Fandango purchases Vudu! (1 Viewer)

[Tino]

I find the Vudu app far superior to the AppleTV+ app on my Roku Ultra by just about every objective measure. For one thing: You can actually watch the extras on the Vudu app. I have to use my PC to watch the iTunes extras. Navigating the AppleTV+ app is also pokey compared to the Vudu app.

I would perhaps agree if I didn’t own an ATV4K.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I would perhaps agree if I don’t own an ATV4K.

You shouldn't need to buy special hardware to utilize a streaming platform.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I find the Vudu app far superior to the AppleTV+ app on my Roku Ultra by just about every objective measure. For one thing: You can actually watch the extras on the Vudu app. I have to use my PC to watch the iTunes extras. Navigating the AppleTV+ app is also pokey compared to the Vudu app.

Plus, no Atmos!

 

[Tino]

You shouldn't need to buy special hardware to utilize a streaming platform.

I agree. Doesn’t change the fact that I prefer my Apple TV 4K.

 

[Tino]

And let me add I still love VUDU, my first love.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

And let me add I still love VUDU, my first love.

And, while we're being congenial, let me add that while I have my issues with the AppleTV+ app, I'm still very happy to have it!

 

[Cranston37+]

I think if a service gets shut down, it would be FandangoNow and those customers would be transplanted over to Vudu.

Fandango Now will go away, and "Vudu by Fandango" or whatever branding will endure going forward.

I still think it's going to be the other way around, but I wouldn't place a bet on it.

I think it's advantageous for them to run the ticket sales business and digital sales business together. Keeping the Vudu name would essentially damn them to running them separately.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I’ve been surprised that Amazon never tried the “disc and digital” combo that Walmart and Vudu did - you’d think they would have been perfectly positioned to compete in that category.

 

[Chip_HT]

I cash out points on Microsoft Rewards and other programs to get Wal-Mart gift cards to use on Vudu, as I use very little real money to buy digital. Hopefully there will be plenty of warning of when to add and/or use Wal-Mart gift card balances at Vudu.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I’ve been surprised that Amazon never tried the “disc and digital” combo that Walmart and Vudu did - you’d think they would have been perfectly positioned to compete in that category.

About 10 years ago I ordered a large number of Blu-Rays from Amazon and they showed up as free one-day digital rentals. I didn't watch them because I wanted to see them in the best possible quality, the Amazon app on my TV wasn't even delivering 5.1 sound then.

I don't have an Apple TV and haven't played much with the Apple Roku app, but Vudu is the best for browsing because it shows most of the cast and crew with pictures and shows you everything else that they've done. I've often checked out other movies from the same director after finishing one. FandangoNow doesn't have anything like that, it's just a jumbled mess. It doesn't even show your movies or shows in any coherent order, while Vudu has always let you keep them in either purchase or release order and now also has the customized lists. If they're smart they'll just adapt Vudu's interface and scrap everything else. (My only real complaint about Vudu is the title and time display that shows onscreen during the first 5 seconds; I've instinctively been trained to hit the Back button to make that go away immediately.)

 

[Adam Gregorich]

I hope they keep disc to digital and disc+ digital. I use both frequently. As a parent I like the parental guide with the movie listings. Helps me decide if things are appropriate for the kids.

 

[Cranston37+]

I hope they keep disc to digital and disc+ digital. I use both frequently. As a parent I like the parental guide with the movie listings. Helps me decide if things are appropriate for the kids.

Wouldn't keeping Disc+Digital require NBC/Universal to get in the disc business?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I still think it's going to be the other way around, but I wouldn't place a bet on it.

I think it's advantageous for them to run the ticket sales business and digital sales business together. Keeping the Vudu name would essentially damn them to running them separately.

I don't care what they call it, as long as Vudu's infrastructure and app survives. The Fandango Now setup is maddening.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I’ve been surprised that Amazon never tried the “disc and digital” combo that Walmart and Vudu did - you’d think they would have been perfectly positioned to compete in that category.

Especially when you consider that they do this with music CD purchases -- you get an immediate MP3 download of any CD album you purchase at Amazon.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Hopefully this means that people's Fandango Now purchases will get rolled into their Vudu libraries, Fandango Now will go away, and "Vudu by Fandango" or whatever branding will endure going forward.

Vudu by far has the best UI and customer experience of the various digital lockers.

As long as you don't include customer support in that "customer experience". Vudu's customer support is terrible -- they make the cable companies and airlines look good in comparison.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

As long as you don't include customer support in that "customer experience". Vudu's customer support is terrible -- they make the cable companies and airlines look good in comparison.

Never had to use it, fortunately. The few times I've had a problem, I went directly to the studio behind the title and they were able to resolve the issue for me.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Never had to use it, fortunately. The few times I've had a problem, I went directly to the studio behind the title and they were able to resolve the issue for me.

I have opened tickets with them four different times over the years, and they only resolved my issue once -- and that was after several months and I had forgotten I had opened the issue (I wanted a refund for a film I purchased from them that wasn't in OAR, nor was its aspect ratio even listed). I had one issue that they "escalated" after bouncing me back and forth between Vudu and Walmart customer service several times, and that ticket stayed in an escalated status for over a year without any update before they just closed it without contacting me. That one I resolved myself by contacting my credit card company for a refund -- Vudu had sent me the incorrect disc from a disc + digital purchase, and neither Vudu nor Walmart knew how to correct the issue. I left the issue open to see if they would ever figure out how to fix the problem, but never heard from them again after the Vudu representative escalated the ticket.

In comparison, the 3 or 4 times I have contacted Apple regarding an issue, I have received a quick response and my issue was resolved within a few hours.

This is one of the main reasons I stopped buying from Vudu after I purchased an Apple TV 4K and had the ability to play content from iTunes (this was before the ATV app was available for Roku).

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Wouldn't keeping Disc+Digital require NBC/Universal to get in the disc business?

Or connecting with a retail partner. I went through and did 25 disc to digital conversions tonight. Since Vudu is the only site to do that I fear it might be a casualty.

 

[Tino]

Especially when you consider that they do this with music CD purchases -- you get an immediate MP3 download of any CD album you purchase at Amazon.

Not true. Only those with Auto-Rip. Not all.

 

[Mredwards]

Do you all have any thought or opinions of the news that Fandango is purchasing Vudu? I received an email that said not much was going to change but that there would be more offers etc. Should we be looking forward to this? I see it as a step backwards for Vudu. I guess that Fandango is diversifying into more digital content. I check their digital sales ever once in a while but I have never actually purchased any digital content from them.