As you may already know, I own Vudu and absolutely love it. However I have kept a close eye on the competition with products like Roku, Apple Tv, and now LG entering the market.
The LG Netflix box looks to be front runner going forward with the large Netflix install base and its dual purpose as digital media streamer and Blu Ray player.
As the competition backs the smaller Vudu into a corner, the company made imo a very smart move by announcing the launch of an adult entertainment channel.
In the back of my mind, I have been wondering which hardware provider would go this route first. It was only a matter of time. With adult entertainment (PC way to say porn), being able to be purchased in hotel rooms, DirectTV, and digital cable boxes, there was a very set precedent to go this route.
Let’s be honest, porn is BIG business and its 2008. The few people who are still offended by something like this weren’t going to buy a Vudu anyways. You can’t say that on demand digital downloading and streaming of telelvision and movies is a great technology, but one that cannot be utilized to deliver adult entertainment. If consumers want it (trust me they do), and the partental controls are in place its a smart move to be a first mover into this space.
With Vudu getting distribution at Best Buys in addition to this new development, I think Vudu has caught a second wind going into their second holiday season. I’ll even bet that 25% of sales going forward in 2008 will be tied to this development as Vudu now is enabled to be a jukebox of porn.
