UltraViolet Gets More Backers, May Lose One

[admin]

Samsung will release a Blu-ray player that allows users to "upload" their DVDs and Blu-rays to the UltraViolet cloud, the company announced at the CES.

Samsung's "Disc to Digital" feature will scan discs inserted to its range of supporting Blu-ray players, and match it with an UltraViolet equivalent "in the cloud". Samsung equipment supporting Flixster will then be able to view the movie without needing the original disc.

The Warner Bros. owned Flixster service is already helping the studio distribute UltraViolet content, and has just signed a deal to enable UltraViolet on Panasonic HDTVs through the app.

Another company signing up to UltraViolet is Amazon, who has agreed to offer UltraViolet content via its digital network for an unspecified studio.

But while UltraViolet is gaining members, it may also lose an important one: Netflix. Sources have told CNET that Netflix has failed to renew its membership within the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, the consortium charged with maintaining UltraViolet, and that the company has long ago removed itself from the decision making process over at DECE.

[drfsupercenter]

That actually sounds pretty cool, but I'm assuming it wouldn't work movies that aren't already part of the UltraViolet program? And those ones all come with codes.

So in other words, go rent the movie and get a free UV copy

I recently got the Blu-Ray of Cowboys and Aliens and was pleased to see that Paramount included the traditional iTunes/Windows Media digital copy files as well as UltraViolet, unlike WB who just forces you to change. Apparently WB Canada still uses iTunes/WMV, so I've actually imported a couple of those digital copy discs just to complete my collection as I'm anal like that.
(I don't care about the discs, but I like having Windows Media digital copies of all the movies I own which offer them)

[admin]

I think it will only work for the ones part of UltraViolet, although I've heard studios talk about enabling it for older movies as well. I think it works through some kind of algorithm that detects the disc's authenticity, and there might be a small fee involved to activate the UltraViolet copy (I guess the voucher code that comes with discs can be used to negate the fee, perhaps).

Apparently, the media detection technology can even tell the difference between store bought and rented discs (and of course, pirated discs), and the technology is developed by Rovi, formerly known as Macrovision (and now also owners of DivX).

[drfsupercenter]

Depends on where you're renting from.

Blockbuster (and maybe Netflix if you use the mail order service?) have special "rental exclusive" versions made by the studios.

My local library, on the other hand, quite literally goes to Amazon.com and buys the exact same DVDs that you or I would, then puts them up for rental. Questionably legal but I don't care, that's what they do... LOL (I even found one with an unused Digital Copy code once! Needless to say it's not unused anymore )

If the movies would still come with a voucher, then what's the point of using the Samsung player to do it, if you can just type in the code? I would assume that for older movies, if they were to implement that, you could also just go on UltraViolet's website and buy them (granted that involves spending money) - not to mention that older DVD releases wouldn't have any sort of authenticity methods in them so unless they were to open it up to pirates getting free movies (Similar to the whole iTunes Match thing), they would basically be forced to re-issue these movies which is going back to just using the insert.

I mean, yeah DVDs can have CSS encryption and RCE protection, but so do rental copies. And if you use something like "dd" on UNIX or maybe CloneDVD you can make 1:1 backups that still have the encryption present rather than decrypting them... LOL

[Paul2012]

That actually sounds pretty cool

[drpepper]

My local library had a new sign up 1/1/12 regarding dvd rentals. Stated some movie studios were going to do a delay release (similar to netflix & red box) & limited them on the number they could order & style of dvd they could order. They would no longer be able to charge $2 for new rentals vs. $1 for old due to not having dvds at public release time. Big possible impact here ( if forced to get a "rental version) was the blu-ray/dvd combo pack they were getting which allowed my LIBRARY to have a blu ray & a dvd to loan out to families. They even do 2 for Tues & Super Friday specials. Nice to not have to buy all movies at retail store on Tues & make it a local library loan , watch, & return night. Stretches the $. They do WII & Playstation ganmes as well. Great to try that game for a $1 before put down $50 to buy.