On paper, UltraViolet seemed like a great idea

It was (and still is, for the moment) a service that stored your license information for various digital media you purchased. You could buy a movie from Amazon Prime, buy something else from some other online vendor, and watch them on any number of devices without having to log into individual services.

You could even use the service to redeem digital copies of movies that are sometimes made available when you buy a physical copy of a movie.

Unfortunately, the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), the group of companies that created UltraViolet, has now decided to end their experiment and is in the process of closing down the service due to changes in the marketplace.

The head of the DECE explained:

"The marketplace for collecting entertainment content was very small when UltraViolet started.  It was siloed into walled gardens at the time."

That's clearly no longer the case. A variety of companies have now launched similar services including industry heavyweights like Disney with their Movies Anywhere service.

From now until July 31st, you'll be able to continue to use UltraViolet to watch movies you have in your library and to redeem digital copies of physical purchases you've made if (and as) they are offered.  After July 31st, however, the only way you'll be able to access your movies is to log onto the site or service you purchased them from, or link those accounts to some other comparable service.

Our perspective

In many ways, UltraViolet was ahead of its time and it enjoyed a good run, making the lives of digital consumers of media much simpler than it otherwise would have been.  Unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end, and for UltraViolet, the end is July 31st, 2019.


The author

Thanks for reading this short post. For more tips on thriving with small business technology, check out the other blog posts at DWPia Blogs. I am also available at dwpia on LinkedIn, at dwpia on Facebook, and @dwpia on Twitter.

Cybersecurity Expert, Small Business Technology Consultant, Managed Services Provider, Managed IT Support

Denis S Wilson

I am President and Principal Consultant for DWP Information Architects: specializing in managed IT support for smaller healthcare practices, clinics, insurance companies, law firms, and construction companies in Ventura County and San Fernando Valley. And have created cost-effective IT solutions, for over 20 years, specializing in cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.

I am also a published author and speaker, working extensively with organizations that include: the State of California, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE, Women's Business Centers, and Small Business Development Centers. As well as providing small business technology education programs through business and professional associations.

Contact me if you would like me to speak at your meeting.

Meanwhile, check out this report

Executive Report: 10 Hidden IT Risks That Might Threaten Your Business