Walmart has revealed that its video streaming platform Vudu will feature its native app on Apple TV and it will be available from August 22.
There has been talk about an upcoming Vudu App for the Appel TV interface since March this year. This was after one of the engineers confirmed that the app was indeed in the making. Apple TV users go around the lack of a Vudu app by using AirPlay on their iPhones and their iPads to connect to their Apple ITV set top boxes. Walmart’s confirmation about the launch of the app on August 22 means users can now download and enjoy the app without having to use AirPlay.
The introduction of the Vudu app is quite late considering that it has been available on competing platforms such as smart TVs, Chromecast and Roku players. However, it is also not the only video app that has taken a long time before being available on the App Store. Online retail giant Amazon also took its sweet time before introducing its video streaming app for Apple TV.
Having an app for Apple TV is not exactly necessary but it a significant move for the company in terms of keeping up with the competition. The app will make it more attractive for users by simplifying the ease of access to Vudu content on Apple TV. The service will be available to more customers thus increasing the chances of boosting subscriptions. Its availability will also boost variety on the Apple TV ecosystem.
“The service offers more than 100,000 titles that can be rented or purchased and also supports UltraViolet, a digital cloud locker for video that has become the entertainment industry standard,” wrote The Verge.
Vudu has a unique offering through which users are allowed to convert more than 8,000 movies from DVD to a digital format by scanning its film barcode. This makes it possible to share purchased titles multiple times without incurring an additional fee. This makes Vudu quite a unique service that is supported by 179 platforms. It was initially not present on Apple TV because of Apple’s policy which prevents third parties from selling shows and movies directly on tvOS or iOS.
