UltraViolet, the “virtual locker” system, designed to tackle online piracy and boost DVD sales, is to launch in Ireland in spring of next year, it was announced at MIPCOM.
Introduced in the UK last December, UltraViolet works by consumers receiving a code when they buy a DVD or Blu-ray disc, enabling them to download or stream a digital version.
Using cloud-based technology, it also allows consumers to create a “virtual locker” of films and TV shows for access on a variety of devices.
The system is backed by Hollywood studios Warner Bros, Sony Pictures and Fox, along with retail and digital outlets such as Tesco, Sky, LoveFilm and Samsung.
UltraViolet was created by the cross-industry consortium Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem.
The announcement of UltraViolet’s planned move into Ireland was made alongside news that it will also spread into Australia and Canada in 2013.
Yesterday, the BBC Worldwide also announced its first UV-enabled DVDs, which will include ‘Doctor Who: Series 7 - Part 1’, John Bishop's new stand-up DVD ‘Rollercoaster’, the new ‘Top Gear’ special and ‘Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild’.
