How Would a UV Shutdown Affect You?

[gamescan]

Note, I have no inside information, but ever since Vudu dropped support for library sharing, UV support has gotten rougher and rougher. Without Vudu to anchor it, UV doesn't really have any marketshare in the US (a handful of small studios on FandangoNOW isn't going to make the service).

That said, I can see three possible scenarios going forward:

1) Studios align completely with one or the other (like it is on MA) and eliminate dual redemptions completely. MA holds marketshare for all major studios, UV ends up with the small studios. Both UV and MA continue on, serving their own niche.

2) UV shuts down completely, leaving non-MA titles locked to their redemption site. This would be just like small studio titles on Vudu today which are neither UV or MA.

3) MA acquires UV, automatically transfers all licenses, but completely drops legacy library sharing as all licenses will be moved into the MA ecosystem which isn't setup for that at the MA level (sharing is done at the storefront level).

Personally, I see option 3 as the most likely. I don't use a shared UV library, so losing that won't personally affect me. My biggest worry would be certain studios refusing to make the jump and just opting out completely, leaving that content locked to Vudu (or wherever else I first got it).

[Taxitodd]

It wouldn't effect me a single iota. Personally I've always thought it was a horrible business move since they're basically giving away their product for free. When it comes to Movies Anywhere though I think it's a pure genius idea and a huge selling point.

[RogerJ]

UV vs. MA support in the US. Listed from UV to MA.

• UV - Movies & TV
• UV - Library Syncing Across Retailers (Now really just Vudu and FandangoNow unless you're a FiOS or Kaleidoscope customer.)
• UV - User Library Sharing (DOA. I'm still surprised there hasn't been a class-action over this.)
• Lionsgate (UV, not MA - UV at
• Vudu+FandangoNow)
• Paramount (UV, not MA - UV at Vudu+FandangoNow)
• MGM (UV, not MA - UV at Vudu+FandangoNow)
• HBO, Europa, FUNimation, etc. (UV, not MA - UV at Vudu+FandangoNow)
• Warner Bros. (UV+MA - UV+MA at Vudu, MA at FandangoNow)
• Sony (UV+MA - UV+MA at Vudu, MA at FandangoNow)
• Fox (MA, dropped UV - MA at Vudu+FandangoNow)
• Universal (MA, dropped UV - UV at Vudu+FandangoNow)
• Disney (MA, not UV - MA at Vudu+FandangoNow)
• MA - User Library Sharing (6 users via iTunes & Google Play, 2 users via Amazon. All designed to also share billing.)
• MA - Library Syncing Across Retailers (Most of the big ones.)
• MA - Movies Only (So far.)

Clearly there is a lot of support behind MA. And the lack of UV retailers besides Vudu and FandangoNow's half-assed support is not great. But UV is hardly teetering on the brink of 'written-off'.

And IF you think they'll completely take away UV license obligations without someone with actual means challenging it legally, I think you'd be mistaken.

[Wasteland]

At this point, I don't even care about UV. All I have bought or redeemed that is UV would remain in Vudu, which is my main streaming player, so it wouldn't effect me at all. I do think MA is the way to go, but some people are still holding onto UV because of their shared accounts, and I understand that. I don't share accounts, so I can't judge on that issue. I think ALL studios should join MA though, MA should work to not have anymore issues when it comes to redeeming quality - that is what keeps upsetting many about MA.

I do see MA making a TV Anywhere down the road. If that happens, I think it would be the end of UV all together, or MA would buy UV out.

[RogerJ]

I see it as a bait and switch. For all of its problems, UV's library model was much more consumer friendly. MA's library model is much more corporate bottom-dollar friendly. They hooked everyone with UV, and now there is a pretty obvious effort to switch.