Latest
News
Blogs
Research

Your best resource for custom electronic jobs.

Slideshows

White Papers

Webinars

Event Calendar

Business Resources

CE Profiles

Industry Press

Print |

Email |

Comments (5) |

Share | News | Follow with Twitter, Facebook or RSS

Vudu Intros 100 Apps, Partners with Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, Vizio, Samsung

Best known for its 1080p streaming movie service, Vudu has added more than 100 apps to its Internet portfolio, but most of them are pretty boring. Top CE brands sign on.

By Julie Jacobson
January 06, 2010

Vudu is finally getting hip with the times, announcing its first real innovation since launching its hi-def streaming movie service in 2008.

At CES 2010, Vudu is introducing Vudu Apps, enabling access to hundreds of Internet services through TVs and other CE devices. Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba and ~~Vizio~~ have announced televisions and Blu-ray players that would incorporate the new Vudu platform. [CORRECTION: Vizio is implementing the standard Vudu movie platform, but not Vudu apps] [UPDATE: Add Samsung to the list]

Mitsubishi, Vudu’s first TV partner, indicates that it will include Vudu in all of its Internet-enabled TVs.

More than 100 applications will be available on Vudu apps at launch, making Vudu’s own streaming movie service just another app – and a fine one at that, as it still appears to be the only one to stream 1080p video with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus.

Most of the usual suspects are among the Vudu apps, including Pandora, Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, Twitter, Stock Quotes and a few news shows. The goofy stuff that nobody watches is available as well, such as Chat! Video Podcast and Stump the Chef (HD).

Notably absent from the service is anything concerning popular TV content, the likes of which are provided through such apps as Boxee, Hulu, Popcorn Hour and most recently DivX TV (more info to come on that one).

[UPDATE] Current Vudu Apps

VUDU Streaming Movie Service
* Pandora
* Flickr
* Picasa
* Facebook
* Twitter
* AP
* New York Times Videos
* Dailymotion
* Stock Quotes
* Weather
* NBC Nightly News
* Meet the Press
* Today
* Countdown
* Rachel Maddow
* Morning Joe
* Zeitgeist
* Good Morning America
* Face the Nation
* White House Weekly Address
* Fast Draw
* Katie Couric's Notebook
* Anderson Cooper 360 Daily
* CNN Daily
* Bill Moyers Journal
* In Case You Missed It
* Now in the News
* CNN Student News
* Journal Editorial Report
* FOX News Flash
* Washington Post | Photo Stories
* Washington Post | HD Podcast
* Slate V
* Around the Horn
* Mike & Mike Moment
* The Basketball Jones
* MLS
* The Dish
* Racing One
* Discovery Channel
* NOVA
* Nature
* NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
* Hidden Universe HD
* Ted Talks
* Walt Mossberg
* Andy Jordan's Tech Diary
* USA Today - Talking Tech
* Hak5
* Pixel Perfect
* Systm
* Fresh Trax
* Philharmonia Orchestra
* XLR8R
* Best of VH1
* The Frustrated Rockstars
* UVTV
* Popcorn
* The Digg Reel
* The Screening Room
* Scene Stealers
* Indie Film Nation
* National Lampoon
* New Yorker Animated Cartoons
* iFanboy
* Scam School
* Sesame Street
* Stump the Chef (HD)
* Good Housekeeping: What’s for Dinner
* Delicious TV Veg
* City by City (HD)
* DiveFilm HD
* The Parent Code (HD)
* Rocketboom
* Diggnation HD
* Totally Rad Show
* Tekzilla
* Best of Revision3
* Sessler's Soapbox Video Podcast
* Attack of the Show
* X-Play's Daily Video Podcast
* X-Play Game Previews
* G4 Videogame Trailers
* Fresh Ink
* The Feed Daily Video Podcast
* Gadget Pr0n
* Around the Net
* Cheat! Video Podcast
* The MMO Report
* Teton Gravity Research
* Golf Tips
* From the Top at Carnegie Hall
* Stand Up
* IRrelevant Astronomy
* London Landscape TV
* Backpack Picnic
* Big Love
* Bored To Death
* Curb Your Enthusiasm
* Entourage
* Flight of the Conchords
* Hung
* True Blood
* New York on the Clock
* ABC News with Diane Sawyer
* Amanpour
* Cnet News
* Monocle
* Princeton University
* Californication
* Dexter
* Beautiful places in HD
* City Concealed

Subscribe to the CE Pro Newsletter

Article Topics

News · Product News · Video · Digital Media · Events · CES · Ces 2010 · Digital Content · Vudu · Streaming Media · All topics

About the Author

Julie Jacobson, Editor-at-large, CE Pro

As a co-founder of EH Publishing in 1994, Julie has edited and contributed to all of the company's publications at one time or another. An authority on home automation, networking, integration, digital convergence and the CE pro channel, Julie speaks often about these subjects at industry events. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan, and received an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Julie is a washed-up Ultimate Frisbee player.

5 Comments

Posted by losboskie on 01/06 at 12:28 PM

I am still trying to understand how one as an integrator can make money with these things.

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 01/06 at 03:19 PM

Money can be made by being the content expert. Listening to your customers, helping them make the best choices based on the content they like to consume.

Be the Content Pro

Posted by joel degray on 01/06 at 05:00 PM

My philosophy is that if it’s not worth watching more than once, it’s worth downloading.
Many serious people will continue to build libraries with the purchase of actual disks. So while
it is not as glitzy, it’s an existing business model which will make you money for many years to come and it has many benefits which download models can’t yet offer.
How much money do you make from Amazon, Hulu, Netflix or iTunes??
Sell a Terra-SAN pre-loaded collection and have no Format, DRM or Copyright issues.
Own the original for life…

http://www.terra-san.com/TSEG/terrafilms.php

http://www.terra-san.com/TSEG/terramusic.php

Posted by losboskie on 01/07 at 08:26 AM

How do you become a content expert and how do you charge?

Posted by Steve on 01/20 at 12:29 PM

I think it would be next to impossible to make money on any of this apps. After the customer spends a couple thousand dollars on a TV they expect you to show them how it works.

I think the only prayer of trying to make any money would be the attempt to “pre-market” a interactivity training bundle. Maybe the idea would be you’ll pick the five most popular apps, help them set-up the internet accounts that make them work, and then show them how they can be accessed on their TVs. Maybe charge $399 to set-up five apps. This may work for something lick Flickr or FaceBook but doesn’t really hold water for news services, etc. The idea sounds decent in concept but in experience I see very few of my customers willing to send the money to do this.

Page 1 of 1 comment pages