Samsung Brings Out New Blu-ray Line, UltraViolet Cloud Access

"Smart" is still in, and while 3D took a back seat to a lot of other things at CES 2012, intelligence is still at the front of most companies' minds. Samsung is tapping into a technology developed by Flixster and Rovi, where consumers will be able to import their existing Blu-ray and DVD collections from participating studios into the UltraViolet Cloud, which will make them viewable on a wide range of products. Moreover, Disc to Digital can work with any authorized retail service and will initially be available using a new Flixster application on Samsung's Smart Hub.

 

When consumers insert an eligible physical disc into a 2012 Samsung Blu-ray player and select the Disc to Digital icon, they will launch the Flixster application and can easily add the movie to their UltraViolet locker for a nominal amount. If high definition versions are available, they will have the option to upgrade their standard definition movies for an additional fee.




Once digital copies have been created and added to the consumer's UltraViolet collection, the content will be available to enjoy through the Flixster Smart Hub application on Samsung's Smart Hub, as well as a broad range of mobile and portable devices such as iPhones, iPads and Android-based devices as well as PCs and Macs. UltraViolet also allows consumers to share their entire UltraViolet digital library with other members on their account, and they can even watch the same title simultaneously from different locations.

Flixster will also be available this year on Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players. Through the application, consumers will be able to easily access and stream their UltraViolet movie and TV show collections directly on their TVs.

Disc to Digital uses Rovi Digital Copy Solution, which integrates into consumer electronics devices as well as PC applications to allow them to recognize a movie on a physical disc, authenticate its origin, and then trigger access to a copy from a cloud-based digital library.

As if that weren't enough, the company also announced their 2012 Blu-ray player lineup. The BD-ES6000 and BD-E6500 are receiving heaps of praise, with 1080p playback, cloud support and 3D support. Pricing remains a mystery for now, but all should be revealed in the months ahead.