UltraViolet Shutting Down on July 31, 2019

[MifuneFan]

UV libraries will still be around for the foreseeable future

Customers who use Vudu to watch, rent, or buy movies and TV shows will not be impacted by the discontinuation of the Ultraviolet platform,” said Vudu vice president Scott Blanksteen. “These customers will continue to be able to enjoy Vudu content as they have been and continue to access any and all movies and TV shows they have saved in their Vudu library, even after the shutdown of the Ultraviolet service.”

[Greyman]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

UV libraries will still be around for the foreseeable future

It sounds like Vudu will keep everything thing in your account that you had in your UV library but the UV library will be shut down.
The faq will be out today with more info.

https://www.myuv.com/faq

[p w]

Originally Posted by bigjim25

I don’t leave my payment method on my Amazon anymore since someone went on a buying spree one night. They purchased prime on my account then some other stuff. Luckily I was up at 2am that night so I caught the purchases. I don’t keep my card on Google Play either so I guess I can share my Google Play/YouTube account.

i keep a rebate/gift credit card on google play. it has less than $2 dollars on it. do that so i dont have to worry about my brothers kids going on a buying spree

Originally Posted by dunnbluray

If you would have predicted the date it was shutting down, that would have been something.

didnt take a crystal ball. you just had to know when fiscal years ended. once you lined them all up. it became obvious that UVVU secured its funding from the various members in july and august of each year. after the member losses in 2017/2018. it painted a picture of uvvu hanging on by sony and paramount, once sony announced it was closing their own uv portal on 01/31/19, it all but spelled the end for uvvu at the end of the next funding cycle.

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

So with UV shutting down, does that mean you guys wont be able to access your TV shows? (because shows dont transfer anywhere?)

from: https://www.myuv.com/faq

* these new purchases and redemptions may or may not be added to your UltraViolet Library.

* these may only be available through that retailer, and will not be added to your UltraViolet Library.

*in the majority of cases, your movies and TV shows will remain accessible at previously-linked retailers.

[squatting hen]

As long as you connect your UV account to Vudu, which you already have, you won't lose any movies. Everything will stay in Vudu. UV can't get disconnected in the future, it just won't exist. It is really a bummer for sharing.

[michaeljoo]

Just got this email notification from UV:

We are writing to inform you that the UltraViolet service is planning to shut down on July 31, 2019. You are receiving this message because you signed up for an UltraViolet Library or for a service that created an UltraViolet Library for you.

What does this mean for you?

Between January 31 and July 31, 2019

You can continue to access your UltraViolet movies and TV shows through the retailer(s) linked to your UltraViolet Library.

You can also continue to purchase new movies and TV shows and redeem digital codes by following the redemption instructions. Depending on the retailer, these new purchases and redemptions may or may not be added to your UltraViolet Library.

Linking your UltraViolet Library to additional retailers can maximize your access to your Library and help avoid potential disruption.

After the shutdown date

Your UltraViolet Library will automatically close and, in the majority of cases, your movies and TV shows will remain accessible at previously-linked retailers.

You can continue to make online purchases and redeem codes, but these may only be available through that retailer, and will not be added to your UltraViolet Library.

What should you do now?

As soon as possible, login at myuv.com and choose Retailer Services to verify the retailers linked to your UltraViolet Library. If your Library is not currently linked to a retailer or if you would like to link to additional participating retailers, select one or more retailers to link to your UltraViolet Library.

Don't unlink or close your UltraViolet Library, as UltraViolet and retailers will be working together to maximize your continued access to movies and TV shows.

Look for further communications from UltraViolet and your retailers over the coming months, as some retailers may disconnect from UltraViolet before July 31.

Some details may be updated, so visit myuv.com/faq often for the most current information and answers to frequently asked questions.

Thank you for making UltraViolet part of how you enjoy digital entertainment. Please do not hesitate to contact customer support at customercare@uvvu.com if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

The UltraViolet Team

[vraytchev]

Hmm, obviously this was coming though sooner than expected. There are a couple of problems, though...

Titles that were redeemed in Flixster, TargetTicket, CinemaNow, Sony Store and were UV at the time do show up in Vudu, but there have been a number of titles that have lost their UV status on Vudu in the last few years and if they were not redeemed in Vudu, I wonder if they will continue to be accessible in Vudu if previously redeemed elsewhere. Honestly, they should have allowed a one time import of all of your UV library to Vudu, similar to what Disney did at the beginning of MA. The first step of MA was port all of your Disney locker titles to it. I would prefer to see something like that with the UV library. Obviously not all UV titles are MA at this time, so I understand it is not feasible, but what about a full port to Vudu (with transaction history update)? Also sucks for Sony UHD UV titles that at the time Sony asked us to redeem in UV, that are not available in UHD in Vudu. I know they have been opening them up, but not all, so some of these will never make it to MA in UHD (So glad I contacted Sony and they issued me new MA codes for all titles I still had on disc! Thank you blu-ray.com for suggesting that, was a pain, but at least got 20 titles converted). Still have a few that I do not have the discs for, but I will live with those).

Paramount, Lionsgate, MGM what the heck are you waiting for? Lionsgate is already just digital (no MA or UV), I guess Paramount will be the same tied to retailers rather than a locker. MGM titles are a mess of epic proportions. STX already said they wanted to join MA and were not allowed since they were too small?!? But what are these remaining studios holding out for? To see if MA picks up? Has been a year+ already!

I advise, just as I did, everyone to go in their UV libraries and export all the titles they have redeemed in now defunct storefronts, just in case in the future they vanish from Vudu/MA you will know why, since I am sure the answer from the existing storefronts will be "ah well, you did not redeem with us, we can't really help you much, got to rebuy".

On to the next 5 years, when eventually the same thing may happen to MA and on to the next chapter in digital entertainment LOL.

[brooks101189]

Ever since the start of MA, any title I redeemed in Flixster appeared as being redeemed via Vudu on Movies Anywhere in transaction history.

It's a good thing I guess I avoided redeeming or buying TV shows. But again, the note says you will keep that and they do have six months to get everything settled and have been probably working to get this settled even longer.

[neoz]

I perfer UV or MA personally. Figured it was bound to happen sooner or later though. But not so soon.

[vraytchev]

Originally Posted by brooks101189

Ever since the start of MA, any title I redeemed in Flixster appeared as being redeemed via Vudu on Movies Anywhere in transaction history.

It's a good thing I guess I avoided redeeming or buying TV shows. But again, the note says you will keep that and they do have six months to get everything settled and have been probably working to get this settled even longer.

Yes, this is true, in MA Transaction History UV titles redeemed elsewhere, show as Vudu ports. However, in the few times there have been issues with MA, these are the titles that have vanished, since they were not redeemed at Vudu, if the UV link gets disconnected for any reason, Vudu shows them as not owned and then they get removed from MA and any other retailers. This has happened a couple of times and then gets fixed. A permanent port (rather than just a link) of the whole UV collection to Vudu, will stop this from happening. Obviously anything UV or not procured on Vudu is OK.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

So with UV shutting down, does that mean you guys wont be able to access your TV shows? (because shows dont transfer anywhere?)

No, you will continue to have access to them via VUDU, which sounds like it is going to permanently import UV purchases over the next months. They just won't transfer to Movies Anywhere as well like most UV movies do.

[hanshotfirst1138]

What about future TV releases? Will they still come with a code? Will MGM, Lionsgate, and Paramount finall jump to MA?

[Monterey Jack]

Guess older titles with UV codes I won't be able to sell anymore.

[hanshotfirst1138]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Guess older titles with UV codes I won't be able to sell anymore.

I assume that I you buy an older release with a UV code, you’ll be SOL on redeeming it?

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138

I assume that I you buy an older release with a UV code, you’ll be SOL on redeeming it?

If there is a redemption option on VUDU currently, that link might still work after UV shuts down. But really is no reason to hold off if one has older UV codes currently. I imagine most UV only codes (say for films that don't redeem on Movies Anywhere or haven't gone to new redemption options like Lionsgate has) would already have or will have passed their expiration date by the end of July, so studios are well within their rights to not let them redeem anymore.

[princessgleek]

I’m guessing Sony which is the only big studio in the UK still using UV will put their codes on google play which universal have started doing, that’s if Sony movies continue to have codes

[Undeadcow]

Originally Posted by Chedwiggen

I'm curious what happens if our accounts become unlinked which has happened several times in the past.

As long as Vudu or FN is linked to UV when it shuts down on 7/31 it sounds like all your content will port indefinitely to that retailer; after 7/31 we will all essentially be unlinked from UV.

Edit: Well maybe FandangoNow is not as reliable...

[Mr. Cinema]

Originally Posted by p w

it already is on uvvu/vudu. unless you were grandfathered in, you havent been able to share since MA launched.

now, you still can share on amazon, itunes, and google play by inviting someone into your family library. however, on these services, any one in that circle can make purchases with the payment method on file. so you want to know how you are inviting in and you want to keep a limited piece of plastic on file. so someone's kid doesnt charge $1000 worth of cartoons to your account.

This is what I don't like about how the google family library works. If it would let only the admin user have the ability to make purchases, it would be so much better.

[Undeadcow]

Time to do a bunch of M2D conversions on subaccounts and then merge UV accounts - right?

[ScarredLungs]

Originally Posted by partridge

And this is the problem with a digital library.

I have access to my (small) library of films on the Flixter app, but I'm not sure I'm bothered about downloading them, I rarely watch them anyway, but it does underline why consumers should exercise caution over buying anything digital; you don't technically own it and it can all be lost due to a variety of reasons that are out of your control.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I completely Agree! One of the many reasons I stay with physical.

That being said, for those who collect digital, this is unwelcome news.

[Undeadcow]

Originally Posted by supaet

ouch, so any content at selected quality that's not offered by vudu will be gone forever?
I hold rights to several movies in HD, but vudu only has them in sd
also all those sonypictures UHD movies that are not UHD in VUDU

I understand Sony is all on on Movies Anywhere and if their months long revamp of their web services is any indication I expect these UHD titles will go into MA.

FandangoNow also accepts UV so there's a chance higher quality content not on Vudu will get locked into FandangoNow.