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UltraViolet V.S. Disney Movies Anywhere
06/22/2016

I have seen many critics compare Disney Movies Anywhere to Ultraviolet, with some of them concluding that Disney Movies Anywhere is how UltraViolet should have been done, simply because it connects to iTunes and Amazon. Well, here is a feature comparison that is more in depth.

Ultraviolet Disney Movies Anywhere
Connects to Vudu, FandangoNow, & CinemaNow Connects to Amazon, Vudu, iTunes, & Google Play
Can convert/upgrade DVD’s and Blu-ray’s to Digital No Disc to Digital Feature available
Able to delete titles Not able to delete titles once added
Can share library with 5 people Cannot share library
7 Movie Studios make content available Only Walt Disney titles are available. No content from Touchstone & Hollywood Pictures
Over 21,000 titles are available Less than 500 titles are available
TV shows from several studios are available No Disney TV shows or movies are available
Available in 13 countries Only available in the U.S.

Posted by: Joshua Clinard @ 12:00 pm

The Pros and Cons of UltraViolet
06/01/2014

Many of the articles reviewing the UltraViolet system found on the web are based on the problems that users faced during UltraViolet’s initial public rollout. Since then, many aspects of the system have been greatly improved. With that in mind, maybe it’s time to revisit the topic. The focus of this article will be on the overall consumer experience using UltraViolet today. But first, I want to tell you why I became excited about UltraViolet.

Before the UltraViolet digital copy was introduced, I had never really gotten into buying, or redeeming digital copies. I had been a collector of DVDs for a long time, almost since the introduction of the format. Around 2007, I stopped buying new DVDs for various reasons, but the most important was portability. After joining the Navy, I wanted a way to watch movies on the go, and I didn’t want to lug around a case of DVDs, and risk them getting lost, stolen, or damaged. At that point in time there wasn’t an easy way to purchase movies for download, so I did what most other sailors did, which meant downloading movies using a torrent program. Most of the movies I downloaded I already owned on DVD, so I didn’t feel too guilty. Several years later, I discovered an easier, but more expensive way to collect digital moves after I bought my first iPhone. Naturally, I began using iTunes, and I ended up buying a couple movies and TV shows, but I wasn’t that impressed with the service. Apple’s Walled Garden meant that I could only watch the movies on my laptop or iPhone, and I thought it was crazy to have to pay their high prices for movies I had already purchased on DVD.

Then came Vudu, and the Disc to Digital service. Just as soon as I heard about it, I began to take my existing DVDs to Wal-Mart, and them to my vudu collection for just $2, and I could also upgrade them to HD for only $5. I was ecstatic. Within a few months I had added my entire DVD collection to my vudu account. But I didn’t stop there! I was soon able to find a lot of cheap used DVDs, and I added those too. Two years later, I had collected more than 500 digital movies in my UtraViolet account. All the shelf space I saved from not having to store the physical media is wonderful. And it didn’t cost me that much with the recent 50% off promotion. I think the average price I paid per movie was less than $5 total.

So I really like the UltraViolet system. It allows me to watch all my digital movies on any device I own, including my iPhone, iPad, laptop, PC, and my HDTV using my Roku box. I can also watch them at a friend’s house or hotel when I’m traveling using my extra Roku. And for the buyer, it’s great because you can price shop amongst several UV services, and still have all your movies in one place. One more thing, there are no previews or forced ads that you can’t skip on UV movies! That’s a stark contrast to Apple’s walled garden. Vudu and UtraViolet is a movie lover’s dream.

But there are a few kinks with the UltraViolet system that haven’t been worked out yet. I have read many discussions concerning UltraViolet on Amazon forums, Apple support forums, Home Theater forums, and Tech blogs. Below I have gathered some of the most common criticisms, and some possible solutions to improve the UltraViolet system, increase its user base, and satisfaction rate among consumers.

If these things are addressed, I believe most of the complaints will go away. This will in turn cause good reviews, and millions of new customers for UltraViolet

Posted by: Joshua Clinard @ 1:27 pm

Muppet Movie Re-Releases Confirmed to be Widescreen!
08/26/2005

The Digital Bits informs us that the Muppet DVD’s coming from Disney on 11/19 will contain both fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen transfers. This is indeed great news. In case you haven’t heard, the four titlts are: The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Muppet Treasure Island. The latter two have never been available in widescreen, so we can finally purchase them.

Posted by: Joshua Clinard @ 9:45 am

Disney May Release Muppet Films in Widescreen!
07/25/2005

This little bit of exciting news comes to us from Ultimate Disney.

A sneak peek on the new catalogue discs reveals some other quite exciting news. Believe it or not, Kermit the Frog is turning 50 this year; his debut television appearance was on Jim Henson’s black-and-white program “Sam and Friends” in 1955. In celebration of this golden anniversary, Disney will be rereleasing four of the Muppets’ most popular films to Special Edition DVD: The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and Muppet Treasure Island. The promo provides no new release date nor information on bonus features, but ensures the films are “completely restored and remastered.” One assumes from the widescreen clips previewed that each will be presented in their original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratios, which was not the case when Disney first released Carol and Island to DVD in 2002. We’ll have more details for you as soon as they come in!

Posted by: Joshua Clinard @ 11:05 am

OAR Watchdog Enhancement!
06/09/2005

I have spent the last few days adding some enhancements to the OAR Watchdog. If you click on any title in the database, your will go to the IMDB listing for that title. Hopefully this will clear up some confusion as to which title is in the database, because some titles have multiple releases. If you guys find any that point to the wrong page, please let me know.

Posted by: Joshua Clinard @ 4:26 pm



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