We learned last week that Walmart’s video streaming & download service Vudu was coming to Apple TV, and it’s now available – with a handy feature for those with large Blu-ray and DVD libraries.
Vudu supports Ultraviolet, a feature that provides digital access to some movies you bought in physical disc format …
Some discs include an Ultraviolet redemption code which provides free streaming and download access to the same movie. If your disc doesn’t include the Ultraviolet or UV tag, CNET notes that you may still be able to purchase a digital version for just $2 for a standard-def version or $5 for high-def.
Another little known feature is that you can buy UltraViolet versions of many of your existing DVDs and Blu-ray discs for a small fee — $2 to get a standard-def online version of DVD movie or a high-def version of a Blu-ray, or $5 to jump to a high-def version of of DVD. This in-home Disc to Digital program is accomplished by downloading Vudu software to your Mac or PC and placing the disc in your Blu-ray or DVD drive. If the movie is eligible for a disc-to-digital discount (not all of them are), the software will give you the option to purchase the copy. (CNET’s 2013 test drive of the Vudu program had mixed results.)
Once you’ve done this, the movies are added to your Vudu library and you can watch them in the Vudu app, freeing you from the need to mess around with physical discs.
While you can watch any of your existing Vudu library content, as well as the free movies offered by the service, you can’t rent or buy anything in the Apple TV app. This is because Apple would want its cut of in-app purchases.
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