Light goes out on UltraViolet
Details
Joseph O'Halloran
| 01 February 2019

Once touted as the way forward for digital media ensuring comprehensive digital rights management for content over multiple devices, the Ultraviolet digital locker project is to close on 31 July 2019.

Set up by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) in July 2010, UltraViolet was designed to represent a new way for consumers to have greater choice, in how they consume content. Complementing the then still buoyant physical DVD and Blu-ray home entertainment markets, the locker was designed to allow consumers to watch their digital entertainment across multiple platforms, such as connected TVs, PCs, game consoles, smartphones and tablet PCs, in a consistent way.

The intention was that UltraViolet branded products and services would inform consumers as to which products and devices they prefer from a spectrum of companies ranging from major studios to consumer electronics companies to cable, web and other service providers.

In practice however, UltraViolet was always dogged by issues regarding complexity of use and lack of universal support among the major content owners. Explaining its decision to shut down the service, DECE said that it was responding to the evolution of the market for online entertainment. Principally, it had seen in the years since UltraViolet’s launch the emergence of services that provide expanded options for content collection and management independent of UltraViolet.

Attempting to assure users of UltraViolet libraries as to what they could do with their content after shutdown on 31 July, DECE said that it anticipated very little impact with its decision. It said that most, and perhaps all, existing rights in UltraViolet Libraries currently available through linked retailers that are still operating should continue to be available from those retailers.

While it conceded that there could be some disruption, it did not anticipate this on a broad scale and that it was working ‘diligently’ to minimise and avoid such instances. Going forward, DECE advised users that that linking to additional retailers would maximise access to their libraries and help avoid potential disruption.