How To Download Ultraviolet Digital Copy

Posted on 14-05-2021 by admin

Please check the insert that came with your disc for instructions on how to redeem the code. UltraViolet will close on July 31, 2019. See Help for. You can continue to access your UltraViolet movies and TV shows through the retailer(s) linked to your UltraViolet Library. You can also continue to purchase new movies and TV shows and redeem digital codes by following the redemption instructions.

Hollywood and the big electronics companies have an answer to the question of how you can really watch your movies anywhere, anytime on any device -- without having to pay for it over and over again. The technology is called UltraViolet.

All About UltraViolet Video

UltraViolet is a bridge technology between physical media like a DVD or Blu-Ray disc, and pure digital media that arrives as streamed playback on your device, giving you both viewing options for your purchase. In addition to your physical disc, UltraViolet gives you a copy of the same movie in the cloud, ie, in a secure digital 'locker' somewhere on a remote server. When you want to watch the movie in your home theater, you can pop in your disc. When you want the kids to watch the same movie in the car on your iPad, smartphone or another device, you simply retrieve the UltraViolet copy.

Once you have the UltraViolet copy of a film, you effectively 'own' it, and are able to watch it whenever or wherever you want for no additional charge. In truth, you don't actually own the movie, rather you own a license to watch it, but that's another story better told by copyright attorneys.

A Win-Win for All

In theory, UltraViolet is a win-win for everyone — consumers get 'buy once play anywhere' value and content studios get the digital rights and authentications that they demand. It's backed by members of a consortium called the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), which is made up of movie studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, cable companies, ISPs and other parties that have a vested interest in making sure content is accessible but secure (and paid for). However, not all movie studios participate.

Getting an UltraViolet Account

You begin by creating an UltraViolet account, which is, unfortunately, still easier in theory than in practice. Even though your account will actually 'live' at the UltraViolet site, different movie studios require to you sign up at their sites as well, so there are actually two signups (and two usernames and passwords) involved. Once you do this, all the sites for the different sites will link together, but for now, it's still an extra step.

For Warner Brothers titles you need to use Vudu, for Sony Pictures it's UltraViolet; for titles by Universal Studios it's Universal Digital Copy; and for Paramount titles, you use Paramount Movies.

Once you've got an account set up, up to six household members are allowed to use it. The account gives you access to a digital locker where the licenses for purchased content are stored and managed regardless of where the content was initially purchased. Account holders will be able to stream UltraViolet-enabled content most places they can connect to the Web.

You'll be able to use up to 12 UltraViolet-compatible media player apps or hardware devices and copy UltraViolet download files directly to any of them.

It Works in Both Directions

Interestingly, the system works in both directions. You can buy a disc and have the streamed content made available to you from the cloud -- or, you also have the option of watching streamed content, and if you decide later that you also want a physical copy, the UltraViolet system will let you download the content onto a recordable disc or a secure flash memory stick. Up to three simultaneous streams can be transmitted, so different family members can watch different movies at the same time, and not necessarily in the same place.

UltraViolet doesn't actually keep the files. It coordinates and manages the rights for each account, but not the content itself, which is stored in the cloud on servers run by UltraViolet-compatible retailers (like Wal-Mart or Best Buy) and streaming providers (like your cable company). In theory, this makes the streaming experience faster and more future-proof. There's also no problem with compatibility -- UltraViolet compatible content will play the same on any compatible media player or device. Both standard definition (such as DVD) and high definition (such as Blu-ray) are supported.

Obviously, only a high-definition player can play high definition content, though it is possible to upconvert standard video to high-def through an extra service.

What's In It For You?

In theory, the UltraViolet solution unlocks all the potential of your many playback devices (TV, phone, tablet, PC, etc.) and lets you watch what you've paid for any way you want. The additional steps to do so are still tedious at this point, but it's a fair assumption that it will get better over time.

The interesting addition, in my opinion, is the ability to convert your existing content library (DVDs, etc.) to UltraViolet access and get the same 'play anywhere' capability for investments that you've already made.

Physical media is having a rough time of it in the digital age. While Blu-rays are still a perfectly legitimate means of getting HD video, and ideal if you don’t have a high quality Internet connection, the convenience of web-based services like iTunes, the Google Play Store, and Amazon Instant Video is beginning to supersede them.

Hollywood’s answer to this is UltraViolet, a ~~piss-poor scifi action movie~~ web-based system that lets Blu-ray and DVD buyers collect digital copies of their physical movies.

Unfortunately, the system isn’t as well-integrated as some of its digital-only competitors. Different production houses and studios use different sites, you can’t get the movies on every digital platform, and things in general are less smooth than they should be. Here’s how to use those freebie codes to build up a library in the smoothest way possible.

Step One: Choose an UltraViolet Partner

Things are complicated right off the bat. Because while you can create an UltraViolet account on the official website, you can’t actually add any movies from there: you’ll have to go to either a studio sub-site or a streaming partner site in order to claim your movies. So let’s skip the middleman and ignore the corporate site altogether.

UltraViolet partners with the following services in the countries it supports:

VUDU
Fandango NOW (previously partnered with Flixter, which is now defunct)
Kaleidescape
Paramount
Sony Pictures
Verizon FiOS

There’s no reason to limit yourself with the studio and Verizon options. In the US, VUDU is probably the streaming option of choice, and in all other UltraViolet territories, Fandango should be your first stop. Both support Apple, Google, and Roku platforms, with VUDU supporting both Xbox and PlayStation (Fandango is only available on the Xbox One). A glaring omission in both cases is Amazon’s Fire TV…but none of the other systems support it, either.

For VUDU, head to VUDU.com and log in or create an account with the “Sign In” or “Sign Up” buttons at the top-right corner. For Fandango, use FandangoNOW.com and click “SIGN IN” in the top-right corner, then click “join now” if you don’t have an account. It’s not necessary to add a credit card.

Step Two: Link UltraViolet with VUDU or Fandango

Next, you need to create an UltraViolet library within those two services. Here’s how.

VUDU

On the main VUDU web page, click your username in the top-right corner, then click “UltraViolet.” Click the “I agree” box, then click “Create UltraViolet Library.”

Fandango NOW

On Fandango NOW, hover the mouse cursor over “Library,” then click “UltraViolet.” Click “Create Or Link UltraViolet Account.” Create a new one if this is your first movie, or click “Link my Ultraviolet Account” if you’ve done something similar on a different platform. Click the “I agree” box, then “Continue.” Log in or create a new account (yes, a second one) if necessary.

Step Three: Redeem Movie Codes

Unfortunately, there’s no central code page for UltraViolet: each studio forces its users to go to a different site. It’s a pain in the butt. Also note that the codes expire—if the one on your insert doesn’t work, this is probably why. This is an even bigger pain in the butt, since retailers don’t like it when you return opened movies, and usually the only way to get the code is to open it. Good luck arguing with the employee at the return desk.

Anyway, take the card that came with your Blu-ray or DVD, and go to the site on the instructions. (This site changes with every studio—for our example movie, Chicago from Lionsgate, it’s the generic “redeemmovie.com.” Each site will handle things a little differently, but generally you just find the right field and enter the code.

At this point you’ll be given a choice of digital retailers at which you can redeem your movie. For Lionsgate and Chicago, I can only choose VUDU or Fandango NOW. Your experience might be different…but as stated above, these are pretty much the only services you’ll want to use anyway.

You can only choose one. Make your selection. The movie will be added to your library on the service of your choice.

Step Four: Watch Your Movies

The movie associated with your account will be yours, free to view on either VUDU or Fandango’s website. You’ll also have access to the movie on the associated apps, listed below:

VUDU

Roku
iOS/Apple TV/Airlplay
Android/Android TV/Google Play/Chromecast
Xbox 360, Xbox One
Playstation 3, PlayStation 4
LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, RCA, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, and Vizio Smart TVs

Ultraviolet Digital Copy Itunes

Fandango NOW

Roku
iOS/Apple TV/Airplay
Android/Google Play/Chromecast
Xbox One
Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Hisense Smart TVs

How To Download Your Ultraviolet Digital Copy

Simply install the app on your platform of choice, log in to either service, and check your video library for the movie you added. Repeat the process with any new Blu-rays or DVDs you purchase.

UltraViolet Limitations

Unfortunately, UltraViolet is not a universal standard: only the movie studios and electronics companies that participate in it offer movies via the digital services. These include movies and TV produced or distributed by:

How To Download Ultraviolet Digital Copy

Anchor Bay
BBC
Fox
HBO
Lionsgate
Paramount
Relativity Media
Roadshow Entertainment
Sony Pictures
Universal Studios
Weinstein Company

There are a lot of small and medium-sized movie production houses missing from that list, but the big one is Disney. That’s because Disney has its own digital video alternative, Disney Movies Anywhere, which includes digital codes for major releases from Walt Disney Studios, ABC Studios, Marvel Entertainment, and Lucasarts (who produces Star Wars). Disney Movies Anywhere allows users to redeem codes on the movie streaming services for Google Play, iTunes, Amazon, Microsoft, and VUDU. So if you’re hoping to create a single account with access to all the digital movie codes from all your physical purchases, VUDU is the way to go.