With today being Earth Day (Thursday, April 22), the official home video release date for Avatar, we're guessing that a few of you might be scrambling to secure a copy of the movie in high definition on Blu-ray Disc. But if you have a device that supports VUDU, you could also just stream it -- in full 1080p high definition and 5.1 channel Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.
The streaming media service just announced that they will be the only service to have James Cameron's blockbuster in HD the day it is released for home viewing. Other services will have it in standard-def; PlayStation Network will even have it for download. The distinction here is that VUDU will be the only one streaming it in HD.
That means you paint yourself blue in the privacy of your home. It also means you can catch another viewing (or two) of Avatar, and maybe hold out on buying a copy of the film and save up for the inevitable 3D version or the special edition Blu-ray set that is rumored to be coming later this year.
As an added bonus, VUDU says they will also be offering special features and promotional content for the movie. You won't even get those goodies on the bare bones Blu-ray release, which has no special features. For more information, check out VUDU's blog.
[editor's note (4/23): 20th Century Fox responded to this article asking to add some clarification: "these are not special features or bonus materials, but merely promotional materials that are available broadly and are not part of the purchase." We also noticed that VUDU's blog post about this has been removed from the VUDU web site, perhaps for similar reasons? In any case, with the purchase price $24.99 for the HDX 1080p version of the film on VUDU, the value proposition of buying the film there vs. buying the Blu-ray loses some of its luster. "Avatar" is expected to be offered for rent on VUDU at a lower price on or around May 9th].
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