Get digital copies of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs at your local Walmart store. If you want to be able to watch the movies you own on any device, WalMart will make it happen for you. The process explained in my article about WalMart's Disc-to-Digital service is now live. I went to my local WalMart to see how it worked and to pass on some tips you need to complete the process quickly and successfully.
WalMart does not actually copy the DVDs and Blu-ray Discs you bring to the store. Instead the titles you bring in to "convert to digital" are entered into a computer and added to your Vudu account. The titles can be streamed using the Vudu app that is available on hundreds of devices—from media players and Boxee boxes, to smart TVs and Blu-ray players, to Xbox360 and Playstation3, to web browsers on iPads and computers.
Once you pay for the UltraViolet/Vudu digital copies, there is no monthly subscription fee or charge to stream your movies. Bring in any movie title from a participating studio or distributor regardless of where it was purchased. Rented films, including those legitimately purchased from Blockbuster or other video rental store, are not eligible for UltraViolet digital copies.
Step-by Step How to Get Digital Copies of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs
You will need a Vudu account and an UltraViolet account.
1. Go to Vudu's website.
Click on "Start Here."
2. Create a Vudu account or sign in to your existing Vudu account.
3. Create an UltraViolet account, or link to your existing UltraViolet account. Click "Continue." Agree to terms and conditions.
4. Allow Vudu to access your UltraViolet account for a year. If you say no, you cannot participate in the Disc-to-Digital program.
5 Create a list of your desired digital movies titles. You can bring the movies to the store and fill in the form at the counter. Creating a list in advance will assure you that the title is available for Disc-to-Digital.
To create the movie list, start typing the name of the movie in the search box. A list of matching titles will appear. Keep typing until the title you want is in the drop-down list.
Not all titles from the participating studios will be available. Some titles—including Star Wars, Back to the Future—may be blocked by the director or an actor in the film. Other titles may be coming soon. Disney is not participating so don't bother looking up those titles.
From the list, click on the title and whether you own the DVD or Blu-ray Disc. The price is $2 for a digital copy of same quality— standard definition for DVDs, and high definition for Blu-ray discs. When you enter a movie that is a DVD, you'll have the option to "Add HD to List" or "Add to list." Choosing "Add HD to list" will upgrade your DVD to a high definition copy and will cost $5.
Your movies, and the price of the digital copies, will appear in the carousel below the search line.
Tip: If you are an experienced Netflix user, you may want to search Netflix to see if the titles are available for free streaming before spending money for a digital copy. You can always add the title later.
6. Click on "Print List," when you've added all of the desired digital titles. Print the list, and take it to the store with you. You must bring the physical DVDs and/or Blu-ray Discs to the store.
7. When you arrive at Walmart, go to the one-hour photo counter (Walmart's "PhotoCenter."). Present them with your list of movies along with the physical discs. To begin, the Walmart PhotoCenter employee will need your email and phone number that is printed on the list.
8. If the PhotoCenter isn't busy, a list of 10 movies should take no more than 15 minutes.
Whether you hang out and do some shopping, or you leave and return later, you must have your discs with you again, when you checkout and pay for your titles. Once the payment is processed and your receipt is printed, the PhotoCenter employee will stamp the center of each of your discs with a Walmart stamp. These discs cannot be brought back to the store to get another digital copy.
9. You will receive an email from Vudu that the titles are available in your account.
10. To watch the movies, go to the Vudu app on your device—Xbox360, Playstation 3, smart TV, or other media streamer. Sign in to the Vudu app.
In Vudu, go to the "MyVudu" tab. You own these movies and can play them as often as you wish.
11. Alternatively, you can play the movies through the Flixster app or the Flixster Collections app for computers.
We are on our way to a fully digital world.
Do you have any tips after using the Walmart Disc-to-Digital service?
