UltraViolet was a cloud-based digital rights locker system for films and television programs, launched in 2011 and shut down on July 31, 2019. It was developed by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), an alliance of approximately 85 companies including major film studios, retailers, consumer electronics manufacturers, and technology vendors.
Overview
UltraViolet allowed consumers to create a free account and store licenses (proofs of purchase) for digital content in a centralized "digital locker." This enabled playback across multiple devices and through various participating streaming services. Account holders could share access to their library with up to five additional users.
The system did not store video files themselves—it only managed the digital rights/licenses. The actual streaming or downloading of content was handled by participating retailers (such as Vudu, FandangoNow, and Flixster), who bore the costs of storage and bandwidth.
Participating Studios
Five of the six major film studios (the "Big Six") participated:
- Sony Pictures Entertainment (until August 2019)
- Universal Studios (until January 2018)
- Paramount Pictures (until December 2018)
- Warner Bros. Entertainment (until March 2019)
- Fox Entertainment Group (until December 2017)
Notable non-participants included Walt Disney Studios, Google, Amazon, MGM, and Apple. Disney instead launched its competing service, Disney Movies Anywhere (later expanded into Movies Anywhere), which ultimately contributed to UltraViolet's decline.
Key Features
- Disc to Digital (D2D): Consumers could insert a DVD or Blu-ray into a computer, verify ownership, and add the title to their UltraViolet collection for a fee.
- Multi-user sharing: Account holders could share their library with up to five other users ("members").
- Cross-retailer portability: Licenses purchased from one retailer could be accessed through other participating retailers.
Shutdown
As major studios began dropping UltraViolet support in favor of Movies Anywhere, DECE announced on January 31, 2019, that UltraViolet would shut down on July 31, 2019. Users who had at least one major retailer (like Vudu) connected to their account were able to retain streaming rights to their content through that retailer. The final UltraViolet title released was Mission: Impossible – Fallout (December 2018).
