There are many great video streaming services that are eager to take your money each month. But what if you’re just not keen on the all-you-can-eat buffet and would simply rather build your digital collection? That’s where Fandango At Home, formerly known as Vudu, comes into play.
While popular video-on-demand (VOD) services like Netflix and Hulu, deliver tons of great content, they come with an associated price tag. In the current era of streaming services, its easy to blow out your budget just because you want access to everything streaming online. However, there is another option. Free advertising-based streaming television (FAST) delivers tons of great programming, and it doesn’t cost you a single penny.
Fandango at Home is one of those FAST streamers, and has a library filled with content available to stream for free. Of course, if they have a movie you just have to have, you can outright buy them and watch anytime, on any streaming device.
Here we dive into what Fandango at Home / Vudu is all about, the prices you’ll see, and the platforms and devices it supports.
From Vudu to Fandango at Home
Vudu was a digital on-demand video service that first arrived as an internet-ready set-top-box, the Vudu Box, sold at Best Buy stores in 2008. However, the company decided to ditch the Vudu Box in favor of digital content sales and delivery through apps installed in Blu-ray players and HDTVs. Walmart acquired the company in 2010 after the retail giant failed to compete against Apple’s iTunes platform.
After several changes and incarnations, including a partnership with UltraViolet (a cloud-based digital movie locker that allowed anyone to unlock digital versions of purchased Blu-rays and DVDs) and Movies Anywhere, in April 2020, Vudu announced that it entered an agreement to be acquired by Fandango Media, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.
The transition from Walmart to Fandango Media was completed in July 2020, with the full rebrand of Vudu to Fandango at Home happening in 2024.
Is Fandango at Home a subscription service?
No. It’s a digital content delivery platform only. You can create a free account and watch the platform’s free content (with commercials), or purchase content to watch anytime through the Vudu app or a compatible, linked platform. Rentals are available as well.
Layout
Fandango at Home provides a simplified, Netflix-like interface. On the website, categories line along the top: Movies, TV, Free, and My Library. The latter category is where all your purchases and rentals reside. This toolbar also provides a quick tool to redeem a digital copy or code and the means to access your account, settings, device management, and support.
The mobile app’s layout depends on the underlying device.
On iPhone, it includes a toolbar along the top and along the bottom. The latter lists five categories similar to what’s provided on the website: Spotlight, Search, My Library, Free, and Settings. The top toolbar merely lists popular search terms like Rentals, Deals, TV, Horror, Action, Collections, and so on.
On an Android tablet, shown above, only the Home button is available with everything else tucked away in a hidden menu accessible only by a hamburger-style button.
The Xbox app places all categories and search terms along the top. The main toolbar resides at the very top, providing the My Vudu, Spotlight, Free, Movies, TV, Search, and Settings categories. Underneath is the Home button along with specific search terms like Rentals, Deals, Kids, Horror, Franchises, and more.
In all applications, Fandango at Home provides featured media in a sliding tile-based ribbon using general categories like Featured Films, Featured Rentals, Deals of the Week, In Theaters: Films Before DVD, TV Season Sale, Free: Ladies to Look Up To, and more.
Highlight a tile and you have the option to watch a trailer, if available. Click/tap on the thumbnail and you’re led to the content’s page. You can then rent, purchase, or watch the content for free (if available). There are also options to add the content to your Wishlist and to redeem a code.
What content is available on Fandango at Home?
Fandango at Home provides two forms of paid content: Rentals and Purchases. This content is available in three resolutions:
- SD – 480p
- HDX – 1080p
- UHD – 2160p
Rentals
The cost depends on the media, but standard rentals range from $1 to $6. For early-access movies that are still in theaters, rental prices will be slightly higher. Some marked with the “Theater at Home” banner hit $20, like Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends With Us. The video quality does not affect the rental price.
Unwatched rentals are available for 30 days. Once the content begins, you’ll have 24 hours to finish, with unlimited replays during those 24 hours.
Purchases
The cost of movies ranges from $5 to $30. Users can view this media anytime through the Vudu app or in some cases other platforms that support Movies Anywhere and UltraViolet. For the most part, while movies are available at different resolutions, you get access to all of them for the same price.
The cost of a single TV episode is $2 to $4. Seasons range from $17 to $44. Again, you can view this media anytime through the Vudu app or in some cases other platforms that support Movies Anywhere or UltraViolet.
Free content
Prior to selling the platform in 2020, Walmart introduced Vudu Movies on Us in 2016. This service requires a free account, the Vudu app, or a web browser. It streams movies and TV shows in 1080p with limited commercial interruptions. There are roughly three or four commercial breaks with up to three ads per break, depending on the content.
This content is made available within the platform’s Free section. Selections are also listed on the main page, each marked with a red Free with Ads banner. Click on the content’s image tile followed by the green Watch Free button on the following page.
Customers also have the option to rent or purchase free content, removing advertisements.
Disc to Digital
This service allows users to scan the UPC code found on Blu-ray and DVD packaging to unlock the digital version. It requires the Vudu app (Android) or a web browser (iOS) and permission to access the mobile device’s camera. For Apple devices, this option can be found under My Library on the website’s menu.
Here are the costs:
- Blu-ray to HDX – $2 + tax
- DVD to SD – $2 + tax
- DVD to HDX – $5 + tax
Code redemption
Many Blu-ray and DVD discs include redemption codes within the packaging. These can be used to unlock digital versions playable through the Fandango at Home app and website. Some are marked with the Play Anywhere logo while others do not — likely older UltraViolet codes that should still work.
To redeem these codes, users can load the content’s Fandango at Home page in the app or website and click/tap the Redeem button. The following page provides a text field to enter the code. Click/tap the Submit button to claim the digital copy.
How to access Fandango at Home
Vudu is available on most devices natively through dedicated apps. In some cases, you must use a web browser while the Chromecast requires an additional device to “cast” content. The Nintendo Switch does not support Fandango at Home.
PC
Mobile
Other devices
- Blu-ray players — LG, Samsung, and Sony.
- Consoles — Xbox and PlayStation.
- Smart TVs — LG, Samsung, Hisense, Roku, Sony, TCL, Xumo TV, and Vizio.
- Streaming devices/platforms — Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xfinity Flex and X1
