Rdio has shuttered Vdio, its on-demand service for buying and renting movies and TV shows. “We have decided to discontinue the Vdio beta service,” the company said in an email to its users. “Despite our efforts, we were not able to deliver the differentiated customer experience we had hoped for, and so Vdio is now closed.”
All movies and TV shows that users purchased will be refunded and then be unavailable for streaming. On December 27, the company will stop accepting new Vdio transactions and offer Amazon gift cards to those customers with purchased videos or unused rentals. Vido VIP promotional credits are not eligible.
Vdio was similar to iTunes, Amazon Video or the Google Play store, giving users a simple storefront where they could buy and stream digital content on a per-title basis. TV shows could be purchased as full seasons or individual episodes, depending on the viewer’s preference.
The service, available in the US, UK and Canada, could be accessed from the web or a native iPad app, although additional apps were planned. “Eventually, both Android and iPhone will be supported,” an Rdio spokesperson told TNW in August. “Currently, we only have the iPad app, but, like Rdio, we plan to have Vdio available on all the same platforms over time.”
Rdio recently appointed Anthony Bay, formerly the global head of Amazon’s digital video division, as its new CEO. By far, this is the company’s biggest move to date under his leadership.
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