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Product type Digital Rights Locker Service and Rewards Program Owner Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
(The Walt Disney Company) Introduced 2014; 3 years ago (2014) Markets United States of America (Web, iOS, Android, Android TV, Kindle, FireTV, Xbox 360, Roku) Website www.disneymoviesanywhere.com | ||
Disney Movies Anywhere is a digital film locker for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars-branded films in the United States. It allows for the storage of digital movie rights via purchases from providers such as iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft, Amazon Video, and Verizon Fios. Rights to titles can also be added via redemption of Disney Movies Rewards "Magic/Action Codes" from select titles that provide either a digital HD download or digital copy. The service allows consumers to redeem films produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Disneynature, and Lucasfilm, all owned by the Walt Disney Studios. Disney Movies Anywhere allows streaming of content over the web or mobile apps, along with access to the title through the linked accounts in participating providers. It is powered by a proprietary digital rights system called KeyChest.
Contents
History
Disney Digital Copy (formerly Disney File) is a predecessor to Disney Movies Anywhere.
The website launched on February 25, 2014 when it also became available for iTunes with a free digital copy of The Incredibles.
The app became available for Google Play on November 4, 2014 with a free digital copy of Wreck-It Ralph. Two weeks later, it became available for Vudu, again with a free digital copy of Wreck-It Ralph.
The app became available for Amazon Video and Microsoft Movies & TV on September 8, 2015 with a free digital copy of Monsters, Inc.
The app became available for Verizon Fios on August 23, 2016, again with a free digital copy of Monsters, Inc.
Comparison of streaming providers
Other streaming providers not currently supported by Disney Movies Anywhere include CinemaNow, blinkbox, Cineplex Entertainment, JB Hi-Fi, Fandango Now, Kaleidescape and Nolim Films.
KeyChest
KeyChest is the architecture behind the Disney Movies Anywhere website and mobile apps. A centrally managed KeyChest server allows streaming access to the content. Purchasing content, either online or through physical media, creates a unique key stored in a digital rights locker that unlocks the ability to stream the content to any electronic device capable of playing it. Because the actual content remains on the servers as opposed to being downloaded and played locally, the manufacturers retain control of access to the files. The service stores the user's movie license in a digital library that is linked to the user's Apple iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft, or Amazon.com accounts, and Disney Movies Rewards accounts, much like the linkage requirement of UltraViolet.
Reception
The technology has been praised for its potential to improve consumer convenience, but has attracted criticism for enabling further use of digital rights management.
Obstacles
There are a number of potential obstacles to implementation. Studios, retailers and service providers will be the ultimate deciding factor when it comes to pricing the extra flexibility KeyChest promises to provide which could ultimately mean higher prices for features that some people may not specifically be interested in. In addition, attracting studios seems to be a challenging endeavour for Disney even though their approach says to be using more open standards than the competing UltraViolet system. Which leaves the biggest obstacle being the competing UltraViolet system as a whole which has the support of all the other major Hollywood movie studios with the only exception being the Walt Disney Studios.