Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

vudu

Facebook, Twitter coming to Vizio TVs

First announced at CES, the list of Web widgets packed into forthcoming Vizio high-definition TVs is growing.

On Tuesday, Vizio announced that some of the most popular services on the Web will be directly accessible from the TV screen, including eBay, Facebook, Twitter, and Rallypoint Sports. Showtime, Web video channel Revision3, Internet radio site Radiotime, and video-on-demand service Vudu, will also be accessible on the Via Connected HDTV feature, which is powered by the Yahoo TV Widgets engine.

That adds to an already impressive lineup of Internet content from Amazon Video on Demand, Blockbuster On Demand, Flickr, Netflix, Pandora, and … Read more

Vudu service coming to Entone set-tops this year

Vudu is thinking outside the box--literally. The company's 14,000-plus movie library will soon be available on Entone set-top boxes and DVRs. A software upgrade on the Entone units will effectively add the entire functionality of the Vudu BX100, including on-demand access to HD and HDX movies.

While you may not have heard of Entone, the company supplies set-top hardware to smaller regional telephone-company-video providers. Many of those providers may have lackluster (or nonexistent) video-on-demand offerings, so Vudu's library--which includes about 1,500 high-definition movies as well--offers a worthwhile added value to consumers.

For Vudu, the deal represents … Read more

Vudu adds Pandora to its bag of media tricks

Pandora's free online music service is coming to the Vudu set-top box.

Vudu has announced the availability of "immediate access" to the Pandora service for users of its media-on-demand box. Vudu's iteration will allow on-screen access to the music service (as shown above), as well as the ability to toggle between multiple Pandora accounts (so several family members in a given household can access their individual personalized stations, for instance). Pandora joins the recent addition of YouTube, Picasa, and Flickr to Vudu's movie box.

Vudu is pledging to open its Rich Internet Application platform to … Read more

Dreaming of cutting the subscription TV cord

The economy is in the toilet, and I know I'm not the only person in America who is looking for ways to cut costs. Top on my list in 2009 is finding a way to eliminate my $100 a month cable TV bill.

Up until very recently, the idea of cutting off subscription TV would have meant skimping on a whole lot of good quality entertainment. I must admit, I don't watch a lot of TV. But I watch enough that I would be very sad if I had to give up HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" or NBC's "30 Rock."

But thanks to that wonderful communications network known as the Internet and the fact that big Hollywood studios and TV networks have finally realized that digital distribution is actually a good thing, cable cord cutters, like me, won't have to sacrifice that much or anything at all, depending on what movies and TV programs we like to watch.

Thanks to services like Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon On Demand, consumers can simply stream or download movies or previous seasons of TV shows directly from the Web anytime they want. And for those viewers looking for current seasons of TV shows, they can turn to Web sites, such as Hulu.com or TV.com, which have aggregated some of the most popular TV shows for on-demand viewing over the Net. (Disclosure: CNET and TV.com are properties of CBS Interactive.) … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 917: It's all bad Apples today!

Brian Tong is here today, but even so, we STILL hate on the new Safari beta and even Snow Leopard...just a little bit. Plus, Tom drops by with his Kindle 2, Microsoft decides its laid-off employees can keep their money, and Vudu is selling HD movies. You know, if you want them.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 917

Also, Steve Jobs is 54 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_jobs

Tim O’Reilly on why the Kindle should open up or die http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/22/kindle-oreilly-ebooks-technology-breakthroughs_oreilly.html

Microsoft backtracks on severance issue http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10170025-56.html… Read more

HD movie purchases coming to Vudu

Most video-on-demand set-top boxes let users rent or buy downloadable movies. But high-definition movies have been rental-only, thanks to limitations from the movie studios that own the content. But owners of Vudu's on-demand box will now be able to buy a limited selection of HD movies from independent studios Firstlook, Magnolia, and Kino.

The initial roster of 50 high-def movies includes such titles as "Transsiberian" and the Oscar-winning "Man on Wire," and they'll be offered simultaneously with the DVD releases. (Viewers can opt to buy either the "instant HD" or the much … Read more

Vudu slashes price--now $149

Vudu has cut the price of its entry-level BX100 set-top box in half. Effective immediately, the box will retail for $149, down from $295.

It's not the first price cut for Vudu. The product debuted at $399 in September 2007, then dropped to $295 in January 2008. But unlike the $200 movie credit at Best Buy during last year's holiday buying season, the new price cut isn't a temporary promotional deal. Vudu is also axing prices on the Wireless Kit (was $99, now $79) and the Vudu XL (was $999, now $499).

The BX100 was already one … Read more

Daily Tidbits: Last.fm makes its way to Android

Last.fm announced Friday that it has launched a mobile version of its social radio platform for Google Android-based phones. The Last.fm app, which is already available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, allows users to listen to the company's streaming radio stations and plays in the background while users perform other functions on the device. Last.fm's Android app is free and available now in the Android Market.

URL shortening service, Bit.ly, announced Thursday that it has updated its Twitter plug-in for Firefox. The update now provides users with the context of a Twitter conversation … Read more