While Ultraviolet digital copies have been pitched as a way to make watching videos online easier, so far they’ve lead to frustration for many users. A recent incident involving the early release of Veronica Mars for Kickstarter backers was a low point, Apple, Google and Microsoft all have yet to tie their services in, and now Disney is finally rolling out its own Movies Anywhere system. To get back on the positive foot, Walmart’s Vudu streaming service is shining a light on Ultraviolet’s ability to let users share their library with up to five friends.
Walmart’s online video service Vudu is looking to make its digital libraries more attractive for users, with the service launching a “Share My Movies” program. The lending option, which Vudu designed with UltraViolet, will allow members to share their movies with up to five people for the first time. The program is a clever way for Vudu to sign up more members, especially if current users want to share their purchases with friends or family members that don’t yet have a Vudu account. Until now, Vudu users have been sharing their account passwords to let others watch titles they’ve bought. The timing also comes as more consumers are buying digital copies of movies and TV shows than ever; they spent a little more than $1 billion last year on such purchases, according to the Digital Entertainment Group.
