Vudu at EHX in Ethereal Booth

[Squintz]

I'm interested in this little Vudu box. www.vudu.com If someone at EHX can stop by and ask all the questions they can think of and report back I would appreciate it. I'm really interested in knowing how flexible the TCP/IP control protocol will be and would love to get my hands on a copy of the protocol if it's available. I'm not totally sure the control protocol even exist.

 

[opie]

They are on my list of Companies to visit. I'll do my best to get the information you requested. I know a few other integrators who have used them and were pretty happy with them.

Scott

 

[opie]

The protocol for control of the VuDu via Net Remote is here.

 

[Squintz]

Thanks

 

[opie]

This is not a full review but what I can remember from EHX last week.

I did stop by the Vudu booth and got to play around with it a bit. It's a pretty nice piece of hardware and has an attractive user interface. The remote is an RF based and moving through the menus is very fast. The video looked very good but I'm not sure if they were only showing HD content; I would assume so.

The new XL model has a 1 Terabyte hard drive and holds about 500 SD movies. The XL is being marketed to the CI channel so I'm not sure what availability will be; MSRP is $999.

Right now the Vudu service offers 5,000 Movies (over 100 in HD) and 1,000 TV episodes. Currently, you can't put any of your own movies, photos or music on the Vudu. When I asked about this the response was that they're looking at this but want to be the best at what they currently offer. There is also no form of back-up right now but it was suggested a NAS type solution is not out of the question.

IR control can be added to either box with an additional dongle; I do not have pricing information on it though.

Another consideration; the component out is limited to 480p/i, so you need to use HDMI to get higher resolutions. I read this may change since the Apple TV is now offering HD over component.

I hope this helps.

 

[WayneW]

VuDu had their own booth, they were not in the Ethereal booth.

Here is a local column about the Apple TV and VuDu.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/technology/...0,455434.column

 

[opie]

VuDu had their own booth, they were not in the Ethereal booth.

Here is a local column about the Apple TV and VuDu.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/technology/...0,455434.column

I meant to add that part, thanks Wayne. (For the link too)

Edit:

One correction to the article. The author mentions:

Both devices have a port for a high-speed Internet cable. Only the Apple TV can connect to a wireless network, an important distinction if your router isn't near your TV or if you don't want to run wires through your living room.

But according to the Vudu FAQ, it will work with an adapter:

Will VUDU work wirelessly?

The VUDU box itself is not wireless, but you can plug the box into any number of powerline or game adapters to connect it to your wireless network. We currently recommend the Linksys PLK200 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit. Generally, wireless performance may vary based on environmental factors specific to each home—distance from the router, building materials, and proximity to microwaves. Regardless of what sort of connection you use, VUDU requires a broadband Internet speed of 2.0 Mbps for instant viewing of movies.

 

[mdesmarais]

I have a Vudu at home (the small one). I haven't done any integration with it, but it is pretty darn good at doing PPV movies and shows. I can always find something that I want to watch, more a matter of restraining myself as it is so easy to just click the remote and buy. The HD from it looks very good, just shy of HDDVD/Blu-ray, and very fast to start up and play (faster than Netflix watch it now). The regular stuff is pretty close to DVD, haven't tried a side by side. I haven't bought anything, just rented. If anyone has user questions, feel free to ask!

Markd