The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), a cross-industry consortium dedicated to creating a consumer-friendly open market for digital content distribution, announced a series of milestones in the development and availability of UltraViolet.

The milestones include a roadmap for introducing UltraViolet content, services and devices to consumers beginning in mid-2011; planned expansion to the United Kingdom and Canada; and the release of technical specifications for evaluation by potential licensees.

That is quite a mouthful of a new system to distribute entertainment to the masses.  But, it is happening and soon the way consumers purchase movies, television shows and so on will be strictly digital.

UltraViolet will allow consumers to purchase digital content and watch it wherever, whenever. Consumers who purchase UltraViolet entertainment will have an easy and consistent way to watch film and television content across multiple branded platforms, such as computers, connected TVs, game consoles, smartphones and tablets. The UltraViolet name and logo will help identify content, devices and services from a spectrum of familiar entities – including studios, retailers, and consumer electronics manufacturers, cable companies, ISPs and other service providers – that will work together.

UltraViolet will be a huge change for the entertainment industry, but I can only think about my neighborhood video store.  In a couple of years, it will be gone.  Video stores will be obsolete and instead kiosks like Redbox and Flix on Stix, downloading movies will be popular. How long will those last?