Ultraviolet set for global roll-out

CANNES -- The new cloud storage system Ultraviolet, which bows in the U.S. Oct. 11, will announce a global roll-out in the coming months with launches imminent in both the U.K. and Canada. Warner Bros. exec Justin Herz, speaking during a conference session at Mipcom Tuesday, said that more than 50% of the studio's film and TV catalog would be available via UV by the end of next year while Fox indicated that "a significant" amount of its fare would soon be UV-enabled. The studios that have signed up for UV, which include NBC Universal and Fox -- a group from which Disney is conspicuously absent -- hope the new technology will re-ignite the home entertainment market and prove a much-needed boost to revenues following the collapse of DVD sales, and the failure of Blu-ray to generate widespread excitement among film and TV lovers. UV-enabled discs allow consumers to watch the same piece of content on 12 different devices, be it connected TVs, laptops, tablets or mobiles, anywhere in the world once they open an account giving them access to online streaming. The first UV release, Warners' "Horrible Bosses," bows Oct. 11, with further releases due in the coming weeks. The first TV skein will be CW's "One Tree Hill," and is expected in the coming months, indicated Herz. Despite the imminent launch Mark Teitell, general manager of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, declined to say how much the service would cost. This would be worked out between content suppliers and retail partners. But Herz, senior VP, direct-to-consumer, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and general manager, Warner Bros. advanced digital services, was anything but tight-lipped on how digital distribution had to date let down the public. He said: "We have done a terrible job at introducing digital product and the consumer has voted vociferously against what we have done." Whether UV does any better remains to be seen, but Teitell sounded determined, if realistic. He said: "There is a lot to be worked out. We are just getting startedThe goal is to make Ultraviolet available everywhere Blu-rays and DVDs are for sale." Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com