Vudu has added a WiFi adapter to its product lineup. For $80, you can pick up a Vudu Wireless Kit which adds 802.11g connectivity to a Vudu set top box, which means you can download videos from the Vudu service without running Ethernet cables all over your house.

Of course, that's $80 on top of the $300 you pay for the movie downloading device. You can shave $30 off the price if you buy the Wireless Kit bundled with the set top box. Or you could invest in a $100 Netflix Player by Roku and watch the lousy selection of videos Netflix streams over the internet to your heart's content.

[via Gizmodo]

You get home after a long day of work, you plop down on the couch and flip on the TV hoping to watch that movie you rented a few weeks ago and haven't had the time to enjoy yet. And suddenly you realize that your rental is overdue.

If you rented your video from a bricks and mortar store, you just have to pay a late fee when you return the disc. But if you rented from an online store, your movie (and your money) is just gone. Vudu is the first company I'm aware of that's done something to address this issue. This week the company announced that it would allow customers to extend their rentals for a discounted fee.

Here's how it works. If you rent a film, you have 30 days to watch it. If you don't watch during that time, you have up to a week to extend the rental period for another 30 days. You'll get $2 off the rental price of a HD video and $1 off the price of standard definition films.

And while you typically have to finish watching a movie within 24 hours of hitting the play button, you can pay the same extra price to extend your viewing time to 48 hours. Honestly, I have no idea why you have to finish the film within 24 hours anyway, let alone why you should have to pay more to watch the same movie the next day. But it's better than nothing. I think.

[via last100]

Vudu has slashed the cost of its overpriced digital video unit from $399 to a still kind of pricey $295. While the new price is a bit more reasonable, it still feels like a lot to ask for a set top box that only plays videos you have to pay for separately.

The price cut is likely a response to Apple's announcement that the Apple TV is now available for $229. Apple TV owners can also download videos directly to their boxes now, with no computer required. That makes the Apple TV kind of like a much cheaper Vudu with far more features. You can also use it to watch web video or access content stored on your PC.

When it comes to HD video, Vudu has the edge, with 1080i/1080p24 support while the Apple TV can only handle 720p videos.

If you're one of the handful of folks who have already shelled out $400 for a Vudu, you can get a $100 coupon towards video downloads if you've purchased your box within the last 30 days by calling Vudu customer support.

[via CNet]

Set top box/video download provider Vudu is adding to its content library with the addition of a handful of TV programs. Vudu has signed a deal with Fox to provide downloads of 12 programs including 24, Arrested Development, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Family Guy, Firefly, Lost in Space, My Name is Earl, NYPD Blue, Prison break, The Riches, Shark, and The Shield.

Episodes will be available for $1.99 a piece, the same price you'd pay to download TV shows from iTunes, Amazon Unbox, or most competing services. The main difference is that Vudu provides a set top box and not just an internet download store. You can download programs directly to your box, but once they're on the box there's no way to transfer them to an iPod, computer or DVD.

Oh yeah, and the box still costs $400. Overall, I'm still unimpressed with Vudu. But the service does have one thing going for it. It's probably one of the easiest ways to buy online video from the comfort of your couch and watch it on your television set. No PC required.

Vudu is also starting to add high definition content today. You can now download The Bourne Ultimatum in high definition. Today's also the day that movie was released on DVD and HD-DVD.

Since folks just can't get enough extra set top boxes to stick next to their TV, Vudu has decided to launch a new AppleTV competitor. Because you know, the AppleTV is selling so well.

We first told you about Vudu back in April. But if you promptly forgot about it, here are the details. It's little black box that lets you download 5,000 movies from major studios and independent producers. But you'll have to pay. Prices range from $.99 to $3.99 for rentals and $4.99 to $19.99 for purchases. That's on top of the $400 you pay to buy the box.

Oh yeah, and once you buy a movie, it's stuck on the box. You can store up to 100 movies at a time, but once you fill your Vudu up, there's no option to transfer files to a spare hard drive, PC, or burn to DVD.

On the upside, CNet reports that the video quality is pretty good and that videos begin to stream almost immediately after a download begins.

Gizmodo has the scoop on an upcoming product that's designed to make the AppleTV look like a Betamax player.

Vudu is set to launch this summer with a video store that will sell several thousand movies from seven major studios as well as independent filmmakers.

The other central component to the Vudu system is a small box that plugs into your television set. No computer required. You can purchase and download movies directly from the set-top-box.

The box will handle MPEG-4 video upscaled to high definition. It includes HDMI, composite, and S-video ports. No WiFi here. You'll have to connect to your high speed internet connection over ethernet.

No final word on pricing or hard drive size yet, but Vudu has the AppleTV clearly in its sites, so expect competitive features and pricing.