DVD COLLECTIONS MAY WIND UP IN THE CLOUD

Santa Clara, CA-based Rovi Corp. has unveiled a system that will allow consumers to purchase digital copies of their DVDs that can be stored in the cloud and accessed via the UltraViolet platform. Unlike the new Walmart solution, users do not have to bring their discs into a store to have them verified. They simply pop them into an Internet-connected Blu-ray player and a code built into the disk unlocks the digital copy. Currently, however, the system has numerous constraints: it only operates in Europe; it only works with Warner Bros. disks; the unlocking code can only be read by Internet-connected Samsung smart TV sets or Blu-ray players; it will cost users about $1.99 for a standard-definition copy of their DVD or Blu-ray disk or about $4.99 for an HD copy. But Rovi obviously foresees those restrictions being lifted in the future. In a statement, David Cook, general manager of Rovi Entertainment Store, predicted that the system will “fuel the digital transition by turning consumers’ physical DVD libraries into virtual shelves.”