Vudu has joined the Fandango family

[jeremymc7]

I don’t understand the point of this email Vudu sent out today.

As mentioned in their same email this information was previously announced. No additional details have been shared. We don’t know anything about how things will transition between the two. When it will happen. Which, if any will be shut down. What about apps on various platforms. Etc.

[Alan Smithee]

I just hope the Vudu interface stays, and Fandango goes if one has to- it's pretty redundant to have them both running when they're now owned by the same company. Vudu is always fun to browse through, Fandango is disorganized and messy.

[jeremymc7]

I just hope the Vudu interface stays, and Fandango goes if one has to- it's pretty redundant to have them both running when they're now owned by the same company. Vudu is always fun to browse through, Fandango is disorganized and messy.

From what’s been said. They’re both staying, for now, which implies to me one is going away down the road.

Honestly there are things I like about both. Vudu offers more, but there are design elements I like about FN more.

We’ll see.

[B2Net]

My hope is that if one goes away that the libraries merge so anything that we own exclusive to one or the other service still remains. Like a title we own in one and not the other or if we have a higher resolution on one and not the other.

[Cranston37]

The Vudu app for ATV has already been updated to be a little more like FN

I hope any mods reading this will realize how much talk is going around the internets about when/if libraries will merge and will address it in any way they can...

[quackman]

I have a bunch of UHD movies on FN that are HDX only on Vudu. I will be watching closely to see if these get upgraded on Vudu. I don't see why not!

[Dadbart]

Would love to see some of both remain app wise. Some design of FN is nicer, but Vudu has broader UHD device support. You can upgrade quality of titles you already own on Vudu, but not on FN. So some of both will hopefully remain.

There is also VR, a pet peeve of mine with Vudu. FN has an app for VR on the Quest and it can be watched on PCVR on multiple browsers. Opened a new library of 3D digital content. Vudu almost seems as though it is intentionally blocking in most ways on any VR platform.

Merging libraries is almost a requirement as the legal ramifications of one closing down without making sure consumers still have access to movies and TV they bought would be huge.

[AAD213]

I hope they simply merge the databases/features and keep the Vudu name, Vudu features, Vudu app, and just let go of the FandangoNow name/website.

[sonofaslan]

Merging the two is the way to go. To simply sunset one service or the other would be alienating an entire customer base. If they went to Vudu only, then all those with Fandango libraries are going to be like, "". And if they go with Fandango only, then those with Vudu libraries will be like, "".

They should create a way to link Fandango and Vudu, allowing the libraries to merge. Once merged, if they wanted to sunset one service or the other, then all is well. But they better give users a good, LOOOOONG time to link up. A year or two, at least.

I can't be sure, but I can't help but think there is a LOT of red tape with this, with digital licensing and all that.

What I do NOT expect is for them to maintain the status quo for very long. Companies simply do not do this in today's business climate, especially a business as uncertain as movie streaming where the public is still trying to decide if they want to stick with subscription services like Netflix, or purchasing services, like Vudu. Everyone I talk to is still a little gun-shy about services like Vudu, for the same reasons we are all on edge. What happens if you invest a lot of money in purchases and the service goes away? Unfortunately, there is only one answer to that question. And there isn't diddly-squat we can do about it.

But if ever the public, at large, sees the market as reasonably stable, more and more people will be more apt to use the service.

Of course, passing Vudu around from owner to owner, especially to owners who already have a streaming service, doesn't actually scream stability, and has those of us with thousands of dollars tied up in the service wringing our hands wondering where we'll be in a few months.

Although I detest aspects of the service, it almost makes one wish I'd went to Amazon instead of Vudu. The fact that they amalgamated their subscription streaming with their purchased streaming was an excellent marketing decision. If streaming eventually dies, they will be the last man standing. Everything about Vudu's streaming service (streaming, interface, apps, browsing, lists, family-play, etc) is superior to Amazon. But does that matter if Vudu isn't here in a year's time?

But, the fact is, I have thousands tied up in Kindle books, and I have thousands tied up in Vudu movies... And I'm not concerned about my Kindle books going away. My Vudu movies and TV shows... Yeah... I'm very concerned.

[bestquality]

Maintaing two separate services doesn't make financial sense so it would be surprising if they allowed for years to migrate to a single platform. For the shallowest of analyses, consider that Fandango has 3M likes on FB while Vudu has 300k likes and FandangoNow has 100k. This would naively suggest keeping the Vudu platform (3x the customers) but consolidating around the Fandango brand (10x the recognition). Place your bets...

[diamond204]

Maintaing two separate services doesn't make financial sense so it would be surprising if they allowed for years to migrate to a single platform. For the shallowest of analyses, consider that Fandango has 3M likes on FB while Vudu has 300k likes and FandangoNow has 100k. This would naively suggest keeping the Vudu platform (3x the customers) but consolidating around the Fandango brand (10x the recognition). Place your bets...

If I was into gambling, i'd say you were spot on.

[RBBrittain]

Maintaing two separate services doesn't make financial sense so it would be surprising if they allowed for years to migrate to a single platform. For the shallowest of analyses, consider that Fandango has 3M likes on FB while Vudu has 300k likes and FandangoNow has 100k. This would naively suggest keeping the Vudu platform (3x the customers) but consolidating around the Fandango brand (10x the recognition). Place your bets...

This is exactly why I suspect the eventual merged platform will have Fandango branding (whether FandangoNow, Fandango Vudu, or something else along those lines) but will be based on the Vudu platform, which I think is why Fandango bought Vudu to begin with. Having dealt with these platforms for years, IMO Vudu's platform is more on par with Netflix, Amazon, Apple, etc. than FandangoNow's in both quality and device support, even after Fandango fixed many of M-GO's problems. I seriously doubt Fandango spent money buying Vudu just to pull the plug on it unceremoniously; they could have just let it die like all the other UV retailers.

[jeremymc7]

The app for Vudu on Apple TV app was already updated and looks similar to Fandango. This looks to be an intern step to a merge. Seems unnecessary cost but who knows. Perhaps the Vudu app with stay but with updates to FandangoNow app functionality and then either stay Vudu or be FandangoNow branded.

[RayDyer]

The app for Vudu on Apple TV app was already updated and looks similar to Fandango. This looks to be an intern step to a merge. Seems unnecessary cost but who knows. Perhaps the Vudu app with stay but with updates to FandangoNow app functionality and then either stay Vudu or be FandangoNow branded.

I don't use my Apple TV for Vudu very often, but I went in and checked it after reading your post.

Didn't the Apple TV app used to have the new Lists feature? Because right now it's only showing my Wishlist.

If the future is one without Lists, I'm going to be bummed. Scrolling through a few thousand movies with these limited sorting options is a trainwreck...It's why I stopped using Apple TV for Vudu originally, in fact. I thought, at one point, it had at least been enhanced with Lists.

[AAD213]

I just noticed that at the bottom of Vudu's home page it now says Copyright 2020 Fandango.

Supposedly Fandango officially took over on July 1 and will soon complete the database merge and purging illegal "Instawatch" movies (the Instawatch purge might have already completed or is close to completing, Instawatch movies from 3rd parties were “illegal” according to Wal-Mart policies), as part of the last requirement from Wal-Mart.

Source: /r/Vudu on Reddit.