VUDU Debuts Most Advanced On-Demand Box Ever

[Digital Puppy]

VUDU DEBUTS MOST ADVANCED ON-DEMAND BOX EVER


Available Exclusively Through Professional Home Theater Installers, 1U Rack-Mountable Box Features Aerospace-Grade Aluminum Bezel, On-Demand Access to More HD Titles Than Any Other Service

VUDU XL2Santa Clara, CA - Nov. 18, 2008 - VUDU debuted today the VUDU XL2, a new Internet movie player designed specifically for professional home theater installations that demand the highest quality picture and a product that occupies just one rack unit (1U) of space.

In addition to providing access to hundreds of titles in VUDU's proprietary HDX format and with the largest HD library available on-demand, the XL2 will allow the most discerning home theater owners to choose from more than 10,000 titles for instant viewing.

The exterior of the new rack-mountable VUDU XL2 sports an aerospace-grade aluminum bezel that features a glowing VUDU logo. Inside, the XL2 is built from the highest quality components, delivering the best picture available.

"The introduction of the XL2 reflects our unwavering commitment to the custom installation market," said Tony Miranz, Executive Vice President, Sales and Business Development, VUDU, Inc "VUDU XL2 is designed for easy and secure integration into rack-mounted systems and delivers the world's largest HD library as well as the highest-quality on-demand 1080p HD making VUDU XL2 an installer's weapon of choice."

Designed from the ground up to seamlessly integrate into custom theaters, the XL2 offers a terabyte of storage, enough to store more than 500 films at your fingertips. XL2 also offers IP and IR control that allow it to b integrated into most high-end home control systems, 1080i HD output over component, and the ability to route and switch HD signals through the home with the use of off-the-shelf video switchers.


The Best Solution for HD Content

VUDU is the only service to offer both instant start HD and HDX, the highest quality on-demand format available anywhere on cable, satellite, broadcast, or the Internet. Designed to deliver an optimized cinematic experience to owners of 40-inch and larger HDTV's and projectors, HDX with VUDU's TruFilm technology features a virtually artifact free 1080p picture and immersive, high definition sound.

The XL2 is available for order today exclusively through more than 1,000 VUDU-certified custom installers. It carries a MSRP of $1299. To read more about VUDU's custom installation options or to find a dealer please visit http://hometheater.vudu.com


About VUDU

VUDU is a leading provider of digital technologies and services that deliver Internet entertainment to consumers' HDTVs and Home Theaters. VUDU's 1080p Internet Movie Players, the VUDU HD, VUDU XL and VUDU XL2 are designed to deliver over 10,000 on-demand movies and TV shows directly to HDTVs. All versions support native instant start HD as well as movies in highest quality HD format available, HDX, and automatically upscale standard resolution movies. Thus, all movies are displayed in 1080p resolution at 24 frames per second, the cinematic gold standard.

Through relationships with every major US movie studio and more than 38 independent studios and distributors, VUDU offers a vast array of on-demand choices at the highest quality. The VUDU collection is constantly updated, and newly released movies from major studios are available on the same day as the DVD is released. Consumers can finally watch great movies without the hassles associated with traditional services -- no driving, no mailing, and no monthly fee. For more information, visit http://www.vudu.com/.

[Skippman]

My buddy sells these things. They're pretty nice actually if you don't have the desire to build your own home theater PC.

[martini161]

or if you dont wanna buy a computer with a cable card >_>

[Skippman]

A full bore computer as a HTPC is a PITA for most people. Hell, I even consider my X-Box 360 to be a crappy HTPC and it's interface is as stripped down as I've ever seen anything. Fact of the mater is most of the HTPC's you see aren't very good at being a HTPC. Fan noise, poor sound card, SPDIF as the only digital audio out, etc. At least monitor resolutions are starting to become standardized.

If you build a purpose built machine and run something like MythTV then yes, it's nice. But to buy and off the shelf HP and try to make it into an ergonomic HTPC is a nightmare that I'd rather not revisit any time soon. The VUDU does a great job at what it's supposed to do, play video's.

[martini161]

yeah, i really hate what cable labs has done with the whole cablecard thing. i spent all this money on my HTPC and i spend some thing like 50bucks amonth on getting premium HD channles, i wanna watch em how ever the hell i want. i dont even care if have to buy some addin card from cable labs. but the fact that it only works on "certified" systems with "special" bios'es (common, every one knows you just added in one thing to make the card work, special my ass) is absolute bull

[Skippman]

I wouldn't be suprised if the "special" BIOS you're refering to doesn't actually contain some kind of hardware based copy protection system to prevent you from recording shows in HD on your PC. That was the big deal about HDMI in the first place was putting digital copy protection in place.

Movie studios are fighting a loosing battle right now. the MPAA and RIAA are both desperate to keep people from pirating thier products. They've gone so far as to make is to that hardware vendors have to support thier encryption schemes if they want to get the licenses nessicary for media playback. I understand thier position. But it's a double edged sword. If I own a CD, it's my right to copy it to my HD or any other playback device I own. If I own a DVD, I should have the same right. That's the premise 321 Studios used when they created DVD XCopy.

In the age where you can download a movie before it even hits the theater it's no wonder Hollywood is fighting it. If you don't pay for the movie, they don't have the budget to make another one. If that happens we'll all be forced to watch Sci Fi Channel movies. And no one wants that.