Streaming providers are looking for ways to make their services more and more valuable to consumers, which means more and varied value for us! On March 13, Vudu announced on it’s official website that it is partnering with some of the prominent entertainment companies to allow Americans to bring their physical DVDs into their local Walmart stores. Walmart employees will enter these titles into your Vudu account so that you can access them digitally. There will be a fee attached to the conversion, but it will also serve to protect your physical collection by having it backed up into Vudu’s digital locker. This service will be available beginning April 16, 2012. You will need to check to see if your DVDs are distributed from the list of Hollywood entertainment companies that Vudu has partnered with.
Parents are always worried about providing safety for their children when they watch television. Netflix launched their “Just For Kids” program that allows for more wholesome fare when kids are streaming movies and tv shows through a special app launched on Wii or PS3. Kids will only be able to browse through content suitable for ages 12 and under. While this is a step in the right direction, Netflix could really score a home run by allowing for sub-accounts that parents are able to set specific ratings for. The problem with Netflix parental controls right now is that the history cannot be deleted, and children can access content that parents watch that may be for a more mature audience.
