The Pros and Cons of the Vudu Box

Vudu Box and Remote

Pre-sales have started for the Vudu Box, which is the hardware/software bundle that movie lovers have been waiting for. I have Netflix, I have 250+ DVDs, but there’s always a time when you’re craving a movie that you want to see and you want to see it now, while you’re in the mood! This box is all about satisfying that craving and so much more.

I must admit, I’ve been Beta testing the Vudu box for over a month now, here are the Pros and Cons as I see it for the average movie lover…

PROS:

5,000+ Movies (starting #) with NEW movies being released same time as DVD releases
This is IMMEDIATE access, Find it –> Rent/Buy it –> Watch it
You will swear there is a DVD playing, but there isn’t
Renting a movie downloads it, but you can activate the Rental Time Period when you want (~30days max?)
Tip: Because you can activate the Rental Period within several days, Download entire movies over night or during the work day, come home and there is no drain on bandwidth during your home time
Vudu’s ability to update software through the already connected internet will fix glitches and add features instantly
Remote Control is RF (radio frequency) based, so no need to point it at the box
Setup is literally plug, activate and play…
Menu Screens are highly accessible, easy to use and easy on the eyes

CONS:

My bandwidth is low to average cable speed and watching a movie is instant, but watching a movie while it’s downloading causes the Internet Connection to be a little slow (see my Tip above on preventing this)
Even though I listed it as a “Pro”, the RF remote means that I can’t use my Universal Remote (yet…)

FINAL SAY: