Spreadsheet - Known VUDU UV Issues That Need Addressing

[quackman]

For everyone to better understand - why MA alone isn't good enough and why these need fixing.

If movies are already sitting in a UV locker that aren't honored/recognized by VUDU (either the title entirely, or the resolution), then that movie doesn't port correctly into VUDU ... which is the gateway for a lot of UV titles into MA. If I own a UV UHD license via Sony or Paramount ... I need Vudu to recognize that UV UHD license, so that it (1) shows up in VUDU correctly and (2) then ports from VUDU into MA and to other providers.

Many UV HD and UHD licenses came through direct retail websites (Sony, Universal, Paramount) or through no-longer-around services (Target Ticket, CinemaNow) - so VUDU needs to see these films, and not just see them, but also have them in the highest possible resolution.

VUDU is one of the last remaining "paths" from UV to MA. So we need VUDU to fix as many of these titles as they can. To this end, much of this information is not "new" - we've asked for many of these fixes for a long time. It was the shut down of UV as a working/breathing system that made it an important new push to get them fixed.

We can deal with using MA ... going forward. But UV and VUDU insist we "won't lose content" just because UV is shutting down. Truth is - we will. If VUDU doesn't see a UHD ... I lose that content. Maybe I get HD, but I own UHD. And I want that UHD to show up in VUDU and I want it to then port from VUDU into MA.

This is a great explanation. But, to be clear, any UHD titles purchased at other retailers (iTunes, FandangoNow, Amazon, Google Pay) should port to Vudu in UHD if a title is MA-enabled and/or Vudu finally has a title available in UHD that is MA at the other retailer where the movie was purchased, right?

[digitalfreaknyc]

This is a great explanation. But, to be clear, any UHD titles purchased at other retailers (iTunes, FandangoNow, Amazon, Google Pay) should port to Vudu in UHD if a title is MA-enabled and/or Vudu finally has a title available in UHD that is MA at the other retailer where the movie was purchased, right?

Yes. Which is why I don't understand what the problem is.

I hate to say it but...welcome to digital, kids! You don't own ANYTHING.

[quackman]

I guess some people redeemed a lot of movies at a studio site that were UV only and this is the main concern for them. I didn't. All my UHD purchases have been made directly at one of the retailers through codes or direct purchase.

[sankoni]

This is a great explanation. But, to be clear, any UHD titles purchased at other retailers (iTunes, FandangoNow, Amazon, Google Pay) should port to Vudu in UHD if a title is MA-enabled and/or Vudu finally has a title available in UHD that is MA at the other retailer where the movie was purchased, right?

Some movies were purchased/redeemed from non-MA retailers such as SonyPicturesStore.com or ParamountPictures.com so the UHD license never made it to MA and is now just sitting in the UV locker.

[digitalfreaknyc]

I guess some people redeemed a lot of movies at a studio site that were UV only and this is the main concern for them. I didn't. All my UHD purchases have been made directly at one of the retailers through codes or direct purchase.

If they were UV only, they should have ported to Vudu or FDN and, thus, MA.

[Rex Strother]

I mean - this should be obvious - but yes, if the UV rights are in your locker - they should port to VUDU and thus MA.

BUT - as noted - some of the titles are not available at VUDU or available in full resolution at VUDU. This is the bottleneck. Those are the issues that need to be fixed. If VUDU doesn't see the UHD, then MA "upstream" won't either. So yeah - VUDU needs this material in full available resolution and with the UV rights assigned so that they port from UV to VUDU.

Having a UHD UV license ... when VUDU only has the title in HD UV ... means it only comes up in HD at VUDU, and then only ports OUT to MA in HD. So .... the reason we have reached out to VUDU.

This is not really "news" - it's just far more priority with the shut down. We have covered MANY of these issues in other posts. But we assembled them into one great big post recently.

MANY of the films in UHD or HD are available in those resolutions at other providers (which providers don't happen to be UV, you see). So ... we know the encodes are available.

MA is relatively new ... we were hashing out these same issues when only UV existed. And VUDU didn't have the proper rights, or the proper resolutions. But now we have a big cutoff, and we would like to see them meet that promise of "not lose any content you have in UV"

[Rex Strother]

I'm confused.

MA is great ... going forward ... but right now - VUDU is the existing link between our UV UHD and HD material and MA.

All the stuff we already own/purchased/redeemed. From wherever and whenever, that is sitting in the UV lockers.

And UV and VUDU have made claims not to worry - that none of our content is "going to be lost"

VUDU just needs to talk to the UV locker and be fully up to date, or some UV stuff is not going to get to MA from our UV lockers (or will get to MA in the wrong resolution).

[digitalfreaknyc]

MA is great ... going forward ... but right now - VUDU is the existing link between our UV UHD and HD material and MA.

All the stuff we already own/purchased/redeemed. From wherever and whenever, that is sitting in the UV lockers.

And UV and VUDU have made claims not to worry - that none of our content is "going to be lost"

VUDU just needs to talk to the UV locker and be fully up to date, or some UV stuff is not going to get to MA from our UV lockers (or will get to MA in the wrong resolution).

Vudu isn't the "only hope." There is another...

[colbyw]

SMH. So clueless.

[PlanetMC]

I guess some people redeemed a lot of movies at a studio site that were UV only and this is the main concern for them. I didn't. All my UHD purchases have been made directly at one of the retailers through codes or direct purchase.

Well considering Vudu is extremely slow adding UHD definition for Sony and Paramount titles, most people redeemed at the studio site to guarantee they got the right definition in their lockers. It should also be noted code slips until recently for Sony, still told people to redeem at Sony Picture Store. Paramount still advises to redeem on their site. That's why it is a big issue surround UHD UV rights at Vudu. Considering most physical 4K releases are $30+, it's a lot of money being spent per title. People are worried they are being screwed over! Justly so!

[PlanetMC]

If they were UV only, they should have ported to Vudu or FDN and, thus, MA.

Two things:
1. This post is nothing to do with MA! You are overly complicating things by focusing on that locker service.
2. Your comment above would be correct bar the fact that not every UV title is MA, nor that every UV title is marked as such on Vudu, hence why there is porting issues between UV providers. To compound things further Vudu does not offer all UV titles that are available for digital sale, or offer them in the highest definition available at other retailers.

[digitalfreaknyc]

SMH. So clueless.

Says the person with 41 posts....

[quackman]

.If VUDU doesn't see the UHD, then MA "upstream" won't either.

I guess this is the key difference in my case. For me, it's all "downstream" with UHD. For all my UHD purchases at other retailers, MA and UHD will hopefully eventually go "downstream" to Vudu when they are available in both MA and UHD at Vudu.

[B2Net]

Here is another UV title , for addition to the spreadsheet that is SD at VUDU and HD elsewhere.

Man Without a Face
https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/...ut-a-Face/9976
https://www.fandangonow.com/details/...i=0&eci=movies

This may have been missed with all the other discussions. It is another one hopefully VUDU will get correct resolution.

[MisterHowie]

VUDU, please help us with these fixes. Many people have put their money and faith in your service.