On December 26, Final Destination 5 is the first Ultraviolet enabled title to be made available to consumers in the UK.But what is UltraViolet exactly?
You’d be forgiven for having never heard of it — but once you know what it is; you’re bound to either love or hate it.
Basically, UltraViolet is a cloud-based library of your digital possessions. When you buy your first UltraViolet Blu-ray disc and slot it into your Blu-ray player, it will connect to the internet and ask you to make an account. This Blu-ray disc will then be forever connected to your UltraViolet account.
There is a variety of useful benefits associated with using such a system. For example, you need never worry about losing the original disc, just log into UltraViolet and you can download a copy or stream it directly from the web. Also multiple devices can be used on the UV account. For example, once you register a Blu-ray disc at home, you can then stream it on your computer at work or on your smartphone.
UltraViolet is the first ever completely legal way to download TV shows and movies, which you can start watching after a license is purchased on the UV online store. You’ll even be able to download your online purchases and burn them onto DVD or Blu-ray. Though for many people UltraViolet may be a way of finally being able to get rid of their discs and bulky plastic cases.
There is a downside to this amazing new technology system. For starters,to play UV Blu-ray and DVD discs, you need to access your digital library to download your license key, therefore if you’re not connected to the internet, the TV show or movie simply won’t start.
Also to consider, is the fact that your entire library of movies and TV shows will be stored in the cloud, and on the UltraViolet website there isn’t a single mention that your library will be private. And with almost every major studio, broadcaster, ISP, and tech company on board, there will inevitably be a lot of interest in the contents of your digital library.
Because UltraViolet media cannot be played without internet access, information about what you a watch and when you watch it, could, in theory, be accessed and used for targeted advertising both on your TV and the web.
UltraViolet; new revelation in how we access our entertainment or a new channel for Big Brother surveillance?