The Launch of Ultraviolet: Perceiving Digital Film
Hollywood and Silicon Valley converged over coffee at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in West Los Angeles for the Digital Hollywood conference to find out what studios and techies are all buzzing about. The conference brings about panelists from across the platforms in film, television, new media and tech. This rare foggy morning we sat for a panel discussing the launch of digital film provider Ultraviolet consisting of speakers on behalf of Sony, Warner Bros., Deluxe Digital Studios, and Digital Media Directions to understand the goals in the new space of digital film consumption.
The entire film industry seems to be on board with Ultraviolets new concept of giving customers a digital library of the films they purchase. With the bar code off every DVD you purchase you can now convert film to digital and put it on your online digital library for streaming. According to the brand, Ultraviolet is giving consumers more bang for their buck and bringing them digital. The main points of the launch panel spoke loudly, let’s take a hot minute so I can lay them all out for you:
- To increase the perceived value of digital content. Richard Bullwinkle of Rovi made this point bright and clear, summing up the wording of the panelists discussion during the Ultraviolet launch. The main goal of this product is to help guide consumers into understanding value behind digital content. As users we feel it in music in the Itunes store and subscription platforms, although we are quick to see movie content as free as we consume it digitally through bundled subscriptions or torrents. Listen up folks, there is value at your fingertips, anytime, any device film and TV, and Ultraviolet is making a business in proving this.
- To give consumers comfort in streaming. When Netflix moved their model to more online streaming availability and packaging, away from physical DVD mailing, many panicked. The stock declined, users dipped, and the entire industry stared confusingly. We have been streaming content for years via YouTube, why the sudden fear? Ultraviolet hopes to prove that streaming is just as efficient as using the archaic DVD player. I sure hope it is, because people are quick to hold grudges.
- Because Ultraviolet is a platform for film rather than music, there is a strong argument in saying that we don’t need digital on-demand accessibility as we don’t consume a movie several times a week. Many of the panelists took a critical eye to Ultraviolet’s model in that they feel that digital may not be necessary if you have physical in the case of film. Ultraviolet comes right back with the increasing efficiency of storing digital libraries that make your content easy to find and grab. Although, will it be efficient at first as they work out the kinks?
- To train the audience to understand that watching digital is the same as watching through your DVD player. No difference in quality, just a different manner of calling it up.
Four main goals are off to the races. Will Ultraviolet change a mass perception in consuming DVDs? Did a company shift the move from VHS to DVD years ago? Not exactly, but it all plays a part. Stream on, my friends, stream on.
