Walmart to Purchase VUDU

Parks Associates research indicates U.S. premium video rentals and downloads will grow to $8.4 billion in 2014

After abandoning its initial online video plans in late 2007, Walmart has returned to this market with the announced acquisition of VUDU on February 22. With Best Buy working with Roxio CinemaNow, will Walmart leverage the VUDU acquisition to develop its own branded connected CE products?

Walmart is re-entering the OTT (over-the-top) market at an opportune time. Parks Associates forecasts that revenues for premium video rentals and downloads in the U.S. will grow from $2.3 billion in 2010 to $8.4 billion in 2014.

Given VUDU’s recent efforts to transition from a hardware vendor providing set-top boxes to a backend service provider of OTT content for connected CE devices, Parks Associates believes that this acquisition is an opportunity for Walmart to become a “category catalyst” in connected consumer electronics. VUDU currently is working with such CE vendors as LG, Mitsubishi, Samsung, SANYO, Sharp, Toshiba, and VIZIO.

Parks Associates projects that by 2014, more than 40% of transactional revenues for premium online video services will be through connected devices such as connected TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and networked digital media set-top boxes. The presence of Walmart, with its retail muscle now in the online video space, could mean significant growth in the number and availability of Web-enabled consumer electronics products.

Wal-Mart Acquires VUDU - low-cost connected CE for everyone!

After bailing on online video in late 2007, Wal-Mart is back in the game with the announced acquisition of VUDU. With Best Buy working with Roxio CinemaNow, I can see Wal-Mart taking VUDU and developing perhaps their own branded connected CE products.

A New Way to Go Green?

Imagine taking home a new electronic product and not having to dispose of the mounds of Styrofoam and plastic bags that came wrapped around it in the box. HP has found a way to eliminate most of the conventional packaging by selling its new Pavillion dv6929 notebook computer in a padded messenger bag. HP used this idea to win a competition hosted by Wal-Mart to reduce environmental impact and in turn Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club provide the only locations where the notebook-and-bag combo can be purchased. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if portable DVD players, digital cameras, MP3 players, and cell phones followed this trend? Being able to buy the product you want with the carrying case you need to go with it and none of the annoying mess to go with it.