If waiting is something that you don't do well, you're probably frustrated by the way that most online streaming services handle new movie releases. Most of the time, new movies aren't available for online rental until well after they've been released on DVD. Often the deals worked out between content providers such as Amazon, iTunes and Netflix are designed to maximize DVD sales by limiting options for on-demand streaming and online rentals for a period of time. That's where Vudu has an advantage.
Vudu uses the leverage provided by its owner, Wal-Mart, to be able to offer a wide selection of movies for online rental, often on the same day that they're released on DVD. You don't need an account with Vudu-you simply pay a one-time fee for a two-day rental-and the service offers movies in 1080p HD and with high-quality Dolby Digital sound. Content can be streamed to a wide variety of devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones, videogame consoles, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes.
Vudu, in conjunction with Wal-Mart, also offers you the ability to convert your DVDs to digital files that can be stored online, which allows you to easily stream your movies to multiple devices. Vudu charges a one-time fee to convert a DVD; making an HD DVD copy costs more than making a standard-definition DVD or HD Blu-ray copy. After you've stored your movies online, you can watch them via your Vudu account for no extra charge.
