# Walmart Wants to Be Your Movie Cloud



## Steve Crowe

*Walmart Wants to Be Your Movie Cloud*

By Grant Clauser
*Walmart is prepping a cloud-based movie service where users can bring their DVDs into stores in order to access the same material online.*


Mega retail giant Walmart is launching a cloud-based movie service through Vuduand we're not talking about another Netflix wannabe. No, Walmart wants to be your movie server in the cloud, the digital bin where you store all your DVDs for access on whatever Internet-connected device you have handy.


Earlier today, Walmart announced the launch of an in-store program to allow users to turn their DVD movies into digital cloud-stored copies which, presumably, would be accessible over tablets, smart phones, smart TVs and similar products.

 


This isn't a lone-wolf initiative. Walmart has the support of major movie studios including Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal and Warner Bros. The company says the service will launch on April 16 in 3,500 stores.


Here's how it works. First, you need a Vudu account, which is free (unlike Netflix, you pay for videos individually). You walk your DVDs into a Walmart store, and there you load them into a device of some sort (a self-serve kiosk is the mostly likely scenario) and then purchase the rights to a digital cloud copy. Yes, you purchase the right to a movie you already own. In this case it's $2 for a standard definition version or $5 for a high-def version.

* Click here to continue. *


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## Jinjuku

Of course the studios are getting behind this. First they got your money when you purchased the title. Now they get it again if you don't want to have the carry the cup around just to have a drink of water.


K-Scape should of thought of this: Sell your server and then charge $2 for each title ripped to it and give the corresponding studio a 50% cut.


This is absurd and I am quite sure the Studios will trot this out as a reason for the Library of Congress not to repeal the CSS circumvention for making a copy of content you legally acquired.


To the Studios: My Movies and Any DVD HD are working out quite well for me. Pardon me if I don't ask you for permission first to copy titles I *OWN*


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## cwt




> Quote:
> In this case it's $2 for a standard definition version or $5 for a high-def version (you don't need a Blu-ray disc to convert your title to high definition).



Fascinating ;something doesnt quite add up if they havent released a bd version of your disc ; so what quality is the hi def version ? upscaled sd for $5 ? or bad luck take the disc home










Not hard to wonder why this has never happened ;what a joke











> Quote:
> Will Blu-ray support mandatory managed copy?
> 
> 
> Yes, mandatory managed copy (MMC) will be part of the Blu-ray format. This feature will enable consumers to make legal copies of their Blu-ray movies that can be transferred over a home network. Please note that "mandatory" refers to the movies having to offer this capability, while it will be up to each hardware manufacturer to decide if they want to support this feature.


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## mgkdragn

It will never work .. the upload kiosk will always be down and there will be no employee available .. and if an employee is available, they will know nothing about the kiosk and simply stare at you with a blank look on their face ..


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## Brad Horstkotte

Would make a lot more sense to give access to titles you already own FREE, and then charge people for access to movies they don't own - as a way to bootstrap the service, garner interest / subscriptions. Doubt it gets off the ground as it stands.


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## moviegeek




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mgkdragn* /forum/post/21777118
> 
> 
> It will never work .. the upload kiosk will always be down and there will be no employee available .. and if an employee is available, they will know nothing about the kiosk and simply stare at you with a blank look on their face ..



That's a fact, the self-serve photo kiosk is always breaking down or there's someone that doesn't know how to use it. Not to mention:

1. That you will have to wait in line at customer service to have your DVD's/BD's tagged.

2. Wait at the kiosk for an employee to show up only to have them say "sorry, this DVD isn't on the approved list".

3a. Have all your DVD's/BD's looked at by the door greeter on the way out.

3b. Being stopped by loss prevention on the way out.


To the movie studios: Amazon cloud drive is working great for me, I can upload or download content to most devices.


EDIT: here's a video showing how it will work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cnbG...layer_embedded


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## CRGINC

The problem remains of either limited bandwidth and or usage caps. None of the consumer internet services guarantee minimum data rates or packet loss.


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## ShannonT

If I had broadband Internet available in my area, I might consider paying for the service. But it would be more like $.10 for SD and $.25 for HD, max.


I started ripping my DVDs some time back and got 4 or 5 ripped and have been putting it off since. The thought of ripping 200-300+ DVDs, HD DVDs and BDs is daunting. Then deciding what format to rip it in and being sure you have the codec to play them. It's not worth it.


But now, if I could take 10 or so discs with me each trip to Walmart, pop them in the kiosk, and get authorization to view them on the cloud... Me, my wife, my kids, anywhere, anytime. That's tempting. All for $30-40.


But, I want to be able to play it back with full HD sound.


$600+ for movies I already own??? Not a chance.


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## Elvis Is Alive

Is this a early April Fools joke? So I have to take all my movies in AND pay extra. The fee is probably the same as what i can pay thru Vudu or Itunes already. LOL


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## dgolombowski

Many observers bemoaned Walmart's purchase of Vudu. I was a big fan of Vudu and was hoping that Walmart would lower prices for rentals. Unfortunately they have done nothing with it and now they roll out this turd.


I guess those observers were right.


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## Rubicon_Joey

I don't even like paying $5 for a movie, let alone having to buy a DVD and then having to pay extra to view it! I've got a 2TB external hard drive that works just fine thank you.


When is someone going to go all digital? No more hard disc or any of that crap.

1. Sell me digital rights to media (movies, music, tv shows...) at *a reasonable price*, that don't expire, have limits or any other BS....If I buy it, I want it to be just like owning a physical copy of it, only I don't have to carry it around.

2. Let me access it from all my devices. It's not that hard to do, almost everything can d/l digital content these days.

3. Stream it in HD to wifi enabled devices.

Bandwidth is a problem, I know. However, internet speeds are going up all the time and hopefully soon it wont be a problem. Maybe a small portable hard drive to act as a "buffer" for movies/large data media in the mean time. Something that holds maybe ~40 movies. You could shuffle through your "media rights library" and select the ones you want to keep on the hard drive. It d/l's the ones you select in the background and removes the ones you select to remove to make room.

4. Be reliable no one wants to pay for something that doesn't work.

5. Have a huge library of media to choose from. I would ditch cable if someone could give me all the shows that cable has to offer in about the same time frame (within a month of the original airing/release date). Same thing for music/other media.


If you can do these things, the people will come, if the people will come the $$ will come, if you expect the $$ to come, the content better be there, the way they want it.



If only I had the resources to create such a service...


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## 8traxrule




> Quote:
> Unfortunately they have done nothing with it



Well, the first thing they did with it was get rid of the porn! ;p


Most "HD" purchases on Vudu are from $15-25, so there's some savings by bringing in your discs, but I don't know why I should bother. You can still only play them from devices linked to YOUR account, so you can't go to a friend's house and play your movie from there. Best you could do is bring a laptop computer logged into your account, but that's not quite the same (it isn't, is it?) Might as well just bring your discs.


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## aaronwt

I think this is a great idea. I do have all my BDs ripped to ISOs, but this is more about portability. I plan on selecting a few titles to try this out. And with this I can be anywhere with an internet connection and view the movies. Otherwise, the only way I can view them is at home. I can't bring the many terabytes of content with me. That isn't practical.


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## Jinjuku




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *aaronwt* /forum/post/21781054
> 
> 
> I think this is a great idea. I do have all my BDs ripped to ISOs, but this is more about portability. I plan on selecting a few titles to try this out. And with this I can be anywhere with an internet connection and view the movies. Otherwise, the only way I can view them is at home. I can't bring the many terabytes of content with me. That isn't practical.



When I go abroad I simply use handbrake and shrink them down if using a portable device. If using my laptop I just copy them over I can fit 30 uncompressed movies no problem.


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## aaronwt




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jinjuku* /forum/post/21781155
> 
> 
> When I go abroad I simply use handbrake and shrink them down if using a portable device. If using my laptop I just copy them over I can fit 30 uncompressed movies no problem.



What if you want to watch a movie you didn't not compress?


I don't shrink any movies down. Currently if I do take any movies with me I bring the Full ISO. I shrunk movies down with DVDs but I won't do it with BDs.


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## 257Tony




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *aaronwt* /forum/post/21781186
> 
> 
> What if you want to watch a movie you didn't not compress?
> 
> 
> I don't shrink any movies down. Currently if I do take any movies with me I bring the Full ISO. I shrunk movies down with DVDs *but I won't do it with BDs*.



Why not? Concerned about loss of quality? That's exactly what you'll be getting by trading your disc in.....


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## Jinjuku




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *aaronwt* /forum/post/21781186
> 
> 
> What if you want to watch a movie you didn't not compress?



Did you mean not copy? Well, check out the Zyxel (or like product) NSA221. It's a media streamer.


I copy movies locally to my laptop since I can not be guaranteed a connection that will allow for uninterrupted play back. Plan for the worst and hope for the best.


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## E55 KEV

We have 2 threads on this topic. Perhaps the moderators will merge them.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...php?p=21781089 


I like this idea also. No, I will not do my 400+ title BD and DVD collection but I will do some. Many are saying they aren't paying again for something they already own but I am more interested in 'Clouding' titles I don't already own by borrowing titles from friends relatives, etc.


Plus, this gives me the option of buying single disc Blu-ray movies for $5 to $10 less than the 2/3 disc titles and then paying only $2 for the VUDU copy.


I already filled up my laptop HDD with digital copies and have started on a second laptop. None of those digital copies are HD, 1080p or 5.1 sound and come with expiration dates.


I also had a laptop stolen with about 20 digital copies movies and there is no way to reinstall them on another PC because the codes have been used and the DC titles expire.


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## mandarax

I am from Canada. We are not allowed vudu here. Our two main Internet service providers did a joint venture to put in a wimax service for rural areas. They got funded by my fellow Canadians in the tune of 96 million dollars each to put in wimax. The majority of the money spent on 4g lte and when the money was spent they dropped the wimax service and offered 3gb service per month for 50 dollars.


So as sore as all your bung holes seem to be about this service at least you get to choose to get it. And you can get Internet bandwidth to use it.


I just bought another 3 tb drive for 110.00. Do the math.


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## JoeBlow74

hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!







Are you effing kidding me??? Pay another $5 for a movie I already paid $20-30 for??? hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! Never!!!


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## aaronwt




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *257Tony* /forum/post/21781296
> 
> 
> Why not? Concerned about loss of quality? That's exactly what you'll be getting by trading your disc in.....




I'm not concerned with the loss of quality, I don't want to deal with it. I rip the disc to a BD ISO and never have to mess with it again. I did the shrinking crap with DVDs in the early 2000's and swore I would never mess with it again.


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## aaronwt




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *JoeBlow74* /forum/post/21781717
> 
> 
> hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Are you effing kidding me??? Pay another $5 for a movie I already paid $20-30 for??? hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! Never!!!




I wouldn't do it for $5, but since it is only $2 for BD titles, that is a decent price. Actually $5 is decent for a DVD to get an HD version if you don't plan on buying the BD later.


If this were available four or five years ago, I would have purchased less BD titles.


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## moviegeek

I just thought of a problem for the movie studios: what if someone brings in a rental disc claiming they own it?

I have a better idea that doesn't involve schlepping my discs to Walmart:

You install a program from VUDU on your PC that when you insert a DVD/BD it scans the disc and sends the Gracenote info to VUDU, you can then buy the digital version online. Since some Blu-ray players(Sony) have Gracenote built-in you could also verify and purchase the digital version via your player. The only problem is again how will VUDU know if the disc is a rental.


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## E55 KEV




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *moviegeek* /forum/post/21782472
> 
> 
> I just thought of a problem for the movie studios: what if someone brings in a rental disc claiming they own it?
> 
> I have a better idea that doesn't involve schlepping my discs to Walmart:
> 
> You install a program from VUDU on your PC that when you insert a DVD/BD it scans the disc and sends the Gracenote info to VUDU, you can then buy the digital version online. Since some Blu-ray players(Sony) have Gracenote built-in you could also verify and purchase the digital version via your player. The only problem is again how will VUDU know if the disc is a rental.



It doesn't matter if person owns it - it still generates revenue for the "Disc to Digital" program.


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## chikoo




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Brad Horstkotte* /forum/post/21777134
> 
> 
> Would make a lot more sense to give access to titles you already own FREE, and then charge people for access to movies they don't own - as a way to bootstrap the service, garner interest / subscriptions. Doubt it gets off the ground as it stands.



Do they take away my CD/DVD or do I still get to keep it?


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## chikoo

My Prediction:


Each movie house will end up with a Cloud Server that you can access your movies that you buy from that house digitally, anytime, anywhere with an internet connection.


Then Vudu, and such will go bust.


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## E55 KEV




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *chikoo* /forum/post/21782693
> 
> 
> My Prediction:
> 
> 
> Each movie house will end up with a Cloud Server that you can access your movies that you buy from that house digitally, anytime, anywhere with an internet connection.
> 
> 
> Then Vudu, and such will go bust.



Anythings possible, but customer prefer a central website to stream from. If that were the case a customer would have to build an account and login into Warner, Disney, Fox, Universal, Paramount, Dream Work etc. etc. etc.


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## sebberry

The media companies are fighting tooth and nail to prevent you from taking a disc that you bought and ripping it to your PC, but they'll gladly sell you the ability to watch a digital copy on a service that's not guaranteed to be around forever.


They're stripping you of fair use rights and selling them back you you piecemeal. On that basis alone I douldn't pay a dime for this service.


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## moviegeek




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *chikoo* /forum/post/21782672
> 
> 
> Do they take away my CD/DVD or do I still get to keep it?



You will get to keep your discs but I have a feeling that they will require the case so they can remove the UPC code(sort of like Red2Blu), that way they can prevent rental and borrowed discs from being converted to digital over and over again. If Walmart was smart they would give you a digital copy for free(or discount) if you buy a disc from them, it's a win-win for Walmart and the consumer.



> Quote:
> It doesn't matter if person owns it - it still generates revenue for the "Disc to Digital" program.



The whole idea is to get people to buy discs(and other things) in the store, why give it away for $5 when VUDU sells it for $15-20?.


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## Jinjuku




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *sebberry* /forum/post/21783094
> 
> 
> the media companies are fighting tooth and nail to prevent you from taking a disc that you bought and ripping it to your pc, but they'll gladly sell you the ability to watch a digital copy on a service that's not guaranteed to be around forever.
> 
> 
> They're stripping you of fair use rights and selling them back you you piecemeal. On that basis alone i wouldn't pay a dime for this service.



^^ THAT. This hit the nail on the head. Oh this is so very screwed up.


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## sebberry

I would however pay for a service that takes my paper books and converts them into ebooks.


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## chimpuat

in the long run, it seems cheaper for me to continue ripping my own DVD's, paying a little extra for the PlayOn pro license, and eating the costs for any bandwidth overages on a monthly basis. PlayOn already allows me to view my content in the house on any DLNA device, and the Pro version claims to allow you access via a smartphone.


i haven't tried it yet, but i would experiment with something like that LONG before i would pay someone for the honor of burning my discs for me.


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## aaronwt




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *chimpuat* /forum/post/21802205
> 
> 
> in the long run, it seems cheaper for me to continue ripping my own DVD's, paying a little extra for the PlayOn pro license, and eating the costs for any bandwidth overages on a monthly basis. PlayOn already allows me to view my content in the house on any DLNA device, and the Pro version claims to allow you access via a smartphone.
> 
> 
> i haven't tried it yet, but i would experiment with something like that LONG before i would pay someone for the honor of burning my discs for me.



Who would be burning discs for you, not walmart. With Walmart and VUDU you are only getting digital access to the title if it's one of the titles they have in their 20K+ digital library.


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## mikemorel




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cwt* /forum/post/21777083
> 
> 
> Fascinating ;something doesnt quite add up if they havent released a bd version of your disc ; so what quality is the hi def version ? upscaled sd for $5 ? or bad luck take the disc home
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not hard to wonder why this has never happened ;what a joke
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Quote:
> Will Blu-ray support mandatory managed copy?
> 
> 
> Yes, mandatory managed copy (MMC) will be part of the Blu-ray format. This feature will enable consumers to make legal copies of their Blu-ray movies that can be transferred over a home network. Please note that "mandatory" refers to the movies having to offer this capability, while it will be up to each hardware manufacturer to decide if they want to support this feature.
Click to expand...


Speaking of blu-ray Managed Copy...

Media Tech - Packaged Media and Beyond 2012, Las Vegas 



> Quote:
> 2:15-2:45 pm
> 
> Topic: *The Roll-Out of Managed Copy'*
> 
> Speaker: Donald Leake, Jr., Program Director, Copy Protection Business Development, IBM
> 
> 
> AACS, the encryption system that protects Blu-ray discs, is moving forward on Managed Copy, allowing consumers to make single copies. The initial launch is in the U.S., but Europe will be following. What are the implications for replicators?


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## Zeacky

why not rent? $4 for 720p from vudu


very easy


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## MrBobb

"The Cloud" attacks again. EVERYBODY and their nephew is doing the "cloud" thing. Since the early days of the consumer Internet, 1980s, people used refer this thing as the THIN WORKSTATION. Just have a smart machine in front of you, and all your apps and data and everything is gonna come from a far away data farm of some sort. 20 years later they're still trying.


Doesn't Walmart have a video service? I don't sense is a hot topic over here. Walmart doing the cloud? I may raise an eyeblow or two if they poach a few hot dogs from Apple and or Netfix, else I don't think it's going anywhere.


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