A new multimedia platform will allow consumers to purchase digital content and watch it wherever, whenever. Paul Skelton reports.

A new ABI Research Technology Barometer study has shown that nearly 20% of online consumers consider online video as a viable replacement for traditional TV services – representing a significant risk to the traditional TV operator business (worth as much as $US16.8 billion in the United States alone).

To mitigate a potential collapse in sales revenue, film studios, technology providers, consumer device makers, retailers and video service providers have banded together to create UltraViolet – a cloud-based platform that allows purchasers of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs to watch their content on demand.

The brainchild of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) – an open, cross-industry consortium of more than 75 companies – consumers who purchase UltraViolet entertainment will now have an easy and consistent way to watch film and television content across multiple platforms, such as computers, connected TVs, game consoles, smartphones and tablets.

“UltraViolet was developed to address growing discontent with today’s siloed market for digital video, and also to enhance the value proposition of collecting content on Blu-ray and DVD,” a spokesperson for the DECE says.

“For many consumers, becoming accustomed to the immediacy of the internet and the power of personal digital devices such as tablets and smartphones has raised the bar for what they expect to get and be able to do when they buy movies and TV shows.

“UltraViolet is designed to meet consumers’ new level of expectation by providing unprecedented freedom and flexibility for watching movies and TV shows they own, as well as the ability to share their collections with family and household members.

“And, UltraViolet provides these benefits without causing consumers the oft-cited concern about getting ‘locked in’ to one source of content or devices that can play it.”

The UltraViolet experience will be powered by a cloud-based UltraViolet Account, which will include a Digital Rights Locker and account management functionality. Consumers will be able to create an UltraViolet Account, free of charge, via one of the many participating UltraViolet service providers or through the UltraViolet website. Once created, this Account will allow consumers to easily access and manage all of their UltraViolet entertainment, regardless of where it was purchased.

Through the UltraViolet Account system, each household will be able to create an account for up to six people who can access the household’s UltraViolet movies, TV and other entertainment via participating retailers, streaming providers and devices. Consumers will also be able to register up to 12 devices so UltraViolet content can be easily downloaded to those devices, or shared among them.

In addition to these UltraViolet devices, UltraViolet streaming access will enable consumers to access their collections via set-top boxes and most places they can access the web, via computers, web-connected home video devices such as Blu-ray players and internet TVs, and mobile apps for smartphones and tablets. Also, the UltraViolet Account will enable retailers to provide consumers with a copy to use on DVD players or other physical media, such as portable flash memory.

Since all UltraViolet offerings will work together, consumers will be able to select which products and devices they prefer from a spectrum of familiar companies – ranging from major studios to consumer electronics companies to cable, web and other service providers.

“UltraViolet’s backers believe that a significant portion of piracy occurs because movie and TV fans want more flexible access to entertainment content than the traditional market has provided. Now, UltraViolet offers a legitimate way for such fans to enjoy freedom and flexibility for use of their content collection. As such, we believe UltraViolet is an effective competitor to what piracy offers to some consumers.

“UltraViolet is more than a ‘format’ – it’s a concept of industry-standard, widelyhonoured rights that consumers get when they buy content. Having UltraViolet rights empowers the consumer to make use of multiple different formats from different providers, spanning streaming, downloads and physical media.”

There are currently 7,000+ titles available with these UltraViolet rights, from eight content providers.

UltraViolet is currently available in the US and the UK, where multiple studios are making new release DVDs and Blurays available with UltraViolet rights, and has also initiated operations and the commercial licensing process in Canada.

Australia and New Zealand can expect to see UltraViolet launch locally in 2013.