Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(http://www.universalstudios.com), or USHE, has launched 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, according to Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios
Home Entertainment. 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, he
adds.
USHE's pocket BLU app uses the Wi-Fi connection on an iPhone and iPod
touch to work with a network-connected Blu-ray player and offers the
following advanced features: advanced remote control, access to a
video timeline, the ability to unlock a selection of exclusive bonus
content with their Blu-ray discs, access to a complete list of pocket
BLU-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray, and a pop-up
keyboard. With the latter, you can enter data into a Blu-ray player
that will facilitate such Blu-ray features as chatting with friends
and sending messages. The pocket BLU app is available for free from
the Apple App Store.
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 sign on with their Facebook and Twitter log-in 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.
As part of the newly developed interactive social BLU technology,
users can update their Facebook and Twitter profile statuses via
BD-Live. With the click of a button, users can rate the movie, send
messages and on future releases will be able to share film-related
user generated content with their friends via their social networking
pages. social BLU opens up an entire world of social networking
possibilities.
The newly redesigned Universal BD-Live Center, as seen first on
"Funny People" will offer an interactive experience directly from an
Internet-connected Blu-ray player. By clicking on "What's New," users
can check out the latest releases coming to Blu-ray and theaters,
along with exciting BD-Live features.
Additionally, when they visit the new "Content Center," users will
find previews, trailers and more. Meanwhile, the previously-launched
ticker and video rotation automatically bring updated content
directly to the viewer. Login and registration aren't required
unless the user wants to access select community features, so
browsing BD-Live is easier than ever, says Kornblau. Best of all,
everything is designed for simple, one-click navigation, making
BD-Live perfectly optimized for surfing content with a remote
control, he adds.
