DECE Begins Licensing Of UltraViolet DRM Program
The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) LLC today announced the launch of the UltraViolet licensing program for content, technology and service providers.
Announced a year ago, ultraViolet has been developed by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem LLC (DECE LLC), a cross-industry consortium dedicated to driving a new, open market for digital content distribution.
Complementing the physical DVD and Blu-ray home entertainment markets, UltraViolet will allow consumers to watch their digital entertainment across multiple platforms, such as connected TVs, PCs, game consoles, smartphones and tablet PCs, in an easy, consistent way.
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 access and manage all of their UltraViolet entertainment, regardless of where it was purchased.
DECE continues to anticipate that, beginning this fall, consumers in the United States will be able to purchase select movies and TV shows with UltraViolet rights.
Becoming an UltraViolet licensee will enable companies to implement technical specs; market content, services and products with the UltraViolet name and logo; and make use of a centralized digital rights locker system for consumers' management of their UltraViolet proofs-of-purchase. Licensing is available for companies to participate in UltraViolet through one or more of five defined roles: content provider, retailer, streaming service provider, app/device maker, and download infrastructure/services provider. Information on licensing can be found at www.uvvu.com.
Mark Teitell, UltraViolet's General Manager, commented: "Consumers are looking for a better value proposition to own and collect digital movies and TV shows -- a proposition that provides downloads, streaming and physical copy viewing options which are accessible on multiple platforms. The initiation of UltraViolet's business-to-business (B2B) licensing program represents another key step in the development and roll-out of this new ecosystem designed to respond to this consumer demand. Interest in UltraViolet has been robust and we are excited about the number of companies seeking to play roles in the delivery of Ultraviolet to consumers in the coming months."
DECE also today published its technical specifications that define how the various ecosystem roles work together to bring UltraViolet to consumers. UltraViolet?s specifications include a universal Common File Format for downloads, which allows consumers to copy playable files directly among multiple brands of registered apps/devices, even as they may run different UltraViolet-compliant Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems. With the Common File Format, titles intended for downloading will be encoded and encrypted by the entertainment content providers just once, but will play across multiple platforms, creating an efficient alternative to today?s vertical distribution systems.
Initial UltraViolet licensees are now integrating with and beta testing the digital rights locker system, which DECE will operate as a shared cloud resource for all licensees. Neustar, a provider of network and digital media interconnectivity solutions, was selected by DECE as a key partner to build and operate the UltraViolet technology infrastructure.
During the first half of 2011, DECE added eight new member companies, including AMD, Blockbuster Inc., CyberLink Corp., NVIDIA Corporation, PacketVideo Corp., Roadshow Entertainment, SeaChange and Walmart?s Vudu. DECE now includes more than 70 members in ten countries, spanning entertainment, software, hardware, retail, infrastructure and digital delivery.
Complementing the physical DVD and Blu-ray home entertainment markets, UltraViolet will allow consumers to watch their digital entertainment across multiple platforms, such as connected TVs, PCs, game consoles, smartphones and tablet PCs, in an easy, consistent way.
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 access and manage all of their UltraViolet entertainment, regardless of where it was purchased.
DECE continues to anticipate that, beginning this fall, consumers in the United States will be able to purchase select movies and TV shows with UltraViolet rights.
Becoming an UltraViolet licensee will enable companies to implement technical specs; market content, services and products with the UltraViolet name and logo; and make use of a centralized digital rights locker system for consumers' management of their UltraViolet proofs-of-purchase. Licensing is available for companies to participate in UltraViolet through one or more of five defined roles: content provider, retailer, streaming service provider, app/device maker, and download infrastructure/services provider. Information on licensing can be found at www.uvvu.com.
Mark Teitell, UltraViolet's General Manager, commented: "Consumers are looking for a better value proposition to own and collect digital movies and TV shows -- a proposition that provides downloads, streaming and physical copy viewing options which are accessible on multiple platforms. The initiation of UltraViolet's business-to-business (B2B) licensing program represents another key step in the development and roll-out of this new ecosystem designed to respond to this consumer demand. Interest in UltraViolet has been robust and we are excited about the number of companies seeking to play roles in the delivery of Ultraviolet to consumers in the coming months."
DECE also today published its technical specifications that define how the various ecosystem roles work together to bring UltraViolet to consumers. UltraViolet?s specifications include a universal Common File Format for downloads, which allows consumers to copy playable files directly among multiple brands of registered apps/devices, even as they may run different UltraViolet-compliant Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems. With the Common File Format, titles intended for downloading will be encoded and encrypted by the entertainment content providers just once, but will play across multiple platforms, creating an efficient alternative to today?s vertical distribution systems.
Initial UltraViolet licensees are now integrating with and beta testing the digital rights locker system, which DECE will operate as a shared cloud resource for all licensees. Neustar, a provider of network and digital media interconnectivity solutions, was selected by DECE as a key partner to build and operate the UltraViolet technology infrastructure.
During the first half of 2011, DECE added eight new member companies, including AMD, Blockbuster Inc., CyberLink Corp., NVIDIA Corporation, PacketVideo Corp., Roadshow Entertainment, SeaChange and Walmart?s Vudu. DECE now includes more than 70 members in ten countries, spanning entertainment, software, hardware, retail, infrastructure and digital delivery.
