Vudu adds high-def downloads

By Ned Randolph -- Video Business, 11/15/2007

NOV. 15 | Vudu said today it will add high-definition titles to its movie download service, which connects to households through a set-top box.

The high-def titles will be available during the home video and pay-per-view windows.

So far, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and Lionsgate are the first to offer titles in high-def through Vudu, which sells its set-top box for $399. Users do not pay a subscription fee, but are charged per title. Rentals run between about $1 and $4 and purchases between $5 and $20.

"We're pleased to deliver to consumers [high-def] films during the home video and video-on-demand windows from studios that have brought us so many legendary movies," said Mark Jung, CEO of Vudu. "Our new offerings will provide customers a superior viewing experience and begin to expand the range of offerings on Vudu."

The Vudu box, which went on sale in October, offers approximately 5,000 standard-definition titles from the major U.S. film studios and more than 22 independent and international film distributors.

Vudu's standard-def content is already optimized for HDTVs, but the high-def content will give customers six times higher resolution than standard-def-encoded films, the company said.

Vudu would join Xbox Live Marketplace as the only other online location for high-definition downloads from the major studios. Xbox Live has 600 hours of high-def content from the major studios and TV networks, a company representative said.

CinemaNow also has high-def downloads from indie suppliers.

Vudu uses a peer-to-peer service. Movies are downloaded from a number of fellow P2P users who already have the file on their Vudu box. Files can be sent faster than those downloaded from one central server.

The Vudu box is always connected to the Internet, which allows the service to continually update the quality and quantity of the content available to customers. Each week, new feature films are added, giving customers instant access.

"We're pleased to expand our partnership with Vudu to include digital distribution of our films in [high-def]," said Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment. "Vudu is rewriting the rules with its superb user interface and ease of use. Consumers will find watching our movies in [high-def] on Vudu to be a great experience."

Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms, added, "delivering exceptional [high-def] programming through Vudu's groundbreaking service will provide entertainment consumers with an unparalleled combination of content and convenience. It also furthers our goal of leveraging emerging technologies to allow viewers to experience Universal content whenever and wherever they choose."

Lionsgate president and chief operating officer Steve Beeks called the partnership with Vudu "another opportunity to monetize our content in the digital marketplace of the future."

"Our decision to be among the first studios joining with Vudu to offer VOD titles in high-definition reflects Lionsgate's commitment to remain at the cutting edge of new entertainment technologies for content creation and distribution," he said.