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Walmart Entertainment’s Disc-to-Digital Service Powered by VUDU

40K views 325 replies 52 participants last post by  dochsale 
#1 ·
Walmart Entertainment's Disc-to-Digital Service Powered by VUDU: How it Works

The process to convert previously-purchased DVD/Blu-ray movies to digital copies is quick and simple:


Bring your movie collections from the participating studio partners - Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal and Warner Bros. - to your local Walmart Photo Center.

A Walmart associate will help you create a free VUDU account.

Tell the associate how you'd like your movies converted:

◦Convert a standard DVD or Blu-ray movie for $2; or,

◦Upgrade a standard DVD to an HD digital copy for $5.

Walmart will authorize the digital copies and place them in your VUDU account. No upload is necessary, and you get to keep your physical discs.

Log onto VUDU.com from more than 300 Internet-connected devices to view movies any time, any place.


Walmart Entertainment supports UltraViolet, the movie industry's initiative currently in its beta phase that allows consumers to put their purchased movies into a cloud-based digital library and keep track of them safely and securely. Walmart is able to offer customers the ability to watch and purchase UltraViolet-enabled titles directly from VUDU.


Press Release:
http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/10824.aspx


Video Press Release:
http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/10835.aspx
 
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#178 ·
I checked out the list and I have targeted a few DVD films to upgrade to HDX......Gladiator, Heat, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded( I have these on HD-DVD, gonna see if they accept them for a $2 conversion), King of Kings, and Ben Hur......


Missing was Jaws and Jurrasic Park, even though VUDU is bundling the Jurassic Park trilogy for 49.99.....


The list doesn't say which are available in hi-def format and doesn't say if the LOTR films are the extended versions or theatrical.....
 
#179 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by PooperScooper /forum/post/21905930


Before it snowballs, please keep the discussion in this thread to the Walmart/Vudu program. Any discussion of what might happen or future guessing in general belongs in another thread especially now that the program is 'live'. Thanks.


larry

My apologies Larry, I knew I was getting OT with the post, but I wasn't sure where else to post it since we don't have a "General/OT/..." section
 
#183 ·
So the service is live.


My question is: if people didn't take the time to watch the movies they have on their shelf, why will having them in the cloud make them watch the movies more? It's the same movie. Hollywood is once again charging you more $$ for the same exact movie, and in the case of a bluray movie, at a lesser quality.


The reason I don't watch the movies on my shelf much is mainly because of time. Having a movie in the cloud isn't going to give me more time to watch them. They will sit in the cloud gathering digital dust like my movies on the shelf gather real dust.


On the other hand I do use Amazon's and Google's clouds for music 1) because they are free and 2) I can use it in the car (it works decent via 3G). They also have a download option to store a local copy on the phone.


But music is different than movies.


For normal adults that drive themselves to work, you can't watch movies in the car while driving. In my case I am not going to watch a movie in the cloud more just because it is in the cloud. I have a disc player under every TV I have, it is easy enough to watch them as is, yet I still don't do it.


Movies in the cloud might be good for children in the backseat of a car (assuming the download option pops up soon), and people who travel a lot. But I see the appeal for (young) adults on the go being quite limited.


My question remains - If I don't have the time or desire to watch them from my shelf how will that change with them in the cloud?
 
#184 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bt12483 /forum/post/21912568


My question remains - If I don't have the time or desire to watch them from my shelf how will that change with them in the cloud?

It won't because you have no desire to re-watch movies (same as a blockbuster store or Redbox kiosk having copies of movies you don't want to re-watch isn't going to cause you to re-watch those movies). Same reason I have no interest in this and sold off most of my DVD collection which at one time totaled ~750....they just collected dust.


But there are many people who maintain media servers of movies on them that might be interested in a cloud solution rather than spending the time and costs associated with ripping and storing them locally or wanting to be able to access the collection in hotels/airports or the car (yes, there are people with kids who will watch a movie in the car...shocking, I know).


I feel that I wasted my time having to explain that.
 
#186 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jm9843 /forum/post/21912682


I didn't realize that this service is meant to solve the time/desire to watch a film "problem" that you presume some users to have.

Presumably having a film more easily available would increase consumption of it.


Presumably. If you are OK with watching a 2hr movie in 15 minutes segments on the train, etc.
 
#187 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by mproper /forum/post/21912657


(yes, there are people with kids who will watch a movie in the car...shocking, I know).

Not shocking. I already noted it:
Quote:
Originally Posted by bt12483 /forum/post/21912568


...Movies in the cloud might be good for children in the backseat of a car (assuming the download option pops up soon)
Quote:
Originally Posted by mproper /forum/post/21912657


I feel that I wasted my time having to explain that.

So next time don't.
 
#188 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bt12483 /forum/post/21912695


Presumably having a film more easily available would increase consumption of it.

Okay. Then you answered your own question?

Quote:
Originally Posted by bt12483 /forum/post/21912695


Presumably. If you are OK with watching a 2hr movie in 15 minutes segments on the train, etc.

It's already been mentioned but, say I don't want to maintain a media server at home or have to deal with the storage requirements/additional labor/legalities of ripping Blu-rays. Maybe I want the convenience of a digitally streamed file as opposed to an optical disc. Perhaps I have multiple tv's I'd like to serve and would prefer a $49.99 Netgear NeoTV over more expensive streamers or Blu-ray players.


A $2.00 Ultraviolet digital copy may represent the path of least resistance.
 
#190 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jm9843 /forum/post/21912830


A $2.00 Ultraviolet digital copy may represent the path of least resistance.

The path of least resistance would be to just use the discs and players you already have and not give Hollywood more money for content you have already purchased.


They include UV for free when you purchase a new disc yet charge for it for old discs.
 
#193 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by wavest /forum/post/21913880


I know this is wishful thinking, but is there a possibility of converting hd-dvd discs?

Thanks!


I plan on bringing some this weekend to find out.
 
#194 ·
I did it today. I took 5 SD dvds and switched them to HDX. I went online to Walmart and linked my UltraViolet account to Vudu. Then it runs you thru the procedure of entering the dvds and making them HDX.

All you do is print it out and then take dvds and printout to Walmart. Everthing went pretty smooth but they counld'nt find the Walmart dvd stamp and they looked for it for 15 minutes. So I'm on the Honor System.

I went home and there they were in My Vudu account. Also Paramount put my UltraViolet movies in the Vudu account which was sweet. No Warner ( Flixster) yet.


mark
 
#195 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sparky7 /forum/post/21914070


I did it today. I took 5 SD dvds and switched them to HDX. ...


mark

So did I. I took 7 SD movies and switched over to HDX. I had been talking to the Photo Center lady a couple of days before so she knew what to do and it was very fast. I got home and had all 7 in my Vudu account in HDX.
 
#196 ·
Just got back from Walmart where I had 3 DVD movies changed over to HDX. Of course the young guy behind the counter was busy in photofinishing but eventually got around to helping me. I handed him the list of movies that I had printed off the VUDU website after linking my account to UV. He gave the list a blank stare for a while then said the process was new to him and he would have to consult a fellow worker (directly behind me was the Walmart/VUDU Disc to Digital standee). After he got off the phone she came in from wherever she working to train him. He filled out the Disc to Digital Form with my name, email and phone number. They asked that if I had other shopping to do it would be done by the time I finished. When I returned they had processed everything and only required my payment. After I got home I checked my VUDU account and the three titles were listed as Own. The only reason I went this route was because the three DVD movies that were upgraded to HDX show no signs of ever coming to Blu-ray although I still hope they do. The movies were The Dead Zone (1983), Somewhere in Time (1980) and City of Angels (1998). When I rented Sabrina (1995) in HDX a few months back I was pleasantly surprised by how good the picture looked. I'll be watching one tonight to see if the quality upgrade was worthwhile.
 
#197 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.G /forum/post/21914277


... The movies were The Dead Zone (1983), Somewhere in Time (1980) and City of Angels (1998). When I rented Sabrina (1995) in HDX a few months back I was pleasantly surprised by how good the picture looked. I'll be watching one tonight to see if the quality upgrade was worthwhile.

What a coincidence! I also did "Somewhere In Time" from SD to HDX.
 
#198 ·
I just did my signup online. and since it created an UltraViolet account, I decided to purchase my first Ultra Violet title. Mission Impossible 4. So once I get it I should have access to it on the VUDU site.


I also see that my HD titles I purchased from VUDU over 3 years ago showed up on my UltraViolet account as well.
 
#200 ·
Was that from a PC? Isn't SD only available from a PC?


EDIT: Yes, only SD from a PC.
 
#201 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt /forum/post/21914982


Was that from a PC? Isn't SD only available from a PC?


EDIT: Yes, only SD from a PC.

Sony titles in HD can be viewed via PC. You have to do it through flixster though. Im looking forward to the next UV step which is the Common File Format (CFF). Thats what collectors will be collecting and placing on their home storage devices. The CFF is coming in June and I am hearing the CFF is like a DVD Iso where you can have chapter title pages and other extras much like those on BD and DVD.
 
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