Audio Video News

Rumors are flying fast and furious that VUDU is testing downloads that are similar to Blu-ray quality. A team of users are testing out this beta service and they're downloading these ultra-high-def movies, called HDX.

According to a story on engadget, once a download is initiated, it can take up to two or three hours before the film starts. Even as cool as ultra-high-def quality, on demand sounds, with a delay like that, this thing might never take off.

What else might limit this from becoming mainstream?

Many service providers put a limit on bandwidth - too many Internet downloads, and you get cut off. Snip. Comcast limits subscribers to about 250GB/month, but smaller providers are less. A decent quality HDX movie, if truly Blu-ray quality, could be between 10-15GB. That doesn't allow for many movies or anything else you might download.

However, if the price is right, and you're not worried about your ISP cutting you off, this could be an interesting option. If you plan ahead and download before you plan to watch, who really cares how long it takes? -Leslie Shapiro