Vudu: Netflix in a box.

While we were all busy bragging about how many foreign movies are on our Netflix lists, this neat-o little device slipped under our radar. It's called Vudu, and we wish Netflix would do that voodoo it do so well.

Basically what you have here is an internet set top that instantly delivers major Hollywood titles to your television on demand... no waiting for downloads, no monthly fees. The movie you pick starts pretty much immediately, and costs you one to four bucks for a 24 hour rental (or $5-20 to buy and store permanently). Not bad if you tend to hang on to that Netflix movie for a few months before deciding you're not interested in it after all. The setup is fairly easy, and the menus are all fairly intuitive.

Vudu's catalog is where they beat out competitors like Akimbo and MovieBeam. They have 5000 movies on hand, soon to be 10,000, and movies will drop on Vudu and DVD same-day. It doesn't match Netflix's selection, but Vudu is growing exponentially. They've got deals with all the major studios, and rumor has it they're talking to networks about TV content as we speak.

And let's be honest... if it's between someone emailing us Kung Fu Hustle (hey, it's art!) and someone snail-mailing it, I think our choice is clear.

The thing does run about $400, which might be a bit much if you're not an instant gratification person. For that kind of money, you'll definitely want to make sure it stays in working order for the next three years with a SquareTrade warranty.

Oh, and about that ol' Netflix thing? Well, Netflix just released a generally good Q3 report, and what's the first thing out of CEO Reed Hastings' mouth? They're looking into the possibility of "dedicated internet set tops with a variety of partners." Good thinking, Reed!

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