Itunes VS UltraViolet

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Common file format for UV. If fully adopted, it would allow a UV download to be played in any UV player on pretty much any authorized device. Kind of like how an iTunes digital copy you download on your computer can be transferred to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod that you own...except you'd be able to use it on a lot more devices than just a single ecosystem.

That said, I basically only use Vudu for UV, and downloading digital copies isn't all that different than with iTunes. iTunes digital copies can only be played in iTunes or on Apple devices, so it's a propriety format just like the one used with Vudu. The biggest differences are not being able to transfer between devices (which isn't a big deal because I download directly to the devices I want the movie/show on) and the lack of a HD option on mobile devices (and on mobile devices, I'm usually looking for a smaller file size anyway).

Do you know what happened to the CFF? It was supposed to be rolled out 2 years ago, but there is still no sign of it anywhere. This is a major reason why iTunes still works better for me than UV. I use digital copies mostly while traveling. Downloading movies or entire TV seasons directly to the iPad in the Vudu or Flixster apps is painfully slow compared to just syncing them from my computer via iTunes, and it does not keep track of which episodes I have already watched across devices like iTunes does. I also prefer to have a downloaded copy in case a studio decides to withdraw content from electronic distribution.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Do you know what happened to the CFF? It was supposed to be rolled out 2 years ago, but there is still no sign of it anywhere. This is a major reason why iTunes still works better for me than UV. I use digital copies mostly while traveling. Downloading movies or entire TV seasons directly to the iPad in the Vudu or Flixster apps is painfully slow compared to just syncing them from my computer via iTunes, and it does not keep track of which episodes I have already watched across devices like iTunes does. I also prefer to have a downloaded copy in case a studio decides to withdraw content from electronic distribution.

I haven't heard anything official, or even really many rumors, in quite a while. I'm going to guess that there have been problems from the studios and from the service providers about it. If it were fully adopted, it would require the loss of a fairly substantial amount of control on their parts, so I can see how that might make the process of implementation difficult. It would be great for consumers though. It's the sort of thing that could really move the adoption of digital video video forward.

[TheDean]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

I haven't heard anything official, or even really many rumors, in quite a while. I'm going to guess that there have been problems from the studios and from the service providers about it. If it were fully adopted, it would require the loss of a fairly substantial amount of control on their parts, so I can see how that might make the process of implementation difficult. It would be great for consumers though. It's the sort of thing that could really move the adoption of digital video video forward.

It would be great for consumers. That's probably why there is a hold up. The studios don't want you to download the movie, that's why so many only offer UV, and stopped iTunes. They want to only give you streaming rights.

UV seems like a purple version of Netflix where you only pay for what you want. UV is a great idea and would be great it worked well for everyone, but it doesn't. As long as Universal, Paramount, and Summit offer iTunes and UV, I'm going with iTunes, because that's the next best thing to having the Blu-ray for me. And if they get iTunes extras to work on Apple TV again, and in HD that would make it better. The only problems on the file sizes.

So if you have Apple TV and you only watch movies on TV or computer, like me, iTunes is the better choice. But if you watch on your phone, tablets, on other things, UV is probably better. So, it just wrong no to have a choice.

Apple and UV should come to an agreement where there is on redemption code that works everywhere. You redeem the code and you are able stream ultraviolet and if you want to download, you can download from iTunes and be compatible with everything, that way it works for everyone. And UV can just forget about their CFF.


On a side note what what the deal with Fox sticking with disc based digital copies so long. Then blaming the cost of encoding the disc then paying Apple the activation fee as there reason for dropping the format. Why didn't they just drop the disc like everyone else did and go Digital HD for both iTunes and UV.

[squatting hen]

I only watch movies on my TV.. Since I have a PS3, XBox 360, and two Roku 3's, UV is the only service I can use to stream or download my movies.

[Drewbee87]

Seeing as how I can't even watch iTunes HD videos on my computer anymore, I'm glad we have UV.

[pmac]

We use both iTunes and UV but primarily UV for watching on TV. I have downloaded a bunch of UV movies to my PC for when we travel and all my movies are downloaded in my iTunes account as well. But iTunes is for Disney and a few other things that aren't on UV yet. I don't trust redeeming Disney Digital plus codes fully yet in Vudu only, what if Vudu shuts down. SOL I thiink for any non UV purchases.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

I haven't heard anything official, or even really many rumors, in quite a while. I'm going to guess that there have been problems from the studios and from the service providers about it. If it were fully adopted, it would require the loss of a fairly substantial amount of control on their parts, so I can see how that might make the process of implementation difficult. It would be great for consumers though. It's the sort of thing that could really move the adoption of digital video video forward.

You're probably right. But if true, that seems very shortsighted. If they want to challenge Apple in the electronic sell-through market, they'll have to make their system at least as userfriendly as iTunes, or they'll never catch up. Digital copies alone won't be enough for UV to succeed, since they don't generate significant profits ...

[Andysol]

Originally Posted by Tok

Apple's problem with the iTunes store for movies is that they want to lock you into their ecosystem.
Unless Apple becomes a UV partner I don't see them being a major player in video.

Apple is the largest streaming video supplier for both rentals and purchases by a significant margin. There isn't a close second and in all surveys vudu is classified In "other". Outside of us Blu ray folk- UV isn't used at all. iTunes and amazon are the leaders. iTunes doesn't need UV to be successful. Quite the contrary. UV would be a success with iTunes.

Unfortunately, I think UV will die in the next few years and all collections are gone. Or it'll be successful. Who knows. What we do know is physical media is ours and a studio going under isn't going to make my Blu ray disappear.

[Andysol]

Originally Posted by punking

Hopefully that will change when CFF is fully implemented, and UV films will be downloadable to anywhere.

The fact UV didnt have CFF when it first came out just proves how inept they are. The Studios running the digital content is the definition of the fox watching the henhouse. These are the same guys that release a new lord of the rings every 6 months.

[squatting hen]

Originally Posted by Andysol

The fact UV didnt have CFF when it first came out just proves how inept they are. The Studios running the digital content is the definition of the fox watching the henhouse. These are the same guys that release a new lord of the rings every 6 months.

Well, a lot of things are released before all features and services are up and running.

[Andysol]

Originally Posted by squatting hen

Well, a lot of things are released before all features and services are up and running.

Not Apple

Kidding aside- UV was a freakin disaster at launch. Awful execution. That alone crushed my confidence in them for years. I have 100+ UV titles, but I'm iTunes first and UV as a last resort and only if it's free.

[huskerbear]

Originally Posted by squatting hen

I only watch movies on my TV.. Since I have a PS3, XBox 360, and two Roku 3's, UV is the only service I can use to stream or download my movies.

Yep, same here. itunes was the first service on the street, so the largest, for now but, it is a non starter for everyone not using ios, which is most people.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by huskerbear

Yep, same here. itunes was the first service on the street, so the largest, for now but, it is a non starter for everyone not using ios, which is most people.

Well, the Apple TV is the best selling home streaming device on the market by a significant margin:

http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2013/...d-with-21.html

Not to mention the iPad's position in the tablet market ...

[squatting hen]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Well, the Apple TV is the best selling home streaming device on the market by a significant margin:

http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2013/...d-with-21.html

Not to mention the iPad's position in the tablet market ...

This is worldwide. Roku doesn't have much of , if any presence outside the US. In the US, reports show they are neck and neck.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by squatting hen

This is worldwide. Roku doesn't have much of , if any presence outside the US. In the US, reports show they are neck and neck.

That may be so, but international video sales count too. Also, I'm pretty sure Apple could easily outsell Roku in the US on name recognition alone if they did any marketing at all for the Apple TV. It still seems to be a "hobby" for them.

[huskerbear]

But again, unless your all in with apple devices and itunes, there is zero reasons to buy an apple tv over a Roku, but I will give you name recognition....

[Rob9874]

Originally Posted by huskerbear

But again, unless your all in with apple devices and itunes, there is zero reasons to buy an apple tv over a Roku, but I will give you name recognition....

Yep, I bought an Apple TV recently, when I was sure I was going iTunes only for digital movies. Now I'm a VUDU convert, I'm a bit disappointed. And being a DirecTV customer, I can't even use the Disney channels on Apple TV. Guess I can use it to watch my SD digital copies of my blurays.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by huskerbear

But again, unless your all in with apple devices and itunes, there is zero reasons to buy an apple tv over a Roku, but I will give you name recognition....

It depends on what kind of services you are using. Remember that the Apple TV is also a capable and inexpensive Netflix and Hulu player. And a lot of people are already iTunes users for music, so it's just a logical transition for many.

[blackwidowavenger1964]

Vudu lets you download the movie to your computer in HDX so in fact you do OWN the movie.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by blackwidowavenger1964

Vudu lets you download the movie to your computer in HDX so in fact you do OWN the movie.

The problem is that you cannot play the downloaded copy on anything but the computer ...