There are many amazing video streaming services that crave to take your money every month. But what if you’re not interested in a buffet of everything you can watch and simply prefer to create your own digital collection? This is where Fandango At Home, formerly known as Vudu, comes in.
While popular video-on-demand services like Netflix and Hulu offer a lot of great content, they come with a price tag. In today’s age of streaming services, it’s easy to blow your budget just because you want access to everything being streamed online. However, there’s another option. Free advertising-supported streaming television (FAST) offers a large number of great shows, and it won’t cost you a penny.
Fandango at Home is one of those who offer FAST streaming, and it has a library full of content available for free streaming. Of course, if they have a movie that you just have to have, you can purchase it and watch it anytime, on any streaming device.
We delve into everything about Fandango at Home / Vudu, the prices you’ll see, and the platforms and devices it supports.
From Vudu to Fandango at Home
Vudu was a video-on-demand service that first arrived as a ready-to-stream internet-enabled decoder device, the Vudu Box, which was sold in Best Buy stores in 2008. However, the company decided to ditch the Vudu Box in favor of digital content. Sales and delivery were done through apps installed in Blu-ray players and high-definition televisions. Walmart acquired the company in 2010 after the retail giant failed to compete with Apple’s iTunes platform.
After many changes and embodiments, including a partnership with UltraViolet (a cloud-based digital movie locker that allows anyone to unlock digital versions of purchased Blu-ray discs and DVDs) and Movies Anywhere, in April 2020, Vudu announced that it had entered into 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 complete rebranding of Vudu to Fandango at Home 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 linked, compatible platform. Rentals are also available.
Layout
Fandango at Home provides a simplified interface similar to Netflix’s interface. On the website, categories are aligned along the top: Movies, TV, Free, and My Library. The last category is where all your purchases and rentals are located. The toolbar also provides a quick tool to redeem a digital copy or code and access your account, settings, device management, and support.
The layout of the mobile app depends on the device.
On an iPhone, the toolbar includes both at the top and along the bottom. The latter lists five categories similar to what’s available on the website: Spotlight, Search, My Library, Free, and Settings. The top toolbar lists popular search terms like Rentals, Offers, TV, Horror, Action, Collections, and more.
On an Android tablet, as shown above, the home button is available with everything else in a hidden menu that can only be accessed through a hamburger button.
The Xbox app places all categories and search terms at the top. The main toolbar in the top section provides My Vudu, Spotlight, Free, Movies, TV, Search, and Settings categories. Below it, there’s the home button along with specific search terms like Rentals, Offers, Kids, Horror, Premieres, and more.
In all applications, Fandango at Home offers featured media in a tile-based slider bar using general categories like Featured Movies, Featured Rentals, Weekly Deals, In Theaters: Movies Before DVD, TV Season Sale, Free: Lady’s Choice, and more.
Highlight one of the boxes and you will have the option to watch a trailer, if available. Click/tap on the thumbnail image and you will be directed to the content page. From there, you can rent, purchase, or watch for free (if available). There are also options to add content to your wishlist and redeem a code.
What content is available on Fandango at Home?
Fandango at Home offers two types of paid content: rentals and purchases. This content is available in three resolutions:
- SD – 480p
- HD – 1080p
- Ultra HD – 2160p
Rentals
The cost depends on the media, but standard rentals range from $1 to $6. For early access movies still in theaters, rental prices will be slightly higher. Some carry a “Theater at Home” banner and reach $20, such as Deadpool and Wolverine and Ends With Us. Video quality does not affect the rental price.
Unwatched rentals are available for 30 days. Once the content is started, you have 24 hours to finish, with unlimited replays during that 24-hour window.
Purchases
Movie costs range from $5 to $30. Users can view this media anytime through the Vudu app or in some cases other platforms supporting Movies Anywhere and UltraViolet. For the most part, although movies are available in different resolutions, you can access them all at the same price.
Cost per TV episode ranges from $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 supporting Movies Anywhere or UltraViolet.
Free Content
Prior to the platform sale in 2020, Walmart offered Free Vudu Movies in 2016. This service requires a free account or the Vudu app or web browser. It streams movies and TV shows in 1080p with limited commercial breaks. There are approximately three or four commercial breaks with up to three ads per break, depending on the content.
This content is available in the platform’s Free section. The selections are also featured on the homepage, with each highlighted with a Free with Ads banner in red. Click on the content image box followed by the Watch Free button on the next page.
Customers also have the option to rent or buy free content and remove ads.
Disc to Digital
This service allows users to scan the UPC code on Blu-ray and DVD packaging to unlock the digital version. It requires the Vudu app (Android) or web browser (iOS) and permission to access the mobile device’s camera. For Apple devices, this option can be found within My Library on the site menu.
Here are the costs:
- Blu-ray to HDX – $2 + tax
- DVD to SD – $2 + tax
- DVD to HDX – $5 + tax
Redeeming a Code
Many Blu-ray and DVD discs include redemption codes inside the packaging. These can be used to unlock digital versions that can be played through the Fandango at Home app and website. Some are marked with the Play Anywhere logo while others are not – the older UltraViolet codes are likely the ones that should continue to work.
To redeem these codes, users can download the content’s Fandango at Home page in the app or website and click/tap the Redeem button. The next 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 may need to use a web browser while Chromecast requires an additional device to “cast” the content. The Nintendo Switch does not support Fandango at Home.
Computer
Mobile
Other Devices
- Blu-ray Players – LG, Samsung, Sony.
- Gaming Consoles – Xbox, PlayStation.
- Smart TVs — LG, Samsung, Hisense, Roku, Sony, TCL, Xumo TV, Vizio.
- Streaming Devices/Platforms – Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xfinity Flex, X1
