SteinyD Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35529523/ns/business-us_business/NEW YORK - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Monday it will buy broadband entertainment provider Vudu, a deal that gives the world's biggest retailer the ability to sell movies directly through TVs and Blu-ray players over the Internet.With the acquisition, Wal-Mart returns to the video-on-demand business, which it tried in the past but failed. Its most recent attempt, offering movie downloads, ended in 2007 after less than a year.Wal-Mart did not disclose the terms of the newest deal.Vudu Inc.'s technology can deliver video to consumers who have broadband Internet access and own an Internet-ready TV or Blu-ray player.Since August, Vudu has offered its service on LG and Mitsubishi-made devices.In January, Vudu announced it had expanded its partnership deals to Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba and Vizio. And it said it planned to launch an application platform that would include apps from Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, The New York Times and The Associated Press.Vudu has licensing agreements with major movie studios and distributors for about 16,000 movies. Its movies cost $3.99 to rent or $19.99 to purchase.Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman of Wal-Mart, said in a statement that the acquisition will "provide customers with unprecedented access to home entertainment options as they migrate to a digital environment."The company did not respond to further inquiries from The Associated Press Monday.Wal-Mart already sells devices that have Vudu capability.Vudu, based in Santa Clara, Calif., was founded in 2004 and funded by venture capital firms Greylock Partners and Benchmark Capital.It started out selling set-top boxes for as much as $295 but began phasing them out six months ago in favor of working directly with makers of TVs and other devices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well_armed Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 So you are against making money? <Your title FTL> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akg4y Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Wasnt Control4 trying to purchase Vudu also? Hard to compete with Wally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Wasnt Control4 trying to purchase Vudu also?I doubt it. I've never heard that even as a *rumor* before.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3fingerbrown Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Sells out? As if Vudu's goal (making money) was any different than Walmart's goal (making money)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3fingerbrown Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 I was never a Vudu fan- I love the idea of 1080p streaming, but I don't like the pay per view model versus netflix's subscription service. When I read this I wondered how Wal-mart would handle Vudu's adult content. It doesn't seem in keeping with Walmart's image to be selling porn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFUG Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 ^That's interesting. I never liked the idea of buying something I may not use. The only thing I dislike about Vudu is the slow pace they have taken to bring new material to users. I've since lost interest in Vudu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akg4y Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Didnt Wal-mart immediately remove Vudu's adult content? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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