mbriant
Headphoneus Supremus
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Well, that didn't take long. They finally settled on a single high-def DVD format, and now in today's NY Times there's an article about Disney releasing 5 of their "platinum" titles to stimulate sales of a new interactive Blu-Ray format called "BD Live". The article mentions that players compatible with BD Live started to appear a few months ago, but this is the first I've heard of it.
Originally Posted by NY Times
The films are “Pinocchio,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Fantasia,” “Fantasia 2000” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The company had previously announced plans to introduce one such title, “Sleeping Beauty.”
All the DVDs will include unusual features geared toward a generation that embraces interactivity and social networking. Viewers can watch a movie in tandem with friends in other locations, while they chat using a laptop or cellphone (the comments appear on the screen).
Viewers will also be able to compete against others around the world at trivia or send what Disney is calling movie mail, video images of themselves that appear within the context of the movie.
Such activities are possible because of a technology called BD Live that connects Blu-ray discs with the Internet.
Bob Chapek, president of Disney’s home entertainment unit, said that his company hoped the animated favorites would help it “break past early adopters” to a wider group of consumers.
“BD Live is not a niche product,” Mr. Chapek said. “We see mass adoption of the technology.”
Mr. Chapek said that “Snow White,” last available in 2001, had helped start the market for traditional DVDs. “The power of these titles is incredible,” he said.
Disney needs all the muscle it can find. Sales of Blu-ray players have been disappointing — although the industry has big hopes for the coming holiday season — and players compatible with BD Live just became available a few months ago.
They are also expensive: Blu-ray players that function with BD Live are priced from $300 to $700, much more than regular Blu-ray machines.
Originally Posted by NY Times
The films are “Pinocchio,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Fantasia,” “Fantasia 2000” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The company had previously announced plans to introduce one such title, “Sleeping Beauty.”
All the DVDs will include unusual features geared toward a generation that embraces interactivity and social networking. Viewers can watch a movie in tandem with friends in other locations, while they chat using a laptop or cellphone (the comments appear on the screen).
Viewers will also be able to compete against others around the world at trivia or send what Disney is calling movie mail, video images of themselves that appear within the context of the movie.
Such activities are possible because of a technology called BD Live that connects Blu-ray discs with the Internet.
Bob Chapek, president of Disney’s home entertainment unit, said that his company hoped the animated favorites would help it “break past early adopters” to a wider group of consumers.
“BD Live is not a niche product,” Mr. Chapek said. “We see mass adoption of the technology.”
Mr. Chapek said that “Snow White,” last available in 2001, had helped start the market for traditional DVDs. “The power of these titles is incredible,” he said.
Disney needs all the muscle it can find. Sales of Blu-ray players have been disappointing — although the industry has big hopes for the coming holiday season — and players compatible with BD Live just became available a few months ago.
They are also expensive: Blu-ray players that function with BD Live are priced from $300 to $700, much more than regular Blu-ray machines.
