Wal-Mart Plans UltraViolet Service

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores is expected to launch an in-store video library service through an agreement with UltraViolet system, cloud-based technology that makes it possible to store and acquire movies or TV shows, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. 

UltraViolet, which emerged early last year, is viewed by some as the next generation of home-video distribution from disc to digital. The system allows users to acquire movies or TV shows, store them on the servers of UV-licensed video services and view them on any one of a multitude of UV-licensed devices, including TV, computer and mobile.

Wal-Mart is a member of a consortium of companies, including five of six Hollywood studios that support the technology.

The new service, which Wal-Mart is expected to announce in March, will be located in the photo-printing section, and will be support by a $30 million marketing campaign, according to the report.

Customers can create UltraViolet accounts, store the DVDs they own, and acquire new titles that are part of the system for a small fee.

The partnership is said to be apart of a broader effort by the entertainment industry to retain revenue it is losing to both illegal and legitimate online competition.