A DECE update on UltraViolet from CES has indicated that, following the launch of an initial 19 UltraViolet-enabled titles, more than 750,000 households are now UV-registered. with UltraViolet to create and start using personal digital libraries. “We have entered 2012 with significant momentum, thanks to a wide range of major companies, as well as innovative and fast-moving small ones, joining the list of UltraViolet implementers,” said Mark Teitell (pictured), General Manager and Executive Director, DECE.
The audience of registered users is expected to grow exponentially in the year ahead, as Hollywood studios plan to dramatically expand the scope and scale of UltraViolet. Collectively, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group will release hundreds of additional UltraViolet-enabled titles in 2012, including most new releases in 2012, catalog and TV titles.
“The Hollywood studios have made a major commitment to expanding the list of UltraViolet titles coming to market in the year ahead,” said Teitell. “We believe the consumer value proposition will only strengthen as the availability of UltraViolet content expands and more retail outlets, apps and devices come on-board. As consumers begin to build digital libraries and take advantage of this open and interoperable platform, they will increasingly benefit from the convenience, choice and flexibility that UltraViolet will deliver to the home video market.”
Major device manufacturers have also started to introduce products that work with UltraViolet in several ways. Samsung announced that its Smart Blu-ray players will stream movies and TV shows stored in the cloud through a new Flixster application coming this year. In addition, these players will offer a ‘Disc to Digital’ feature, developed in conjunction with Rovi, that will allow consumers to add their existing DVDs and Blu-rays from participating studios to their UltraViolet digital libraries, making them accessible via download and streaming on a wide range of devices.
In the first half of 2012, DECE will introduce a Common File Format for downloads, making download functionality consistent across all UltraViolet retailers. This will further increase consumer convenience by making repeated downloads of different file types unnecessary, even when using different brands of UltraViolet-compatible media player apps or devices. “The collaboration among leading multi-industry companies in developing UltraViolet has been exceptional,” Teitell adde. “As the roll-out expands globally, additional geographic launches will benefit from the experience and data we are gathering through our US and UK deployments.”
