![]() ![]() And Apple, of course, tends to opt towards a "walled garden" approach when it comes to compatibility. The very existence of UltraViolet is partially a response to movie studios fighting the growing power of Apple - they wanted to create an alternative to iTunes, so they wouldn't find themselves at the mercy of Apple (as the record companies did when the MP3 revolution caused CD sales to crash). Apple, Amazon and Walmart (Vudu's corporate parent) are frenemies at best, arch-rivals at worst. The dream, of course, would be for "one app to rule them all" - a single video app that would allow you to access any cloud-based videos you "own," be they on Apple's iTunes, Amazon Video or one of the UltraViolet partners, such as Vudu. Will my Apple or Amazon video collections ever be accessible via UltraViolet? One home for all your videos? Probably not. Of course, if you end up disliking it for any reason, you can link your UltraViolet library to any other compatible app (such as Flixster), so it's close to a risk-free proposition. It's not perfect, but the combination of its wide device support, Disney Movies Anywhere compatibility and Walmart backing make it the go-to default choice. If you haven't noticed, we keep coming back to Vudu. Is one UltraViolet app better than another? The Vudu service allows a person to share their UltraViolet library with up to five people. In the meantime, you'll need to download copies on each device you intend to view them on offline, however. It would allow a download of a movie that could, in theory, be more easily transported between devices. In the future, this is supposed to change with the introduction of the Common File Format (CFF). On a PC or Mac, the same restriction usually applies - you need to download a special Vudu player for Vudu video, for instance. Purchased movies will appear in the download section of those programs. On phones and tablets, the download and playback is handled within the UltraViolet-compatible apps, including Vudu or Flixster. Movies in the UltraViolet format are usually available to be streamed (real-time YouTube-style playback, requiring an active Internet connection) or downloaded (for offline playback later, such as on an airplane or other wireless-challenged environment) on PCs and mobile devices. Notably, the Vudu app does not support AirPlay playback. While Apple TV currently offers no UltraViolet-compatible app, you can use AirPlay to stream UltraViolet videos from your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch with the CinemaNow and Flixster apps. Note that the Flixster app on Amazon Fire TV currently only supports standard-definition playback, however. Streaming boxes from Roku and game consoles like the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One all support Vudu, which gives access to an UltraViolet library. Those same UltraViolet apps are capable of streaming their videos to Google's very inexpensive Chromecast. Android and iOS devices such as the Nexus 6 and the iPhone support a number of apps that play UltraViolet videos like Vudu, CinemaNow and Flixster. ![]() There are a lot of major devices out there that can play back UltraViolet videos, all that is needed is a compatible app. Which devices support UltraViolet videos? That said, if a Disney movie is purchased on one of the aforementioned non-UltraViolet services (iTunes, Google Play), it should appear in the other three cloud lockers as well. ![]() So, while Vudu plays UltraViolet movies, the Disney movies that appear in the Vudu library will not appear on other UltraViolet sites like Flixster. Making the situation even more confusing is that Disney does sell movies on Vudu and CinemaNow - but they are not UltraViolet versions. When a Disney Movies Anywhere code is redeemed, the purchaser receives access to a version on Disney's service, an iTunes copy, a Google Play digital copy, and a copy that will play on Vudu. The service can be connected to Apple iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu. Here's how it works: Buying a Disney combo pack gets the purchaser a Disney Movies Anywhere code. So Vudu ends up being a kind of video Switzerland, where you can access both the cloud libraries of UltraViolet and Disney Movies Anywhere through one app. But Disney has its own multi-platform video service called Disney Movies Anywhere - and that service is compatible with Vudu. And, indeed, it's still not part of UltraViolet. Originally, it was the only major content provider (movie studio) not to join the consortium. Yes, Disney is an outlier in the UltraViolet ecosystem. ![]()
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