The future of the digital locker

The video industry believes that consumers consistently expect to be able to watch video content on the go over a multitude of devices, whether it's on their smartphone, tablet or laptop, says THOMAS NASH, analyst at IHS Screen Digest.

This belief has prompted Hollywood studios and smaller content producers alike to approach the digital locker solution as a way of meeting the perceived change in consumption habits.

The encouraging uptake of the latest industry-supported digital locker solution, UltraViolet (UV), suggests that a greater number of consumers are looking to adopt alternative solutions to access video content across different platforms.

UltraViolet, managed by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) and backed by all the major studios except Disney, considers its 'anytime, anywhere' slogan as integral to its potential success. Interoperability between devices and shared access to your entire movie library in one place are perhaps two of the biggest draws for UV.

Disney's new digital locker solution, Digital Copy Plus, was only launched in June 2013, but also looks to offer considerable benefits to consumers who have previously been unable to gain online access to Disney's family-focused animation titles, movies that invariably lend themselves to multiple viewings.

There is some way to go, however. From the consumer's perspective, simplicity is absolutely crucial while studio executives and UV retailers will want to ensure that consumers gain familiarity with the format as early as possible. To date, the process of signing up for an UltraViolet account remains a clunky and frustrating experience with the user having to register separate accounts for the content producer, the UV retailer and with UltraViolet itself. This is why the failsafe option of watching a DVD or Blu-ray Disc remains popular.

Furthermore, the absence of notable companies such as Apple, Disney and Amazon from the UV initiative will dissuade a segment of consumers who are already integrated into different digital ecosystems. As it is, a large proportion of consumers are baffled by the notion of a digital locker, let alone what UltraViolet or Digital Copy Plus is and what it can offer them.

Clearly then, consumers continue to harbour concerns or continue to dwell in ignorance. Indeed, this is not the first time the industry has attempted to launch such an initiative, but its two major efforts so far ended in failure. Movielink (backed by Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox and Warner) and Disney's Keychest digital locker system both lacked consumer awareness and ultimately failed to generate significant participation, winding down in 2008 and 2013 respectively.

Nevertheless, the idea of the digital locker solution is gaining momentum (at the time of writing UltraViolet is live in six countries) and is enabled on digital and physical video content. Disney's Digital Copy Plus and other initiatives like it are also likely to prove popular by expanding the variety and depth of content available while administrative bodies like the DECE are working to streamline the user experience.

IHS Screen Digest research indicates strongly that where consumers were once happy to limit themselves to more traditional viewing, they now have much greater expectations of when they can watch their content. The pace of development in this trend alone makes the digital locker solution an intriguing prospect, now more than ever.


Thomas Nash joined the IHS Screen Digest Video Intelligence Team in July 2012, where he works as a research analyst, monitoring developments across European video markets, with a focus on Southern European countries. His responsibilities include charting the evolution of new products and video formats such as Blu-ray 3D and UltraViolet.

Contact: www.screendigest.com
...

Article Comments

comments powered by Disqus