VUDU launches "Disc to Digital"
 

http://www.vudu.com/disc_to_digital.html

Basically, it's the movie version of what e-book publishers should have done 5 years ago. If you own a DVD or Bluray of a movie, you can pay a couple bucks to get (permanent) online access to that movie.

I'm not going to run out and do it for every DVD I own, but it's cool that there's at least an option coming out like this.

Unless they pull what Cinemanow did and take movies away too. I purchased a copy of Green Lantern for the kids and 6 weeks later they pulled it down. I eventually got a refund but it still pissed me off.

In case it matters, you can use Vudu to play any movie you have registered with UltraViolet (for free). So if Green Lantern's still on your account, Vudu will play it.

EDIT: Odd...it's not on Vudu now either. I wonder if the studio pulled it for some weird reason. I'd be decidedly pissed if that happened for something you specifically paid for.

I do this now, except I use bit torrent.

I got it on Cinemanow. I don't own the disc. It wasn't ultraviolet compatible.

Doesn't seem like many care about this, but they're beta testing an in-home version of this. Same concept, but you have to read the disc you're trying to "convert" via a computer. I tried it with one tonight, and it works just fine. Something to look for if you like the concept but don't want to deal with Wal-Mart.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/v...-home-to-beta/

I just tried it. Works great!

heh, tried it with a rented Redbox disc to see what would happen. Got rejected.

Ha...what did it say?

Unable to recognize your disc

Huh - weird. I do wonder how they keep people from sharing discs all over the place. I don't think there's any kind of a unique identifier written onto a DVD, but I could be wrong.

how the hell do you get invited to the beta. I don't even see a option to sign up for the beta. Been a member of vudu for months.

I had done it through Walmart, so I'm guessing that's why.

ahhh. Yeah, guess I won't get in for a while then. I don't want to mess with taking my discs in.

In the discussion at the bottom of the linked Endgadget page above, someone posted a link to the software. Thats how i got it.

Awesome. thanks.

Now I finally having a working copy of Mr. and Mrs. Smith since my disk didn't work past the 1 hour mark anymore.

I know, not a great movie but definitely a guilty pleasure.

Yea, heres the link for anyone else:


http://www.vudu.com/in_home_disc_to_digital.html

Ha. Not exactly a limited access beta, is it?

I still want to know how they prevent you from giving your DVD's to someone else to add to their account, too. With the Wal-Mart route, they would write on your DVD's to signify that they'd been "converted." I'm genuinely curious to know if there's a unique identifier on DVD's that I've never known about.

Rubbing alcohol wipes the marker right off.

Dont know why they would want to limit access anyway? Doubt they want to limit their income.

odd, my purchase plays back and downloads on my PS3 but not on my PC.

Yea, i dont think there would be anything to prevent that?

But i guess there is on rental DVD's since it didnt work with my Netflix rental last night???

Rentals usually have that sticker over the center circle right? Isn't there a code somewhere in the middle that identifies teh disk?

Yep, turn the disk upside down and you can see all kinds of coding right around the center. That is probably how they track if a disk has been copied. Of course, for all I know, that code is the exact same on every DVD version of a movie.

Well, it's always possible that the specific movie you tried just isn't available for "conversion" or something. But SURELY they've got some sort of protection in there to keep people from cheating with rentals.

It will be interesting to see what the state of movies and video entertainment is in 5 years.

Hopefully bandwidth limits won't be as stingy by then.

Redbox Blue-ray $1.50 ????? Too steep


/Guru


:)

Is that an issue with you? Do you get throttled? I haven't had a problem with that but I am not sure why. I download like a mother ****er.

We are allowed 200gb per month now that we switched to cox. I have never exceeded 140 but we came close a couple times becuase my kids were abusing netflix. If we were watching a bunch of HD content instead of SD we would have eclipsed our limit. I don't know how the massive downloaders skirt it to be honest.

Hey, I just paid 5 bucks for a HDX upgrade that I could have just rented for 1.50 so STFU buttmunch. LMAO

nevermind, its amazing what a little reading can do for you