AfterDawn: News

Studios call web enabled HD DVD features a hit

As Blu-ray sales seem to be dominating the still struggling next-gen format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, Paramount and Universal are thrilled with the reaction to HD DVD's web enabled content.

According to DreamWorks/Paramount numbers, 80,000 unique visitors have used their HD DVD players to connect to the disc's website, and 30% of those have returned to take advantage of additional content release after their initial visit. Meanwhile Universal saisy viewers of their HD DVD titles 'Heroes', 'Knocked Up', and 'Evan Almighty' have visited the respective sites for each disc.



“We’ve only scratched the surface in offering Web-connected experiences to fans of hit movies and TV shows, so it was great to see so many connecting online for these titles,” said Ken Graffeo, executive VP of HD DVD strategic marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group. “As more titles from the HD DVD studios include access to downloads, trailers and community pages, the owner of any HD DVD player can take advantage of these Web-connected experiences,” he said.

Chris Saito, VP of worldwide HD DVD marketing for Paramount, added, “Seeing the fan base rally around Transformers, Heroes and other key titles on HD DVD was validation that there’s an interest in extending the movie watching experience.”

Source: Video Business

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 4 Dec 2007 18:26

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• 9 comments

• stumpied

  As much as most people on this site don't likethis idea and say it's dumb, the studios are getting what they want. More traffic = more potential profit. This is only going to get bigger and like it or not, it is a bit interesting. there is no doubt they are doing this a bit to point out the fact that blu ray is lacking in this regard. regardless, is different and good to see.

  4.12.2007 22:56 #1

• sciascia

  What exactly does connecting your HD-DVD player to the web do? Does it just bring you to a web site based on which video you've put in? Or does it offer more content like deleted scenes and such? Either way, I'm glad to see that they're trying to offer more than just a movie watching experience. Hopefully this will lead to bigger and better things.

  5.12.2007 12:03 #2

• hughjars

  Yes sciascia, that's partly it.
  You get access to movie related stuff and then you can browse other studio related stuff.
  
  It can be additional scenes, various commentaries, personal profiles, making of short movies etc etc.
  
  Then there is the retailing side of it all, with themed goods or more products by....etc on sale.
  It'd be nice to be able to watch a music vid by a fav band for instance and then go on-line & look up & buy any others that may be out.
  
  It's all in it's infancy but it certainly has prospects IMO.
  
  But of course what with the 'format war'
  (and Blu-ray incapable of doing anything but resemble an ancient old interactive CD)
  we have been treated to repeated comments of how useless and unwanted these 'advanced features' are and how 'everyone' is only interested in the main feature alone
  (my bet is that'll continue right up until Blu-ray - or should I say if Blu-ray - get their sh*t together on this).
  
  Seems like the studios are finding the reality is a tad different to the claims of some tho.
  
  I personally have always doubted this, if you're paying a premium for the movie itself I want as much more as I can get so yes, I'll take whatever 'extras' are going and hopefully even end up with some very worthwhile stuff.
  
  :P

  5.12.2007 12:23 #3

• biver

  Extras or not I hope everyone will wait and buy upconverter dvd player for 90$. And not waste there money right now.
  Upconverted DVD looks amazing at 1080p.

  5.12.2007 13:34 #4

• sciascia

  I'm not a big stickler on extras myself, except when I buy an unrated, or directors cut DVD, then I want what I pay for. I see two sides to look at this. A. Cool idea, if people are really into extras then they'll love it, it will save space on discs for a higher overall video picture and whatnot. or B. People will be annoyed that they don't get everything on the disc they paid for and hate that, or they cannot go online to see the extras they paid for, or cannot back up the extras they paid for.
  
  Personally, I'd be a little bit sceptical on hooking up my player to the internet. Who knows what feedback they could get from your machine(Ok, that's a bit overreacting). I'd be especially worried if I were a pirate.

  5.12.2007 16:07 #5

• hughjars

  Originally posted by sciascia: People will be annoyed that they don't get everything on the disc they paid for and hate that, or they cannot go online to see the extras they paid for, or cannot back up the extras they paid for. - Those 'additional extras' will be there for those who have the means to access them, nothing is being denied to anybody but it's just a fact of life that not everyone has a net connection.
  
  I wouldn't say that that is a very strong point against, not these days.
  
  Originally posted by sciascia: I'd be especially worried if I were a pirate. - Why?
  
  Even if the machine could note what kind of discs you played and passed that back it would only be telling 'someone' you played burned discs, they just don't have the ability or memory to describe what you have played.
  At best it might recognise a VC-1 or MPEG2 or AVC encode but so what?
  That's not illegal.

  5.12.2007 19:24 #6

• akaangus

  Let's develop a 50gb disc so that people can stream content from our website!
  
  
  Ummmm..... why?

  7.12.2007 03:33 #7

• ZippyDSM

  its like extra content but online......kinda retarded no matter how you look at it...

  9.12.2007 22:56 #8

• borhan9

  This is another chapter in the long struggle between the two formats and we are sure of one thing this is not the last we have heard of this.

  23.12.2007 17:42 #9