UltraViolet downloads arrive just in time for the final Harry Potter release

By Mike Flacy November 10, 2011

harry-potter-2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

After the movie studios botched the initial launch of UltraViolet before the Blu-ray release of Horrible Bosses last month, the collective group of UltraViolet backers has finally enabled the ability to stream and download standard definition movies. With Universal Pictures, Lionsgate Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. all pushing the technology, the studios hope consumers will want to download copies of movies onto portable devices like smartphones or tablets. UltraViolet acts as a digital locker that enables users to download or stream a purchased film from the cloud.

This move is designed to curb efforts to rip high definition movies to other formats and ultimately slow piracy. It’s also considered an added feature for anyone that purchases a physical copy of a new film. Released films that support Ultraviolet include Horrible Bosses, Green Lantern and Crazy Stupid Love. After the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, future releases with Ultraviolet functionality include The Smurfs, Friends with Benefits, Cowboys & Aliens, The Hangover Part II, One Tree Hill: Season Eight, the Underworld Trilogy and Final Destination 5. To access the digital download of the film, consumers locate a redemption code within the packaging and redeem the code with the Flixster film service. Warner Brothers also owns the Flixster application as they purchased the company earlier this year.

In order to start some buzz around Ultraviolet, Warner Brothers is handing over advertising dollars to Twitter to turn the #UltraViolet hashtag into a promoted trending topic. Unfortunately, Twitter users are getting it confused with the critically panned, 2006 release of UltraViolet starring Milla Jovovich. Some Twitter users were hoping for a sequel to the film while others laughed at the mention of the movie. In addition, opponents of the UltraViolet that view the technology as restrictive DRM are leaving one-star reviews of the final Harry Potter movie on Amazon in an attempt to dissuade consumers from purchasing the Blu-ray copy of the film.

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Audio / Video

All of Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices are heavily discounted today

Two Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max sticks in hand.

Any model of Amazon's Fire TV streaming devices will give your non-smart TV access to streaming services and other apps, or replace the interface on your smart TV if you don't like it. If you're interested, they're available with discounts of up to 40% from Amazon, but only for a limited time. There's no telling how long you've got in order to pocket the savings from these deals, but if you want to make sure that you get these Amazon Fire TV streaming devices for cheaper than usual, you have to select the model and proceed with the purchase as soon as possible.

What to buy in Amazon's Fire TV streaming devices sale
The cheapest option in Amazon's Fire TV streaming devices sale is the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite, which is instead of $30 for a $10 discount. You'll be able to access all of the popular streaming services with this devices, including Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, on Full HD quality after an easy setup process. If you want to watch content with 4K Ultra HD quality as your TV is capable of it, then we highly recommend the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, which you can get for for savings of $20 on its original price of $50 -- this is the largest discount percentage-wise in the sale at 40% off. The streaming device supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for a cinematic experience in the comfort of your own home.

Audio / Video

Soundbar sale: Save on Samsung, Sony, Bose, and more, from $42

TCL Alto wireless soundbar and subwoofer deal walmart

Best Buy has a huge sale on soundbars with models available from just $42. For anyone looking for an inexpensive upgrade to their audio setup, these soundbar deals are the ones to consider. Over 60 soundbars are in the sale so we’ve picked out a few of our favorite deals to help you narrow things down. If you want to see the sale for yourself, simply tap the button below to take a look.

What to shop for in the soundbar sale
For the cheapest soundbar around, check out the which is down to $42 from $50. It was already cheap but $42 is pretty much impulse buy territory. It’s a basic soundbar but it has options including Bluetooth for wirelessly streaming your content, while you can also use the optical in port to connect it, while there’s also an aux-in port too. It also comes with a wall mounting kit and has a remote too.

Audio / Video

Best QLED TV deals: Samsung, TCL, LG and Vizio

The Hisense U6H ULED 4K TV in a living room.

The best TVs tend to come down to TVs with QLED or OLED picture technologies behind them, with QLED being the picture technology many people prefer. Both technologies have become more and more affordable over the years, which makes now a great time to shop the best QLED TVs for a QLED TV that offers more savings. Right now you can find some discounted prices on top TV brands like TCL, Samsung, and LG, as there are a lot of QLED TV deals currently taking place. You’ll find our picks for the best QLED TV deals below, as well as some information on which QLED TV may be best suited for your home theater.
Hisense 55-inch U6 QLED 4K TV — $350, was $450

Hisense offers a range of impressive TV models and sizes. The Hisense 65-inch U6 QLED 4K TV will bring a range of great features to your home theater. These include compatibility with Google Assistant and Alexa for voice controls, a filmmaker mode that displays movie content precisely as it was intended by the filmmaker to be seen, and a game mode that automatically adjusts settings for smooth video game playback. This TV also has Bluetooth connectivity that will allow you to connect devices like the best wireless headphones and the best soundbars. This is also a Google TV, which gives you instant access to all sorts of streaming content.