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UltraViolet -- the next step in DRM, and maybe we'll finally see legal movie downloads
UltraViolet, with its prehistoric-looking ooh-Web-2.0-reflection!! logo, is about to make a big splash in the world of content distribution. If you thought the days of DRM were behind us, you were wrong. Unless you're using an Apple device, actually -- but more on that in a moment.Be it music, movies, TV shows or books, UltraViolet has enough clout (some 60 major partners) to significantly alter how digital goods are consumed. Ostensibly, UV is a DRM platform, but because the technology will be ubiquitous and omnipotent, 'you won't even know it's there.' It's quite intelligent in its operation too: somewhere, in the cloud, there is a database that stores all of your digital purchases. When you insert a disc (or open a downloaded file), your credentials are checked before the file plays.
Developed by DECE, with partners like Sony, Adobe, Cisco, HP, Microsoft and Intel, this is actually pretty big news. If this means we'll finally have full access to legally-downloadable movies and TV, UltraViolet is huge news. But most tech blogs only picked this story up for one reason: Apple isn't one of the partners. You won't be able to play UV-encoded content on your Mac or iPhone. It'll be Blu-Ray and HD-DVD all over again!
There doesn't seem to be any formal road map for adoption, so I have no idea when we will first start to see UltraViolet-enabled devices and media. Presumably an initiative this large will take some time to reach critical mass... but we'll see!
[On second glance, the UV logo has two mirrored elements -- how overkill is that?!
Comments
12
Subscribe to commentsSilverWaveJul 20th 2010 7:46AM
so if they ever shutter the service you are cocked out of the films you bought?
SilverWaveJul 20th 2010 7:47AM
opps :-)
should be locked...
or then again...
Sebastian AnthonyJul 20th 2010 7:58AM
Cockblocked! Yeehaww!
I got in trouble last time I used that phrase here on DLS...
jonathan4989Jul 20th 2010 7:48AM
The mirroring on the logo doesn't look right to me, the bit right at the bottom that is, the V and U look the wrong way round
OldManJul 20th 2010 7:53AM
Can you rent the movies? I have found that their are not many movies that I want to watch multiple times.
What happens if you want to watch a movie when offline, Is that possible?
Sebastian AnthonyJul 20th 2010 7:58AM
That's the ultimate question -- will this be like the infamous Assassin's Creed you-can't-play-this-offline DRM... or will it actually be sensible :P
darkallyJul 20th 2010 7:58AM
Re: On second glance: since when does a photoshop disaster count as a cool reflection? The laws of reflection physics are broken...
Dan LarsonJul 20th 2010 12:54PM
It's not two reflected elements: The letters in the grey half are the "UV" for the name of the tech, while the letters in violet half are "NA", for the inevitable "Not Authorized" message you will get on something you paid for...
The actual reflection is backwards, making the letters "VU", probably the designer thinking how "Very Unique" their reversed reflection was. ;)
Sebastian AnthonyJul 20th 2010 1:02PM
Haha :)
It's a bit sad that a consortium of the most affluent companies in the world failed on something as simple as a logo...
BuggerJul 20th 2010 2:06PM
So, you need Internet connection just to watch a movie or listen to music that you paid & owned? This is nothing new, it's been done & proved to be a disaster.
Ubisoft use this type of draconian DRM on a few of their PC games & it earn them 2 big FAILED in the history of gaming DRM. And it got cracked after a few months, many people start to download & play the pirated version instead of the legal version they bought.
plasmasheepJul 20th 2010 3:18PM
Oh, this will be fun on linux.
JasonJul 20th 2010 7:54PM
@Sebastian, you should have channeled your inner Joe Biden... this is a Big F*ckin Deal!