Walmart to charge $2-$4 to convert DVDs to UltraViolet

Walmart is expected to announce today that it has entered a partnership with Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures and Fox to allow consumers to access DVDs they own in UltraViolet's cloud. This will cost between US$2-$4 per DVD, depending on quality. The DVDs will be stamped to prevent multiple people from accessing the files. The Wall Street Journal first reported on this Feb. 28.

This comes days after Apple quietly released Digital Copy for the Apple TV via iCloud, which like UltraViolet, uses an unlock code to stream HD copies to the Apple TV. The service has been criticized for being "complicated, cumbersome, and buggy," with Macworld detailing the hassles of getting UltraViolet movies to play on the Mac, with the iOS process going much smoother.