back to article Paramount opens Cloud-based movie shop

IPTV Week logo Paramount has opened the door of the the first Ultraviolet-based film rental and download service. The studio said it is offering 60-odd titles initially, though there seem rather fewer when you look at the website. Films are priced at $20 (£13) for an HD copy and $13 (£8) for an SD version. Rent SD titles …

COMMENTS

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  1. The BigYin

    £13

    For some DRM locked crap that I won't be able to transcode, lend to friends or give away once I am finished? For that reduced level of use they need to drop the price by £10.

    Any they wonder why people use unlocked copies. Sweet Raptor-riding Jay-zuz.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I was part of the pre-launch survey before they launched...

      movie rentals over digital cable here in the States. I have no idea what the results of the survey were, but the end result was predictable. When they rolled it out, they initially charged the same as Blockbuster.

      Let me see here, I am already paying for the delivery mechanism, they don't actually have to manufacture a physical product and distribute it, or provide a retail space... Why am I paying the same or more to rent this way?

      And as far as purchase goes, you can buy Blu Rays / DVDs for cheaper than these guys are selling these crippled copies for.

      I call SHENANIGANS!

      1. The BigYin

        Yup

        Pop into the movie store, but 5 for £20 (or whatever the deal is), rip to HDD, watch wherever I bloody well please, in whatever format I bloody well please, on whatever I bloody well please, and whenever I bloody well please.

        Illegal? Given SOPA/PIPA/ACTA et al, it probably will be.

        Immoral? Not at all. I am not distributing it to all and sundry or profiting. It's all on my systems, in my house and only accessible to my family (who could always just go Old Skool and use the disc anyway).

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    URL

    URL please or it didn't happen.

    1. JediHomer

      Don't seem to be that many..

      http://www.paramountmovies.com/redeemuv.html

      Or I'm doing it wrong... again...

    2. JediHomer

      And of coarse, that link I've just found is only valid states side :( again...

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Double-click the word 'ultraviolet'

    Right-click over the selected word 'ultraviolet' and choose 'search google for ultraviolet'

    It's the first result. Seriously, took less than 5 seconds start to finish.

  4. Tony Paulazzo
    Thumb Up

    Actually, this seems like the best way of combating piracy, it's cheap, and simple to understand, and you can watch when and where and on what you like. Is the message finally seeping in. maybe all the big studio's should get involved.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      No it's not

      The prices are comparable if not more expensive than physical media and/or other digital delivery systems (iTunes, Amazon).

      Furthermore, they are only compatible with their player which, from what I've heard, is a buggy piece of crap.

      I became a copyright infringer - according to the letter of the law, which says I cannot make digital copies of my physical media - because I was tired of buying the same Pixar movie for the 4th time after the kids scratched it all to hell. Since this is a streaming only solution, this "alternative" cannot be used (reasonably) in cars or airplanes, which is the exact place I need it for the kids.

      It's a better try than we've seen from them before, true... but not really an alternative yet.

    2. Gerhard Mack

      er no

      That would be true if things were how you say they are. The downsides:

      1.Not available on Android, Linux or WinPhone

      2.Hi Def is not available on the Ipad or Iphone.

      3.I'm guessing not compatible with most PVRs either.

      So useless on my tablet or my DVDless notebook.

      Those make for some large holes in "watch when and where you want". I really wanted them to succeed this time. I hate having to rip my blu ray just so I can stream things to my TV or watch them on the road but I'm just going to have to continue for the next while.

  5. David Ward 1
    WTF?

    rates of exchange!

    "Rent SD titles for $3 (£2.60) or view in HD for $4 (£1.90)" Was there a rapid change in the exchange rate during that sentence?!

  6. James Cooke

    Seems promising. The prices are about the same as you pay for a pressed dinosaur bones version.

    When you buy a version does it stay in the cloud or do you get a horrible windows only DRM encumbered version?

    If only the cynic in me didn't keep saying that they were going to screw this up by restricting the devices you can play this on so it won't ever show on my XBMC machine or whatever device I have next year. I have nothing against DRM per se so long as its an open format that I can guarantee I can play in the future.

    1. Steve Knox
      Coffee/keyboard

      "I have nothing against DRM per se so long as its an open format..."

      Classic!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      From what I've read it's stream only

      So no orphaned DRM risk as long as they stay in business, but also means no offline access which makes it a no-go for me.

      If anyone knows different - I'm going based on what I read- I'm all ears!

  7. Radio

    Err...

    "Rent SD titles for $3 (£2.60) or view in HD for $4 (£1.90)."

    Something wrong with the currency conversion there maybe?

    Plus, I bought a blu ray for a gift for a friend from Tesco, and automatically got the Ultraviolet version - except that you can't gift those! Now he only has the Blu Ray, and I have a digital copy of a movie I'm not interested in. Fail.

    1. The BigYin

      @Radio

      Correct, they want to make you buy again and again.

      Got some rare recording or something similar you'd like to leave to someone? Just how does one do that with digital media?

      And, of course, they could at any time revoke your access and you'd lose everything.

  8. Robert Harrison

    This is most likely a step in the right direction. But is it priced in a way that will tempt me away from waiting for a few months to get the DVD release cheap from play.com et al? Probably not. Just my opinion.

  9. Charlie Clark Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Paypal support

    I don't see that as good news for anyone outside the US because bank giro transfers are so fecking difficult in the "third world". Credit card support means that the payment service is already open to international users. Whether they also impose geographical restrictions due to the usual differential pricing and licensing arrangements is another matter.

    Digital rental is going to take off but for it really to succeed it must offer universal catalogue and playback. Failing to do either not only invites regulation but is also going to alienate potential customers. In the long term this will probably mean dropping DRM altogether.

  10. JP19

    persuade freetards

    Maybe freetards would be more persuaded by not having a slow shit website which doesn't show anything being available (did offer me a "Server Error" once).

    Not charging 4 quid more for a DRM infested download than Play wants to deliver a Blu-ray to my door might help too.

  11. earlyjester
    Meh

    Best news of 1997 so far

    Disclaimer, I know most of the devices and cloud etc did not exist in 1997 but...

    This is brilliant news I cannot wait to see how this has developed by 2012

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Redbox says Move rentals cost $1.20

    Anything more than that is a fail.

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