Wal-Mart, the biggest retail corporation in the United States, is entering the digital media player market with its very own device, the Vudu Spark. The Spark is expected to go head-to-head against Google's Chromecast and Amazon's Fire TV Stick. However, Wal-Mart has a very interesting deal to beat the competition; the company released the device for only $24.95.
The Spark is currently available on all Wal-Mart branches and can also be purchased online through its website.
Although the Spark is significantly cheaper compared to its counterparts, Wal-Mart has to ease out on some features in order to profit in its new venture. Despite the Spark's cheaper price tag, the device is only allowed to stream contents directly from Wal-Mart's movie rental services.
Unlike the Chromecast or the Fire TV Stick, the Spark is not allowed to stream video contents from YouTube. Netflix, HBO Go and Hulu Plus services are also not available on Spark.
Nevertheless, the $24.95 price tag might prove irresistible to some people. Wal-Mart also introduced a promotion to help market its new product. Upon purchase, customers will receive $25 worth of movie pass on the Wal-Mart movie rental service, according to The Verge. Technically, using this scheme, the Spark comes in for free and customers are given five months to redeem the movie passes.
The Spark works pretty much the same way as the Chromecast and Fire TV Stick, the user only needs to plug in the dongle on the HDMI slot on their TV and everything is all set. The Spark is also capable of streaming videos with 1080p resolution and features a surround sound.
However, many analysts are skeptical whether the Spark is really worth its price considering the fact that it only offers Wal-Mart's video service and nothing else. Many critics say that the Spark is merely a medium in order for consumers to promote Wal-Mart's video rental services, according to Modern Readers.