Rovi today announced Rovi Digital Copy Solution, an offering that will enable users to access their physical DVD and Blu-ray Disc movie collections via the Cloud.

Rovi Digital Copy Solution integrates into consumer electronics devices and PC applications, allowing them to recognize a movie on physical disc, authenticate its origin, and then trigger access to a copy from the UltraViolet Digital Library. Digital copies can then be enjoyed by consumers from virtually anywhere on a range of enabled connected devices that may include HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes, game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and PCs.

Rovi Digital Copy Solution incorporates Rovi Media Recognition and Media Authentication Services and can be incorporated as a component of Rovi Entertainment Store, the company's end-to-end, white-label solution for digital storefront creation and management. Rovi Entertainment Store technologies and services can be used to facilitate the cloud storage of digital copies of DVD and Blu-ray Disc movies via the UltraViolet industry standard, and for facilitating cross-merchandising and promotion. DivX Plus Streaming, another component of Rovi Entertainment Store, can be used to deliver digital copies purchased to a broad range of connected devices.

How It Works

- User places disc into supported hardware (CE device or PC) where it is automatically identified using Rovi Media Recognition Service;
- The Rovi Media Authentication Service performs a variety of heuristics to determine the disc's authenticity;
- If authorized by the content owner, consumers can then be presented with the opportunity to purchase access to a digital copy that can be placed in a digital storefront library powered by Rovi
- Entertainment Store and made available via UltraViolet.
- Once purchased, the title would then be available from the cloud for downloading or streaming via a range of connected devices

Richard Bullwinkle, Rovi's chief evangelist, said the studios participating in the service plan to charge a small fee for the stored copy. The fee will be higher for high-definition copies than for standard-definition ones.

Notice that Rovi's disc identification will work only on Blu-ray players capable of downloading and running a new Rovi application.

Last but not least, the stored movies will be protected by some form of digital rights management software that limits which devices can stream or download the files. Users won't be able to use the online locker of their choice; instead, they'll have to rely on a service blessed by the studios.

Rovi Digital Copy Solution is available for integration today and will be supporting new products and services expected to launch in the first half of 2012.