DECE Announces UltraViolet, A New Way To Share

It is always irritating when you buy media that doesn't seem to work on all your devices. Blue-Ray discs usually come with a digital copy now, which is nice, but sometimes not always enough. Now Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem's has announced UltraViolet; a platform that will digital media among any UltraViolet registered device.

Many major companies have signed on with DECE including Dell, Fujitsu, and Akamai to name a few. Below, the press release discusses the roadmap DECE plans to implement when introducing UltraViolet content to consumers.

DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT ECOSYSTEM (DECE) COMPLETES DESIGN OF ULTRAVIOLET™, PAVING THE WAY FOR CONSUMERS TO ENJOY DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

Top Executives from DECE Member Companies to Appear on Panel at the Consumer Electronics Show to Discuss the Future of Home Entertainment in the Digital World

LAS VEGAS, (January 6, 2011) – The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) LLC, www.decellc.com, a cross-industry consortium dedicated to creating a consumer-friendly open market for digital content distribution, today announced a series of milestones in the development and availability of UltraViolet™. The milestones include a roadmap for introducing UltraViolet content, services and devices to consumers beginning in mid-2011; planned expansion to the United Kingdom and Canada; and the release of technical specifications for evaluation by potential licensees.

UltraViolet will allow consumers to purchase digital content and watch it wherever, whenever. Consumers who purchase UltraViolet entertainment will have an easy and consistent way to watch film and television content across multiple branded platforms, such as computers, connected TVs, game consoles, smartphones and tablets. The UltraViolet name and logo will help identify content, devices and services from a spectrum of familiar entities – including studios, retailers, consumer electronics manufacturers, cable companies, ISPs and other service providers – that will work together.

"Today's announcement that UltraViolet is ready shows that the entertainment and technology communities have made good on their promise to give the world a new, user-friendly digital standard for collecting movies and TV shows in the digital age," said Mark Teitell, general manager of DECE. "In the coming months, consumers will hear exciting news from DECE member companies and other UltraViolet licensees about a host of interoperable products and services, ushering in a new era of choice, confidence and freedom in digital entertainment."

This evening at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, high level representatives from DECE Member companies will come together for the first time to discuss the future of home entertainment for consumers and for businesses. The panel will take place at 5:00 p.m. (PST) in Room LVCCS221, and will feature top executives, such as:

· Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager, Home Entertainment Group, Best Buy

· Peter Levinsohn, president, New Media and Digital Distribution, Fox Filmed Entertainment

· Blair Westlake, corporate vice president of the Media & Entertainment Group, Microsoft Corporation

· JB Perrette, president, Digital and Affiliate Distribution, NBC Universal

· Lisa Hook, President and Chief Executive Officer, Neustar

· Tae-Jin (TJ) Kang, senior vice president, Media Solution Center, Samsung Electronics

· John Calkins, executive vice president, Global Digital and Commercial Innovation, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

· Thomas Gewecke, president, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

DECE today announced the following key milestones:

The UltraViolet Experience

Through the UltraViolet Account system, each household will be able to create an account for up to six members who can access the household's UltraViolet movies, TV and other entertainment via participating retailers, streaming providers and devices. Consumers will also be able to register up to 12 devices so UltraViolet content can be easily downloaded to those devices, or shared among them. In addition to these UltraViolet devices, UltraViolet streaming access will enable consumers to access their collections via set-top boxes and most places they can access the web, via computers, web-connected home video devices such as Blu-ray players and Internet TVs, and mobile apps for smartphones and tablets. Also, the UltraViolet Account will enable retailers to provide consumers with a copy to use on DVD players or other physical media, such as portable flash memory.

Technical Specifications and Licensing Program

After a rigorous development process which brought together engineering and product management experts from the world's leading technology and entertainment brands, DECE has released an evaluation suite of technical specifications for the UltraViolet ecosystem. These include:

· DECE Common File Format – video files are encoded and encrypted just once, but used by multiple compliant DRMs. This offers substantial efficiency improvements for the industry, while allowing consumers to transfer UltraViolet movie and TV show files to any of their registered UltraViolet-compliant devices, regardless of brand

· Technical Design Specifications for Each Major Category of Company – spanning content providers, retailers, streaming services, device and application providers and digital distribution infrastructure providers

DECE's UltraViolet licensing program will allow companies to use the technical specifications, interact with the UltraViolet Account infrastructure via a suite of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and use the UltraViolet logo for promotion and marketing of UltraViolet content and devices.

In addition to use within UltraViolet, to achieve the highest possible efficiency gain for the industry, DECE intends to make the Common File Format widely available for use in other areas of video content preparation and delivery. Details of this will be confirmed in the coming months.

UltraViolet Account System Infrastructure Availability

Based on the technical specifications and licensing program announced today, studios, distributors, device and application makers and other participants can now begin developing UltraViolet-based offerings for consumers. The UltraViolet Account system infrastructure, which was developed by Neustar and is now operational, will be fully available to support the launch of UltraViolet products and services in mid-2011.

Roadmap for Consumer Rollout

As an industry group, DECE has focused on defining the branded UltraViolet experience that is consistent for users, as well as developing the technical specifications for licensing, and creating the UltraViolet Account system – all announced today. Market deployment of these capabilities now shifts to individual companies, and this roadmap for consumer rollout is based on expectations and subject to the specific rollout plans of UltraViolet licensees.

Beginning in mid-2011, DECE Member companies and other UltraViolet licensees are expected to introduce UltraViolet products and services. Initial offerings will gradually expand to include a slate of UltraViolet titles from studios for purchase through a growing roster of retailers, either electronically or as digital copies included with Blu-ray Disc or DVD purchases. Initially, UltraViolet retailers will enable consumers to use downloaded copies on many devices they already own. Additionally, initial streaming services will allow consumers to access their UltraViolet collections via websites or linked devices, like set-top boxes, Internet-connected Blu-ray Disc players, smartphones and tablets.

Later in 2011, UltraViolet-optimized media player apps will begin to roll out via software updates to PCs, game consoles and smart mobile devices that consumers already own, as well as on new devices for sale. In early 2012, the first designed-for-UltraViolet consumer electronics devices are expected to become available. These devices will be immediately compatible with UltraViolet; potential offerings include connected Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes, Internet TVs and other devices.

International Expansion (United Kingdom and Canada in 2011)

The UltraViolet Account system infrastructure that is now operational will initially be available for use by consumers in the United States. DECE plans to begin operations in the U.K. and Canada later in 2011, with deployment timelines for additional international markets expected to be announced in the coming months.

New DECE Members

DECE announced that several additional companies have joined the group in recent months, including Akamai Technologies, Arxan Technologies, BSkyB, Dell, Fanhattan, Fujitsu and QuickPlay Media Inc. DECE now includes more than 60 Members across entertainment, software, hardware, retail, infrastructure and delivery.

New Consumer Website

As of today, the UltraViolet website, http://www.uvvu.com, has been updated to provide a resource for educating consumers on the benefits they can expect to reap from UltraViolet. The new website also includes access to press materials.

About Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) LLC

The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) LLC is a cross-industry initiative developing the next generation digital media experience, UltraViolet. UltraViolet is based on open, licensable specifications and is designed by DECE to create a viable, global digital marketplace. DECE is currently made up of Adobe, Akamai Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent, Arxan Technologies Best Buy, British Sky Broadcasting Limited, BT, CableLabs, Catch Media, Cineplex Entertainment, Cisco, Comcast, Cox Communications, CSG Systems' Content Direct, Dell, Deluxe Digital, Dolby Laboratories, DTS, Fanhattan, FilmFlex, Fox Entertainment, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Huawei Technologies, IBM, Intel, Irdeto, LG Electronics, Liberty Global, Lionsgate, LOVEFiLM, Marvell Semiconductor, Microsoft, MOD Systems, Motorola Mobility, Nagravision, NBC Universal, NDS Group, Netflix, Neustar, Nokia, Panasonic, Paramount Pictures, Philips, QuickPlay Media Inc., RIAA, Red Bee Media, Rovi, Saffron Digital, Samsung Electronics, Sonic Solutions, Sony, Switch Communications, Technicolor, Tesco, Toshiba, Verance, Verimatrix, VeriSign, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Widevine Technologies Inc. and Zoran . DECE's new digital media specifications, logo program and interoperable digital rights locker will enable consumers to purchase digital video content from a choice of online retailers and play it on a variety of branded devices and platforms from different manufacturers. For more information, please visit http://www.uvvu.com.

What DECE Members are saying:

Adobe

"The promise of the UltraViolet brand is to create a new consumer experience for digital content that is seamless and convenient. Adobe Flash is already the leading platform for online content distribution, providing high quality video, rich interactivity and multiple opportunities for content monetization. By combining the UltraViolet experience with the Flash Platform, content providers can reach consumers across platforms and devices, from PCs and mobile devices to Internet-connected TVs." – Florian Pestoni, principal product manager, Flash Platform, at Adobe

Akamai Technologies

"Over the last decade, Akamai has had the privilege of working with the top retailers, consumer electronic manufacturers and media and entertainment companies to accelerate their websites and enable high-quality digital media experiences," said Steven Chester, Akamai Vice President of Film. "Akamai believes that our global network of 77,000 servers is uniquely able to provide the scale, security and quality required for the industry's next phase of business model innovation. Akamai's goal is to enable retailers and content providers to take advantage of the incredible opportunity presented by UltraViolet, and be a part of bringing the next generation of premium home entertainment services to the market."

Arxan Technologies

"Arxan is pleased to contribute our application security expertise to support DECE's vision of enabling consumers to select and view their preferred digital entertainment across multiple platforms and retail channels," said Mike Dager, chief executive officer of Arxan. "Ultraviolet provides tremendous opportunity for consumers to benefit from this revolutionary cloud-based entertainment service, which is being brought to market with top entertainment, technology best-of-breed content and software security practices to provide end-users with choice and peace-of-mind."

Best Buy

"Best Buy is proud to be a founding member of DECE, and we look forward to the upcoming release of Ultra Violet later this year. In the ever-changing world of digital entertainment, we will continue our commitment to advocate choice in how and where consumers choose to purchase and view their content. With Ultra Violet, consumers can be confident in an easy-to-access system that allows them to access and engage with their entertainment across a variety of devices." -Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager, home entertainment group for Best Buy.

Comcast

"As a founding member of DECE, we're proud of the tremendous progress that's been made to expand the ability for households to view their collections of content across so many current devices and to provide the platform for future devices yet to come," said Mark Coblitz, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning for Comcast.

Dell

"Dell is committed to providing the ultimate entertainment experience across our entire Consumer portfolio of products – from tablets to laptops to desktops," said Russ Ray, Dell Product Marketing Director, "With UltraViolet, we can offer students, families and mobile professionals access to the movies and entertainment they want on any device."

Dolby

"As a Founder member of DECE, we celebrate the arrival of UltraViolet," said Pat Griffis, senior director, Technology Strategy, Dolby. "UltraViolet represents a new way to think about digital entertainment and Dolby aims to bring outstanding experiences to people who choose UltraViolet content and devices."

Fox Filmed Entertainment

"UltraViolet will substantially raise the bar on consumers' home entertainment experience," said Peter Levinsohn, President of Digital Distribution and New Media for Fox Filmed Entertainment. "By enabling a more consistent user experience and new features on a wider variety of devices and storefronts, UltraViolet represents a great step forward in digital media."

Fujitsu Semiconductor America

"We are very pleased to join DECE as a new member," said Davy Yoshida, Director, Business Development and Marketing, Fujitsu Semiconductor America. "As a provider of advanced embedded technology solutions, Fujitsu looks forward to collaborating with other members in DECE to further develop UltraViolet as a robust, secure, and widely-adopted digital content distribution platform."

HP

"HP is pleased to have contributed to the development of the UltraViolet media experience and its global alliance of supporting companies. As a Founder member of DECE, HP is committed to ensuring that consumers have new and intuitive ways to enjoy digital movies and television content at home and on the go," said Carlos Montalvo, vice president HP Innovation Program Office. "UltraViolet will enable an open and trusted marketplace for the enjoyment and sharing of premium content on PCs, slates, mobile phones and other consumer products around the world."

Huawei

"UltraViolet enables a new era for consumers to access premium content and media services. As the network transitions from a communication vehicle to an indispensable infrastructure that sustains all elements of society, Huawei is pleased to join fellow DECE members in improving consumer experiences for premium content via viable business models. Huawei's global relationships with progressive service operators and our "innovation with speed" culture can help bring these experiences to consumers around the world." – Mr. Jun Shu, Director of Corporate Research

Intel

"Intel has been pleased to contribute to the development of the exciting new UltraViolet ™ digital media experience and congratulates the consortium on these significant milestone achievements. UltraViolet will bring consumers a new level of choice and confidence with the freedom to enjoy their media on all of their family's UltraViolet devices, including PCs, smart phones, netbooks, tablets, game consoles, and connected TVs, regardless of which UltraViolet retailer it was purchased from," noted Jeff Lawrence, Intel director of Global Content Policy.

Irdeto

"Irdeto is proud to support DECE's mission and the UltraViolet brand," said Jan Steenkamp, vice president Americas, Irdeto. "Irdeto has worked closely with DECE as a Digital Service Provider to ensure our media authorization services are closely aligned with the UltraViolet Account service as envisaged by DECE. With the launch of UltraViolet, we look forward to offering DECE service providers a well integrated, end-to-end service from the outset."

LG

"Consumers will find it easier and more flexible to buy and enjoy UltraViolet entertainment and services." said ByungJin Kim, research fellow for Convergence Lab in LG CTO division. "UltraViolet will continue to expand its footprint to serve as 'the ecosystem' for all members of this digital entertainment world including content providers, service deliverers, retailers, device manufacturers, and also, consumers."

Microsoft Corporation

"UltraViolet provides the industry with a solid foundation to enhance the consumer entertainment experience," said Blair Westlake, corporate vice president of the Media & Entertainment Group of Microsoft Corporation.

NBC Universal

"Thanks to the DECE, UltraViolet is ushering in a new era of convenience and value for consumers and their content," said Jean-Briac (JB) Perrette, President, Digital & Affiliate Distribution, NBC Universal. "NBCU is excited to be part of this collaborative partnership to help bring the digital promise of 'your media anytime, anywhere' to reality."

Neustar

"With these announcements, we are paving the way for a new era in digital content distribution — one that provides ultimate freedom, choice and confidence to consumers, and lowers the barriers to entry to the digital marketplace for all. Neustar is delighted to have worked with the studios, retailers, technology leaders and service providers engaged in theDECE consortium to bring UltraViolet to market" said Timothy Dodd, vice president, Neustar Media. "The UltraViolet launch announcements and Neustar's leadership in the effort, working alongside our consortium partners, reflects our commitment to make an open, interoperable and compelling digital media marketplace a reality for all."

Nokia

"The UltraViolet ecosystem is first and foremost about enriching the consumer experience of enjoying premium digital entertainment media. It extends the rights of users to share their digital media, amongst friends and family members across multiple devices in ways that represent a unique offer" said Bryan Biniak, vice president, Nokia Ovi Service. "As a Founder member of DECE, we are committed to the continuing development of the UltraViolet ecosystem and exciting prospects it will deliver for the consumer"

Paramount Pictures

"Paramount is pleased to support technology that can allow consumers to change devices easily and access their content from anywhere," said Chris Carey EVP Worldwide Technical Operations for Paramount Pictures. "UltraViolet creates a simple and compatible digital media format, that lets consumers download or stream their content to a broad range of devices."

QuickPlay Media

"QuickPlay Media is pleased to support DECE's UltraViolet initiative to empower consumers to seamlessly manage and watch movies and TV shows across multiple platforms including portable wireless devices," said Wayne Purboo, CEO and co-founder of QuickPlay Media. "By contributing our mobile video expertise to the ecosystem we complement UltraViolet members' capabilities to offer rights-protected, high-quality entertainment experiences to consumers."

Samsung

"Samsung is pleased to support Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) and UltraViolet as it will provide significant benefits to media consumers worldwide. As a market leader in key consumer electronic devices, including Smart TV and smartphones, Samsung shares DECE's vision to deliver the best media experience to consumers," said Tae-Jin(TJ) Kang, Senior Vice President of Media Solution Center, Samsung Electronics

Sonic Solutions

"Sonic's involvement in DECE and our contributions in helping bring UltraViolet to market are a vital component of driving our retail partners' digital businesses," said Dave Habiger, President and CEO, Sonic Solutions. "We will continue to align our RoxioNow platform to UltraViolet and prepare our retail partners for early implementation in order to help take digital delivery mainstream."

Sony Pictures Entertainment

"Ultraviolet will provide consumers an easy way to access their content without the limitations of a physical product, in the same way that the ATM network provides consumers access to their money – anytime, anywhere. It's a tremendous leap forward in consumer control and flexibility," said John Calkins, executive vice president, Global Digital and Commercial Innovation, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Verimatrix

"We feel that the momentum of UltraViolet's broad partner ecosystem bodes well for mainstream consumer adoption," said Steve Christian, VP of Marketing at Verimatrix. "As a leading source for commercialized Marlin DRM technology with intent to support Marlin as an UltraViolet DRM, Verimatrix demonstrates how open DRM standards can enable the wide consumer choice that the industry is aiming for, at the same time as supporting a long term business model for everyone in the value chain."

Warner Bros.

"Consumers have made it clear, accessibility is key. They want to enjoy their digital entertainment whenever and wherever, without cumbersome restrictions. UltraViolet will deliver this by providing consumers an easy-to-use way to manage their UltraViolet-enabled content in one place and enjoy it across multiple platforms," said Thomas Gewecke, President, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.