In October, Warner Brother's began promoting a new program called "UltraViolet." The concept, as described to potential users, was to buy a DVD and then receive-- at no cost-- a digital version of the movie. It was, unfortunately, a total failure.
First of all, the program was arduous to use. It required people to download several software programs and did not work on iPhones or iPads. Users became frustrated and started tweeting about their disappointment. The issue picked up public momentum.
The real lost opportunity here is that users tried to go the right way-- through the studio-- but at the end of the day could have obtained digital copies faster through piracy. It's hard enough to get early adapters. Once they've been burned once, it will be that much more difficult to get them back.
This particular case draws attention to the struggle companies often face in introducing new technology. It also highlights the issues media companies in trying to meet digital demands. The smarter move here would have been for Warner Brother's to wait until they could get it right.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/08/national/a071219S00.DTL
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