DivX DRM receives conditional approval for UltraViolet™ digital downloads

Tuesday, January 7th, 2014
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DivX DRM to Enable UltraViolet Retailers to Offer Movie & TV Show Downloads for Offline Viewing

LAS VEGAS — 2014 International CES — Rovi Corporation (NASDAQ: ROVI) today announced that DivX has achieved another important milestone in its goal of enabling UltraViolet (UV) retailers to deliver a consistently high quality entertainment experience. DivX digital rights management (DRM), previously approved for streaming use within the UltraViolet ecosystem, has now received conditional approval for digital downloads, as well as ‘side-loading’ or the ability to copy downloaded movies and TV shows to a portable drive for easily moving between devices. As a result, DivX will now work in collaboration with the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) – the pan-industry consortium that operates UV – to achieve approval for deployment. DivX is also continuing development on a unified DivX DRM solution that will support UV retailers and enable them to offer consumers the flexibility of streaming or downloading movies and TV shows to their favorite devices.

UltraViolet is a digital rights authentication and cloud-based licensing system that allows users of digital home entertainment content to stream, download and side-load purchased content to multiple platforms and devices. For consumers, UltraViolet represents a flexible system that enables them to enjoy their favorite entertainment when and where they choose.

“We share DECE’s vision of entertainment freedom for consumers and are pleased that DivX DRM has achieved conditional approval for use with UltraViolet content in the DECE Common File Format (CFF),” said Dr. Kanaan Jemili, senior vice president, product management at Rovi. “Once approved for deployment, DivX DRM will be one of only a small number of DRMs approved by the DECE for UltraViolet use, which is a true testament to the quality of our solution. We look forward to continuing our support of UltraViolet retailers and ecosystem, and helping further ensure higher quality viewing experiences through the DivX device certification program.”

UltraViolet CFF makes download functionality consistent across all UltraViolet retailers and service providers. It empowers consumers to transfer or copy downloaded files to any UltraViolet-compliant device or app, without using bandwidth by having to download again. Additionally, CFF has substantial industry benefits in improved cost-efficiency and logistics simplification for the digital supply chain. DECE is currently in the process of deploying CFF, which is expected to become available in the U.S. during 2014.

“As a Founding Member of DECE, Rovi has long been a valued key participant in designing the UltraViolet ecosystem and managing its roll-out,” said Mark Teitell, General Manager, DECE/UltraViolet. “We look forward to continuing to work with them toward an expanded role for DivX within the overall UltraViolet experience.”

Through its device certification program and upcoming support for CFF in its standalone DivX software player, DivX is positioned to provide its customers with an easy-to-integrate solution for UltraViolet downloading and side-loading, as well as streaming. DivX device certification will help drive playback compatibility and consistency for UV retailer services across consumer electronics devices, while the DivX software player will enable high quality playback on Windows and Mac PCs. To date, over one billion DivX devices, including over 30,000 unique models, have shipped worldwide from multiple major consumer electronics brands.

DivX plans to host private meetings and product demonstrations for industry executives during the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas, January 7-10 at Caesars Palace. Invited attendees will have the opportunity to view live demonstrations of the company’s end-to-end solution powering the creation, delivery and multiscreen playback of next-generation video, including 4K content using the new compression standard HEVC/H.265.