UltraViolet Shutting Down on July 31, 2019

[BlueRagtop]

Exclusive from Variety:

"Ultraviolet, a cloud movie locker once hailed as Hollywood’s best bet to get consumers hooked on digital movies, is shuttering. The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), the industry consortium that has been tasked with running Ultraviolet, will shut down the service on July 31."

https://variety.com/2019/digital/new...wn-1203123898/

[bigjim25]

So I assume sharing with friends will be a thing of the past

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by bigjim25

So I assume sharing with friends will be a thing of the past

Yep.

Also, from the article:

DECE will start to inform its users of the wind-down this Thursday, and is advising users to not delete their Ultraviolet movie libraries. Users should instead make sure that their libraries are connected to the service of at least one retailer, which they can then use to access their movies and TV shows going forward, according to an FAQ document that is slated to be published on Ultraviolet’s website on Thursday morning.

We’ll keep our UV movies in the providers that connected to UV.

[kenbenobi]

Sadness. I predicted its demise long ago, but hoped it wouldn't come anytime soon...

Hopefully the studios which haven't joined MA will join MA by then...

[PaulMe]

Well... That sucks.

Not really unexpected, but still sucks. Came sooner than I'd expected though.

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by PaulMe

Well... That sucks.

Not really unexpected, but still sucks. Came sooner than I'd expected though.

Pretty much exactly that entire sentiment.

[p w]

Originally Posted by bigjim25

So I assume sharing with friends will be a thing of the past

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 who you are inviting in and you want to keep a limited payment method on file (basically a prepaid credit card with less than $5). so someone's kid doesnt charge $1000 worth of cartoons to your account.

[Chedwiggen]

Well this news sucks.

[FrodoBagginz]

What's going to happen to titles not redeemed at Vudu or FandangoNow (CinemaNow, Flixster, etc.)?

[bigjim25]

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.

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.

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.

[BlurayX]

Sub-accounts will be useless now once UV shuts down.

[LordCrumb]

Universal must have seen this coming, as all of their recent titles are redeemed through Google/YouTube now (atleast in Australia).

[A113]

Is it shutting down in Canada too?

[MachoKing]

Originally Posted by LordCrumb

Universal must have seen this coming, as all of their recent titles are redeemed through Google/YouTube now (atleast in Australia).

Universal stopped doing UV on new releases over a year ago. A month or 2 after MA opened for business. And they dropped UV from older titles several months ago.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by FrodoBagginz

What's going to happen to titles not redeemed at Vudu or FandangoNow (CinemaNow, Flixster, etc.)?

They have said those titles are staying as long as people keep UV library linked to VUDU over the transition period.

Honestly, I'm pretty okay with this news, even though UV had the best family share system before. UV was clearly on the decline since MA has been in the works, and obviously my one worry with the shut down was that titles from defunct retailers would be pulled (I have a lot from Flixster and CinemaNow). Though I figured that was unlikely given the complaints it would cause, plus the precedent of those titles staying when Fox and Universal left UV, but still nice to have the assurance.

[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

[Chedwiggen]

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

[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.

[Krizzle1]

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

[IronSoldier]

Originally Posted by dunnbluray

I think everyone predicted its demise, Nostradamus. The writing was on the wall. If you would have predicted the date it was shutting down, that would have been something.

In the UK as of December, WB had removed everything ultraviolet related on disc packaging. Even legal and copyright related to ultraviolet. So it was bound to be announced soon.