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BD-Live Hopes to Connect Viewers to Movies AND People
Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 04:00 PM ETTags: BD-Live, Industry Trends, Blu-con, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
By Michael S. Palmer
Reps from Walt Disney, Sony, Universal, and Fox gathered for a panel at this year’s Blu-Con 2.0 to discuss the present and future of BD-Live.
Currently, 4 million Blu-rays connect to BD-Live every month. 50% of users return to the various portals (1984-esque tangent: Sony remembers your player’s I.P. address, and thus knows if you repeatedly access digital content. Big Brother knows where you are at all times!).
I’ve always wondered why BD-Live features have been so lackluster. Apparently, the challenge here is education. Studios and retailers are already educating the consumer on alien terms like HDTV, HDMI, 1080p, 7.1 and Blu-ray. Creating a brand new social experience for BD-Live and having to educate the consumer even further is an uphill battle on top of an uphill battle. Which is why the current strategy for studios is to build upon technology and habits that already exist (via iPhone apps, and partnerships with popular websites like Facebook and IMDB.com). To them, BD-Live should be not only an extension / augmentation of the movie, but also of the consumer’s life.
Here’s a run down of strategies / features by studio:
How can they make it easy, dynamic, and interactive?
Their first BD-Live title was ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ and since then they’ve had the ‘Hannah Montanna’ movie tied to Radio Disney, and the recent ‘Snow White’ features include “living menus” that change appearance according to the time and local weather, as well as the ability to receive a phone call from a Disney princess.
‘Lost - Season 5’ will feature “Lost University” (http://www.lostuniversity.org/). LU, with its Polar Bear mascot, is a Blu-ray/BD-Live exclusive, and gives Lost’s rabid fan base a chance to not only learn about the show, but also to study the themes and mythology built into the Lost universe. Disney hopes that ‘Lost’ fans who have yet to go Blu will buy Blu-ray players in order to participate.
SONY: Every release since April of 2008 has featured BD-Live (and of course, it should, given that their parent company invented Blu-ray). Initially, the BD-Live link was to a portal for additional content downloads and a chance to fill out surveys to let Sony know how they’re doing. Snore.
Recently, however, Sony’s focus has been two-fold. 1) The chance to edit clips from the movies (as seen on ‘Step Brothers,’ ‘Year One,’ and the upcoming ‘Snatch’) and post them on Facebook. And 2) “MovieIQ,” which is a live interactive database about the movie’s cast, crew, and production. A nifty feature bound for ‘Julie & Julia’ (Dec. 8th) is the ability to choose and email yourself recipes from the movie as it plays.
UNIVERSAL: Admittedly arriving late to the Blu-ray world last year, Universal sees the BD-Live experience as something that should be “simple and sharable.” On their discs, look for “community screenings” (everyone around the country, or world, watches the film at the same time, chatting about it via BD-Live), and integrated Facebook / iPhone applications. Recently, for ‘Fast & Furious’ Universal released a car customizing iPhone app (build a car, and share with your friends online) that has proved popular.
FOX: Sharing similar buzz words as simple and social, Fox introduced “Live Lookup” with ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ a few months ago. Integrated with IMDB.com, it’s similar to Sony’s “MovieIQ”, but for my money, much more fluid and visual. Frankly, it’s a shame that we have to have two different versions of the same feature, but I guess simplifying would involve too many lawyers.
Fox is also looking to get into community screenings, citing the desire to “elevate catalogue titles to event status.” Seems like in addition to dressing up, throwing props, and singing along to the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’, the first rule of the ‘Fight Club’ Blu-ray will be to not talk about the fact that everyone’s supposed to show up to watch the flick at the same time.
WARNER was not in this panel, but they are very excited to host global community screenings for ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (Dec. 7th).
It’s clear, despite all efforts, that BD-Live has a way to go. Studios are researching their little hearts out to give us features like “Live Lookup,” and attempting to integrate their products into the arenas we already occupy. “Lost University” seems like a good start, but is admittedly only for die-hard fans. In the not-too-distant future, we could see e-commerce (the ability to buy products literally used in, or as seen in, the movie), editing movies in real time and inserting them into the film, putting your voice / likeness into the movies, or features akin to Google maps (posting/tagging user generated clips online that tie into filming locations).
Perhaps in addition to developing and selling their movies, bold new filmmakers will also create exciting opportunities for interactivity in watching their movies, which is usually very passive (except for popcorn consumption). Or maybe it’ll be you, dear readers, with the next kick ass idea. What do you want from BD-Live? What’s a “gotta have it” toy you’d love at your fingertips as your favorite flick unfurls in glorious high def?
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BD-Live Has Four Million Connections a Month
Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:00 PM ETTags: BD-Live, Industry Trends (all tags)
In the time since BD Live has been introduced, a few months short of a year, the service has garnered over 25 million capable discs connected to the service.
The numbers seem to indicate a great deal of success, but the content accessed is hardly impressive.
Of those 25 million connections, the majority of them were to watch trailers for existing and upcoming films. These statistics are a bit underwhelming and point to poor execution of a format that consumers expected more from, to put it mildly.
Peter Staddon, executive VP at Deluxe, developers of over 700 Blu-ray discs, is hopeful for BD Live’s future. “BD-Live is a very viable technology,” he said, adding that “the creative challenge is to develop it as an expanded part of your regular entertainment and not just have it bolted on.”
Staddon also states that additional features such as exclusive trailers, social networking sites and even avatars could help bolster BD-Live’s feature set.
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- Related links:
- BD Live usage increases, as more features are added [Video Business]
Universal Announces 'Coraline' for Blu-ray
Thu May 14, 2009 at 03:20 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, 3-D, Exclusive HD Content, BD-Live, Universal (all tags)
Universal has announced it is bringing 'Coraline' to Blu-ray in late-July as a two-disc special edition with 2-D and 3-D versions.
The sleeper animated fantasy, which grossed over $60 million during its domestic theatrical run, will arrive on Blu-ray July 21 (day-and-date with the standard DVD).
Both 2-D and 3-D versions will be presented on a BD-50 dual-layer disc via seamless branching, with 1080p video (1.85:1) and English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround.
Extras include audio commentary with director Henry Selick and composer Bruno Coulais, three featurettes ("Making of Coraline," "Voicing the Characters," "Creepy Coraline") and deleted scenes.
Exclusive to the Blu-ray (on the 2-D version only) are two U-Control picture-in-picture tracks, and "Tours and Voice Sessions" featurette, as well as My Scenes Sharing and "The World According to Henry" BD-Live functions.
A second standard DVD disc will include a Digital Copy of the film compatible with PCs and iTunes (expires July 31, 2010).
Suggested retail price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.99.
You'll find the latest specs for 'Coraline' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 21.
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- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Coraline (Blu-ray)
Warner Says 'Yes Man' on Blu-ray
Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Warner, BD-Live (all tags)
Warner has announced details for 'Yes Man,' which will come to Blu-ray in early-April with extensive bonus features and BD-Live.
The latest hit from Jim Carrey, 'Yes Man' didn't ignite the box office quite as strongly as past Carrey comedies, but it still managed to earn over $100 million domestically.
Warner will release the Blu-ray on April 7, day-and-date with the standard DVD.
Tech specs feature a BD-25 single-layer disc with 1080p/VC-1 video (2.35:1) and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio.
Among the extras are multiple featurettes ("Behind the Story," "Performed by Jim Carrey and Others," "Say Yes to Red Bull! As Only Carrey Can," "Yes Man: Party Central with Norman Stokes"), a "Yes Loans! Infomercial," additional footage, a gag reel, and "Munchausen by Proxy" reel of five music videos.
The Blu-ray will also come BD-live-enabled, with exclusive content still to be announced.
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $35.95.
You'll find the latest specs for 'Yes Man' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 7.
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- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Yes Man (Blu-ray)
Sony to Reveal 'Thirteenth Floor' on Blu-ray
Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Sony, BD-Live (all tags)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced a mid-April Blu-ray arrival for the sci-fi thriller 'The Thirteenth Floor.'
Starring Craig Bierko and Gretchen Mol in a tale that twists and turns into alternate realities, Sony will release the box office disappointment on Blu-ray April 14.
Tech specs will see 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video (2.35:1) and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio.
Extras include an audio commentary with director Josef Rusnak and a music video by the Cardigans.
Like all Sony titles, the disc will also come with BD-Live connectivity.
Suggested retail price for the Blu-ray has been set at $28.95.
You'll find the latest specs for 'The Thirteenth Floor' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 14.
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- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- The Thirteenth Floor (Blu-ray)
'Milk' Blu-ray Delivery this March
Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Exclusive HD Content, BD-Live, Universal (all tags)
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced an early-March Blu-ray arrival for the acclaimed biopic 'Milk.'
Marking the first of this year's five Best Picture Oscar nominees to be announced for home video, Universal today confirmed a March 10 Blu-ray release (day-and-date with the DVD) for the Sean Penn-starrer.
Gus Van Sant's critically lauded biopic of the late Mayor of Castro Street will enjoy a BD-50 dual-layer presentation with 1080p video and DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround.
Standard extras include a suite of three featurettes: "Remembering Harvey," "Hollywood Comes to San Francisco" and "Marching for Equality."
Exclusive to the Blu-ray will be deleted scenes (downloadable via BD-Live only) and the My Scenes Sharing function.
Suggested retail price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.95.
You'll find preliminary specs for 'Milk' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 10.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Milk (Blu-ray)
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