People use Linux? Couldn't fork over the amount for Windows or Mac OSX?

You are missing the point. Linux is not "free" as in free beer. Linux is "free of viruses", "free of crashes", "free of restrictive licenses" etc.

Corporations pay Linux admins a lot more than they pay Windows admins. Linux is hardly free from a price point of view.

85% of the internet is hosted by Linux. All DVR run Linux. Android, iOS, and MacOS are all from the same family tree.

I am a Linux professional.

While it'll suck to have the rug pulled once the market hits full steam as will surely happen, it does seem like the industry learned a bit from getting burned by using draconian measures previously and it looks like they're wise enough to ease people into things this time. Sounds like it's smart business sense for once.

I've heard Ebay policies state that selling Ultraviolet codes is not 'allowed', but I've still seem them there. There's a bunch of groups on Facebook trading codes, so I've been saving my codes to trade there for movies I don't already have- just traded 7 of them today. Don't see how the studios could enforce any rules against doing this, as you could just as well be trading random phrases from the back covers instead.

Ummm, the codes expire. Some come "pre-expired" in the shrink wrap (personal experience). How can you sell?

I am visiting LA (from Singapore). I did a casual scan of the DVD/Bluray section at Target. I was not specifically looking for packages proclaiming Ultraviolet codes in violet print. I did not note any. Maybe the "push" has slowed.

Just sell them before they expire .

Most UltraViolet codes do not expire, the studios keep pushing back dates well past the listed expiration date. Most of the expiration dates printed on UV code sheets are meaningless, over 90% of the codes still work past the listed date. They are starting to winnow down the possibilities, however. Universal's site will now invalidate the other half of their UV/iTunes codes, so if you are going to split them up, bypass Universal's site.

Interesting. I want to say the code that said expired was Universal, but my memory is not that good. It happened Oct 2013.

For me, if a BD comes with the DVD and UV/Digital Code, I'll sell the DVD and UV/Digital code on Ebay. I listed a code once by itself but got flagged for it. I sell the DVD with a "bonus" digital code and that seems to be ok.

I think the way they introduced UV was smart; I didn't have to pay anything extra and it made met set up a UV and Flixster/Vudu account and learn how everything worked. Of course it also made me more inclined to dip into digital, causing me to have a completely argument with my friend about how they can "unown" my stuff that I have digitally, a argument in which I played devil's advocate just win like a moron when I didn't entirely agree with my own point . As a result, I now redeem the UV codes I get and occasionally find them useful, so it was smart marketing. I wasn't smart making an idiot of myself, but hey, can't sue the UV consortium for that .

I was in Walmart today. I happened across the $5 DVD bargain bin.

There are some titles with labels that mention UV. They have a redemption code for a discount off VUDU or some other service (not sure because I did not look that close).

Walmart evidently adds UV codes as defacto store exclusives for their products to incentivize customers towards Vudu. I still refuse to spend a dime there, but it's a damn smart move on their part.

Last week I bought the anniversary edition of Big with the musical slipcover for $7.99 at Best Buy. Walmart put it in their bins this week for $7.88 with an exclusive VUDU copy found nowhere else.

We have driven the much of California over the last two weeks. We got married last week. I took her to Disney, Lake Tahoe, etc. She went shopping crazy. We return to Singapore this weekend.

We have been in many "super" petrol stations. Most have a rack of DVD near the checkout. I did not note even one offering a digital copy or UV.

I do not blame you. But my new wife has never seen such a huge store, so I had to show her Walmart, JC Penny, and Macy's. She loves Macy's.

She is Burmese. She has never been to the USA.

To each their own, of course. I've gone on rants about Walmart's unscrupulous business practices to my friends, but they simply shrug and tell me they like the prices. Those exclusive UV codes are damn good way of getting some business too, it's very smart. Though if they want me to embrace the digital future, they need to do it in such a fashion that my cash isn't going to Walmart when I buy a digital copy.

I only usually buy batteries, vitamins, and shampoo at Wal-Mart.

I usually shop elsewhere for two reasons:
1. I do not like how they do business.
2. I do not like children racing with shopping carts.

I work at Meijer, and I'm perfectly willing to shop at some of our competitors (Kroger, Target, etc.) but I don't do business Walmart in spite of the advantages because of their notoriously unscrupulous business practices. It's certainly not a quandary for friends of mine who simply shrug and go because the like prices though. But like I said, those exclusive UV codes are a damn smart idea they'll probably incentivize many customers. It's definitely smart of them.

^---I highly doubt that that is much, if any, of a draw.

In Singapore they have a few places that sell overstock merchandise. A lot of it comes from the USA. I have seen DVD for sale. I am not sure why, because only a region free player will play them. I am curious. I should look to see if any have UV codes.

It's the only reason I even check out Walmart's BD section these days. I just came across a copy of The 300 Spartans with an exclusive VUDU digital copy in the bin.

Does UV have a disc-to-digital that doesn't go into Walmart's pocket, or are they tied together?

I think Flixster has a disc-to-digital option, though VUDU has most of the marketshare for disc-to-digital.

I think I can count the amount of times I've been to a Walmart in the past five years on one hand. Two of the times have been related to Vudu/UV.

I guess file this as YMMV.

So in getting The Sopranos and The Wire sets during the sales, I realized that Entourage The Complete Series didn't come with a code. I decided to email about this, disclosing that I bought it in 2013. And as far as I know, there isn't a code on any existing copy. But I did ask them why it didn't come with a code. They responded asking for basically proof of life and a receipt. Pictures of the set, UPC, discs, and a piece of paper with my email address with the set. Lo and behold, I get a response, and a UV code for the series.

Anyone else tried this? I wonder if it's worth it to do the same with Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Treme, and some others. Either way, I'm happy they accommodated, rather than saying I would have to buy the code separately.