Skewing Into Massive Popularity

Thanks to my friend Ryan Gallagher for alerting me to this via Twitter. The Ultraviolet consortium, junta, cosa nostra, or whatever have conducted a survey of existing Ultraviolet users.

This has resulted in finding that those surveyed overwhelmingly love the service. This is, of course, as polled from within the very small sample within the portion of the 15% of consumers who even know it exists.

As soon as I'm able to find the time, I'll post a piece about how and why I rip my own Digital Copies from Blu-rays.

UltraViolet vs. iTunes Digital Copy: Studio Breakdown

I'm often asked whether "[Studio]/[Movie]" still does iTunes Digital Copy or not anymore. Some answers are cut and dry, and others are not. I will update/addend this piece over time.

ONLY UltraViolet

• Sony
• Warner Bros./DC
• Fox Searchlight (as of Summer 2013)
• NBC/Universal/USA/Syfy TV

Depending on the title, the UV code may or may not redeem for HD.

BOTH iTunes + Ultraviolet

• 20th Century Fox & Fox Animation
• Universal (movies only)
• Paramount (new release only)
• Lionsgate/Summit

Recent releases have seen the iTunes codes redeem for the HD versions of movies (Paramount sequels seem to deliver as double features of late). UltraViolet codes redeem for SD only unless otherwise marked.

Digital Copy Plus (Choose One: Vudu/Amazon/iTunes)

• Disney/Pixar/Touchstone/Marvel

You get to choose from the services it offers you when you redeem the code. Sometimes it's all three (Oz the Great and Powerful), but I've found that sometimes, you don't get iTunes as an option (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ). Note that Vudu equals UltraViolet.

iTunes includes Extras

• Pixar
• Disney Classics Diamond Editions (starting with The Little Mermaid) 
• Paramount (new release only)
• Lionsgate/Summit
• some pre-Fall 2013 Universal (new release only)

All of the above is why I make my own digital copies from Blu-rays when there's no iTunes code. 

UPDATE 4 November 2013: Added above, a breakdown of iTunes Digital Copy studios that include iTunes Extras.

Regarding Disney's "Digital Copy Plus"

I lost track of a news link I saw that reported this as something akin to Disney starting their own Mouse House digital locker service like UltraViolet.  It's not, and thank god, since we've got enough locker up there in the magical, mysterious "cloud".

Having redeemed the Oz the Great and Powerful  code, I can say that Digital Copy Plus is just a responsive design site that funnels you to your digital vault of choice, whether iTunes, Amazon, or Vudu.

Who actively uses Vudu, by the way? Other than Walmart employees?

Now, you can redeem those codes directly to your iTunes account from any web-accessible device via the responsive site. 

The biggest plus to Disney moving away from disc-tethered Digital Copy (aside from general convenience and stronger engagement) is that their Digital Copy files are now HD and carry iTunes Extras. Paramount, Universal, and Lionsgate/Summit releases have had this since last year. 

iTunes Extras still, inexplicably, only work in iTunes itself and not on iPhones, iPads, or the AppleTV. Maybe that's another no-brainer, long-neglected UI problem Apple will fix in this, the year of Apple adding missing features that they should have years ago.

Fox is now the only studio delivering Digital Copy in SD on physical discs.