Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

[redwein]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

If one is so busy, is it not better to have it available as soon as possible, as you will not know for certain when available time will present itself? If one wants to "watch what one wants to watch when one wants to watch it," is it also not better to have the option of watching it sooner, rather than later?

This makes no sense. If you are too busy to watch it on the first day, watching it on the first day isn't an option, let alone a solution. Also, given VOD, it doesn't matter when I can watch it since I can decide to watch it and then just do it. Sometimes I don't have time to watch any movies for weeks and then can watch 2 or 3 in a day. When I do get the time, I want my mood and viewing companions to determine what I watch, not what I happen to have sitting there from Netflix. VOD gives you the flexibility to do that. In fact, I would say that is the whole point of it.

Of course having it sooner is always a good thing. It just isn't the end of the world if it isn't.

[Nded]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

It really comes down to personal priorities. Some folks are so focused on immediate access to the latest releases that it could be classified as an obsessive compulsive disorder. Other folks put little or no value on what's new from movieland, and only care if they can find something that appeals to them at the time they are ready to watch something. The folks in the second group may not even be aware of what the studios have made in the last year (or years!). They just don't care. Certainly there is a wide range of priority positions between these two extremes, and all are valid from the perspective of the holder of the viewpoint.

Are you old enough to remember the days BEFORE we had Video Tape players? What some folks are feeling entitled to (i.e. same day access to everything that's ever released), was not even conceivable not too long ago. Anybody who reacts like this is a life and death issue has definitely got their priorities out of whack. After all, it is really just "make believe" and not an issue of substance.

[Glassjoe]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

This makes no sense. If you are too busy to watch it on the first day, watching it on the first day isn't an option, let alone a solution. Also, given VOD, it doesn't matter when I can watch it since I can decide to watch it and then just do it. Sometimes I don't have time to watch any movies for weeks and then can watch 2 or 3 in a day. When I do get the time, I want my mood and viewing companions to determine what I watch, not what I happen to have sitting there from Netflix. VOD gives you the flexibility to do that. In fact, I would say that is the whole point of it.

I think you're missing my whole point. I don't want to get into an argument with you (again ), but...

Okay, so let's accept the premise that you are very busy (who isn't) and can only watch movies when you happen to have a break from whatever things that make you busy.

Now, I admit that I am going on the assumption that new movie releases come out on different days, times (ie, not something like "the 1st Monday of every month").

So if the times when you can watch a movie is random and the times that movies are released are also random, it only makes sense that the sooner the movie is released, the more random times you will have available to watch said movie.

In other words, consider:

You randomly have days 5, 12, 14, and 28 of any given month to watch a movie. Let's say movie A is released to DVD on day 6 of the month. That would leave you with days 12, 14, and 28 to potentially watch the movie.

Now, obviously, if the same movie is available two weeks later (ie, day 20), you have only one available date to watch the movie.

Throw in the fact that multiple movies are released at different times and the fact that you don't when when you are going to be ready/willing/able to watch the movie--and I can't see any way that it's not better to have the option to watch it when it is released to DVD vs. that date + 2 weeks.

[redwein]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

You are making it overly complicated. I keep a wish list of movies that I like and I choose one of them when I want to watch a movie. Movies coming out earlier would just mean they would make it into my wishlist earlier but it is no big deal if they don't. I will eventually get to watch every new movie I want and will sometimes watch older movies, even if new ones are available, because that is what I am in the mood for. The flaw in your logic is saying that I will have fewer days to watch a movie if it is later. That would only be true if I died, which would suck of course. Barring that, I will watch it in the next month or whenever I get to it.

I have 100% chance of watching all the movies I want at a time when I am in the mood to watch them. My percentage chance will remain the same if they are all released earlier. Being release later just means that my viewing habits will be shfited by that number of weeks. It won't change the movies I end up watching. It isn't like I am interested in every new release that comes out either. Once you can watch all of the movies you want, the exact ordering and timing of it is irrelevant. You can't use statistics to say something is more likely than 100%. At least not if you know anything about statistics.

Here is another way of looking at it. If every studio decided to release every one of their movies 4 weeks later than they currently are doing (the release schedules are arbitrary after all), what would the end result be? Everyone would still watch what they want, when it is available. As far as I am concerned, the Vudu release schedule is the only one I care about. I wouldn't even notice if they started matching Netflix because I only notice what becomes available on Vudu.

[NA9D]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

Some people wait in line for hours when a new hot movie comes to the theatre. They have to watch it on the opening day. Others, like myself, will wait until the movie is in the theatre for 3 weeks and then go see it after the crowds have died down. The only exception I have ever done with this was when Star Wars Episode I came out. Other than that, I'd rather wait for the crowds to die down after a few weeks.

I don't HAVE to see something NOW.

Others are different.

[Glassjoe]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

I like vudu--don't get me wrong.

I'm not specifically talking about you, red...I'm generally stating that to have the option to watch earlier or later is better than to have the option to watch later. You can say that it doesn't matter to you, but I can't accept if you say that to have the option later only is better.

Also, FWIW--I have taken about 1.25 yrs (ie, 4 quarters) worth of statistics classes at Ohio State (where I graduated, by the by)...

Cue nat'l championship jokes of the past few years in 3...2...1...

[Nded]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

Also, FWIW--I have taken about 1.25 yrs (ie, 4 quarters) worth of statistics classes at Ohio State (where I graduated, by the by)...

Cue nat'l championship jokes of the past few years in 3...2...1...

I'm thinking good old math jokes would be the low hanging fruit in that post. Seems like 1.25 years ought to be 5 quarters.... Just reminds me never to hire an Ohio State graduate to do accounting.

[GArmbruster]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

I think vudu initially set expectation too high. There were many folks that expected new releases available same day. Many folks were upset that not all movies were available in 5.1. HD wasn't available right away. I'm not sure how or why those expectations were there but they were.

I think apple did a better job of addressing some of the limitations (which are mostly identical to vudu's limitations). I think if Vudu had done a better job setting expectations this thread wouldn't have a need to exist.

However, familiar with the limitations from the content providers, and setting my expectations to be in line with reality, vudu is easily meeting my expectations. (Promise i won't type that word again!)

As redwein suggested, I've been using the wishlist feature a bit more recently. Adding movies to there and renting movies from my wishlist makes finding good content much easier, and makes vudu an even better product.

I wish the price was lower (particularly on the movie rentals) but that's mostly a content provider issue as well.

[HeadHodge]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

I'm thinking good old math jokes would be the low hanging fruit in that post. Seems like 1.25 years ought to be 5 quarters.... Just reminds me never to hire an Ohio State graduate to do accounting.

I agree 1000%

Oh wait a minute...... Isn't that statistically impossible?

[Nded]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

I agree 1000%

Oh wait a minute...... Isn't that statistically impossible?

That's the beauty of statistics - nothing is impossible.

[Glassjoe]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

I'm thinking good old math jokes would be the low hanging fruit in that post. Seems like 1.25 years ought to be 5 quarters.... Just reminds me never to hire an Ohio State graduate to do accounting.

Well, apparently I'm an idiot, but not for the reason you think. 3 quarters = 1 full school year...so I guess my 4 quarters would technically be 1.333 years.

[redwein]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

Well, apparently I'm an idiot, but not for the reason you think. 3 quarters = 1 full school year...so I guess my 4 quarters would technically be 1.333 years.

We called them trimesters at Penn State (since 3 of them made up a standard year) and there was an additional summer term that you could take or not. I guess we were more sticklers for accuracy.

[redwein]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

I'm generally stating that to have the option to watch earlier or later is better than to have the option to watch later.

I already agreed with that.

...but I can't accept if you say that to have the option later only is better.

I never said that. I said it wasn't the "end of the world" and that it wouldn't make any real difference to me and gave a reason why. I also refuted your analysis that said that having it earlier would give me more opportunities to watch it. It won't. It will simply move back the time frame that I will watch it in.

[TuffWoD]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

I've had my Vudu for a few days now and I like it quite well. Like everyone else I would like to see more movies available for rental. I would love a release schedule comparable to the video stores. But I think the selection is sufficient knowing it is just going to continue to grow.

[Glassjoe]

Re: Is VUDU LIVING UP to your EXPECTATIONS?

We called them trimesters at Penn State (since 3 of them made up a standard year) and there was an additional summer term that you could take or not. I guess we were more sticklers for accuracy.

Penn State...that figures (and explains a lot)!