The Vudu box, released into the wild in October, is a new way to enjoy thousands of movies and TV shows (including HD content) at home. No cable box or DVD mailers are required, just a broadband internet connection. And seeing another way to break into the monopoly cable companies have on most living rooms, Hawaiian Telcom is now selling the VUDU at select retail locations.
Now, the Vudu is not the IPTV service the company started talking about last year, but it is a compelling video-on-demand service. Though it retails for $399, HiTel DSL broadband customers can get it for $199 — that's 50 percent off one of the hot new gadgets on the market.
As you might imagine, I can't resist hot new gadgets, and I've received a demo unit from HiTel to play with. In the coming weeks, I'll be putting the Vudu through its paces. And I won't pull any punches, either. My living room is already outfitted with more established alternatives to plain ol' television, including a TiVo (linked with Amazon Unbox), an Apple TV, and Netflix.
Stay tuned, and we'll see how the Vudu measures up, and whether the cable company has something else to worry about.
In the mean time, check out the rest of my Vudu photos (which prove why I'm a writer and not a photographer). If you can't wait to read more about this thing, here are some other reviews:
High-Speed Video Store in the Living Room (New York Times)
Vudu review (CrunchGear)
ZDNet Vudu Review (CNET)
Vudu Review (LAPTOP Magazine)
Review: Vudu (Macworld)
Vudu Video Wonderbox Picture Walkthrough and Review (Gizmodo)