Vudu Knocks $200 Off Its Device (Will You Buy?)

Vudu has dropped the price of its movie delivery set-top box by $200 as the company continues to try something, anything, to get you to buy one (hat tip to Gizmodo). The “Vudu Christmas Special” knocks the price of the box down to $99 from $299, though you still have to purchase an additional $50 worth of movie credits.

Is this Vudu’s last gasp? The company has tried just about everything to build up an install base: previous price cuts, porn, bargain movie rentals, a high-end HD format — none of which have given the box much traction. Vudu also recently opened up its box by allowing users to access other video and services such as YouTube and Flickr (and from comments left on our story, it looks like Boxee might be taking up residence in Vudu-ville as well).

Vudu’s new $99 price point puts it in line with Roku (kinda, since the Vudu is actually $149), which just enabled its HD capabilities and is preparing to open up to other video services beyond just Netflix streaming. Vudu, however, does offer a much larger selection of HD movie rentals.

Will this be the move that gets you, or anyone else, to buy a Vudu? The severe price cut, while nice, also has an air of desperation, and after the company’s CEO left and it went through layoffs, such a move doesn’t exactly confidence in consumers that Vudu will be around this time next year.