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High-Def Disc Interactivity Debuts on HD DVD
An anonymous reader writes "Next to picture quality, interactivity has been touted as one of the key selling points of the next-gen disc formats — unlike standard def DVD, both HD DVD and Blu-ray are capable of delivering truly interactive experiences. This past Tuesday, Universal Studios released 'Fast and the Furious: Toyko Drift' on HD DVD with an interactive feature they've dubbed 'U-Control,' delivering the first true on-the-fly, user-controlled supplements to a pre-recorded video format."
on top of that.. I have this button called angle on my dvd remote.. I believe it was supposed to allow you to watch a scene from different angles, every dvd player I have seen has it on it.. But amazingly.. i have never seen it used.. so its great that hd-dvd can do it.. but the question is.. will it get used?
Most of the interactive features of DVD's were never used seriously,
to create a new viewing experience.
How many DVD's really had useful multiple angles?
- Like perhaps a Fixed camera, vs one that panned.
How many DVD's had a useful alternate audio track.
- Like a music only (matrix came close), or without drama music.
How many DVD's had seamless alternate endings or alternate paths.
(not just an all too common alternate ending presented like a deleted scence.)
The features of DVD should be used before we think about a need to switch to the new disposable DRM formats.
Ok, in the past I've bashed BlueRay,and HD DVD. Today I went to the Sony Global Marketing Conference on Sony Pictures lot. BlueRay is damn impressive. I was more impressed with BluRay and the new Bravia line of TVs than I was with the PS3. The picture quality is unbelievable compared to DVD, and on 52 inch 1080p bravias, it was awesome. PS3 wise, they had the offical hardware. There was 4 playable PS3 machines. You could just walk up and play. They were also using PS3s to play BluRay movies on a few TVs, incluing an 82 inch LCD that was playing PS3 trailers. There was a dirt bike game which had some sweet physics, GT HD, an anime looking golf game with litte girls in short skirts, and a WWII era FPS where the nazi's look like zombies. The graphics we decent (not PC quality for sure), the sound quality was amazing.
You must be my long-lost brother (or switched with the current one that I'm trying to lose). Almost my entire movie collection - at least, that which isn't ripped to Xvid on my hard drive - is a burned copy of the original with the movie and, that's it. Put it in, it plays. No "you can't skip this", no waiting for six minutes of pre-menu animation, no dozen FBI warnings in three languages, and no previews (the one REAL improvement the first DVDs had over VHS).
Of course, not all players seem to like my DVD-R copies (what I hate about the + and - formats), but mine has no problems with them anyways, and in case it's a separate issue. I used to work at a video store, and almost without question, the second disk of two-disk movies went untouched (obvious from the lack of fingerprints - you think people might have figured out how to pick up optical media by now). People get movies to watch the movies - only the collectors and enthusiasts actually care about extra features. Give me cheaper stuff that Just Works and I promise I'll actually pay.
How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?