In a break with the usual way Hollywood distributes its movies, normally through staggered time frames, Vudu will for the first time, offer a high-definition movie on the same day the DVD is released. The movie being offered and experimented with is "The Bourne Ultimatum," from Universal.
While there have been concerns by major media companies over this strategy, continued piracy makes it worth their while to attempt this to see if it makes a major impact on DVD sales.
The other reason I think it's happening, is the DVD industry is probably in the early stages of decline, and it would be extremely unwise for Hollywood to wait around too long to see what happens. They don't want to end up in the unenviable position of the music industry.
Another concern in this area has been the lack of a clear winner in the battle over high-definition formats between HD DVD and Blu-ray, which the industry feels may be causing consumers to sit on the sidelines and wait to see who the winner is before committing to one of them.
With Vudu, which users buy a set-top box from, it's not an issue either way, making it a good company to experiment through.
Universal is the first studio to offer a simultaneous release of a downloadable HD version on the same day the DVD comes out. Vudu also has deals in place with Lionsgate Entertainment Group and Paramount Pictures for HD content distribution also.
Until the results come in, there will be a limited number of offering consumers can partake in. Once there's more clarity from the initiative, Vudu has plans to offer a large number of film downloads in a similar fashion.
At this time, Vudu offers regular-definition films for download, numbering at about 5,000 in their digital catalog. After buying a set-top box for $399, users can then rent films for between 99 cents and $4.99 each. Other films are only offered for purchase, like the HD version of "The Bourne Ultimatum."
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