Sometimes rumors turn out to be true, as is the case with Walmart’s decision to launch an in-store disc to digital conversion service. Starting next month, customers will be able to bring their DVDs and Blu-rays to more than 3,500 Walmart stores to have their discs converted into digital access files.
Customers can convert a standard-res or HD movie for $2, or they can upgrade a standard-res title to HD for $5. Walmart will assist customers with opening free VUDU accounts, and converted movies will then be placed into users’ accounts, which can be accessed from many internet connected devices. Customers can also watch and purchase UltraViolet-enabled titles through Walmart’s VUDU service.
Ron Sanders, president of Warner Home Video, was quoted as saying the following about the new service:
“Consumers want value and convenience and Walmart’s disc-to-digital service will deliver both while helping consumers realize the benefits of digital ownership . . . Between the heavy foot traffic in-store and the aggressive educational campaign Walmart is planning, this partnership is the perfect opportunity for us to reach a mainstream audience much sooner than by more traditional means, while making the process as quick and easy for consumers as possible.”
What do you think, Insiders? Is the pricing fair and the convenience factor right on the money? Will you be bringing your “obsolete” DVDs and Blu-rays down to your local Walmart for a spiffy conversion?
[via Engadget]
I’d like to know how LONG it takes to convert a disc? I know from ripping discs, that it can take a LOT of time and that’s what this is. If it takes too long, what are customers going to think? Yeah, maybe they’ll go shop for a while, which explains why Walmart would want to do it, to create foot traffic.
Hmm, what are the legal aspects? Are all the studios on board with this? Can’t see those nutcases that sue little kids for making copies of songs being ok with this. $2, yeah, that’s what I charge to copy CDs or DVDs in my business.
From what I’ve read, I don’t think they actually convert your disk, they just register it with the Vudu server. You then download the movies from there.
As far as the legal aspect go, the studios are the ones behind this one. It’s still DRMed, so they can shut it down whenever they want. Buy at your own risk. If it’s not profitable, they’ll shut it down and you’ll lose access to anything you’ve “bought”.
I can see it now, your local Walmart store will have nothing but kiosks in it’s movie aisle to “add movies to your voodoo [VUDU] account” instead of holding a DVD/Blu-ray in your hand. This is insane! How long will the movies last? Will I be able to watch these movies 10 years from now?
I have a few discs w/ scratches that would be worth paying $2 to convert into new digital copies. Wonder if they’d take those?
what would stop someone from renting a disc at redbox @ walmart, taking it to the conversion desk and converting it to digital? Boom, now you’ve got a digital copy for a total of $3.50 or whatever? Hmm
The label that reads Rental Only on the disc or the rental bar codes.
The only way this would be a “good deal” for the consumer, would be if they load a digital copy of the DVD onto a flash drive or DVD disc that THEY LET THE CUSTOMER TAKE HOME WITH THEM. Otherwise, it’s a total waste of time and money. Think about it: for $8 a month you can rent UNLIMITED movies online from Netflix … VERSUS … watch only 4 digital copies of movies you’ve converted (at $2 each) to VUDU. The great thing about DVD discs that include a digital copy, is you can load the movie to the device of your choice and watch it without having access to the internet. Final downside: there is no guarantee how long your movies will be available via VUDU – they could go out of business, or start charging a money maintenance fee. The only “sure” thing are physical copies you personally have; not copies stored “in the cloud” or on a server somewhere you supposedly have access to “who knows when”.
Everyone keeps pushing streaming, but current capacity won’t allow this much growth. I can easily stream one movie at a time with my internet connection, but when all the kids want to watch something different in their room, what do you think will happen to your internet connection? Unless you have fios or other extremely fast connection, it’s simply not going to handle it. And what about caps?
Walmart will do anything to try and get people to VUDU, it has been the biggest mistake they have ever made. VUDU is Walmarts new coke, and like coke they are sure that if we just try it we will use it all the time, bad news Walmart, No Sale! I do not want all my movies on the cloud because severs get hacked, they go down, they suffer power outages, they get virus’s and lets face it, I do not want Walmart to control my movie viewing in any way shape or form. Does anyone have a pin sitting close by? Thats because we live in an analog world that everyone wants to convert to digital. The problem is, digital keeps failing us so we have to keep a pin and paper on hand.
I doubt they would convert my “adult” movies. Not sure if VUDU has those available through their services or not. Not like it matters because I will not be using this serivce.
What would you possibly do with a pin and paper???? Make a pinwheel??