How to Make Sure You Don't Lose Your Digital Library When UltraViolet Closes on 7/31

As previously reported, UltraViolet is officially closing on July 31. The digital locker system was designed to redeem and link digital copies from numerous studios to various online retailers, enabling playback from a variety of devices.  

But while the end of UltraViolet might present an inconvenience for current users, the platform's termination DOES NOT mean that users have to lose their hard-earned digital libraries. In fact, in most cases, customers can retain all of their currently redeemed and purchased digital copies even after UV closes up shop. That is, so long as they ensure that a few simple steps have been followed.

How to Keep Your UltraViolet Titles 

For most UltraViolet users, ensuring that your digital titles remain accessible will require you to simply sit back and do nothing. As long as you've had your UV account linked to VUDU and/or FandangoNOW, and you keep your UV account open and linked to those services, you're basically set to keep your content through those retailers.

But, if you're not sure whether your account is properly linked up, we've got you covered with a quick guide. Here's a few steps you can take to make sure your digital library is ready for UltraViolet's end: 

1. Sign into your UltraViolet account at myuv.com.
2. Check to see if your account is already linked to an existing VUDU and/or FandangoNOW account at myuv.com/retailers. 
3. If your UltraViolet account is already linked to an existing VUDU or FandangoNOW account, simply make sure that you DO NOT UNLINK your UV account to those services.
4. If your UltraViolet account is not already linked to a VUDU or FandangoNOW account, follow the instructions at myuv.com/retailers to link them together (you may need to create a VUDU or FandangoNOW account if you don't have one).
5. Customers who also use ParamountMovies for digital copy playback should also ensure that ParamountMovies remains linked to UltraViolet as functionality for that platform is changing. CLICK HERE for more details and instructions. 
6. As long as your UV account remains open and linked to your VUDU and/or FandangoNOW account, most, if not all, of your existing UV titles will remain accessible through those services following UltraViolet's closure.
7. UltraViolet recommends linking to both retailers to maximize availability of titles.
8. In rare cases, some previously redeemed UV titles might not be available if VUDU or FandangoNOW don't carry them.  
9. Existing, unused UV codes should also still remain redeemable via VUDU and FandangoNOW after UV's closure for playback via the retailer you redeem them with.

Migrating to Movies Anywhere

And now that you've ensured that your UV library won't disappear come July 31, there's actually another step you can take to expand availability of your titles even more. To do this, you simply need to sync your VUDU and/or FandangoNOW account up to a Movies Anywhere account. 

Like UltraViolet, Movies Anywhere is a digital locker system that can link to a variety of retailers, allowing users to redeem and access their supported digital titles across numerous services. The retailers currently supported include VUDU, FanangoNOW, iTunes Amazon, Xfinity (for Xfinity TV subscribers only), Google Play/YouTube, and Microsoft Movies. Meanwhile, studios currently participating include Disney, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Universal.

Here's how to get started with Movies Anywhere: 

1. Check out moviesanywhere.com/signup to create a Movies Anywhere account if you don't already have one. 
2. After creating an account, simply follow the site's instructions to sync it with your existing VUDU and/or FandangoNOW account. 
3. Likewise, you can also sync Movies Anywhere to any other supported retailers you have an account with. 
4. When that's all done, all of your Movies Anywhere digital titles, including supported VUDU and/or FandangoNOW content that was carried over from UltraViolet, will now be accessible across the entire Movies Anywhere ecosystem.

With that said, there are two notable caveats to that last point that users should be aware of: 

1. Some studios that previously supported UltraViolet, like Paramount and Lionsgate, do not currently support Movies Anywhere. This means that while you will still be able to access those titles via your UV linked VUDU and FandangoNOW accounts, titles from those studios will not sync to other Movies Anywhere retailers.
2. Movies Anywhere does not currently support TV shows. Again, shows from your UV library that remained linked to your VUDU and FandangoNOW accounts will remain viewable via those services, but they will not sync to other Movies Anywhere retailers.

While all of this is admittedly a bit of chore to get sorted out and setup, the end of UltraViolet and the continued expansion of Movies Anywhere should simplify and streamline the digital copy redemption and playback process in the long run.

If Paramount and Lionsgate eventually sign on, and TV shows are added to the mix, Movies Anywhere has the potential to fulfill the promise that UltraViolet could never quite live up to -- resulting in a truly unified digital copy platform that hopefully avoids UV's tragic fate.