Walmart.com offers streaming online videos from Vudu

Competition for online eyeballs is heating up. Retail giant Walmart launched on its website an instant video-on-demand service with Vudu, an online streaming service it acquired back in February.

The new offering on Walmart.com is similar to the Vudu Web-based service available on select Internet-capable TVs and set-top boxes. Consumers can browse through Vudu's library of movies and TV shows—including 3D titles—and then play them instantly from www.walmart.com/vudu. Rental costs range from $1 to $7 while outright purchases will range from $5 to $22. And unlike Netflix, which recently hiked prices for its video streaming services, there is no monthly membership charges to use Vudu on Walmart.com. (For other online streaming video options, see: How pricier Netflix stands up to other options.)

The downside to the Vudu service on Walmart: The titles offered are standard-definition quality only.

Consumer Reports recently took a closer look at online streaming services, which are much more than just websites for your computer. Read our report, Take your TV online, to find out some of the other ways to get digital videos on your big-screen HDTV.

VUDU Announces Full Integration on Walmart.com [Walmart.com]
Watch Out, Netflix. Walmart Now Streaming Vudu Video On Demand On Walmart.com [Washington Post]
Walmart puts Vudu on its main site to drive use [Reuters]
As DVD sales decline, Walmart.com adds Vudu streaming [GigaOm

—Paul Eng