VUDU: How (Well) Do You Do (What You Do)?

Nearly every time I publish a writeup on Apple TV (specifically post-Take 2), the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, or a PC-centric movie delivery service such as Amazon Unbox, CinemaNow, Movielink or Netflix’s Watch Now, at least one person invariably posts a public comment or sends a private email to encourage me to try out VUDU. Last Thursday, the company’s PR representative provided commentary on Apple’s recent day-and-date movie purchase announcement, and I decided to reply yesterday and inquire about availability of review units. Less than 24 hours later, a Fedex shipment was waiting for me when I returned from a Sierra stroll with my son a few minutes ago. That’s service!

I haven’t even opened up the product packaging yet, but in flipping through the review documentation I was surprised to notice that the unit doesn’t offer integrated Wi-Fi (only a CAT5 wired Ethernet port). Hmmm. So where am I going to review this thing? The upstairs bedroom’s two existing pieces of video gear, an Xbox 360 and a laptop, both tether to the router over 802.11g links. To put the VUDU unit there, since I’ve no motivation for running CAT5 cable, I’ve therefore got two options:

1. Add another HomePlug AV adapter to the dwelling’s existing four-adapter powerline network topology, or
2. Tether the VUDU system to the laptop via CAT5, and then software-connect the laptop’s CAT5 and Wi-Fi network adapters together via Windows XP’s Internet Connection Sharing feature.

The latter option’s probably the easiest at least in the short term, given my hit-and-miss experience with HomePlug AV to date, although it’s not a particularly ‘green’ approach since the laptop will need to be on every time I want to harness VUDU’s Internet connectivity capabilities. Alternatively, I could just leverage the existing HomePlug AV adapter in the living room, although I’ll need to upgrade from a currently max’d-out 5-port switch to an 8-port replacement (or switch either the Apple TV or PlayStation 3 from a wired to wireless connection).

Connectivity quagmire #2: video. I’ve got two LCD TVs in the house, one in the living room and the other in the bedroom. In both cases, I’ve already max’d out the number of available HDMI inputs, so I’ll need to cross my fingers and connect a multi-to-one switch (I’ll probably go with the Belkin unit I mentioned back in mid-March, so as to obviate the need for yet another wall wart), or maybe I’ll just use one of the available component video inputs on the Syntax-Olevia 237T in the living room. Before I go the latter route, I’ll first confirm that incoming high-def video isn’t being downscaled by the VUDU box prior to transfer to the LCD, as a means of addressing Hollywood piracy concerns.

My final potential connectivity quirk actually isn’t a problem this time. The VUDU box offers both RCA and optical S/PDIF audio outputs. Although the three-input mechanical optical S/PDIF switch in the living room is fully populated, my JVC receiver’s RCA S/PDIF audio connection is available. And similarly, in the bedroom, the Pioneer system’s S/PDIF coaxial input is currently unused.

As I ponder location and connection options over the next few days, with a goal of beginning my hands-on testing by this weekend, I’d welcome feedback (positive and negative) from any of you who’ve previously recommended VUDU to my inspection…or any of the rest of you with pre-existing VUDU experience who I haven’t heard from yet. Thanks in advance for your critiques and suggestions!

Followup: As I feared, VUDU’s component video outputs only support 480-line maximum resolutions (interlaced or progressive).