How future-proof is ultraviolet?

[Theoriginalleepierce]

I've transferred over 100 titles to UV, and am thinking about getting rid of all of my physical media, since it takes up too much space. I still have over 400 more titles to transfer and big picture- before I get rid of a collection ten years in the making, 1. will my UV licenses ever expire(will I get charged for these titles again ten years down the road) and 2. when will Vudu add TV shows like Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead to disc to digital conversion?

Please and thank you.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

I've transferred over 100 titles to UV, and am thinking about getting rid of all of my physical media, since it takes up too much space. I still have over 400 more titles to transfer and big picture- before I get rid of a collection ten years in the making, 1. will my UV licenses ever expire(will I get charged for these titles again ten years down the road) and 2. when will Vudu add TV shows like Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead to disc to digital conversion?

Please and thank you.

Hello.

The National Archives rates optical disc longevity at seven years. After that, they begin to loose their reflectivity.

IMHO, putting a title into the UV eco-system is the best method available for securing it.

I would suggest always electing the HDX option when doing an EST (electronic sell through) purchase with a UV vendor like Vudu or when doing a D2D transaction.

I made sure to do so when I ran the gambit with my physical collection through the D2D services. The bulk of my collection was DVD, so the expense needed be spread out.

I only paid cash and did so on my pay days every two weeks. It took just under a year, but I enjoyed getting to add new titles each time.

Looking back, I am quite satisfied with my family's entertainment library as it stands today. It was a lot of effort, but to me, well worth it.

as to your questions:

1) There are no plans I know of to charge for playback. I do doubt that would ever happen. It goes against the iVoD model. That is what SVoD does, which is a different kind of service such as NetFlix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu+. iVoD is a different business model.

2) No clue, but I too hope soon. I would like to D2D the "AVATAR: The Last Air Bender" three complete seasons I own on DVD. Some titles have UV stickers on them now (see below link), so maybe sooner then we expect they will become D2D too.

LINK:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7kG...it?usp=sharing

take care.

[LuzRinggold]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

UltraViolet Rights
When an Account Member adds an UltraViolet title to the Account's Collection, the record of this title does not expire and will remain in the Collection unless an Account Member deletes it, or if the Account is terminated by a Member.

I don't know what that seven years is all about, you will not see any type of limitation suggested on UVVU.com. They say that you own the UV copy forever.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

I don't know what that seven years is all about, you will not see any type of limitation suggested on UVVU.com. They say that you own the UV copy forever.

seven years is the life expectancy of digital storage of optical media (i.e. DVD & BluRay Disc) according to the National Archives.

UV Members use redundant storage arrays and are not subject to this limitation.

As such, putting a title into the UV eco-system is a superior longevity method.

[echopulse]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

I don't know where your getting that information from. 7 years is the avg. lifespan for videotape. Optical media, if properly stored, can last at least 20 years. Some of the very earliest CD's made are still able to retain data today, and they have been tested. I have a few CD's from 1997 that still play just fine.

I think optical media is in more danger of getting scratched, lost, or stolen, than deterioration.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

mylar stretches over time and also looses magnetism.

optical disks loose reflectivity over time.

national archive standard for optical disk storage is seven years. Beyond that, they replace to fend off data loss.

I have no doubt you have some media which has lasted longer. I have a Chevy mini-van which has over 100,000 miles. I keep it with synthetic oil and only use premium gas. It too will probably last longer then others made at the same time. However, it is in danger of needing a major repair and probably should not be used for a cross country trip. For that we would use our showroom new Volkswagen.

An archivist have different motivation then a consumer with respect to long term storage. The consumer just wants to have something last.

An archivist wants all data in-tact.

You would not care if a point of your movie has a few shots go to static or the audio go garbled for a few moments. An Archivest would.

those are two different things.

For long term data storage, a redundant storage array is the gold standard. That is expensive though.

I work with computers in my job. These standards are common knowledge due to long term backup methods.

You can use mylar tapes, but not for long term. Same with optical discs. Both just need duping befor the end of their service life to ensure no loss of data.

and too you are right. If you are using mylar tape, you better not get it near a magnet and if you are using optical disc, you better not let it get scratched.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

LINK:
http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt...media-faq.html

I stand corrected. It is now 2-5 yrs. They must of changed it. I know for sure it use to be seven.

[echopulse]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

The 2 to 5 years is referring to un-recorded media. In addition, the National Archives is part of the government, and I don't trust anything the government says, especially when it comes to tech. They aren't technical people, they are bureaucrats. Now, the Optical Storage Technology Association estimates that recorded media will last from 20 to 100 years. That sounds a lot more accurate than 2 to 5.

http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa13.htm

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

I don't know.

There is a phrase, "Every unemployed network administrator has one thing in common. They did not maintain a reliable system backup".

When you go to work, ask the sys-admin dude if he will bank his job on accounting and payroll data being backed up onto optical disc for seven years+

I think you will find him slow to join you in your enthusiasm for testing the 20 year mark when it is his job on the line.

national archive link is not unrecorded media. It is for media used as data storage. 2-5 years is how long they say it should be kept before being dupped.

If I was selling optical discs, I would tell everyone how wonderful they were too.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

...but back to the thread topic, I think the question is will I have a migration path to new HD standards when they come out.

Specifically, 4k UHD.

I suspect, Vudu will make me pay full price for an HDX-->UHD upgrade. They do not have a history of offering the delta price.

I think that means the future proofing is limited.

[pghflyer]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

Actually I have been wondering this myself as well.....will our HDX copies only be as good as the current HD master? So (for example) when they remaster The Good Shepherd for a US blu-ray release at some point (which is now available here in HDX), will we have our HDX "upgraded" to the new master....or will this become a new version we have to purchase?

[Speedaddict81]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

Actually I have been wondering this myself as well.....will our HDX copies only be as good as the current HD master? So (for example) when they remaster The Good Shepherd for a US blu-ray release at some point (which is now available here in HDX), will we have our HDX "upgraded" to the new master....or will this become a new version we have to purchase?

As far as Vudu goes, if something like that happens we just need to submit a request to support to get a new HDX encode. Of course, it is still up to the studio what they give Vudu to work with. I think the bigger question is, will we see the ability to upgrade to 4k resolution on the content we own?

[nyunole]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

Here's guessing that Sony and Vudu will be involved if/when 4k quality digital copies become available, through an upgrade path or otherwise.

Vudu's always been the "quality" play.

Sony's already pushing 4k content with "mastered in 4k" discs, and IIRC, they also promise 4k buyers that digital content will be made available.

The upgrade path from DVD to HDX, if not the first of its kind, is certainly the best I've ever used.

4k seems like an unlikely candidate for streaming. Maybe after CFF rolls out, we'll hear something.

[gabeg]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

LINK:
http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt...media-faq.html

I stand corrected. It is now 2-5 yrs. They must of changed it. I know for sure it use to be seven.

You are misunderstanding. They are talking about recorded media... Ie data recorded on a recordable DVD or cd. Pressed optical media doesn't have the same issues.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: How future-proof is ultraviolet?

Here's guessing that Sony and Vudu will be involved if/when 4k quality digital copies become available, through an upgrade path or otherwise.

Vudu's always been the "quality" play.

Sony's already pushing 4k content with "mastered in 4k" discs, and IIRC, they also promise 4k buyers that digital content will be made available.

The upgrade path from DVD to HDX, if not the first of its kind, is certainly the best I've ever used.

4k seems like an unlikely candidate for streaming. Maybe after CFF rolls out, we'll hear something.

I do concur totally that the D2D program where I can bring in a DVD and turn it into an 1080p title is unheard of in the history of the movie industry.

There was no mail back program for VHS to get DVDs. This is the first time we can upgrade a title we own for a nominal fee.

For me, it was the largest piece of my "tipping point" to going all-in on UV/Vudu.

I was on the fence with EST purchases through iTunes and Amazon. 1080p Upgrade for DVD titles and the vendor agnostic platorm of UV both sealed the deal for me. When I saw those two things, I had my mind made up.