Lionsgate no longer supporting UV

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by supaet

UV only have two major studios left, SONY and WB

those two have their own store/collection (sonypicturesstore/wballaccess) that uses UV. let see how long UV lasts.

I realize they haven't had much success lately, but you don't count Paramount as major?

[supaet]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

I realize they haven't had much success lately, but you don't count Paramount as major?

ok I guess Paramount is still major.

going back to Lionsgate, I really don't see them joining MA any time soon, they could have if they wanted to the moment they stop giving out UV for new movies.

So there is going to be a bunch of Lionsgate movies (I think even before this, there were quite a few Lionsgate movies that are on VUDU but never UV) that doesn't link to any thing.

[TheDean]

What about The Con Is On. Released July 24. Its back cover says UV. Vudu says UV. But Fandango does not????? Anyone own it?

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by TheDean

What about The Con Is On. Released July 24. Its back cover says UV. Vudu says UV. But Fandango does not????? Anyone own it?

"Dark Crimes" was released on July 31 as well, and that's UV.

"The Con Is On" is shown as UV enabled on the Kaleidescape Store.

However, it's possible these titles slip through the cracks, maybe?

[TheDean]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

"Dark Crimes" was released on July 31 as well, and that's UV.

"The Con Is On" is shown as UV enabled on the Kaleidescape Store.

However, it's possible these titles slip through the cracks, maybe?

Just about to mention Dark Crimes from 7/31. That was the first Saban title (other than Power Rangers) to redeem with iTunes. Yellowbirds reportedly did last week. I can imagine Dark Water would this week. But who knows?


Con and Crimes weren't major releases so they probably did slip through.

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by supaet

going back to Lionsgate, I really don't see them joining MA any time soon, they could have if they wanted to the moment they stop giving out UV for new movies.

So there is going to be a bunch of Lionsgate movies (I think even before this, there were quite a few Lionsgate movies that are on VUDU but never UV) that doesn't link to any thing.

There were rumors that Lionsgate was interested in Movies Anywhere from the start, but wanted to watch and see how it did. I believe they will prior to the end of the year, and I wouldn't be surprised if they do so before the middle of October (possibly as early as next month).

Originally Posted by supaet

So there is going to be a bunch of Lionsgate movies (I think even before this, there were quite a few Lionsgate movies that are on VUDU but never UV) that doesn't link to any thing.

I own one Lionsgate film that you may be describing ("Bounce"). It's not UV on VUDU, where I purchased it, nor FandangoNow or Kaleidescape. All my other Lionsgate films are UV enabled though.

As for whether or not there will be a bunch, I guess that depends upon how many new films Lionsgate has coming out before supporting MA.

[IndyMLVC]

I'd start paying attention to the backs of LG artwork as they come out.

[TheDean]

[img][/img]

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by TheDean

[Show spoiler]








[img][/img]

I meant upcoming ones...as they're announced.

[flyry]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

I realize they haven't had much success lately, but you don't count Paramount as major?

They've had a really good 2018

[homevideogeek]

Originally Posted by flyry

They've had a really good 2018

I've been liking some of the new Paramount titles (Coming To America, Trading Places, Cheech & Chong). Cheap prices and UV codes are good in my book. I know they didn't remaster the Eddie Murphy titles, but at least they're not farming them out to Warner Bros anymore.

They can still do better - I like being able to pick up Addams Family relatively cheap at Walmart with a cool slipcover but it doesn't come with a UV code.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

They're not worthless. It's still a digital copy, and Lionsgate hasn't revoked older titles' UV redemptions. They've simply stopped enabling UV on newer titles.

As far as I can tell, no UV rights have been revoked even when a studio completely abandons UV: I had Relativity Media's Don Jon from family share, and then a bunch of Fox titles from family share and dead UV retailers (Flixster and Cinema Now), and they are all still there in my VUDU and MA (if applicable for the Fox titles) accounts.

Since it seems like they will honor UV imports even after those titles lose UV status, I'm less worried about a UV title's value and am hopeful for a Lionsgate migration to MA (which is much better overall, and even while the family share isn't as good as UV's was that can be set up through ITunes and Google Play).

[flyry]

Originally Posted by homevideogeek

I've been liking some of the new Paramount titles (Coming To America, Trading Places, Cheech & Chong). Cheap prices and UV codes are good in my book. I know they didn't remaster the Eddie Murphy titles, but at least they're not farming them out to Warner Bros anymore.

They can still do better - I like being able to pick up Addams Family relatively cheap at Walmart with a cool slipcover but it doesn't come with a UV code.

I think Alan and I were talking about Paramount from a theatrical standpoint

[dingleborder]

Originally Posted by homevideogeek

How do we know Lionsgate is no longer supporting UV? I must have missed it.

(Side note: I really wish they would join MA, but I wonder if it would be somewhat messy to do so, considering they had UV on a lot of the Miramax catalog - don't know if it would extend to just their own titles or the Miramax titles as well.)

I believe those would be in Movies Anywhere too.
Miramax, I believe, currently handles the digital distribution of their three most recent titles- Bad Santa 2, Bridget Jones's Baby, and Whitney.
Miramax, when owned by Disney, produced and distributed their films (Doubt, Chicago). So essentially, they were Disney films without the castle intro. When Disney sold Miramax, all of those older titles needed a distributor. Lionsgate and Echo Bridge Entertainment became their distributors in North America, however the Echo Bridge Entertainment expired in 2014 and Lionsgate purchased the remaining distribution rights.
Everything that wasn't a co-production with a larger studio, starting with The 9th Life of Louis Drax from 2016 and backward, is distributed by Lionsgate. Exclusions would be The Debt, which was co-produced by Focus Features so thusly distributed by Universal, and Gnomeo & Juliet, which was co-produced by Touchstone Pictures (and Rocket Pictures) so Disney distributes as well.
When the distributor is also a co-producer, that usually guarantees them permanent distribution rights. This is why the rights for Star Wars Episode IV are indefinitely held by Fox (soon to be Disney). Fox co-produced the first film, but acted as a distributor for V, VI, I, II, and III. Lucasfilm had already had the digital distribution rights for the latter, and would eventually regain the physical distribution rights (but that's moot with the Disney purchase).
So all of this explanation is to say that any Miramax film distributed by Lionsgate is essentially a Lionsgate film for home media purposes until that deal expires. They could exclude them if/when they join, but I don't see that happening.
An example that leads me to believe they won't be excluded is Universal's handling of STX Entertainment earlier films. Both Bad Moms and The Space Between Us are STX Entertainment films, but they are distributed digitally by Universal and are on Movies Anywhere. STX Entertainment now handles their own digital distribution, so A Bad Mom's Christmas and I Feel Pretty are not on Movies Anywhere. Obviously, every studio and deal is different, but it seems to be common.