Last week, while musing over the merits of VUDU's set-top box platform, we mentioned how we had problems getting on board with the cost of the players, priced over a hundred dollars higher than other streaming solutions, like Roku's Netflix Player. Someone at VUDU must have been thinking about the same problem, because now the company is offering a "Christmas Special", its VUDU Box Internet Movie Player in a package for $150. That cost includes $50 worth of credits for streaming "rentals", which range in price from one to four dollars. There's also a half-price deal on a wireless bridge for securely connecting the player to the rest of your network, adding fifty dollars to the bundle's cost.

VUDU still seems a bit expensive if you're really into movies, as Netflix and its monthly rates keep costs down for someone watching a whole lot of films. If you don't watch more than two or three movies a month, on the other hand, VUDU's price structure makes more sense for you, and these latest savings make it sound worth checking out. It's just a shame that VUDU didn't offer this bundle a week or two ago, as it's now too late to snag one of the players for a Christmas preset.

Streaming solutions like VUDU and the Roku Player are one of the growing reasons you might want to think about replacing your subscription cable/satellite service and putting together an entertainment strategy made up from free streaming online content, free over-the-air HDTV transmissions, and the latest releases in streaming movie rentals. Like VUDU, Roku now offers high-definition video, so it's a great time to check out your options.

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