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UltraViolet was a
cloud-based Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage (cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over multip ...
digital rights Digital rights are those human rights and legal rights that allow individuals to access, use, create, and publish digital media or to access and use computers, other electronic devices, and telecommunications networks. The concept is particular ...
locker A locker is a small, usually narrow storage compartment. They are commonly found in dedicated cabinets, very often in large numbers, in various public places such as locker rooms, workplaces, elementary schools, middle and high schools, tran ...
for films and television programs that allowed consumers to store proofs-of-purchase of licensed content in an account to enable playback on different devices using multiple applications from several different streaming services. UltraViolet also allowed users to share access to their library with up to five additional people. UltraViolet was deployed by the
Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE, LLC.) was a consortium of major film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, networking hardware vendors, systems integrators, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) vendors listed ...
(DECE), an alliance of 85 companies that includes
film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...
s, retailers, consumer electronics manufacturers,
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
companies,
internet service provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise private ...
s (ISPs),
internet hosting An Internet hosting service is a service that runs servers connected to the Internet, allowing organizations and individuals to serve content or host services connected to the Internet. A common kind of hosting is web hosting. Most hosting provi ...
vendors, and other internet systems and security vendors, with the notable exceptions of Walt Disney Studios,
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
,
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
and
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
. On January 31, 2019, DECE announced that Ultraviolet would shut down on July 31, 2019. This shutdown came after the launch of
Movies Anywhere Movies Anywhere (MA) is a cloud-based digital rights locker and over-the-top streaming platform that allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home video releases as well as d ...
over a year earlier, along with Fox, Universal, Lionsgate, Paramount, and Warner Bros. beginning to drop out of issuing new UV rights for their films during that time period.


Operation

To use UltraViolet, consumers needed to create a free account, either through a participating UltraViolet service provider, or through the official website. An UltraViolet account was a digital rights locker where licenses for purchased content were stored and managed irrespective of the
point of sale The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice f ...
. The account holder was allowed to share their library with 5 other users, which were called members. Consumers could acquire UltraViolet rights by purchasing a physical disc that included an UltraViolet activation code, by purchasing a movie directly from an electronic retailer (a.k.a. EST, or
Electronic sell-through Electronic sell-through (EST) is a method of media distribution whereby consumers pay a one-time fee to download a media file for storage on a hard drive.Raugust, Karen. "Turning Digital into Dollars." Book Reviews, Bestselling Books & Publishing Bu ...
), or by using a disc to digital service (D2D). Disc to digital services allowed consumers to insert a DVD or
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
into their computer's disc drive, scan it to verify ownership, and then add it to their UltraViolet collection for a fee. Several retailers including
Vudu Vudu is an American digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media, a joint-venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. The company offers transactional video on demand rentals and digital purchases of films, ...
and
CinemaNow CinemaNow was an international over-the-top (OTT) provider of on-demand, Internet streaming media available to viewers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1999 and was headquartered in Los Angeles, Cal ...
offered this service.
Flixster Flixster is an American social-networking movie website for discovering new movies, learning about movies, and meeting others with similar tastes in movies, currently owned by parent company Fandango. The formerly independent site, allows users t ...
had been offering a D2D service as well, but it was suspended once
Fandango Fandango is a lively partner dance originating from Portugal and Spain, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has ...
acquired Flixster in early 2016 and another independent movie streaming service, M-GO. Consumers could then stream or download their UltraViolet content from any participating retailer. Former participating retailers are listed in the table below. The UltraViolet digital locker did not store video files, and was not a "cloud storage" platform. Only the rights for purchased content were stored on the service. UltraViolet only coordinated and managed the licenses for each account, but not the content itself. By creating a digital-rights locker rather than a digital media storage locker, UltraViolet bypassed the cost of storage and bandwidth used when the media is accessed and passed that cost on to various service providers.


Content partners

Five of the "Big Six"
major film studio Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. In the American and international markets, the ...
s and "mini-major"
Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
were members of
DECE The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE, LLC.) was a consortium of major film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, networking hardware vendors, systems integrators, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) vendors listed ...
, and released their content with UltraViolet rights. Other minor film and television studios released their programming and movies with UltraViolet rights, but were not DECE members. * Major film studios **
Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, ac ...
(films released for digital distribution before August 2019) **
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
(films released for digital distribution before January 2018) **
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
(films released for digital distribution before December 2018) **
Warner Bros. Entertainment Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
(films released for digital distribution before March 2019) **
Fox Entertainment Group Fox Entertainment Group was an American entertainment company specialised in filmed entertainment owned by 21st Century Fox. Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the group's assets were folded into various Disney units. Th ...
(films released for digital distribution before December 2017; studio later merged with Disney) * Minor Film Studios **
Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
(films released for digital distribution before July 17th 2018) **
The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America prior ...
(films released for digital distribution before the company shut down in May 2018) **
Roadshow Entertainment Roadshow Entertainment (formerly known as Roadshow Home Video from 1982–1993) is an Australian home video, production and distribution company that is a division of Village Roadshow (formerly Roadshow Home Video and Roadshow Entertainment) th ...
** Anchor Bay (films released for digital distribution before the company shut down in 2017) **
DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
(film released for digital distribution before October 2017; studio previously purchased and acquired by
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
) * Television Studios **
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
**
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
Despite Fox merging with Disney in 2019, Walt Disney Studios was never a member of DECE, and did not release any of their films with UltraViolet rights. On February 25, 2014, Disney launched a competing digital movie locker system called
Disney Movies Anywhere Movies Anywhere (MA) is a cloud-based digital rights locker and over-the-top streaming platform that allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home video releases as well as d ...
that allowed any Disney movie purchased or redeemed at any participating provider to be played using all other DMA providers. DMA providers included iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, Amazon Video, and Microsoft Movies & TV. On October 12, 2017, Disney Movies Anywhere was expanded to include movies from a number of non-Disney studios, thus forming a full-fledged UltraViolet competitor. This service is now called
Movies Anywhere Movies Anywhere (MA) is a cloud-based digital rights locker and over-the-top streaming platform that allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home video releases as well as d ...
to reflect the expanded scope of content.


UltraViolet digital retailers

UltraViolet content was available from several movie streaming services. Some services offered downloads that could be saved to PCs, tablets, gaming consoles, or phones for offline viewing. Below is a table of all the streaming providers and the countries they serve. Content could also be streamed over the Internet to an unlimited number of devices, depending on the content license rights held by the streaming provider.


Comparison of streaming providers

Other less
notable Notability is the property of being worthy of notice, having fame, or being considered to be of a high degree of interest, significance, or distinction. It also refers to the capacity to be such. Persons who are notable due to public responsibi ...
streaming providers include:
Kaleidescape Kaleidescape, Inc. is an American multimedia company based in Mountain View, California. Founded in 2001, it designs multi-room home entertainment server systems that store and play back video and audio content (such as movies, television shows ...
, Verizon Fios On Demand, Videociety, and Nolim Films.


Player support of streaming providers


Download capability

Some Ultraviolet streaming providers offered the capability to download movies and TV shows. They had their own proprietary video formats, and they were not cross-platform. They had to be downloaded and played within their own proprietary PC, Mac, iOS, or Android apps. The Ultraviolet Common File Format (CFF) was planned, but never launched, by DECE to allow downloaded video files to be copied between devices, stored on physical media (e.g. DVDs,
SD card Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDis ...
s,
flash memory Flash memory is an electronic non-volatile computer memory storage medium that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. The two main types of flash memory, NOR flash and NAND flash, are named for the NOR and NAND logic gates. Both us ...
) or online backup services. They were designed to be playable on any UltraViolet authorized device (e.g. Blu-ray, streaming media player, Smart TV', or mobile device) or software player registered to the household Ultraviolet library. A 2015 simplification of the UV ecosystem made the Common File Format optional for studios and streaming providers. CFF was never supported by any retailers.


Selected DRM technologies

UltraViolet Streaming providers were free to choose whatever DRM technologies they wanted to use for streaming and downloads.
DECE The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE, LLC.) was a consortium of major film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, networking hardware vendors, systems integrators, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) vendors listed ...
approved six DRM technologies for use in conjunction with a proposed common file format, which was never launched. The selected DRM technologies were: * Google
Widevine Widevine is a proprietary digital rights management (DRM) technology from Google used by the Chromium and Firefox web browsers (including some derivatives), Android MediaDRM, Android TV, and other consumer electronics devices. Widevine technolog ...
DRM, chosen for its strong position on set-top boxes * Marlin DRM, chosen for its compatibility with many
Connected TV A smart TV, also known as a connected TV (CTV), is a traditional television set with integrated Internet and interactive Web 2.0 features, which allows users to stream music and videos, browse the internet, and view photos. Smart TVs are a techno ...
s * OMA CMLA-OMA v2, chosen for its strong position on mobile devices * Microsoft
PlayReady PlayReady is a media file copy prevention technology from Microsoft that includes encryption, output prevention and digital rights management (DRM). It was announced in February 2007. Technological Differences The main differences relative to ...
, chosen for its wide availability on PC and CE devices * Adobe Primetime DRM, chosen for its wide availability on PC devices * DivX DRM


History


2010

In September, Mitch Singer, the President of
DECE The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE, LLC.) was a consortium of major film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, networking hardware vendors, systems integrators, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) vendors listed ...
, announced the upcoming launch of the "UltraViolet" system in an interview with Home Media Magazine.


2011

In January, a number of major film studios announced support for UltraViolet. They were: Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Fox, Universal, Paramount, and Lionsgate. The notable exception was Walt Disney. On October 11, the UltraViolet system launched with the
Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
release of ''
Horrible Bosses ''Horrible Bosses'' is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein, from a story by Markowitz. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer ...
'', the first UV title.
Flixster Flixster is an American social-networking movie website for discovering new movies, learning about movies, and meeting others with similar tastes in movies, currently owned by parent company Fandango. The formerly independent site, allows users t ...
re-launched as the first UltraViolet streaming service.
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
subsequently released its first two UV titles in December, ''
The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...
'' and '' Friends with Benefits''.
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
soon followed with the release of its first UV title, ''
Cowboys & Aliens ''Cowboys & Aliens'' is a 2011 American science fiction Western action film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, and Noah Ringer. The film is based on the 2006 P ...
''. In December, UltraViolet launched in the UK with the Warner Bros release of ''
Final Destination 5 ''Final Destination 5'' is a 2011 American 3D supernatural horror film directed by Steven Quale and written by Eric Heisserer. It is the fifth installment in the ''Final Destination'' film series and a prequel to the first film. ''Final Dest ...
''.


2012

At the
Consumer Electronics Show CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typi ...
in January,
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
became the first major retailer to announce support for UltraViolet. The DEG reported that 750k accounts had been created in the first 3 months. In January,
Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
released its first UV title "Paranormal Activity 3" and in April
DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
became the seventh studio to join the UltraViolet initiative with "Shrek", "Madagascar", "Kung Fu Panda" and "How to Train Your Dragon". Also in April,
Vudu Vudu is an American digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media, a joint-venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. The company offers transactional video on demand rentals and digital purchases of films, ...
(operated by
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
) became the first major UltraViolet retailer by adding UV rights to thousands of films. Walmart also launched an in-store "Disc to Digital" service, with more than 4,000 titles initially. Between August and September,
Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
and
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
released their first titles on UV. UltraViolet surpassed 5 million users and 7,200 titles on September 20.
Redbox Redbox Automated Retail LLC (stylized as redbox.) is an American video rental company specializing in DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD rentals, and formerly video games via automated retail kiosks. Redbox kiosks feature the company's signature red color an ...
announced a partnership with UltraViolet for its new Redbox Instant streaming service on October 25. Ultraviolet support never materialized, and the service shut down on October 7, 2014. On October 30,
Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
announced it would launch an UltraViolet enabled electronic video store for its new
Nook HD The Nook HD and Nook HD+ are the third generation of Nook's line of color tablet e-reader/media players by Barnes & Noble for using their copy restricted (DRM) proprietary files, or other files. They are the successors to the Nook Tablet and b ...
tablet.
Best Buy Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
's CinemaNow became the second major UV retailer on November 24.
CinemaNow CinemaNow was an international over-the-top (OTT) provider of on-demand, Internet streaming media available to viewers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1999 and was headquartered in Los Angeles, Cal ...
launched an in-home Disc to Digital service (in beta) in December.


2013

In January,
DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
and
Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
launched M-GO, a new streaming platform with UV capability, and Cineplex became the first UltraViolet retailer in Canada. In April,
Best Buy Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
announced a deal to make its UV ready Cinema Now service available in Canada. In May, UltraViolet launched in Australia and New Zealand,
Kaleidescape Kaleidescape, Inc. is an American multimedia company based in Mountain View, California. Founded in 2001, it designs multi-room home entertainment server systems that store and play back video and audio content (such as movies, television shows ...
opened a UV ready video download store, and 20th Century Fox announced it would offer Digital HD UltraViolet rights with all new films. In September, CinemaNow launched its Disc to Digital service in Canada. and Target Ticket launched with UltraViolet capability. Ultraviolet expanded to France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in November.


2014

In January,
DECE The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE, LLC.) was a consortium of major film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, networking hardware vendors, systems integrators, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) vendors listed ...
launched a revamped UltraViolet website with new features. On February 25, Disney launched
Disney Movies Anywhere Movies Anywhere (MA) is a cloud-based digital rights locker and over-the-top streaming platform that allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home video releases as well as d ...
, a streaming service. The next day, Mitch Singer, the President of DECE, stated that the new Disney Movies Anywhere service would not prohibit Disney from offering UltraViolet titles in the future. At the end of March, Vudu became the first UV retailer to offer
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
Chromecast Chromecast is a line of digital media players developed by Google. The devices, designed as small dongles, can play Internet-streamed audio-visual content on a high-definition television or home audio system. The user can control playback with ...
support for UltraViolet content. Flixster also became a retailer for UV in March. In May, Vudu introduced a new feature that allowed UltraViolet users to share their movies with up to five friends. Also in May, Flixster became the first UV retailer to support Apple
Airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
. In October
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
began to offer UV rights for several of its catalog titles. Also in October, Tesco's
BlinkBox TalkTalk TV Store (formerly blinkbox) was a UK-based transactional (purchase and rental) video-on-demand (VoD) service available on Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers, games consoles, tablet computers and Smart TVs. Content is generally ...
became the first official UV retailer in the U.K. On Nov. 12, KnowHow, a UK streaming movie provider, relaunched as CinemaNow and added Ultraviolet support. Also in November Verizon FIOS on Demand introduced UltraViolet capability.


2015

On January 6, The DEG announced that UltraViolet grew 30% in 2014 to 21 million accounts. French supermarket chain Carrefour opened a digital video store with UltraViolet functionality called Nolim Films on January 27. Target Corporation shut down its Target Ticket service on March 7, and allowed users to transfer their purchases to CinemaNow and Disney Movies Anywhere. UltraViolet surpassed 22 million users on May 25. Australian UV Partner EZYFlix.tv closed down on August 18.


2016

On Jan 6, The DEG reported that UltraViolet accounts grew by almost 20 percent in 2015 to hit more than 25 million with 165 million movies and television shows in UltraViolet libraries. On January 29, Fandango acquired the M-GO movie service, and planned to re-launch it later that year under a new name. On March 3, Barnes and Noble announced that it would shutter its Nook Video Store on March 15. On March 30, M-GO became Fandango Now and launched Airplay support. On April 4, BlinkBox —owned by TalkTalk— stopped supporting the PlayStation 3. On June 29, an update was released for the
Nvidia Shield Nvidia CorporationOfficially written as NVIDIA and stylized in its logo as VIDIA with the lowercase "n" the same height as the uppercase "VIDIA"; formerly stylized as VIDIA with a large italicized lowercase "n" on products from the mid 1990s to ...
Android TV console that enabled support for the Vudu app. Vudu became the first UltraViolet service available on the popular device. On Sept 1, the Cineplex Store stopped offering Ultraviolet services.


2017

On March 20, JB Hi-Fi NOW Video service announced that it would close on 13 April 2017. On March 23, Vudu expanded its Disc to Digital service. Users could now convert their movie library using the Vudu app on a mobile phone. They also announced that the in-store Disc to Digital program would be suspended on April 1. As of March 27, UltraViolet accounts grew to 28 million. In April, it was noticed that movies from
Relativity Media Relativity Media is an American media company founded in 2004 by Lynwood Spinks and Ryan Kavanaugh. The company brokered film finance deals and later branched into film production and other entertainment ventures. The company was commercially s ...
that were distributed by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
, were no longer UV enabled. If you had purchased/redeemed the movie prior to the removal of UV rights, the movie remained in your UV locker. In late May, Universal Studios began referring to UltraViolet as only "Digital HD" on the back of its Blu-ray releases. 20th Century Fox started this practice in 2016. Both studios films were still UltraViolet enabled at select retailers. On July 1, it was reported that UltraViolet surpassed 30 million users. In mid-July, CinemaNow removed UV support for all movies. Questions to UltraViolet were answered with the response, "CinemaNow is not participating in UV at this time." On August 1, the CinemaNow website began redirecting to Filmon.tv, a Live TV streaming service in the UK. On August 21, U.S. Flixster Video announced "As of August 28, 2017, Flixster Video will no longer support code redemptions or streaming and downloading of content. Redeem codes and access your Flixster video collection after that date by signing up or logging into Vudu or FandangoNOW." On August 22, Vudu launched their AppleTV app, which became the first app to support UltraViolet movies and TV shows on the Apple TV platform. On October 12, 2017, it was announced that
Disney Movies Anywhere Movies Anywhere (MA) is a cloud-based digital rights locker and over-the-top streaming platform that allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home video releases as well as d ...
would expand to include non-Disney studios under the name Movies Anywhere, with 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Warner Bros. joining Disney as initial partners, and
Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
and
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
expressing interest. On November 28, digital releases of ''
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
'' and ''
Patti Cake$ ''Patti Cake$'' is a 2017 American drama film directed by Geremy Jasper. It was screened in the US Dramatic Competition section of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It was released on August 18, 2017, by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Plot Patricia ...
'' were the last films released by
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...
to receive UV rights, while '' Kingsman: The Golden Circle'' was the first to be released without UV rights.


2018

January 2, the first U.S. digital releases of 2018 from
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
were released without UV rights. Joining
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
as the second studio to drop UV rights for new releases. From 15th January 2018 the Ultraviolet service was no longer available on TalkTalk TV. March 13 - FandangoNow joined MoviesAnywhere, and stopped offering UV rights for MA affiliated studios' films. July 11, Twentieth Century Fox stopped issuing UV rights for all new purchases for catalog titles that were previously UV enabled. July 17, Lionsgate titles released on or after July 17, 2018 would no longer be available on UltraViolet. Sept 18, Universal Studios stopped issuing UV rights for all new purchases for catalog titles that were previously UV enabled. December 11th, 2018, Paramount stopped issuing UV rights for all new releases moving forward. One week after, the final UV title was released with '' Mission: Impossible – Fallout.


2019

On January 30,
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
reported that
DECE The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE, LLC.) was a consortium of major film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, networking hardware vendors, systems integrators, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) vendors listed ...
would shut down
UltraViolet Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nanometer, nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 Hertz, PHz) to 400 nm (750 Hertz, THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than ...
on July 31, 2019, with DECE officially confirming the news the next day. Users that had at least one major retailer, like
Vudu Vudu is an American digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media, a joint-venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. The company offers transactional video on demand rentals and digital purchases of films, ...
, connected to their UV account would be able to maintain streaming rights to movies and TV shows redeemed via the platform through those retailers. On January 31, Sony Pictures Store shut down its website and discontinued all related operations in the U.S. except for their ULTRA 4K app. On March 4, Verizon ended the linking of any additional Fios accounts with UltraViolet. Existing Fios accounts already linked to UltraViolet were not affected. On March 13, Warner Bros. stopped issuing UV rights for all new purchases of catalog titles that had previously been UV enabled. On March 18, Paramount Pictures issued a notice that the ability to rent, buy, or playback films via ParamountMovies.com would cease effective immediately. Additionally, redemption of digital copies began redirecting users to either Vudu or FandangoNow. On March 27, Verizon ended UltraViolet services on Fios. Titles that had previously imported into Fios library via UltraViolet remained unaffected. On April 18, Sony Pictures informed customers via email and directly via the ULTRA 4K app that effective immediately new account sign-up, purchase, and redeem functions were to be removed from its TV and Windows apps. Customers could still use the ULTRA 4K app to stream films and TV shows in their UV library. On May 31, 2019, Kaleidescape disconnected from UltraViolet. Any titles purchased at other retailers that had previously imported from UltraViolet remained in the Kaleidescape library. On July 26, 2019, Flixster Video informed its non-US subscribers by email of the impending UV shutdown on July 31, 2019. Flixster Video assured its subscribers that the shutdown of UltraViolet would not impact the titles already in the subscribers' Flixster collection. Flixster Video also went on to announce of its own shutdown late in 2019 (a date was not mentioned) and that arrangements had been made with Google Play to enable migration of available videos on subscribers' Flixster account to Google Play. They mentioned that they had expected the migration process to be available in July, but was not ready yet. On July 31, the Ultraviolet website was available for the last time for subscribers. The website was closed on the next day on August 1, 2019. On September 24, 2019, Flixster Video informed its non-US subscribers by email that it was planning to shut down its website, applications and operations on December 18, 2019. In the email, Flixster Video also announced that the arrangement for transfer of subscribers' videos to Google Play was ready. A link to start the migration process to Google Play was embedded in the email. Flixster's website provided information and instructions about migrating to Google Play. Flixster urged subscribers to complete the migration process to Google Play as soon as possible. They also mentioned that playback of subscribers videos would still be available through Flixster video until shutdown. After the demise of Ultraviolet, current Paramount releases with a digital code have featured a portal on Paramount's home entertainment website where a choice of retailer redemption can be made (usually either iTunes, Google Play Movies/YouTube or Vudu), while Lionsgate currently requires the download of an app and requires the reception of their newsletter list via email to confirm the ownership of a title before the choice of retailer redemption is made; MGM films often depend on the actual home video distributor contracted by MGM to release each individual film (although some MGM films like '' Missing Link'' and ''
Booksmart ''Booksmart'' is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde (in her feature directorial debut) and written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. It stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two gradua ...
'' also end up in Movies Anywhere, usually through
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...
). On October 1, FandangoNOW completed transferring over UV titles to users' regular Movies and TV libraries and removed the Ultraviolet links from their website and apps.


See also

*
Movies Anywhere Movies Anywhere (MA) is a cloud-based digital rights locker and over-the-top streaming platform that allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home video releases as well as d ...
, Disney's competing digital rights locker


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ultraviolet Digital rights management systems Defunct video on demand services Former video hosting services