BD Live Platform promises savings in time, money

New software helps development of advanced features

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 4/21/2008

APRIL 18 | New Blu-ray Disc development software, dubbed BD Live Platform, promises to save studios time and money in crafting advanced bonus features. The result could be more BD Live titles coming to market with beefed up interactivity this year.

Rather than build BD Live features from scratch with each title project, developers can use the set of simplified encoding instructions to craft various interactive extras, according to the software’s developer, Related Content Database (RCDb).

The technology, which coordinates both hardware memory and information sitting on discs, allows for automatic updating of BD Live titles to include the latest studio online offerings, such as theatrical trailers or game levels. The consumer should see less waiting time for various Web downloads.

“This is a network infrastructure that developers can use to create compelling BD Live features,” said Zane Vella, president of RCDb. “These early features have been very much like the Web-browser experience. And our focus groups say that people are tired of IT issues in their living rooms. But this platform will allow studios to seamlessly update features, providing consumers with a high-quality, high-production experience without the frustration of connecting to the Internet.”

Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory is utilizing the BD Live Platform for its Blu-ray authoring. The first titles engineered with this software should start streeting during the fourth quarter.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment displayed some of the BD Live Platform technology with upcoming title Alien vs. Predator at CES.

“RCDb has been a valuable partner as we gear up for BD Live and widespread adoption of the Blu-ray format,” said Danny Kaye, executive VP of research and technology at Fox.

Panasonic and RCDb believe BD Live Platform will be crucial for studios to create Web-enabled titles that are meaningful to consumers. Vella said the platform will particularly help developers build features for social networking and personalized interactivity.

For example, consumers can create buddy lists that will automatically transfer to all of their BD Live discs. That can allow for speedier gathering of multi-player gaming and shared user-generated commentary.

The platform also syncs up BD Live players with other devices, such as cell phones. In this way, a consumer’s BD Live player can notify a friend’s cell phone that a BD Live game challenge is about to start.

“In year one of BD Live hardware, you are going to see advanced features with this summer’s blockbuster movies on Blu-ray“ said Vella. “When DVD first came out, it took two or three years of studio experimentation to figure out what special features made economic sense and added consumer value. With this [Platform] tool set, we can speed up that process of evolution for BD Live.”

Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Panasonic's VP of corporate development and general manager added, “This will lower the barrier for entry for advanced BD Live features.”

Studios can either license the platform technology long-term or on a title-by-title basis.