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Redbox gets a new president plucked from the studios, former Warner exec Mark Horak
Redbox went from duking it out with Warner in 2012 over a proposed 56-day delay for rentals to cutting a deal for a shorter 28-day delay and implementing UltraViolet support in Redbox Intant, and now the relationship is getting even cozier. Parent company Outerwall announced its earnings today and that Mark Horak, president of the Americas for Warner Bros. since 2008, will be the new president of Redbox. A "leadership transition" saw former president Anne Saunders leave in December, and Outerwall CEO J. Scott Di Valerio cited Horak's experience and relationships "growing DVD, Blu-ray, video game and digital sale" as reasons he's perfect for the spot he's taking over on March 17th. Other than executive changes at Outerwall's other businesses (Coinstar and ecoATM), we're not seeing any immediate changes, and Redbox's most recent numbers seem on track, with revenue for Q4 that was slightly higher than the same period last year. The most important new business is the Redbox Instant streaming/kiosk combo effort, although it hasn't gained much traction yet against competitors like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu Plus and Netflix. The company says Redbox Instant activity increased as it launched on new platforms like Windows Phone, Xbox One and PS4, but it still didn't have any exact data to share. As far as disc rentals Redbox is focusing on Blu-ray now, since 55 percent of its rental customers have a Blu-ray player. It's already trying to upsell customers to more expensive rentals on its website and app, and plans to roll that out directly on the kiosks soon. The investor call didn't reveal much in the way of a new direction for Redbox, but we're hoping the next step is squeezing a dedicated rental return slot onto the boxes.
Kaleidescape's digital store adds $2 Blu-ray-to-digital copy upgrades
Kaleidescape arrived at this year's CEDIA event with a couple of fresh news items to accompany its mainstream-adjacent $3,995 Cinema One player. Its online Kaleidescape Store is getting a boost by adding the ability for customers to add digital copies for their existing Blu-ray discs. At launch it only supported DVDs, but now customers can get high quality, discless access to movies they already own HD editions of, just by putting a disc in the player. The price for Ultraviolet access across devices and an excuse to stop getting up from the couch to put the disc in (although, if you'd like to buy an expensive disc changer instead we're sure Kaleidescape won't argue) is $1.99, so choose wisely. Finally, the company is expanding access to the store, which has opened its virtual doors in Canada for the first time, in addition to the US and the UK, where it launched back in May.
Barnes & Noble posts Nook Video apps for Android, iOS and Roku
Now that Barnes & Noble is backing away from producing its own Nook tablets, it has less incentive to keep Nook Video as an exclusive. Accordingly, it's opening things up by launching Nook Video apps for ordinary Android devices, iOS and Roku boxes. Like on Barnes & Noble's own hardware, the new apps let US viewers buy or rent movies for streaming; users can also watch any content stored in their UltraViolet collections. The releases may not get customers leaving one of the many existing alternative services, but those who already have an investment in Nook Video can grab an appropriate app at one of the source links.
Paramount picks DTS-HD codec to deliver surround sound for UltraViolet common file format digital movies
Early this year, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. movie studios chose Dolby Digital Plus as their preferred means to deliver surround sound for their UltraViolet common file format (CFF) downloads. Paramount Pictures, however, has decided to go with Dolby's competitor, DTS, announcing today that the DTS-HD codec will be used in its UltraViolet CCF offerings. Like Dolby, the DTS codec delivers up to 7.1 channels of surround sound for Paramount's UV catalog -- though your cloud-based audio/visual bliss will have to wait, UltraViolet CFF isn't slated for release until sometime in the latter half of 2013.
Pacific Rim tries out the Super Ticket theater + digital download combo in Canada
In June, Paramount and Regal Theaters tried out a $50 "Mega Ticket" promotion for World War Z, and this month Warner Bros. is testing out a similar package in Canada for Pacific Rim. Available at Cineplex theaters, it lets moviegoers pre-buy a digital Ultraviolet copy of the movie for $19.99 ($24.99 in HD) that's promised to arrive before anyone else can get it, plus 725 points for its loyalty program and some exclusive extra content, all viewable on the CineplexStore website. Unlike the WWZ promo this doesn't include an early screenings before the movie's July 12th release, but it does mean any ticket can be upgraded to the "Super Ticket" package. That the flick was shot in Toronto probably has a lot to do with the location for the offer, although it's hard to say what's needed to convince viewers to check out an action movie already getting glowing reviews from Hideo Kojima and Kanye West. Of course we'll miss the MegaTicket's included small popcorn ($75 value!), but this could be getting closer to a decent proposition -- what price would convince you to combine your movie ticket / home video copy in one purchase?
Sony to offer UltraViolet movies in France and Germany starting late September
To use UltraViolet these days, you have to live in one of a few English-speaking countries. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will change that soon: the company just teased its plans for the digital locker service in mainland Europe. According to the firm's David Bishop, Germans will get cloud access to Sony movies in late September -- possibly September 30th, as DECE hinted in April -- while the French will have their turn sometime in the fall. Neither Sony nor other studios have provided additional launch dates, although we know that neighboring countries like Belgium and the Netherlands should be next on the list.
Vudu for Android now available on (some) phones, not just tablets
Vudu's player for Android launched last year with tablet support, and now a new update lets it work on a limited selection of phones. Newer Samsung handsets, the Nexus 4, HTC One and several other devices round out the list, as the app works for either streaming or downloading movies. It worked without issue on our Nexus 4, however since its UI hasn't changed from the tablet version some of the buttons were smaller than we'd like. Also, we couldn't get the video to play in any res beyond SD so it wasn't the sharpest, but there was a high enough bitrate to make movie-watching enjoyable on the small screen. As usual, the app is free, if you have an account with the VOD / Ultraviolet service hit the Play Store link below to see if works on your hardware of choice.
Flixster for BlackBerry 10 adds UltraViolet movie streaming
BlackBerry 10 users have had Flixster's app as a movie guide since January, but they haven't had the chance to watch their discoveries on the BlackBerry itself. Thankfully, Flixster has provided that missing piece of the puzzle today by adding UltraViolet support (not pictured here). As with Android and iOS, anyone with a BB10 device can now stream videos saved in their UV locker. The upgrade brings regular Flixster accounts, too -- members can mark the movies they want to see and review them afterward. Between these two major additions, the new Flixster app is easily worth an update at the source link.
Vudu disc-to-digital home Ultraviolet conversion software enters public beta, comes to Mac
It took some time to work out most of the bugs, but Vudu is finally expanding its beta of its home-based disc-to-digital service. The idea and the price are still the same as when the private beta launched, but what's new is support for OS X, plus an improved user experience and disc identification powered by Gracenote. We gave it a try and found the process couldn't be any easier or more straight forward. To get others to try it out, Vudu is giving away the first conversion on the house and if you're willing to convert ten or more movies then you'll get a 50 percent discount. After converting a DVD to HDX we were instantly able to turn around and start watching it, far faster than any disc ripping software we've used. Add in the newfound ability to download movies to iOS and Android devices and UltraViolet is really shaping up -- though we're still waiting for that common file format to move copies between devices easily and single sign-on to fix the login mess.
Vudu adds ability to download movies for offline viewing to iOS apps
Wal-Mart-owned video-on-demand service Vudu has updated its iOS apps to allow movie downloads for offline viewing. The Android phone version of the app has had this feature for awhile, but Android tablets are still unable to download and view their Vudu/Ultraviolet collection on their tablets. Other additions to the update include a reworked player to make the app easier to use, as well as support for closed captions on the iPhone. It's worth noting that the Flixter iOS app already allowed for Ultraviolet downloads. Ultraviolet is a digital rights authentication service that allows DVD and Blu-ray buyers to redeem unique download codes for digital viewing later. You can find the updated app for free in the iTunes store now.
Vudu Player update allows movie downloads on iPhone, iPad
Coming months after the feature's introduction on Android and PCs, Vudu has updated the iOS version of its app with the ability to download movies for viewing offline. Unlike the Android version, this feature is not restricted to tablets however, with downloads of your Vudu / Ultraviolet collection on iPads and iPhones. Other tweaks include making the Player "easier to use" and adding closed captions on iPhone. The Flixster app already allowed for Ultraviolet movie downloads on iOS, however Vudu has access to some movies that may not be available there. The updated version of the free app is available on on iTunes, although you will need an associated account (with updated password info) with unlocked videos to get any use out of it.
Kaleidescape's online video store officially opens, promises Blu-ray quality downloads
Kaleidescape launched its online offering in beta late last year, and now it's officially open, becoming what it claims is the first store to provide "internet delivery of Blu-ray quality movies." The Kaleidescape Store goes beyond other 1080p services (Vudu, iTunes, Xbox and PSN come to mind) by promising the disc-equaling higher bitrates, extras and lossless audio options they don't have. There's no streaming to be had here, only downloads, with file sizes we saw ranging from 23GB (Austin Powers) to as much as 55.4GB (Inception) and everywhere in between. While the store is only built to work with Kaleidescape's high-end disc-playback systems -- these usually start in the thousands of dollars, and you'll need M-Class hardware for HD -- it currently offers movies from Warner Bros. with an Ultraviolet copy attached, so buyers can play them back on mobile devices through apps such as Flixster and Vudu. Ultraviolet support also means $6.99 upgrades of DVD purchases to Blu-ray-quality HD, and potentially disc-to-digital type features later. Naturally, anyone interested will need an internet connection with a generous / non-existent bandwidth cap, but we imagine that's not out of the price range for these niche owners. Still, it does provide an idea of the difficulty others like Sony and Netflix will face when trying to digitally distribute feature films in 4K to a wider audience. Check out a few screens of the store in the gallery, and the Random Thoughts blog link below for firsthand impressions from a beta tester.%Gallery-187360%
The Hobbit will be first movie to support UltraViolet in New Zealand and Australia
Peter Jackson's homeland hasn't been too hot on UltraViolet until now, despite the cross-platform library tool's growing popularity in the US and UK. That'll change with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which is set to launch on DVD and Blu-ray in New Zealand on May 1st and will allow both Kiwis and Aussies to purchase the movie on disc and then watch it on PC, Mac, iOS, Android and hopefully even Xbox via a redemption code and a Flixster account in the cloud -- with no DIY required. In wider UV-related news, the technology is also scheduled to reach France and Germany by the end of Q3 of this year, which should add a few names to the 12 million account holders around the world who've already used UltraViolet to watch 9,000 different titles.
Flixster is now on the Xbox 360, UltraViolet library in-hand
Warner Bros.-owned social networking slash film service Flixster is now available on the Xbox 360, bringing with it the Rotten Tomatoes rating aggregation service and UltraViolet cloud integration. As Xbox 360 apps tend to be, Flixster costs nothing and only functions if you've got an Xbox Live account. Beyond simple controller or media remote input, Flixster's Xbox 360 app employs Kinect for gesture and voice-based navigation. Special for this platform is the ability to play back those UltraViolet-linked video files in HD; it's the first Flixster app to do so, although Vudu had that capability already. With today's app addition, the grand total of video service apps on the Xbox 360 is hovering just around a hojillion. Seriously, there are kind of a lot of different options, and we're hoping Microsoft's got a more cohesive strategy for the next version of the Xbox gaming console. The most recent rumors involve an HDMI-in port, allowing cable boxes to integrate with the console -- codenamed "Durango" and / or "Kryptos" -- but there's no mention of a NintendoTVii-esque service to tie disparate video services under a single software umbrella. The 360's Bing functionality aimed to solve that issue, but sadly never lived up to our expectations.
Microsoft patent application would automatically disinfect grimy touchscreens (update: related tech)
We've all seen that touchscreen device in the store that's covered with fingerprints (and possibly contagions) from curious shoppers. While it's unlikely that we'll get sick from all that touching, Microsoft is trying for a patent that would set our minds at ease. The method would send ultraviolet light bouncing through a film on or inside a touchscreen, disinfecting fingertips and contact areas without blasting the person directly. Processing inside the gadget could also dictate just when and for how long the UV blast would run. It could kick in only after a user was done, for example, and last just long enough to kill common germs. There's no clues that Microsoft is about to use the technology in real-world products. Still, we wouldn't mind touching an extra-sanitary Windows phone or tablet -- or rather, someone else's. Update: Microsoft applied for a UV cleaning approach before, but that depended on coupling UV with the backlight; this newer patent would give Microsoft considerably more flexibility.
Vudu brings disc-to-digital UltraViolet conversions home to beta users
As promised, Vudu has taken the trip to Wally World out of the process used to watch your discs via UltraViolet streaming apps and sites -- the legit way. Just like the in-store process, DVDs or Blu-rays can be leveraged to buy digital versions of the movie anywhere UltraViolet movies are available. Going from a DVD to an standard definition copy will run you $2, while upgrading to HD is $5 -- Blu-ray to HD is also $2 -- which is the exact same pricing as the in-store offering. Those who want to convert a few titles, and are lucky enough to get invited to the beta, can download the Windows-only application to a computer that has the required optical disc drive. Mac support is promised soon, but with the limited number of Macs with Blu-ray drives, we'd suspect that version will only work with DVDs.
UltraViolet to bundle free movies with Smart TVs and Blu-ray players
The Digital Entertainment Group has announced plans to give away free movies when you buy an UltraViolet compatible device. If you buy a Smart TV from one of the following brands, you'll get ten free movies accessible anywhere UltraViolet titles work; including CinemaNow, Flixster, Nook and VUDU. Blu-ray players will come with five free ones and you can choose hardware from LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Vizio -- so most of the big brands. We assume you'll get to choose from any of the 8,500 titles available on UltraViolet from Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Fox, Universal or Warner. The idea of the "UltraViolet Movie Starter Pack" is to expand the user-base beyond the current nine million registered households. This and the 2013 international expansion into Australia, France, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand are expected to push UltraViolet to the next level. That just might be, but if were us, we'd focus on getting that common file format to market and by deploying single sign-on to improve the usability of the service.
Sony, Universal and Warner to use Dolby Digital Plus audio for UltraViolet common file format encodes
Although the UltraViolet common file format (CFF) was supposed to offer the promise of download once, play anywhere sometime in 2012, that year is behind us. There is some hope that 2013 will indeed be the year your UltraViolet Digital copies, that were bundled with a disc or upgraded via a disc-to-digital program, as Dolby has proudly announced that three of the major studios have chosen Dolby Digital Plus (aka E-AC-3) as their audio codec of choice for their CFF encodes. Essentially this means the most efficient surround sound codec will give them the ability to deliver high quality downloadable versions of your movies with up to 7.1 surround sound. The following press release stops short of specific dates and titles, but we are promised thousands of movies and TV series from Sony, Universal and Warner when UltraViolet CFF launches later this year. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
M-GO video on-demand movie service launches, streams to PCs, Samsung and Vizio players
Rushing in the door with yet another way to rent/buy movies over the internet, M-GO is promising it's the "people friendliest" service we've seen so far. Backed by Technicolor and DreamWorks Animation, it's ready to stream movies PCs through their web browser, as well as connected devices preloaded with its apps including Vizio, Sony and Intel ultrabooks. To live up to that friendly moniker, M-GO promises that if you're looking for a movie it doesn't offer, it will search other stores to find it for you, Flixster style. It also builds a profile of content you like and provides suggestions, sports an "easy as pie" interface as well as support for up to 5 profiles per account to help households browse through their preferred and owned content. On top of that it supports Ultraviolet -- and potentially other digital lockers -- to let users access the content they've already paid for, and has licensed content from NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Relativity Media, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. We couldn't pull up our Ultraviolet content just yet when we tried it, but with an Android app and plans to show up on LG and RCA devices soon we'll probably have more opportunities to test it soon. Check after the break for the press release with all the details and a preview video, or hit the source link to give it a shot yourself.
Best Buy's CinemaNow opens home disc-to-digital program, makes cloud copies of DVDs for a fee
One interesting development of the UltraViolet program has been Walmart / Vudu's in-store disc-to-digital program, and now Best Buy is apparently ready to offer similar functionality, but within the comfort of one's own home. The Best Buy-owned CinemaNow is flashing a Disc to Digital beta page that offers downloads of a player for Windows or Mac PCs that not only allows access to one's UltraViolet library both online or offline, but also insert any DVD (no word on Blu-ray support yet) and convert it to an SD or HD UltraViolet copy. Forum posters report the pricing is equivalent to Walmart's, although the list of supported titles is not exactly identical. Ultraviolet's morass of logins and passwords hasn't gotten any less complicated for digital copies from different studios yet, but in this case linking your account should be relatively simple. Hit the source links to download the apps and check out a list of movies available for conversion, assuming a cloud HDX copy of 2 Fast 2 Furious for $5 is something you find appealing. [Thanks, @Starkenator]
