Western Digital 4K Ultra HD Storage Drive Launches, but Only Plays 4K Content on 2015 Vidity-Enabled TVs

Western Digital announced the My Passport Cinema storage drive Tuesday, a 4K Ultra HD and high-dynamic-range-ready movie storage device compatible with Vidity-enabled devices. Vidity is the brand name of the secure 4K content platform devised by the Secure Content Storage Association (see 1505200049), with founding members Fox Home Entertainment, SanDisk, Warner Home Entertainment and Western Digital. Samsung, a contributing SCSA member, is bundling the $89 Western Digital drive with its flagship SUHD TVs, models JS9000, JS9100 and JS9500, from Aug. 16 through June 30, “so consumers can enjoy 4K UHD content immediately,” Western Digital and Samsung said. That is only for consumers who bought 2015 Vidity-compliant 4K TVs. A disclaimer on the Western Digital website said: “Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Maze Runner will play in 4K UHD on Samsung 2015 TVs. The Samsung 2014 TVs will only play these two movies in HD.” Eight movies from Fox are preloaded on the device, and consumers get two free with the Samsung promotion. Consumers can unlock the additional movies through purchase: X-Men: Days of the Future Past, The Wolverine, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Fault in Our Stars, Let's Be Cops and The Other Woman. Users can download additional titles via M-GO or other Vidity retailers, said the companies.