If that’s the case why did they even sign up with UV in the first place, and stay signed up as well.
I’ve got 1500 titles from k store on my K system. Largely bought because I came I got tired of messing with disc and wanted something more polished and refined. I sold or donated all my disc, most older titles pre-UV codes and bought a Srato. Being that they were K was a small company and had some issues in the past there was a risk that what if they went under what would I do. The thing that was the convincing factor was that if they did I could open a UV account and get them on another service, say Vudu. You when I heard that UV was going under I created accounts with every UV partner and linked my library so that if one ever went down after the UV shutdown I still had access I still had access elsewhere. So I have all my UV titles, purchase from K store to support them, at all the remaining old UV partners. But without MA on K that which drew me to K for higher quality and comfort is done.
Besides K isn’t giving anything alway really. You have to remember their original systems were for ripping your discs and they only sold hardware. There was also the disc carousels and they only sold hardware. Sure “maybe” they make more off the K store now then the hardware. But keep in mind there’s a reason that WM was looking to sell Vudu for a long time. There’s a reason it too so long to find a buyer. There a reason that Targets UV store and sooo many other UV streamers closed up shop.
Who says it will people buying cheap. Instead of buying on say Vudu. K owners can buy of K Store and support them. It’s either the same money or slightly more on K store and people who buy K hardware are unlikely to argue over a couple bucks extra. When you spend $10K, $50K, or $100K on k hardware they’re not going to go care about a small price between between the Vudu store and the K store. They’re also not going to want to mess with two account, two interfaces, more polish K interface, not having to check if a title is MA on Vudu and on K store to make sure the rights transfer over, not having to switch from their K box to Vudu with also give less details than K store does. They’re time is more precious then all the head and work for a couple extra bucks. But people spending hi bucks want what they want. If K can’t be viewed on their phone / tablet while in an airport, if they can’t watch it on a handheld of compact hardware device that K doesn’t sell while staying at their 4 and 5 star hotels they’re not going to be happy and spend that incremental money elsewhere or look at something that does it all.
It’s also possible to set it up so that if you buy it on way Vudu you get it only in Vudu UHD equivalent on K equivalent; but if you buy on K store you get the higher K UHD quality and obviously only the lower standard quality UHD on Vudu. You built in an insensitive to buy K store but still allow accept to viewing in markets where K can’t or doesn’t want to compete, like say your kids cheap $50 tablet that they always loose or break.
There is a built in market and revenue opportunity here. K is leaving money on the table that with K could get by:
Offering MA connection but only giving disc quality streams to k store purchases. But reduced quality but standard MA quality stream to people who elsewhere.
Offering MA connection and a more compact Strato C that could more easily traveled with but needed to be registered to the same account.
Same as above but to make sure it was only used for travel of one owner it would be required to be connected to the same network as your Strato or Strato S at least say 9 out of 12 months to discourage people from not buying K hard drive components.
There are many ways to make this work that does “give anything away for free” and generates incremental profits to keep the company going, adding new products, and new features.
As someone who used to sell and install multi million dollar AV systems for decades to the rich & famous along with Fortune 500 companies I see a lot of opportunities for K left untap. That’s why I now work with major manufacturer to help take their AV offerings more in the higher end to offer an edge against their cookie cutter or half a**ed sell it and move on competitors.
I want to see K make more money and put back some of that into more and better products and features. There’s a lot more they could do but are being constrained by a number of factors.