Vudu to Sell Permanent HD Downloads
The price will range from $14 to $24.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (February 24, 2009) -- Vudu, the Video on Demand set-top service, says it will begin selling permanent High-Definition movie downloads for purchase over the Net.
That's according to an article by Video Business.
The $149 Vudu set-top enables users to download movies over a high-speed Internet connection. The box, which can also store movies, offers more than 13,000 movies and shows, including more than 1,000 HDTV selections.
Until now, however, Vudu only permitted owners to permanently download movies in standard-def and keep them on their set-tops. The service offered high-def rentals, but they would be deleted from the set-top after viewing.
Starting with today's offering of the Oscar-winning documentary, Man on Wire, Vudu will permit users to keep high-def films on the set-top. Additionally, a Vudu owner will be able to delete the movie but retrieve it again from Vudu's server for free at a later time.
Video Business reports that Vudu has signed deals with Magnolia Pictures, First Look studios, Kino and other independent studios to offer their films as permanent downloads.
The publication adds that the HD downloads will be available in 1080p video the same day they debut on DVD and Blu-ray. The permanent HD downloads will cost between $13.99 and $23.99, the company said.
