They also have 4K UHD titles (NO HDR) from Universal and Amazon Studios (and possibly other distributors - I didn't check every title) that are available on a wider range of devices. On VUDU, you'll find over 100 titles from Warner Bros, Universal, and Paramount.įandangoNOW (fka M-GO) offers UHD titles with HDR10, but according to the company's website, only from Fox and only if you own a "VIDITY-enabled device" (basically, a compliant hard drive media streamer). VUDU has the largest collection of 4K UHD titles with Dolby Vision HDR, some support for Dolby Atmos, and rumors of HDR10 support reportedly coming "soon". The answer is, of course, complicated, varies by studio and retailer, and is far less consistent that the HD world because, while every streaming service offers a version of HD playback, there are only three major UHD streaming retailers with ties to Ultraviolet and each one requires different (sometimes exclusive) gear. One of the first questions we asked about the new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format was about Ultraviolet redemption codes - if HD Blu-rays earned you an HD copy to stream and download, would 4K Blu-rays get you a 4K UHD copy to stream and download? WHY DOES ULTRAVIOLET STILL SUCK FOR 4K UHD? Ultraviolet's partners set out to make DIGITAL OWNERSHIP easier and portable, but it's such a cluster only diehard enthusiasts care to keep up.
The confusion, hassle, and frustration with Ultraviolet and Digital HD, in general, is the simple fact that not every studio has partnered with every retailer AND not every retailer is available on your media streamer PLUS you have to sign up for several different accounts on poorly designed websites. So not totally separate, but not fully Ultraviolet either.
ITunes and Disney are off doing their own things, but some studios like Universal and Fox offer the option to get an iTunes copy of your movie instead of Ultraviolet, while Disney Movies Anywhere can be linked to VUDU and iTunes accounts. Ultraviolet RETAILERS include FandangoNOW, Kaleidescape, Paramount Movies, Sony Pictures Store, Verizon FiOS, VUDU, and WB Movies All Access (FKA Flickster). Ultraviolet STUDIO partners include Anchor Bay, BBC, Fox, HBO, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros.
Once you have an Ultraviolet account - thanks a series of partnerships between STUDIOS (content producers) and RETAILERS (streaming services where you can purchase or rent movies and TV shows) - you can enjoy your library on across a vast swath of Smart TVs, smartphone & tablets, Ultra HD Blu-ray & Blu-ray players, media streamers & sticks, gaming consoles, and compatible external hard drives. Ultraviolet is a cloud-based digital locker that allows you to own (though many argue digital ownership isn't true ownership, but that's for another article) and manage a library of movie and TV titles that were either redeemed via codes included with a physical media purchase or purchased online. Today lets take a minute to chat about the current state of Ultraviolet, why there's an extra layer of confusion for anyone upgrading to 4K, and what you should do to get the best out of the Digital Copies included with your 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays. Welcome to the latest installment of our Home Theater 101 Series, where we set out to educate folks on the nitty-gritty involved with enjoying emerging home cinema technologies. There are so many possibilities - setting up multiple US accounts, etc - that will enable you to watch some if not all of your collection on a smart TV, but it can be very complicated and often only worth it if you're going to be building up a significant digital collection.EDITOR'S NOTE: this article is being updated with info on Fox and FandangoNOW after conflicting reports from readers, personal experience, and FandangoNOW customer service.
It gets a lot trickier if its NOT a UK code you want to redeem unfortunately.
Secondly, is it a UK ultraviolet code you're looking to redeem? If so, then set up a Flixster account (go to Redeem your UltraViolet Digital Copy - Flixster Video and redeem your code, it will then give you the option to set up an account I believe) and away you go. Unfortunately, the only way to watch a film via Flixster on your TV is to cast it to an appropriate smart TV as there are no Flixster TV apps
If watching from a PC or phone/tablet, you can still use Flixster to watch movies on - it still is operational, accepting new redeems and allowing people to watch them via their website or IoS/Android app on smartphones/tablets. Whilst the answer should be 'yes', unfortunately, its really.'depends'.