UltraViolet Accounts Top 19 Million (1 Viewer)

This is great news for those who use Ultraviolet. The total users are now getting close to 20 million which will get it past the early adopter stage.

I enjoy using UV and itunes but I prefer to use UV for my digital video. I can watch my purchased videos on many devices from many manufacturers (unlike itunes purchases which are PC or apple products only). That to me is important, giving the consumer a choice in device selection is key.

Apple iTunes and Walmart’s Vudu.com rank as top digital destinations among UV users, according to the DECE
Consumer interest in cloud-based storage of movies continues to rise, with more than 19 million registered UltraViolet accounts — up 2 million from 17 million accounts at the end of April, a senior executive with the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) told an industry group.

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http://homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/ultraviolet-accounts-top-19-million-34159

Seriously, what is going to magically change at 20 million that hasnt happened already? It won't mean anything for Disney, Apple, the incompatibilities between incompatible redemptions or give it any more credence to anyone who was waiting for the messes to be resolved?

Sam Posten said:

Seriously, what is going to magically change at 20 million that hasnt happened already? It won't mean anything for Disney, Apple, the incompatibilities between incompatible redemptions or give it any more credence to anyone who was waiting for the messes to be resolved?

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You keep calling it messy, Sam, but it keeps growing and satisfaction rate is high? Maybe a re-look is needed?

I signed up for an account, saw how convoluted the whole thing was, and never went back. I bet there are a lot of people like me.

[email protected] said:

You keep calling it messy, Sam, but it keeps growing and satisfaction rate is high? Maybe a re-look is needed?

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I've got family with an account and they continue to be perplexed by the things I list.

Also, I have gone through all of the user facing functions with them, including account setup, code redemtion (vudu in their case) through watching.

Still don't understand why you still slag UV Sam. What exactly are your problems again? I for the life of me can't imagine it being easier. And remember I used to HATE Ultraviolet until I actually tried it. Have close to 1000 movies in HDX and love it.

bigshot said:

I signed up for an account, saw how convoluted the whole thing was, and never went back. I bet there are a lot of people like me.

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Apparently, there are alo't of people like me too. UV works great for me just the way it is.

Tino said:

Still don't understand why you still slag UV Sam. What exactly are your problems again? I for the life of me can't imagine it being easier. And remember I used toHATE Ultraviolet until I actually tried it. Have close to 1000 movies in HDX and love it.

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We;ve been over this a million times and nothing has changed. It's supposed to be a universal system and it isn't. you can't port a good portion of your contents from one silo to another. Disney, Apple, Amazon and others are eschewing it. You still require at least two seperate accounts (vudu and Uvvu) to make minimal use of the system. Add a third if you want to have a second vendor which was the whole point. The CFF still isn't ready.

And yet it takes me all of 30 seconds to enter the UV code on ONE SITE and I immediately have access to it on Vudu, Flixter, and Cinema Now. Doesn't sound broken to me. One last question. Have YOU actually tried it Sam? Last I remember you hadn't. Whatever. Not trying to convince you. Like I said, I hated it until I tried it. Now I love it.

In the beginning, UV had major issues. Many studio accounts were required to redeem content. Redemptions weren't always the right quality. Some studio's content was not marked UV at some retailers. Some studios did not fully support UV at first. Most all of this has been fixed. What were major problems, are now just minor quirks. It really has improved. Even HBO shows are now available at vudu, when they weren't for a long time. Sure, Disney is still a holdout, but I'm not sure it needs to be for UV to survive. People can still put Disney movies in their vudu accounts, they just have to pay a little more. Actually, it's not so bad, because you can buy vudu credits at about 45% off if you know where to look. The one thing that's still a major problem is that the universal download is not yet available, but that is coming this fall. It will be here before you know it. And I do believe that will be a major incentive for some people to start using UV. Time will tell.

Recent Disney films give you the option for iTunes OR Vudu. And sometimes both as in the case of Captain America The Winter Soldier.

Sam Posten said:

Seriously, what is going to magically change at 20 million that hasnt happened already? It won't mean anything for Disney, Apple, the incompatibilities between incompatible redemptions or give it any more credence to anyone who was waiting for the messes to be resolved?

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Nothing will "Magically' change at 20 million but if you know anything from marketing 101 (as I am a businesswoman who attended University), a product that hits 20 million in a worldwide market is considered mainstream. Before 20 million its early adopter or niche stage.

You mention incompatabilities, while some may think sigining up for UV is a inconvenience or mess I would much rather have that compared to the itunes video store issues with incompatability, for example:

I also purchase itunes videos and they play well on my apple products but:

1. They dont play on my chromecast in the master bedroom, UV does.
2. They dont play on the guest bedroom roku, UV does.
3. They dont play on ps3, ps4 or xbox one, UV does.
4. Smart televisions? nope itunes videos wont play, UV does.
5. All Smartphones? nope but UV does, cant play itunes videos on non apple but I can play my UV files on my iphone and I love it!
6. All tablets? nope but UV does and I can play them on my ipad.
7. Multiple stores that carry video product online, no with the apple .m4v format, but UV has many many stores and more are coming.
8. itunes videos dont play on my Amazon Fire TV box, oh yes thats right...UV does.
9. Amazon Kindle to play itunes video? no but you can with UV.

Yes again I much rather prefer UV over itunes videos for purchase.

Easier to stream stuff than to try to mess around with downloads with all sorts of built in limitations. An AppleTV or Roku is all you really need.

bigshot said:

Easier to stream stuff than to try to mess around with downloads with all sorts of built in limitations. An AppleTV or Roku is all you really need.

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Hi Bigshot-Thats true but the same can apply to the streaming functions of these two (itunes and UV) as well. Not everyone uses an apple tv or roku (see the above list from my last post). I want my purchases via electronic sell thru to be able to be used across platforms and Ultraviolet right now is only one I know of that fits the bill. If someone else has another suggestion for an electronic sell thru that is cross platform thats has better specs and more device compatability than UV please let me know. So far I cannnot find a legal electronic sell thru that does.

Also I should point out that Ultraviolet is not the PERFECT format as well. If the DECE wants collectors to sign up then they are going to have to get the Common File Formats up and running we have waitied way too long for these to come to surface. Collectors want the file they can store as they choose. I want the file on a device like my NAS which CFF is supposed to allow us to do in the end.

Accounts mean little. How many are actually using it for more than that? I think most people are just redeeming codes. I've had a UV account for a couple years. But I never use it. If I want to see the movie, I have the BD so there is no reason for me to use UV.

Apple does such a good job with UI especially the way they now let you access special features on iTunes movies. The day they announce I can link my 700 title strong UV account to iTunes my head might explode.

RJ992 said:

Accounts mean little. How many are actually using it for more than that? I think most people are just redeeming codes. I've had a UV account for a couple years. But I never use it. If I want to see the movie, I have the BD so there is no reason for me to use UV.

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I use it all the time. iPhone, iPad , I touch. I love watching movies on the go. And sometimes I'm just to lazy to get up and dig out the bluray so I watch the Vudu HDX version which is fine on my Xbox 1, PS 4, etc. I can literally watch my favorite film anywhere thanks to UV.

RJ992 said:

Accounts mean little. How many are actually using it for more than that? I think most people are just redeeming codes. I've had a UV account for a couple years. But I never use it. If I want to see the movie, I have the BD so there is no reason for me to use UV.

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While a lot of people are redeeming codes electronic sell thru (i.e. iTunes and UV) is growing at a good pace in 2014 so people are buying. I believe the est market is forecasted to top $2 billion in sales this year. That's hardly pocket change.

Tino said:

I use it all the time. iPhone, iPad , I touch. I love watching movies on the go. And sometimes I'm just to lazy to get up and dig out the bluray so I watch the Vudu HDX version which is fine on my Xbox 1, PS 4, etc. I can literally watch my favorite film anywhere thanks to UV.

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To me there is something nice about having all my electronic movie purchases displayed on my tablet phone or tv and accessible at a touch of a remote button.