Blu-ray discs with UltraViolet technology!

[sbuberl]

EricJ, the "at home" disc-2-digital will be available on this year's Samsung's BR players in the new few months (with exception of some of the cheaper models). This service will be backed by Flixster instead of Vudu (hopefully Flixster will support HD by then). Hopefully, the PC version of this D2D software will be released this year. And maybe late this year or next year, you should see D2D on more BR players and eventually the PS3.

Also, for UV digital copy codes, the general rule of thumb for VUDU is WB and Universal give SD and Sony and Paramount give you HDX. There are exceptions to that rule (some Sony can be SD. some recent WB and Uni gave HDX)

[JA410]

Originally Posted by Underworld54

In order to view your movie (even your physical disc) you will HAVE to be connected to the internet.

This is not true. I'm watching one on an old player with no Internet connection.

[Living Near Shamu]

Ugh I can't stand BDs with UV. I purposely don't buy movies anymore if they come with this stuff. Now they're making it even more confusing by putting an iTunes sticker on the packaging and saying "works with iTunes".

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by JA410

This is not true. I'm watching one on an old player with no Internet connection.

This rumour was fired down months ago, wasn't it?

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

This rumour was fired down months ago, wasn't it?

it was not as much a rumour as bad writing and journalism. But yeah, it is not true

[ghebert]

Studios...this is why people illegally download movies, so we don't have to deal with this kind of crap.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by ghebert

Studios...this is why people illegally download movies, so we don't have to deal with this kind of crap.

No, its because this generation thinks they can have everything free.

[dmdragon]

UV is awesome. I never used iTunes because I hate proprietary closed off Apple crap. I can now redeem digital copies and watch them on my tv using my ps3 through Vudu. Apple users would have you believe that Uv is inferior to iTunes. This is not true, I don't have to waste my harddrive holding these movies and I can watch them on tons more devices. It doesn't force me to spend hundreds of dollars on yet another device just to use them.

[Lnds500]

Originally Posted by dmdragon

Apple users would have you believe that Uv is inferior to iTunes.

Your arguments are invalid. UV has received negative reviews en masse, from critics and consumers alike. It's a half-baked solution and it's terribly restricted.

This is not true, I don't have to waste my harddrive holding these movies and I can watch them on tons more devices.

With Apple you can stream or delete and redownload it to save space.

It doesn't force me to spend hundreds of dollars on yet another device just to use them.

Don't you have a PC?

[dmdragon]

Originally Posted by Lnds500

Your arguments are invalid. UV has received negative reviews en masse, from critics and consumers alike. It's a half-baked solution and it's terribly restricted.



With Apple you can stream or delete and redownload it to save space.



Don't you have a PC?

Hmm so the iCloud doesn't work on the pc, so I HAVE to keep the movie on my harddrive. Trust me, I've tried. Then I can watch my movies on a 21" computer monitor? Where do I sign up for that? If I want to watch them on my tv I need to buy an apple product, which I won't do as I don't support apple in the slightest. And you say Uv is restricted? That's hilarious, iTunes is FAR more restricted than Uv. Can I watch iTunes movies on my android? Nope. Can I stream iTunes to my tv without spending hundreds on an apple product? Nope. Uv can do both AND stream on Apple products, how on earth is that more restrictive?

I guarantee you that half of those bad reviews were from people who haven't even bothered to try UV, they just heard it was a threat to their precious apple and immediately admonished it, and still do so to this day.

I have used both, and I have done the research that a lot of people out there haven't done. Uv is less restrictive than iTunes by a long shot. The bottom line is that unless Apple starts licensing it's tech out to items other than their own products then they are going to eventually die in regards to digital copies. A few studios have already dropped iTunes completely in favor of Uv. More will follow unless Apple decides they want to open up their system a little to other manufactures.

[coolcity]

Originally Posted by csdot

nobodys forcing anyone to do anything...
it doesnt say that you have use Ultraviolet to play the disc. im sure when you put it in you can opt to not make a Ultraviolet account and just watch the movie.

For now, yes but how long before every disc is made this way? Like the need to buy a digital TV or digibox?

Personally I'm not that bothered, I'm just as happy to watch a streaming movie as I am a disc and it would mean less clutter.

My main argument is pricing. The biggest cost of physical discs is the logistics of production, storage and distributio.n. I can see a world where the main studios simply rent out their stuff directly, cut out the middleman and physical discs will disappear completely but you can guarantee the logistical saving will not be passed on to us.

This is already the case with digital music downloads, which cost the distributors next to nothing but are not much cheaper (if at all) than physical CDs.

[stratford]

Some movies come in different configs in another country, so importing a plain one disc blu-ray is a possible solution. Where I live Heroes & Villains/ Warriors dose not exist on Blu so I just import the config that fits in with my polatics

[Schrute Farms]

Originally Posted by dmdragon

UV is awesome. I never used iTunes because I hate proprietary closed off Apple crap. I can now redeem digital copies and watch them on my tv using my ps3 through Vudu. Apple users would have you believe that Uv is inferior to iTunes. This is not true, I don't have to waste my harddrive holding these movies and I can watch them on tons more devices. It doesn't force me to spend hundreds of dollars on yet another device just to use them.

I agree with some of this. I like my UV/Vudu account. My son can watch a lot of his movies in our Vudu account on his PS3, and when I'm traveling I can bring MY PS3 and watch most of my movies from my PS3 just by connecting it to the hotel TV. The Vudu Disc-to-Digital program has cost iTunes a lot of my money recently, but I still prefer buying TV shows from iTunes. I wish the Disc-To-Digital program applied to TV shows...

There have been occasional problems with Vudu/UV, but for the most part I am very happy.

[sbuberl]

Originally Posted by Schrute Farms

The Vudu Disc-to-Digital program has cost iTunes a lot of my money recently, but I still prefer buying TV shows from iTunes. I wish the Disc-To-Digital program applied to TV shows...

It's just a matter of time. UV's main focus is on movies right now. There are UV codes for TV shows on some new BD TV releases that typically only playable on Flixster for now. However, Vudu just added support for redeeming its first two UV TV codes (Big Bang Theory Seasons 1 and 2). Still can't import you other UV TV codes from your UV account nor do a D2D of TV seasons, but it's a start. I guess D2D of TV shows would have to stamp every disk when implemented? We'll see.

Rather than iTunes, I usually buy my TV seasons from Amazon Instant Video. So I'm hoping soon after Amazon implements its UV support, UV TV will be have a fuller implementation and I can watch some of my shows on other services and devices.

[dmdragon]

Originally Posted by Schrute Farms

I agree with some of this. I like my UV/Vudu account. My son can watch a lot of his movies in our Vudu account on his PS3, and when I'm traveling I can bring MY PS3 and watch most of my movies from my PS3 just by connecting it to the hotel TV. The Vudu Disc-to-Digital program has cost iTunes a lot of my money recently, but I still prefer buying TV shows from iTunes. I wish the Disc-To-Digital program applied to TV shows...

There have been occasional problems with Vudu/UV, but for the most part I am very happy.

There are already a few TV shows that you can put the UV code directly into VUDU to get them on VUDU. I recently used my Big Bang Theory uv codes on there and got HDX copies of all of them. AND if you do VUDU first I have found you can then redeem on the UV site also with no problems.

The list of titles you can use the UV code directly on VUDU is here
http://www.vudu.com/promotions.html

[Blu Lemmy]

Without reading back through the thread...

Can I watch my disk without connecting to the internet and registering UV?

Cheers

[BD3Dfan]

Originally Posted by Blu Lemmy

Without reading back through the thread...

Can I watch my disk without connecting to the internet and registering UV?

Cheers

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: UV intergration doesn't involve any communication to the disc at all. UV is just a 'digital copy' under a different name. The article on the OP is misinformative.

[Andysol]

Originally Posted by dmdragon

Hmm so the iCloud doesn't work on the pc, so I HAVE to keep the movie on my harddrive. Trust me, I've tried.

You're confused. iCloud has nothing to do with iTunes- which works fine on a pc.

If I want to watch them on my tv I need to buy an apple product, which I won't do as I don't support apple in the slightest.

Don't you have a Blu-Ray of the movie? Who wants to watch some crappy 2GB digital copy? I have a couple of $99 Apple TVs and stream kid movies to a couple rooms- that's it. But outside of kids movies that my 3 year old can't discern the HD difference, I am definitely not going to watch it.

And you say Uv is restricted? That's hilarious, iTunes is FAR more restricted than Uv. Can I watch iTunes movies on my android? Nope.

Yes. To watch a Windows Media Player DC on iTunes I would have to rip it into MV4 or MP4. To watch iTunes on Android you would have to rip MV4 iTunes to MP4. All MP4s would work on either. While not the most convenient thing in the world- having to be connected to the internet to watch a UV movie sucks regardless if you're iOS or android.

Uv can do both AND stream on Apple products, how on earth is that more restrictive?

As long as you have internet connection... which is vastly more restrictive for my use (Traveling/planes).

I guarantee you that half of those bad reviews were from people who haven't even bothered to try UV, they just heard it was a threat to their precious apple and immediately admonished it, and still do so to this day.

I've read the same reviews when I was trying to figure out why I couldn't watch anything offline. I doubt professional reviewers arent testing hands-on. I also don't know how you can "guarantee" something?

I have used both, and I have done the research that a lot of people out there haven't done. Uv is less restrictive than iTunes by a long shot.

I've also used both and I now throw the UV codes in the trash. As does my brother who doesn't own one Apple product.
It is also less or more restrictive based on your usage.

The bottom line is that unless Apple starts licensing it's tech out to items other than their own products then they are going to eventually die in regards to digital copies. A few studios have already dropped iTunes completely in favor of Uv. More will follow unless Apple decides they want to open up their system a little to other manufactures.

The companies didn't want to pay Apple's fees and with UV- it costs very little (~$50-75k licensing). Unfortunately, UV is very inferior in many regards. With the explosion of the iPad, which dominates the tablet market- and the iPhone, which has tens of millions of users- it needs to be easier. I wish iTunes would allow UV too, but they aren't going to do that for free.

[Towergrove]

Originally Posted by Andysol

You're confused. iCloud has nothing to do with iTunes- which works fine on a pc.


Don't you have a Blu-Ray of the movie? Who wants to watch some crappy 2GB digital copy? I have a couple of $99 Apple TVs and stream kid movies to a couple rooms- that's it. But outside of kids movies that my 3 year old can't discern the HD difference, I am definitely not going to watch it.


Yes. To watch a Windows Media Player DC on iTunes I would have to rip it into MV4 or MP4. To watch iTunes on Android you would have to rip MV4 iTunes to MP4. All MP4s would work on either. While not the most convenient thing in the world- having to be connected to the internet to watch a UV movie sucks regardless if you're iOS or android.


As long as you have internet connection... which is vastly more restrictive for my use (Traveling/planes).


I've read the same reviews when I was trying to figure out why I couldn't watch anything offline. I doubt professional reviewers arent testing hands-on. I also don't know how you can "guarantee" something?


I've also used both and I now throw the UV codes in the trash. As does my brother who doesn't own one Apple product.
It is also less or more restrictive based on your usage.


The companies didn't want to pay Apple's fees and with UV- it costs very little (~$50-75k licensing). Unfortunately, UV is very inferior in many regards. With the explosion of the iPad, which dominates the tablet market- and the iPhone, which has tens of millions of users- it needs to be easier. I wish iTunes would allow UV too, but they aren't going to do that for free.

You can in fact download a UV digital file and many of them will soon be giving you a choice of HD or SD version to download. You can even download them to your home server or ipad (for those who travel).

[Towergrove]

Originally Posted by coolcity

For now, yes but how long before every disc is made this way? Like the need to buy a digital TV or digibox?

Personally I'm not that bothered, I'm just as happy to watch a streaming movie as I am a disc and it would mean less clutter.

My main argument is pricing. The biggest cost of physical discs is the logistics of production, storage and distributio.n. I can see a world where the main studios simply rent out their stuff directly, cut out the middleman and physical discs will disappear completely but you can guarantee the logistical saving will not be passed on to us.

This is already the case with digital music downloads, which cost the distributors next to nothing but are not much cheaper (if at all) than physical CDs.

The studios will be allowing rentals as well as Sell thru.