Ultraviolet Digital Copy is coming to the UK

[Phil92]

Beginning with the release of Final Destination 5 on 26th December, Warner will replace the standard Digital Copy disc with a leaflet that enables you to stream the film via internet. It is no longer compatible with Windows Media, iTunes or any portable devices. Expect other studios to follow suit, except Disney who do not support the format.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Phil92

It is no longer compatible with Windows Media, iTunes or any portable devices.

Then it sounds completely useless. Warner Bros. must have their head in the clouds if they think people will fall in love with this new technology....

The only good thing I can see is if they implement Ultraviolet copies retroactively to stuff we all ready have but want to make portable although I'm sure that will cost extra.

[Billz]

Unfortunately, unless we boycott all WB BD releases that will have a Ultraviolet Copy as standard, then WB won't get the message that this UV Copy is a stupid and useless movie, especially for those with an iPad or iPhone.

[yeslek]

wow something that seems even more useless than DCs

[DaveSimonH]

Give me a DVD over any digital copy and I will make a better one, with on/off subtitles and multiple audio options.

[Billz]

I wonder how many people are going to attempt to boycott new WB releases, with UC codes, just to try and make a point.

[The Limey]

I am completely disinterested in Ultraviolate because it is an attempt by the studios to weaken ownership of physical media by the consumer. Someone wake me up when it falls flat on its face.

[Lsalas76]

Hi guys I'm from the US but this Ultraviolet crap has hit the states already. We had it with Horrible Bosses, Green Lantern, and Harry Potter DH part 2. Its just horrible and I along with many other people from the US on this forum have sent Warner complaints and we were eventually able to get codes from them to download the movies in itunes. When they sent the codes the email also said they have been having some positive response to ultraviolet, yeah right! So I also sent them a link to all the negative reviews of Harry Potter on Amazon(US) which there was about 200 negative reviews mostly of people upset about ultraviolet not being compatible with itunes.

Most studios here in the US are in favor of ultraviolet. Friends with Benefits and Smurfs which are from Sony here in the US, are scheduled to come out on 12/2/11 here and that ultraviolet crap will be in those blu-rays too. All we can do is keep complaining to the studios and demand the traditional digital copy that is windows media and itunes/apple compatible or boycott blu-rays with ultraviolet altogether.

[zebredy]

Can someone please explain Ultraviolet to me please, how is it supposed to work if its not compatible with Windows media or Itunes/Apple stuff

[sgsalt]

I must confess that when I heard about this system and it professed to be 'buy once, play anywhere' it sounded like a good idea.

The official website makes it sound like you can do whatever you want: download for offline viewing or stream to any device, however the testimonials of the people paying their hard earned cash seem to say otherwise.

[Phil92]

Originally Posted by zebredy

Can someone please explain Ultraviolet to me please, how is it supposed to work if its not compatible with Windows media or Itunes/Apple stuff

From what I hear, you stream it over Flixster. If you have the app on your phone, you can watch it on that, but you need to be connected to Wi-Fi at the time.

[sukraj]

Originally Posted by DaveSimonH

Give me a DVD over any digital copy and I will make a better one, with on/off subtitles and multiple audio options.

I totally agree i'd have a dvd over any digital copy.

[zebredy]

Originally Posted by Phil92

From what I hear, you stream it over Flixster. If you have the app on your phone, you can watch it on that, but you need to be connected to Wi-Fi at the time.

Ok thanks for that. I think the DC we have now are just fine for me, why try to fix something that ain't broke?

Originally Posted by sukraj

I totally agree i'd have a dvd over any digital copy.

Totally agree. Not all my friends have BR players, my mum doesn't and she doesn't even buy DVDs that often (think she and my dad own 6 if that) I lent her my copy of UP cause there was a DVD copy in the box she could watch.

I don't watch movies on the go and don't yet have a laptop so see no need in DC copy really..

I'd like to say 'I hope this is a big failure' but if someone wants a movie badly enough and an ultraviolet copy is being sold along with the movie, what can you do?

[sniffer]

As know one appears to like digital copies other than myself, I would be more than happy to take them off your hands if anyone wants to get rid of theirs as I use them all the time.

OT, ultraviolet digital copies seems the most pointless idea if you need a wifi connection to watch it. Other than your house or say a starbucks, where else are you going to get a wifi connection to watch a film that would last 2 hours?! pointless or what!

[kylemj]

Originally Posted by DaveSimonH

Give me a DVD over any digital copy and I will make a better one, with on/off subtitles and multiple audio options.

same here

[BD3Dfan]

Hmm....... To be quite honest, I'm happy with the current system of digital copy distribution, since I can use my iPod. However, with this weakness in mind, one must remember that a UV digital copy can be accessed from anywhere using the appropriate technology. So, while it gains a strength, it gains a weakness as well.

Regardless of digital copy, I'll continue to buy Blu Rays, even if they contain UV. Besides, you buy a Blu Ray mainly for the Blu Ray, not for the digitial copy.

Originally Posted by The Limey

I am completely disinterested in Ultraviolate because it is an attempt by the studios to weaken ownership of physical media by the consumer. Someone wake me up when it falls flat on its face.

To be quite honest, I fail to see how UV is supposed to weaken physical media. I see UV as a single-stop solution for online movies. Besides, how would studios continue to sell us many special editions if they wanted to decrease focus on physical media?

[The Limey]

Originally Posted by BD3Dfan

Hmm....... To be quite honest, I'm happy with the current system of digital copy distribution, since I can use my iPod. However, with this weakness in mind, one must remember that a UV digital copy can be accessed from anywhere using the appropriate technology. So, while it gains a strength, it gains a weakness as well.

Regardless of digital copy, I'll continue to buy Blu Rays, even if they contain UV. Besides, you buy a Blu Ray mainly for the Blu Ray, not for the digitial copy.



To be quite honest, I fail to see how UV is supposed to weaken physical media. I see UV as a single-stop solution for online movies. Besides, how would studios continue to sell us many special editions if they wanted to decrease focus on physical media?

My concern is that this could well weaken the ownership of physical media. It could get to the stage that a newly bought BD disc would be unplayable until the purchaser activates the UV licence. Would the same person then later be able to sell this disc on say Ebay, and the new owner is then able to obtain a new UV licence for the same disc in their name? Somehow I doubt it....

[Natty]

Originally Posted by Phil92

From what I hear, you stream it over Flixster. If you have the app on your phone, you can watch it on that, but you need to be connected to Wi-Fi at the time.

This part makes me a little more interested in it. I didn't like the idea of not being able to have the films on my phone. But seeing as I won't be wasting harddrive space on my iPhone I think it could be better than a DC. Maybe I'm not reading it properly?

[BD3Dfan]

Originally Posted by The Limey

My concern is that this could well weaken the ownership of physical media. It could get to the stage that a newly bought BD disc would be unplayable until the purchaser activates the UV licence. Would the same person then later be able to sell this disc on say Ebay, and the new owner is then able to obtain a new UV licence for the same disc in their name? Somehow I doubt it....

If that would be the case, then bad word of mouth would spread, leading to people simply not buying the release. And the studios wouldn't want to see their products not being brought. I fail to see that studios would attempt to force users to activate an entirely-optional digitial copy that you don't have to use via locking the BD's playback. Think of it from a studio's perspective. The one thing that a studio wouldn't want to do is lose money. Locking playback would do just that.

Like before, the DC is a completly free choice. You can either activate and use it, or just leave it be and not use it (That is, if no non-DC option exists). Enabling a locked playback system wouldn't encourage people to use an optional extra. In fact, it could entice the person not to buy it entirely, thus the studio loses money on possible buyers.

I do realize that I'm entering sensitive territoy here, thus this will be the last I speak on the issue. If you still belive that stuidos would do the (Ill-advised) move of locking playback to non-UV users, then I'm not going to change your opinion. You have yours and I have mine.

[The Limey]

Originally Posted by BD3Dfan

If that would be the case, then bad word of mouth would spread, leading to people simply not buying the release. And the studios wouldn't want to see their products not being brought. I fail to see that studios would attempt to force users to activate an entirely-optional digitial copy that you don't have to use via locking the BD's playback. Think of it from a studio's perspective. The one thing that a studio wouldn't want to do is lose money. Locking playback would do just that.

Like before, the DC is a completly free choice. You can either activate and use it, or just leave it be and not use it (That is, if no non-DC option exists). Enabling a locked playback system wouldn't encourage people to use an optional extra. In fact, it could entice the person not to buy it entirely, thus the studio loses money on possible buyers.

I do realize that I'm entering sensitive territoy here, thus this will be the last I speak on the issue. If you still belive that stuidos would do the (Ill-advised) move of locking playback to non-UV users, then I'm not going to change your opinion. You have yours and I have mine.

You are ignoring the the studio regarding second hand sales of a disc as money lost to them, something which in theory would not be the case if discs were specific user locked via UV and/or Digital Downloads were more widespread.
Thanks but no thanks - UV ain't for me.