are there? this includes examples of HD-DVD features that could be transported to BluRay. things that don't count are features that could be included on the disc at release, but were just held back just so that they could be downloaded later (yes you, Transformers!). i remember 300 had that edit scene thing that you could "give" to your friends, but that was lame, really.
basically i'm asking for examples (future or present) of features only web-enabled options could give you, that don't suck.

1) Downloadable Subs and extra materials
2) Discount coupons for future purchase ;)
3) Provide information about easter eggs and hidden contents
4) Live Community Screening
5) Provide BD Info :cool:

Boring.

Everything should be on the disc. You can download trailers off Apple's site. More info at IMDB.com or the film's website.

I think it might be cool (or at the very least, entertaining) to give users the ability to create their own commentary tracks and them upload them to a repository site managed by the studio. As with any commentary, the studio could distance themselves from the opinions expressed by the commentators.

Using your web-enabled player, you could then browse available "user commentaries" using the BD-Live feature. Selecting a "user commentary" would download a compressed audio file (maybe MP3 quality, mono) directly to your player. You could then listen to what the Average Joe might have to say (good or bad) about the movie you are watching. After listening to a user commentary, you could levy a rating and maybe some comments that would be recorded online to help other users decide whether to DL the track.

The only trick would be enabling the recording in-sync to the movie. Perhaps this could be done with future-gen Blu-ray players that support a karaoke/audio input for recording/mixing. BD-Live and Bonus View players already support the secondary audio mixing/decoding, so even if you couldn't create your own commentary, you could listen to one somebody else had made.

I think it might open up some unique entertainment opportunities for the public to interact. Imagine listening to backwoods Jim Bob giving his treatise on "Seven Samurai" or the "Essential Star Wars Drinking Game Commentary"!

live screening - this has potential, but the bandwidth for the voice would have to be high or else the experience would suck.

subs - since english is my language, i can only imagine this might have potential for non-english speakers to get a cheap alternative to their english audio tracks. this only works if studios allow fan subs. if it's studio subs, they could include it in the first place.

fan commentaries might sound good, but realistically, there'd be way too much crap out there. it might be like 1% worth listening to. i tried listening to fan podcasts of shows i liked and couldn't get through any of them.

Please see HD DVD. BD has nothing like that to offer right now. Maybe later this year.

fan commentaries might sound good, but realistically, there'd be way too much crap out there. it might be like 1% worth listening to. i tried listening to fan podcasts of shows i liked and couldn't get through any of them.

I think this is were community ratings and comments would come into play. The truly unique and entertaining commentaries would be noted as such, and the mouthbreathers would be flagged so you could avoid them (should you so choose).

The whole Mystery Science Theater 3000 aspect might make otherwise attrocious films watchable! (I'm looking at you, Jumper)

Having a parallel conversation about this feature elsewhere, thought I'd continue to share:

I understand the arguments against user audio commentaries, but how about...

User Text Commentaries

This would actually be a lot easier to run an automate word filter against (for the studios) and be significantly smaller in file size.

People with BD Live players likely already have USB inputs on their equipment. There is no reason that a simple USB keyboard could not be made to interface with this port and enable user input. Perhaps the necessary driver/feature set could be part of User Text Commentary enabled Blu-ray titles?

Users would then watch the film with the Text Input feature enabled. They could then PAUSE the film and enter their text commentary entries at specific timecodes. After they completed watching the film, the text snippets and associated timecodes would be compiled to a file that would upload to the studio site. Automated content/word filters could be run against it. Perhaps the creating user would supply their own synopsis/abstract of the commentary.

Content rating and user rating systems could still be used to separate the wheat from the chaff for browsing users.

Using a Text Commentary system would remove the obstacles of poor audio recording quality from the equation.

As an extension, maybe the Text Commentary system could be adapted to allow users to create their own language/region subtitles in the absence of studio effort. This would allow users that speak "less common" languages to more fully enjoy the film. The same could be applied for SDH (subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing) for titles that lacked this feature.

Thoughts?

Taking this out one more step...
If the BD Java system could be adapted to allow multiple caption streams simultaneously, i.e. with different color shades (selectable by user), they could have a language stream as well as user commentary.

User Text Commentaries


This actually sounds somewhat plausible. If users could create and upload their own pop up text creations (as a do it yourself pop up video) I could see it becoming very popular. Lots of opportunities to make fun of movies or it could be used as a training guide at times (see the DNR here, check out the EE, etc).

A studio partnership with RiffTrax (http://www.rifftrax.com/) (MST3K-alumn Mike Nelson and friends) to provide downloadable spoof-commentaries would be pretty fun.

I find it hard to get excited about any of this sort of stuff, but I remain open-minded.

What I really see being attractive about User Text Commentaries is the capabilities it might give to Movie Reviewers.

Imagine a movie reviewer being able to have their movie review online at a website, and then being able to make reference to their own custom review/commentary as a downloadable feature upon title release. Reviewers could then make notes like "in this scene, you can see the over application of DNR and edge enhancement" or "compression artifacting shows in this dark scene".

Going back to the concept as a whole, giving users the ability to create their own movie-sync'd text tracks (be them commentaries, subtitles, English SDH) that play back along with the movie will only add and extend to the capabilities of a Blu-ray. A movie lacking SDH would now have the capability to pull down a user-created SDH text track overlay to play along with the movie, allowing those with auditory disabilities to enjoy the film. Not all studios provide SDH, and available subtitles for languages other than English/Spanish/French are limited for North American releases.

The system I envision isn't simplistic, but the potential benefits of engaging your userbase interactively and allowing them to participate cannot be discounted. Absolutely there will be those that grief the system, but enabling a system of text filters and user ratings will allow the userbase as a whole to enjoy the positive aspects of the feature.

Here is an example of the system I envision:


A Blu-ray title is authored to include a simple "device driver" for a standard USB keyboard.
Users that have appropriately equipped Blu-ray players (those with a USB port) can plug in a USB keyboard as they watch the film.
Choosing an option for "User Commentary Entry" enables a pause/data entry Java overlay as the film is player.
The user could pause the film and enter text to be displayed at a specific timecode within the film. They continue to watch the film, pausing as dialogue or scenes occur to enter translation/commentary.
After the film completes, the user uploads their custom text commentary/translation to a studio sponsored website along with their description of the package (ex. Trivia Commentary, Italian Translation, English SDH Track).
The file is automatically run against a word filter to reduce profanity. Perhaps the filter is pre-keyed based on the rating of the film; for R films, certain words may be allowed, but for PG a stricter filter is applied.
The Text Track is then added to the Community Downloads section and users may optionally download it for viewing on their own Blu-ray players. The beauty here is that no USB keyboard is required, only Bonus View or BD Live capabilities.
End users watch the film with the User Commentary/Translation/SDH track and then can automatically render a rating of the User track via their remotes and a BD-Live/Bonus View response and rating feature.
Ratings are tallied for user content online, allowing for future users to make informed decisions about content.

As with all commentaries, studios can distance themselves and absolve legal liability for user created content (as they already do for included commentaries).

I think it might open up some unique entertainment opportunities for the public to interact. Imagine listening to backwoods Jim Bob giving his treatise on "Seven Samurai" or the "Essential Star Wars Drinking Game Commentary"!

Yeah it should be very entertaining... :rolleyes: If people want to talk about a movie, then they just have to go on internet forums and that's it.

I've never used any of the downloadable stuff on my HDDVDs, and I think I will do the exactly same on BDs... While I don't find the idea particularily bad, I'm not sure what kind of "content" justifies the download time, the wait... It's the kind of feature that sounds cool, but is it really useful? I agree with Kram Sacul, everything should be on the disc(s).

What I really see being attractive about User Text Commentaries is the capabilities it might give to Movie Reviewers.

Imagine a movie reviewer being able to have their movie review online at a website, and then being able to make reference to their own custom review/commentary as a downloadable feature upon title release. Reviewers could then make notes like "in this scene, you can see the over application of DNR and edge enhancement" or "compression artifacting shows in this dark scene".

Going back to the concept as a whole, giving users the ability to create their own movie-sync'd text tracks (be them commentaries, subtitles, English SDH) that play back along with the movie will only add and extend to the capabilities of a Blu-ray. A movie lacking SDH would now have the capability to pull down a user-created SDH text track overlay to play along with the movie, allowing those with auditory disabilities to enjoy the film. Not all studios provide SDH, and available subtitles for languages other than English/Spanish/French are limited for North American releases.

The system I envision isn't simplistic, but the potential benefits of engaging your userbase interactively and allowing them to participate cannot be discounted. Absolutely there will be those that grief the system, but enabling a system of text filters and user ratings will allow the userbase as a whole to enjoy the positive aspects of the feature.

Here is an example of the system I envision:


A Blu-ray title is authored to include a simple "device driver" for a standard USB keyboard.
Users that have appropriately equipped Blu-ray players (those with a USB port) can plug in a USB keyboard as they watch the film.
Choosing an option for "User Commentary Entry" enables a pause/data entry Java overlay as the film is player.
The user could pause the film and enter text to be displayed at a specific timecode within the film. They continue to watch the film, pausing as dialogue or scenes occur to enter translation/commentary.
After the film completes, the user uploads their custom text commentary/translation to a studio sponsored website along with their description of the package (ex. Trivia Commentary, Italian Translation, English SDH Track).
The file is automatically run against a word filter to reduce profanity. Perhaps the filter is pre-keyed based on the rating of the film; for R films, certain words may be allowed, but for PG a stricter filter is applied.
The Text Track is then added to the Community Downloads section and users may optionally download it for viewing on their own Blu-ray players. The beauty here is that no USB keyboard is required, only Bonus View or BD Live capabilities.
End users watch the film with the User Commentary/Translation/SDH track and then can automatically render a rating of the User track via their remotes and a BD-Live/Bonus View response and rating feature.
Ratings are tallied for user content online, allowing for future users to make informed decisions about content.

As with all commentaries, studios can distance themselves and absolve legal liability for user created content (as they already do for included commentaries).

People won't have the patience for this! Watching a movie is first and foremost and entertaining moment, not a PhD study... Translations? Commentaries?... Hm... Don't get me wrong, your system does look very interesting, but honestly, I think this would be one of those cool features that end up there, available, but also never used. Or at least not used enough.

Yeah it should be very entertaining... :rolleyes: If people want to talk about a movie, then they just have to go on internet forums and that's it.

I've never used any of the downloadable stuff on my HDDVDs, and I think I will do the exactly same on BDs... While I don't find the idea particularily bad, I'm not sure what kind of "content" justifies the download time, the wait... It's the kind of feature that sounds cool, but is it really useful? I agree with Kram Sacul, everything should be on the disc(s).

The whole position of "everything should be on the disc" is entirely contrary to the experience that BD Live was designed for. While I do agree that all of the feature-relevant content available from the studio should be on the disc, extensions of the content can be put on offer via optional user downloads.

Your statement about not using the interactivity or supplement features on your HD-DVDs indicates that this technology would inherently be uninteresting and unused by you, thus you might not be the best userbase to which to market (or discuss) this concept.

People won't have the patience for this! Watching a movie is first and foremost and entertaining moment, not a PhD study... Translations? Commentaries?... Hm... Don't get me wrong, your system does look very interesting, but honestly, I think this would be one of those cool features that end up there, available, but also never used. Or at least not used enough.

I suppose I am of a different mindset. I enjoy watching the main feature of a film, and that is where my main enjoyment is derived, but I also am a big consumer of the supplements available on films, especially those that I have a fondness for. Watching commentaries opens up new facets of a film that I might not have otherwise been aware of.

User Text Commentaries would be like any other supplement available on a disc, but in this case it gives willing individuals the ability to contribute back into the community should they so choose. Admittedly there would be hurdles to overcome, both in technology and content management, but I think the benefits would be perceptible, especially to film afficianados and videophiles.

Some could argue that nobody would take the time to produce a quality Text Commentary/Subtitle Translation/SDH track, but I would counter that there would surely be those users who consider themselves "philanthropists" to film and would lavish the time and effort to produce quality materials for the films they love. Nothing brings out the best in people like the opportunity to express themselves creatively with a public audience.

I don't envision any great interest in BD-Live functionality for feature films.

Now for corporate, training or marketing discs...completely different story. Possibilities can be endless.

Basically all the extras worth doing were debuted during the Laserdisc era.
Film maker's commentaries, deleted scenes, and non-promotional documentaries are wonderful things and are in no way in need of improvement.
PIP, and network functionality are silly and disrespectful to cinema.
Personally I feel Warner's implementation of Java based "Pop-up Menu" is terrible, you have to interrupt the film to acces the lossles soundtrack.

are there? I've never seen any at all. :p

I don't think certain polls are bad, either.

I remember the Blood Diamond HD DVD had polls informing Warner in which catalog releases fans had the most interest.

Yes, the quizzes can be a little self serving and silly. However, I would prefer market research from people who actually own Blu-Ray all over the world vs. the typical little Southern California based focus group.

BTW, I would wager that more people (outside of AVS) care more about extras (BTS, PiP commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, bloopers, etc.) and BD-Live functionality than about lossless audio.

BTW, I would wager that more people (outside of AVS) care more about extras (BTS, PiP commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, bloopers, etc.) and BD-Live functionality than about lossless audio

I'd agree with that. Audio is LAST on Joe Sixpack and Wendy Wine Cooler's list.

Your statement about not using the interactivity or supplement features on your HD-DVDs indicates that this technology would inherently be uninteresting and unused by you, thus you might not be the best userbase to which to market (or discuss) this concept.


Maybe. But again, I do like the concept, I'm just not sure it will be successful enough to last, just like DVD-ROM content was for SD-DVDs... Successful or even appealing to a significant number of people (significant being more than just the "philantropists"...)

Correct me if I'm wrong but the downloadable extras on Transformers, iirc, were wallpapers, photos, different menus, featurettes more or less interesting... I know it was one of the first, if not the first (? I can't remember) featuring online extras, but still... not very tempting...

My point is also that, if everything is to be done online, why not use the web directly? Maybe it could even go faster to type text, export it, and make it available to everyone... I don't know, I'm just thinking.

Oh and I do like extras very much. And I do feel like I'm entitled to the discussion...;)

downloadable extras on Transformers, iirc, were wallpapers, photos, different menus, featurettes more or less interesting...
the Transformers stuff was good, but is the perfect example of stuff that could have been included on the disc, resulting in less problems on playback.
My point is also that, if everything is to be done online, why not use the web directly?
because most people don't have pc's connected to their HT bigscreen tv.

For those of us who grew up with Rocky Horror, it might be interesting to have that kind of experience with live audience commentary(aka audience participation). Granted, it would not be as good as seeing it in the theater. Perhaps even an evite sort of thing with those in your fan group/friends list. Of course, you would never know what kind of shmucks you might get in your audience . . .

I suppose for fans of TV shows/Movie Franchises(Star Trek, Firefly, Twin Peaks, etc), the studios could cover the lastest conventions and add video from the convention each year. Also for those with a podcast series, there could be links to the podcast. I have a friend who still does podcasting about Firefly, even though it has been off the air for years. They interview everyone right on down to the costume designers if you wanted it. These could be commentaries that are made by people who wouldn't usually get considered for disc content. IDK if it is really worth it except for the hardcore fans.

How about something like quiz night? People who do trivia nights.

I am hoping there is something really obvious that I am missing, because I have a hard time seeing this go over well for a long period of time.

I find it difficult to get excited about these kinds of features, not sure why. Usually, I'm all over the new tech when it's added to something I enjoy, but for some reason, this hasn't caught on with me yet, especially if it's going to be used as a way to increase the price of the discs.

I think it might be cool (or at the very least, entertaining) to give users the ability to create their own commentary tracks and them upload them to a repository site managed by the studio. As with any commentary, the studio could distance themselves from the opinions expressed by the commentators.

Using your web-enabled player, you could then browse available "user commentaries" using the BD-Live feature. Selecting a "user commentary" would download a compressed audio file (maybe MP3 quality, mono) directly to your player. You could then listen to what the Average Joe might have to say (good or bad) about the movie you are watching. After listening to a user commentary, you could levy a rating and maybe some comments that would be recorded online to help other users decide whether to DL the track.

The only trick would be enabling the recording in-sync to the movie. Perhaps this could be done with future-gen Blu-ray players that support a karaoke/audio input for recording/mixing. BD-Live and Bonus View players already support the secondary audio mixing/decoding, so even if you couldn't create your own commentary, you could listen to one somebody else had made.

I think it might open up some unique entertainment opportunities for the public to interact. Imagine listening to backwoods Jim Bob giving his treatise on "Seven Samurai" or the "Essential Star Wars Drinking Game Commentary"!
What I really see being attractive about User Text Commentaries is the capabilities it might give to Movie Reviewers.

Imagine a movie reviewer being able to have their movie review online at a website, and then being able to make reference to their own custom review/commentary as a downloadable feature upon title release. Reviewers could then make notes like "in this scene, you can see the over application of DNR and edge enhancement" or "compression artifacting shows in this dark scene".

Going back to the concept as a whole, giving users the ability to create their own movie-sync'd text tracks (be them commentaries, subtitles, English SDH) that play back along with the movie will only add and extend to the capabilities of a Blu-ray. A movie lacking SDH would now have the capability to pull down a user-created SDH text track overlay to play along with the movie, allowing those with auditory disabilities to enjoy the film. Not all studios provide SDH, and available subtitles for languages other than English/Spanish/French are limited for North American releases.

The system I envision isn't simplistic, but the potential benefits of engaging your userbase interactively and allowing them to participate cannot be discounted. Absolutely there will be those that grief the system, but enabling a system of text filters and user ratings will allow the userbase as a whole to enjoy the positive aspects of the feature.

Here is an example of the system I envision:


A Blu-ray title is authored to include a simple "device driver" for a standard USB keyboard.
Users that have appropriately equipped Blu-ray players (those with a USB port) can plug in a USB keyboard as they watch the film.
Choosing an option for "User Commentary Entry" enables a pause/data entry Java overlay as the film is player.
The user could pause the film and enter text to be displayed at a specific timecode within the film. They continue to watch the film, pausing as dialogue or scenes occur to enter translation/commentary.
After the film completes, the user uploads their custom text commentary/translation to a studio sponsored website along with their description of the package (ex. Trivia Commentary, Italian Translation, English SDH Track).
The file is automatically run against a word filter to reduce profanity. Perhaps the filter is pre-keyed based on the rating of the film; for R films, certain words may be allowed, but for PG a stricter filter is applied.
The Text Track is then added to the Community Downloads section and users may optionally download it for viewing on their own Blu-ray players. The beauty here is that no USB keyboard is required, only Bonus View or BD Live capabilities.
End users watch the film with the User Commentary/Translation/SDH track and then can automatically render a rating of the User track via their remotes and a BD-Live/Bonus View response and rating feature.
Ratings are tallied for user content online, allowing for future users to make informed decisions about content.

As with all commentaries, studios can distance themselves and absolve legal liability for user created content (as they already do for included commentaries).

It's like I could see the future... (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1088574)

Create And Share Your Own Video Commentary via Warner Brothers BD-Live

If nothing else, it's nice to have a bit of vindication for my ideas in the face of all the criticism received only 4 months ago. Apparently somebody was listening with an open mind.

To all the naysayers, "I break wind in your general direction!"

RCDb's Vella suggests that all Blu-ray titles should include a ‘boot-strap application’ that will automatically check for Web updates every time the discs are played.

“We really have no idea what to do with BD Live or with the Blu-ray format in general yet,” said Vella. “BD Live hasn’t even been available for an entire year yet. … These boot strap applications are a no-brainer.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6634637.html