If you enjoy streaming the occasional TV show or movie, but don't watch enough content to justify paying for the subscription costs of a service like Netflix or Hulu, you might want to consider using Vudu instead.
With a blend of free content, on-demand rentals, and movies available for purchase, it's a perfect service for the infrequent viewer. So today, let's take a look at what Vudu is, how much Vudu costs, and who can use Vudu's services.
What Is Vudu?
Vudu was owned by Walmart for a decade. However, in April 2020, the company announced that it had reached an agreement with ticketing service Fandango for the sale of the business.
For now, Fandango has promised that there will be no immediate changes to the Vudu service or brand, despite already operating a competing service called FandangoNOW. It's not unreasonable to expect the two brands to be rolled into a single interface at some point in the future.
In addition to rentals and purchases, Vudu also integrates with several digital locker services, so you can watch streams of content that you've bought on other services.
What Can I Watch on Vudu?
At the time of writing, more than 24,000 movies and 8,000 TV shows are available to stream via the Vudu app. Those figures mean that Vudu has one of the largest libraries of content out of all the streaming services out there.
The content itself is varied. You'll find Hollywood blockbusters, kids' shows, indie films, documentaries, anime, musicals, and more.
It is Vudu's licensing agreements that allow the service to have such a vast library. It has deals in place with all of the major studios as well as more than 50 independent producers.
Furthermore, the site frequently offers new films and shows on or before their DVD release dates. The feature differentiates Vudu from its competitors like Netflix which often make viewers wait for the newest content.
Save Money With Movie Collections
You have probably seen similar films packaged together at retail outlets. They often appear by the checkouts for impressively low prices. You'll also see bundled movies in electronics departments and presented as gift ideas.
They're great solutions if you like a particular actor or genre. Perhaps you have splurged on bundle packs after deciding to dedicate time to watching movies with shared characteristics.
Vudu offers bundled films in digital formats. Examples of currently-available offers include two Clint Eastwood films for $10, any 1970s movie for $7, and entire series of HBO shows with up to 50 percent off.
Who Can Use Vudu?
Vudu is currently only available in the United States. It used to be available in Mexico, but the service was shuttered by Walmart in 2014. Vudu has never been available in Canada or elsewhere.
To stream free movies and TV shows on Vudu from outside the US, you'll need to use a VPN. We recommend using a paid VPN so you do not compromise your security. Among the best options are ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.
How Much Does Vudu Cost?
It is free to make an account on Vudu and there is no monthly subscription fee. You can start watching the free content straight away once you've signed up. If you want to rent or buy movies and TV shows, you pay on a case-by-case basis. Rental fees typically range from $1 to $6. Purchases can cost as much as $20, depending on the quality you choose and the popularity and age of the movie in question.
How to Watch Vudu
One of the notable advantages Vudu offers is flexibility related to the devices you use with it. As you'd expect, you can tune in on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS, and there are also apps for all the leading streaming boxes (including Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV).
You can also stream Vudu videos on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nvidia devices, as well as natively on some smart TVs.
Most impressive, however, is Vudu's support for Blu-ray players. It's a feature that isn't offered by Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, or any of the other mainstream streaming services. Many models are supported, with Vudu specifically highlight products from Samsung, LG, and Sony.
How to Use Vudu: What You Need to Know
Vudu has a few other features and peculiarities worth highlighting.
Learn More About Movies and Shows
Clicking on a title lets you learn more about it. You'll see a plot synopsis to determine whether a movie fits your mood, see a rating from Vudu community members, and discover the score the movie earned on Rotten Tomatoes.
Vudu Has Its Own Content Format
While browsing Vudu, you'll come across movies available in HDX. HDX is a Vudu-created format offering resolution quality up to 1080p.
Vudu has now completely eliminated its HD offerings and transitioned entirely to HDX. At the time of HDX's release in 2016, the company also gave free upgrades to all users with high-definition already-purchased titles in their libraries.
SD copies are still available for most titles, often for a lower price than the HDX version. Some titles have UHD versions available as well.
Convert Physical Movies to Digital Content
Vudu has another unique feature that you will not find replicated among its competitors---the ability to convert your physical DVDs and Blu-ray discs into digital copies.
You can perform the conversion on the Android Vudu app or via the browser on iOS. To get started, just scan the barcode of the movie or TV show you want to convert, and the app will guide you through the rest of the process. A Blu-ray to HDX conversion costs $2, DVD to SD costs $2, and DVD to HDX costs $5.
Of course, you could save yourself the hassle and rip DVDs directly to your computer.
Focus on Free Movies to Keep Costs Down
Another characteristic that separates Vudu from Netflix and iTunes is its plentiful collection of complementary content. To sort through what's available, click on the Free link in the site's header menu.
Most of the free content contains ads. But sitting through commercials is a small price to pay to access such a large library of free content.
Some content that's currently available for free includes Troy, Blue Mountain State, and Redemption.
What Will You Stream From Vudu This Week?
No matter how you prefer to consume media, Vudu is a viable option. And now that you know what Vudu is, you may consider it to be one of the best Netflix alternatives.
The content library represents multiple genres and spans beyond recently released material. And the ability to use Vudu to convert physical movies to digital ones sets the service apart. We just hope these features remain as Fandango makes changes to the app.
If, after learning all about Vudu, you want more options, be sure to read our article listing the best streaming TV services.