Plus and Facebook.

 

[SupaDav03]

http://ultravioletcinema.com/

You can also buy iTunes codes on the cheap at http://www.blu-ray.com/itunes/ from 3rd party sellers. Usually around $3-$5. Also the Movie of the Day app is great. One movie each day is discounted by 50-75%

 

[mmm1345]

Another thing to remember is that VUDU offers free movies with ads. You don’t even need to spend a penny to watch some movies. With amazon and VUDU you get the best of all worlds on the Apple TV.

I do wonder if the Apple TV can do Dolby Vision via software.

a recent link said the upcoming 4K ATV will be able to do DV. DV is hardware/software driven. So at the moment you can't do DV unless it's already in the hardware and DV wasn't really a thing with the ATV4 came out.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Check out MyUV.com and make sure you don't have more than account.

I had one UV account with a username and another with an e-mail address (the username ID was even using the same e-mail). They let me merge them. I think Target or BB or whomever was giving me something free so I created a new ID and didn't even realize it.

Sadly I know that's not the case. I checked my email accounts, and everything Cinema Now, UV, and VuDu went to the same place. I also know that I only got started with CN was because a Blueray set I bought only came with a Cinema Now option. I had thought that UV was like, the main library, for all of these services (CN, VuDu, Flixter), but I guess when CN decided to throw in the towel, the purchases never transferred over.

I guess except for really epic box sets, I'll just buy myself a couple iTunes gift cards every month.

 

[anthonymoody]

Between this, the coming Amazon app, and the coming 4K version of the AppleTV, I can finally have all my streaming/digital purchases in one place.

 

[D.T.]

Excellent, this is a little sooner than I expected. I did a bunch of D-to-D movies when they were 50% off for 10, and they rarely get watched.

Semi-off-topic: Right now, my D-to-D mobile isn't working because I'm not getting proper geo locating - tried removing it, re-install, it appears to be (and this is _weird_), pulling an alternate / non-primary billing address from my PayPal account.

VILLAINS and BAD GUYS, it's all a little overly-dramatic.

Hahaha, outstanding

 

[BeefCake 15]

I have the Batman Movie series (Nolan's) on Bluray and have VUDU with it, only reason I wanted it on Apple TV so I binge on it without getting off the couch to put the movies in the PS4. Laziness complete!

 

[tennisproha]

I assume this will only be for the latest fourth gen AppleTV devices? I would love if Apple pushed this app out to older devices too... but I've heard zero mention for that...

Not likely. It will need to have the App Store app.

 

[garylapointe]

Another thing to remember is that VUDU offers free movies with ads. You don’t even need to spend a penny to watch some movies. With amazon and VUDU you get the best of all worlds on the Apple TV.

Plus, they've been doing 10 cent rentals (tenth anniversary).
They've got some good ones this week https://www.vudu.com/movies/#uiList/76/1k!

I think you've got 30 days to watch them, so with the new app in a week, it seems like a good time to spend 50 cents!

 

[Wakey87433]

Yea, I figured as much, but the quoted engineer made it seem like this was a huge obstacle to overcome.

This goes for Amazon too, if they didn't like Apple taking a cut of their money, then just provide an app that has purchased/free content.

It seems simple enough.

It's not that simple though. Developing and maintaining an app is expensive so it needs to drive income to justify it. They can just about justify it on an iPhone because there is a browser which makes it simple to buy on that device but on a streaming box they don't have that as they are going to need another device to buy which complicates matters, most people are just going to jump onto iTunes

In a venn diagram the cross section between active VUDU customers, AppleTV owners and those who would know/be bothered to jump onto another device is fairly small. The fact both VUDU and Amazon changed their stance suggests either money has been paid to the two of them to bring them to the AppleTV or Apple have changed their rigidness on the cut they take from inapp purchases

 

[Juicy Box]

It's not that simple though. Developing and maintaining an app is expensive so it needs to drive income to justify it. They can just about justify it on an iPhone because there is a browser which makes it simple to buy on that device but on a streaming box they don't have that as they are going to need another device to buy which complicates matters, most people are just going to jump onto iTunes

In a venn diagram the cross section between active VUDU customers, AppleTV owners and those who would know/be bothered to jump onto another device is fairly small. The fact both VUDU and Amazon changed their stance suggests either money has been paid to the two of them to bring them to the AppleTV or Apple have changed their rigidness on the cut they take from inapp purchases

You might be right, but it sounds like a different story from the quoted engineer.

BTW, I wasn't blaming Vudu or Amazon for not having an ATV app, I was just saying that the problem that the engineer stated, is easily solved. Whether it would be worth it to Vudu to use that solution is a whole different story.

 

[CarlJ]

I was thinking of finding another solution for all my DVD collection. Right now, I have been ripping/encoding them, then using iTunes to store and organize them.

iTunes isn't always friendly with external drives, and there is not a good way to search for stuff using the ATV. The ATV4 UI sucks for stuff stored on the family sharing, especially with the Siri remote.

I also wanted something that my son could access when he was not at home.

I was looking into PLEX, but maybe VUDU might be a solution.

FWIW there are a number of well-regarded apps for iOS/tvOS that read from and index your home NAS and don't require the overhead of running a Plex server - the first one that comes to mind is Infuse: it can stream from your NAS, but can also download from your NAS, iTunes Sync, Dropox, etc. (you can also put the iOS app into receive mode and it'll start a webserver so you can connect from any web browser and drag/drop videos into your iPad/iPhone), and it has a nice UI for browsing/watching on tvOS and iOS - you can put specially named images and text files into your NAS's filesystem to get cover art and movie details arranged however you like them if Infuse didn't get it right automatically (I haven't tried that yet). (Note that you can get Infuse 5 with most of the features and optionally pay a yearly subscription for the Pro features, or just buy Infuse Pro 5 to get the Pro features up-front with no subscription.)

(And if, perchance, you're using an actual FW/USB external drive rather than a NAS, WD's "MyCloud" and Seagate's "Personal Cloud" drives are surprisingly cheap, and quite good for media streaming and Time Machine backups - and automatic WiFi Time Machine backups are priceless - a relative just paid a small fortune for Data Recovery because her MBP's drive died and she was backing up "occasionally" to a plug-in external drive and really needed the most recent month's data.)
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They can just about justify it on an iPhone because there is a browser which makes it simple to buy on that device but on a streaming box they don't have that as they are going to need another device to buy which complicates matters, most people are just going to jump onto iTunes.

Hmm, I cheerfully buy ebooks from Amazon using Safari on my Mac, and then read them using the Kindle app on my iPad and iPhone - I would guess that isn't so uncommon.

 

[Juicy Box]

the first one that comes to mind is Infuse

Thanks, I will check it out.

After using it for over 15 years, I am trying to get away from iTunes. So I am looking into a few different options. I looked up Plex, and it seems nice. While I do not like the subscription model, they do have a lifetime option that I might consider if I like the service.

I will check out Infuse too.

 

[Aluminum213]

I'm really hoping this supports the UP NEXT feature of the TV app.

Considering I can convert many of my Blu-Rays to HD digital for $2 a disc (and old DVDs to HD for $5, or keep them as SD for $2). It's pretty awesome! You scan the barcodes at home with the app. It makes them ultraviolet too.
https://www.vudu.com/in_mobile_disc_to_digital.html

Exactly, unless Apple matches this program they can forget about many people using their service

 

[CarlJ]

You can pay $2-$5 for digital copies of your dvds.

It's kinda nice. I went to my parent's place and scanned some of my favorite movies, spent like $20 and got 10 movies that would have cost me $100 or more had I bought them in iTunes.

Do you store a lot of your dvds at your parent's house?