With a team of vets from TiVo, WebTV, and Danger Inc., Vudu started out manufacturing its own set-top boxes a la Roku, then dropped those ambitions to focus on its pay-per-view model for instant TV and movie streaming. Since then, the company has carved out a niche by offering new movie releases in 1080p, the highest resolution possible on today's TV -- something Netflix and Apple still don't do. It was for that same reason Wal-Mart acquired the company in 2010 for $100 million. The company now offers over 15,000 movies via app on devices from smart TVs to the iPad.
NEXT: iTunes
