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Edwin Davies: The whole process has been very smooth and efficient, with the only real issues coming at the very beginning. Having to set up accounts with different websites, whilst not too difficult, is time-consuming. Also, had I not known about the need to create those accounts beforehand I'm not sure how I would have found that out. Also, for some reason Ultraviolet set up two accounts for me under different names, which was confusing. I'm not sure how much of that was my fault, probably more than I'd care to admit, but it came about through just following the basic steps of setting up an account.

Once those steps were out of the way, though, I've found using Ultraviolet to he pretty hassle free. I've had no issues redeeming codes and the streaming has been good, generally. There have been some instances of long-buffering times, but on the five times I've used it so far I've only encountered that problem once.

In summation, the worst part of the whole process is getting everything set up, but once that's out the way it's been pretty painless.

Max Braden: Here's why Ultraviolet doesn't interest me. I watch three to four movies a week on average. Hollywood releases six movies a week every year. If I want to keep up with new titles, there simply isn't enough time for me to go back and re-watch movies I've already seen, including my favorite movies, unless there's a special event like my friends or family being together and I want to show them a favorite movie they've never seen. Paying to own digital copies of movies doesn't make a lot of sense for someone like me.

Now put it into rental terms - is it worth it to me to rent streaming movies? I currently use Netflix and Redbox physical discs as my primary source of viewing. I go through enough movies that my cost per view is under $2. Unless Vudu or any other service can beat that price, I have no reason to leave Netflix/Redbox unless the quality of the new service or experience is astoundingly superior. With Netflix I go to one Web site, type a title, and click just once to rent or stream the movie. With Vudu, I had to spend an hour setting up multiple Web sites, and it appears that I would have to continue to visit multiple studio Web sites and then type in codes before going back my console, interrupting whatever I was doing and commit to watching the movie.

It's just too much effort for too much cost for too little advantage.

Kim Hollis: My experience with Ultraviolet and Vudu has been somewhat different that others who have contributed here. I didn’t have to go through any of the set-up hassles because it was already done for me, so I can’t really speak to that point. I do know that it appears as though it might be somewhat cumbersome, which I admit is normally the type of thing that turns me off from services like this. If it’s too difficult to use, I lose interest quickly.

With that said, since that issue wasn’t present for me, I have to say that I pretty much love the easy accessibility that digital streaming from Ultraviolet/Vudu provides. There’s something quite glorious about having such easy access to a great library of titles. Yes, I realize that this is something I can get from other places, but there’s something much more elegant about not having to pay a monthly fee but instead simply view movies on demand. I had some frustrations with Netflix’s library anyway, and my feeling is that as Ultraviolet is embraced more and more by providers of technology/content, it’s going to be the way that most of us view movies.

Perhaps the only issue with the service so far is some slight issues with buffering that can occasionally come up. Generally these are no big deal – lasting for only a couple of seconds, but there have also been occasions where switching to Standard Definition (as opposed to High Def) is the only way to watch a film. That did seem to be more of an issue early in the process, though. Lately, it’s mostly been smooth sailing.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason to be intimidated by this service. I think that’s the biggest mental hurdle to face, because it’s somewhat foreign and on the surface might seem challenging to get started. I feel pretty confident that over time, those issues will be cleared up to the point that it’s just a couple of clicks to open an account and start watching movies, whether they’re rentals or movies owned in a personal library.

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