Universal Studios Announces Next-Gen Blu-ray Interactivity

Posted In | News Categories: Films, Home Entertainment, Internet and Interactive | Geographic Region: All | Site Categories: Films, Home Entertainment, Internet and Interactive

Press Release from Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Universal City, California, November 10, 2009 – Delivering on its promise to provide consumers an ever more immersive, dynamic and interactive Blu-ray experience, Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE) announced today the launch of an array of enhanced iPhone and iPod touch-enabled features and social web-based offerings with the release of upcoming titles Bruno, Funny People, 9, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, Public Enemies, and Inglourious Basterds all available this holiday season. These innovations include the pocket BLU app, which offers iPhone and iPod users touch further enhancements to the Blu-ray experience, and social BLU, which offers Blu-ray users more ways to interact with their Facebook and Twitter networks through an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. Additionally, USHE will unveil an all-new redesign of its BD-Live Center on Funny People, which makes the dynamic content on the multimedia portal easier to access, more engaging, and easier to use. On future releases, Universal will deliver even more innovative, exciting features based on these platforms, making Blu-ray discs more simple, fun, and sharable than ever before.

“These new features represent the latest step in Universal’s continuing effort to deliver an extraordinary home entertainment experience to consumers,” said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “By bridging Blu-ray’s vast capabilities with the Internet, iPhone, iPod touch and some of the hugely popular social networking platforms, we are effectively taking the Blu-ray experience to the next level, offering consumers the opportunity to easily integrate their favorite films into those activities and devices that have become part of their everyday lifestyle.”

pocket BLU app

USHE’s groundbreaking pocket BLU app makes its debut this holiday season for the iPhone and iPod touch on the Blu-ray editions of Bruno (November 17), Funny People (November 24), Public Enemies (December 8), Inglourious Basterds (December 15), American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (December 22) and 9 (December 29).  The app uses the device’s Wi-Fi connection to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-rayTM   player and offers the following advanced features:

* Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.

* Video Timeline: By turning the phone to landscape mode, users will bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the movie.

* Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of exclusive bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

* Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.

* Pop-Up Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray player with this easy and intuitive keyboard that will facilitate such Blu-ray features as chatting with friends and sending messages.

pocket BLU TM is an extendable platform that will allow Universal Studios Home Entertainment to introduce even more new and groundbreaking mobile features on additional devices and platforms in the very near future.  The pocket BLU TM app is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch at www.itunes.com/appstore.

social BLU

The American Pie Presents: The Book of Love release also will mark the integration of Blu-ray content and social networking applications. This newly developed interactive technology allows users to easily sign on with their Facebook and Twitter login information and enjoy a variety of connected Blu-ray features with their friends.  Users can control status updates from their Blu-ray player, the UniversalHiDef.com website, or within pocketBlu.







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