The popular music streaming service Rdio took its streaming
video service Vdio out of beta late on April 2, with a formal launch in the
U.S. and the U.K. to existing Rdio subscribers.
The service, which launched in beta in November 2012, has
movie titles from major studios and TV shows a number of major networks. But it
currently relies on transactional model for videos that are available for rent
or purchase, an approach that has proven less popular in the U.S. than
subscription services like Netflix or Amazon Prime.
The company has been known for its elegant interfaces,
design and social media expertise and the blog post on its website announcing
the launch indicated that it is clearly hoping that those skills will help it
stand out in what is a very crowded video landscape.
While Vdio will not use the subscription model that has
proved so successful at Rdio, the video service will be closely tied to Rdio,
with current and new subscribers getting a gift certificate to purchase
content.
"For the moment, Vdio is only available to Rdio Unlimited
subscribers in the U.S. and U.K.," the company noted. "To get you rolling,
we're giving all Rdio Unlimited subscribers a $25 credit to use on Vdio (same
goes for anyone who subscribes in the next 60 days)."
Vdio currently works on the Web and iPad, with
other devices and platforms in the plan.
