Last week we heard a rumor that music subscription service Spotify was looking to get into the streaming video space. But it looks like their rival has beat them to it. Today, Rdio has launched its own streaming video service called Vdio.
But unlike what we heard about Spotify’s plans, Vdio doesn’t really look like a Netflix competitor. It’s actually a lot more like iTunes, in that it will let you rent and purchase videos from the service and then stream them to your devices…
Here’s the announcement from the Rdio blog:
“When we launched in 2010, our ambition was to design the best experience for the watch-and-listen-anywhere, share-everything, stream-it-now era of content distribution. We started with Rdio and built the most beautiful way to discover, listen, and share an endless stream of music — 18 million songs. Today, we’re previewing our next step on that journey, Vdio, a beautiful new way to buy, rent, and share your favorite movies and TV shows with your friends, in real-time.”
So what will you be able to watch on Vdio? It seems to have a decent selection. There’s newer movies like Skyfall and Lincoln, and TV shows like Downton Abbey and The Walking Dead. Shows will apparently be available the day after they air.
As for pricing, it’s fairly similar to that of iTunes and Amazon’s Video on Demand service. Movie rentals will cost you around $5 and TV shows $3. You can purchase content too, from the website only, but it can then be streamed to its mobile apps.
Rdio is offering subscribers with premium Unlimited accounts, and any new users within the next 60 days, a free $25 gift certificate to try out the service. If you’re interested, you can find the (Air-Play friendly!) iPad app in the App Store for free.
So, what do you think about Vdio? Will you be checking it out?