BdLive
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Sony to implement BD-Live on all future Blu-ray releases
That sound you hear off in the distance is the BD-Live bandwagon gaining steam, and the latest studio to hop on board is Sony. Shortly after Universal, Disney and Warner Bros. announced their BD-Live plans, along comes Sony to do the same. Reportedly, Rich Marty, Sony's VP of new business development, has affirmed that all new Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases that hit store shelves after Men In Black will have at least some level of BD-Live interactivity wrapped in, though no specifics about what to expect were given. Marty did note that the studio has seen "a great response so far," with some 1 in 5 BD-Live movie buyers taking the time to activate and explore the feature. Not that we necessarily agree that 20-percent represents a "great response," but we can't argue with more interactive content for the minority demanding it.
Warner Bros. lines up BD-Live films for winter release
Considering that Disney just made headlines with its decision to go BD-Live on a few notable releases, it's no real surprise to see Warner Bros. following suit. At the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy conference, the studio's president of Technical Operations Darcy Antonellis asserted that it was "looking to launch web-enabled Blu-ray titles with BD-Live as early as the winter holidays." He elaborated by specifically mentioning "real-time viewing, library tools, a search engine, a recommendation tool with e-mail reminders, ringtones and wallpapers." Unfortunately, nary a clue was given as to what titles would be sporting what features, but it can't go and just reveal everything ahead of time, right?
Disney goes all BD-Live on upcoming titles
As Disney gets its digital strategy together, one feature to look forward to is BD-Live on every Blu-ray release going forward. ABC, Touchstone and Miramax flicks are exempt from the requirement, but that doesn't mean you won't see BD-Live titles there eventually. Sleeping Beauty will get things started, but look for Disney to highlight networked features in its Blu-ray mall tour and try to sell families on why they should even bother with networked features. Tinker Bell is the next movie up to get the BD-Live treatment, plus future Pixar releases like WALL-E. Unfortunately for online Disney Channel fans Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds and the Jonas Brothers' Camp Rock will not have BD-Live capability, but we'll be waiting to see where Disney goes next with the technology.
Transformers Blu-ray edition gets detailed, confirmed for September launch
Check it, Blu-ray fans. That totally believable rumor about Transformers finally fitting into a BD sleeve was indeed accurate, and now we're starting to see the nitty-gritty details about what we can expect come September 2nd. For starters, the Blu-ray edition will feature a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track as well as a 5.1 PCM uncompressed track to complement the obligatory 1080p transfer. We're also told to expect a trailer for the BD release of Iron Man, BD-Live content and a lengthy list of supplemental material -- all of which is expected to be in beautiful high-def. Tap the read link for the full list of extras, and start saving that $39.99 (or so) right now.[Thanks, Wii60Warrior]
Transformers 2-disc Blu-ray edition coming September 2?
The day Michael Bay and fans of Blu-ray and big robots have all been waiting for is September 2, according to advanced, inside information obtained by TVShowsonDVD.com. Last year's HD DVD blockbuster Transformers is finally coming to Blu-ray after last fall's exclusivity agreement fell by the wayside, in a 2-disc release described as "similar" to the previous version. Hopefully that means all HDi and internet connectivity features intact, with new bits added courtesy of 50GBs of storage space and BD-Live. We expect there should be, and with a majority of Blu-ray owners using PlayStation 3s, they may even surpass the HD DVD edition's 30% internet-connected rate.[Via Seibertron.com]
Disney pulls back the cover on Sleeping Beauty's BD-Live features
BD-Live offerings to date have been pretty tame, but Disney's got a few tricks up its sleeve for the first release in its Platinum Edition series, Sleeping Beauty. Blu-ray owners with compatible hardware will be able to chat with friends during the movie using a laptop, BlackBerry or other PDA, make video messages and send them to others, play trivia games, and earn points used to trade in for ringtones, wallpaper or other items. From the moment the disc hits the tray, the iconic castle will feature a backdrop sync'd with weather conditions in the viewer's hometown. As noted in USA Today some owners of Blu-ray players sans-internet will miss out, but with a street date of October 7, there's still time to grab a PS3 or one of the compatible standalone boxes coming on the market. Customer desire for next gen networked features hasn't always been incredibly enthusiastic, but we suspect once the 'tween group gets into this (and High School Musical 3 hits Blu-ray) things could change.
Dreamer's Biddle makes Blu-ray players a way around your cable company?
While most are just dipping their toe into the BD-Live pond so far, Dreamer is thinking bigger. With its middleware Biddle software (based on the same DVB-GEM spec as OCAP, and also available to cable operators) included on a Blu-ray disc, the company claims its ready to deliver an "interactive TV service" consisting of VOD, web browsing, e-mail, social networking access or nearly anything else you can imagine. The upshot is that any internet-connected PS3 (or any other BD-Live capable hardware on the way). By downloading only what's necessary at the moment, the client overcomes the Blu-ray program size restriction and delivers what customers have already come to expect from leading Korean IPTV and cable companies using the software in their STBs. The first titles with the software included are planned with KD Media this month in Korea, but the company is still showing its software off to domestic providers, with an eye towards hopping on expected $299 Blu-ray players (not yet) and into American homes. [Via Multichannel News]
Pioneer introduces Elite BDP-05FD / BDP-51FD Blu-ray players
While most consumer electronics companies choose to unveil new products at CES, Pioneer prefers to buck the trend and pick a day that it can keep all to itself. The other trend Pioneer isn't following with these new players is BD-Live, as neither the new Elite Blu-ray player nor the outfit's first non-Elite player features the latest interactive features. Instead, it's choosing to focus on picture and sound quality, as both Summer-bound decks will internally decode every next-gen multi-channel lossless codec (DTS-HD with firmware update) or bitstream any of them to your AVR. The other new focus is speed, as Pioneer seems confident that both players will be some of the fastest in the industry, boasting 15-second eject from off times and 22-second disc load times. The BDP-51FD will set you back $599 -- almost half as much as Pioneer's previous model -- while the Elite BDP-05FD will demand $799. The latter will net you a longer warranty, gold connectors, a superior video decoder, nicer fit / finish and an upgraded front face plate complete with capacitance touch keys. If you're the type that prefers quality and could care less about interactive features, either unit will likely satisfy -- otherwise, we'd keep hunting. Full release after the break. %Gallery-22304%
Neil Young's entire music archive to be released on Blu-ray
Sun Microsystems's pledge to aid the widespread development of interactive content on Blu-ray wasn't the only thing going down today at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco. Rather surprisingly, famed musician Neil Young announced plans to "release his entire music archive on Blu-ray discs that can be updated over the internet." Reportedly, the first installment of Young's archive will cover 1963 to 1972 and will be released as a ten-disc set this fall on Reprise / Warner Bros. Records, and subsequent archives will be released chronologically and "include some previously unreleased songs, videos, handwritten manuscripts and other memorabilia." Stressing Blu-ray interactivity, it was also noted that fans could download more songs, photos and tour information via their internet-connected decks. Needless to say, we're pretty stoked about the whole ordeal, and can only hope that more artists follow suit in serving up their work via Blu-ray.[Thanks, JDS]
Sun Microsystems announces support for BDLive.com, aims to promote development of interactivity
Today at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco, Sun Microsystems professed its love for BDLive.com and the availability of the BDLive.com developers disc. Put simply, Sun -- a proud member of the Blu-ray Disc Association Board of Directors -- has teamed up with Related Content Database Inc. in order to create said website and offer devs, BD content owners and consumer electronics manufacturers "advanced network services focused on improving the overall BD Live user experience." Essentially, the web portal weds Sun's network.com infrastructure and RCDb's recently announced BD Live Platform to "enable the quick creation of device-appropriate features that provide a user-friendly DVD-like experience." If you're eager to know more, click on past the break.
Study finds high prices, hamstrung players limiting Blu-ray's dominance
ABI Research has just confirmed feelings that we've had for months: Blu-ray just isn't going to dominate the market until prices sink down from the stratosphere and players emerge that are fully-featured. A new study from the previously mentioned firm has suggested that we still have "12 to 18 months" before the BD market really kicks into gear, and it specifies that "fully-featured" decks need to come in at $200 or below before the general public will consider coughing up the cash required to make the jump to high-definition media. It's also noted that many are perfectly satisfied with the quality of DVD, and until prices make it manageable to switch, the outfit feels that huge chunks of consumers will simply stay put. Additionally, we're told that PS3s will "make up over 85-percent of the BD players in the field" during 2008, and we won't see Sony's console fall from the top until 2013 when the installed base of standalone decks / PC-based BD players overtake the installed base of PlayStation 3s. Yeah, you're hearing echoes on that last tidbit.[Image courtesy of LA Times]
TotalMedia Theater gets BD Live "Certified"
Just over a month ago Cyberlink was the first to announce its product would support BD Live and today ArcSoft claims it's the first to be "certified." Unfortunately, ArcSoft failed to mention exactly when this free update would be available, so for now if you can't go without the current unimpressive features already available on select discs, PowerDVD is the only game in town. Regardless, the Blu-ray playback software market is really heating up, and although none of them offer a full featured player yet, with BD Live checked off the list that only leaves the highest quality lossless audio support.
Samsung delays fourth gen BD-P1500 Blu-ray player, adds BD-Live
We can't really see the logic in releasing a Blu-ray player without BD-Live in 2008 -- and neither can Samsung, which just announced its fourth generation BD-P1500 will be BD-Live Ready. The bad news is the May release date announced earlier has slipped to June, and the formerly comfortable $399 MSRP is now a less promising TBA. We're not sure if that "ready" tag means it will be BD-Live enabled out of the gate, however DTS-HD "High resolution" is confirmed on the way in a future firmware update. A slight delay for a significant upgrade in features? We'll allow it.Update: Samsung let us know the press release was in error, the MSRP will remain at $399.
RCDb's BD Live Platform: one more option for creating interactive content
Just in case the studios didn't have enough development tools to kick out BD-Live discs, Related Content Database (RCDb) is making sure at least one other viable option is available. The firm's BD Live Platform, which is already being used by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, promises to "save studios time and money in crafting advanced bonus features." Of course, the obvious result from this would be more BD-Live-enabled flicks hitting the shelves, but only time will tell if that will in fact be the case. Nevertheless, this software enables devs to "use a set of simplified encoding instructions to craft various interactive extras," which is obviously much easier than coding each project from scratch. Still, if the first few titles are any indication, we'd say a bit of effort should be allocated to improving user experiences before worrying over quantity.[Via Video Business]
Universal details international, new release Blu-ray plans
As promised, Universal has gone slightly more in-depth about its new plans as a Blu-ray studio. A few titles to expect among the 40 due in the second half of this year that we didn't mention previously are the studio's big summer releases The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy II, Mamma Mia and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Home Entertainment division Craig Kornblau has moved on from his red past and appears set to embrace BD-Live, although there weren't any specific plans announced. Otherwise, The Hollywood Reporter says we can expect 29 international Blu-ray releases from Universal, led by the global debut of Heroes seasons one and two.
NBC Universal brings Heroes to Blu-ray August 26
Heroes fans can get their full HD fix August 26, when the DVD boxed set of season two is released on DVD, it'll also hit Blu-ray and bring along season one for the ride. No word on price or what extras are in store (or if 1080p will somehow make the whole twins subplot less meaningless, just a thought), although the S1 set on HD DVD last year included HDi internet connectivity, and we don't expect anything less from BD-Live. Universal is going day and date with its movies starting with Doomsday, while NBCU's first dual-format feature film should hit shelves ahead of the holidays.
DTS-HD MA Suite toolset hits v1.6, brings Dynamic Automation for DTS Express
NAB Show 2008 is in full swing, and just in case you haven't heard, here's something worth taking a listen at. DTS has just revealed v1.6 of its DTS-HD Master Audio Suite toolset for Blu-ray Disc and DVD production, which includes "numerous highly anticipated file management features [along with] the public release of Dynamic Automation for DTS Express." The latter is an interactive secondary audio codec for BD, and according to Brian Towne, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Division, "the latest feature set empowers content creators with the freedom and flexibility to dynamically vary the primary audio volume, which is essential for picture-in-picture, alternate tracks, director commentaries and other interactive features for Blu-ray Disc." Best of all, DTS Express streams encoded for Blu-ray with MAS v1.6 are playable on Profile 2.0 and Profile 1.1 players, and it's available as a free upgrade (right now) for existing customers.
BD Touch Blu-ray disc-to-iPhone app officially unveiled
Ending the awful (two) days of waiting, NetBlender's officially presenting its latest innovation, BD Touch. Bringing together Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch and Blu-ray's BD-Live internet connection to potentially allow combinations like sending copies of a movie to iPhone directly from the disc menu, viewing fan created content in sync with a movie or, yes, using the iPhone as a remote control. All that geolocation, 3D motion sensitive, multitouch and predictive keyboard could be a part of our favorite movie (The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension) -- once some developer makes it happen. The disc authoring end of the tool is built into NetBlender's DoStudio software, while there are two iPhone SDKs (the Connect SDK is free, while the Premiere Blend/In SDK adds functionality but requires certification and licensing) available. Video demos are after the jump, so take a look and see what you can come up with.
The 6th Day's BD-Live features get shown off on PS3
Merely hours after The 6th Day hit retail floors, Gaming Bits was able to secure a copy, pop it in a PlayStation 3 and test out those BD-Live features. If you'll recall, experiences with connected extras in Walk Hard were less than smooth, and while this look isn't nearly as in-depth, reviewers did come across noticeable lag in parts. Still, if you're interested in catching a few more glances at what kind of BD-Live fun awaits on this disc, the read link is calling your name.
PS3 firmware v2.30 walkthrough: DTS-HD MA support / new PS Store included
Oh sweet mercy, what have we here? A sneak peek (on video) of the looming PlayStation Store revamp and a confirmation of DTS-HD Master Audio output in the next PS3 firmware update, that's what. Over on the PlayStation Blog, we're casually walked through the impending v2.30 update, and just as we had heard, Blu-ray fans can shout in unison as the inclusion of their favorite audio codec (as well as DTS-HD High Resolution Audio) is just days away. Word on the street has v2.30 headed down the pipes on April 15th, and if you're eager to catch a glimpse of some more stills from the made-over PS Store, head on over to Joystiq. Read - PlayStation 3 firmware v2.30 walkthrough video Read - Revamped PlayStation Store imagesRead - DTS' own confirmation of the good news (Thanks, sTeViO!)
