Vudu Box Gets Fatter but Thinner

Movie-download service Vudu introduced a third model in its hardware lineup: The Vudu XL2. The new box features a 1TB hard drive in a rack-mountable enclosure.

The original Vudu Box ($299, with a $200 prepaid movie credit if you buy one at Best Buy) comes with just a 250GB hard drive, enough to store 50 purchased films, according to Vudu. The XL ($999), introduced January 2008, comes in the same form factor but is capable of storing more than 500 films. The Vudu XL2 ($1,299) features the same-sized hard drive as the XL, but it occupies just one rack unit (1U) of space.

The XL2 can be controlled via either infrared or IP control, a feature that renders it compatible with high-end controllers manufactured by Creston and AMX. Consumers interested in renting or purchasing movies from the Vudu service, however, remain limited to the original Vudu Box; the more capacious models are available only from custom installers.

All Vudu boxes are capable of delivering video at up to 1080p resolution (using HDMI; component video output is limited to 1080i resolution), although not all movies are available in high definition (this depends largely on what terms Vudu has been able to negotiate with the studio releasing the film).

Vudu’s movie-rental fees range from $0.99 to $3.99, while purchased movies cost between $4.99 and $19.99. There is no monthly fee, but customers must pay in advance in blocks of $20, $50, or $100 (rentals and purchases are then deducted from this deposit, which is then automatically replenished).

Purchased films cannot be burned to disc, nor can movies stored on a Vudu box be streamed over a network to a remote client (if you want to watch a movie on a TV in another room, you have to disconnect the box and take it with you). Here again, this is a limit imposed by the movie studios, not by Vudu.