New Service Enables VOD on BD-Live-Enabled Blu-ray Players

Hamburg-based Blu-ray Disc production studio, Enteractive, has developed a service that allows consumers to transform their BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray player into a VOD rental platform, according to a report last week by European DVD industry trade publication, DVD Intelligence. Dubbed Videociety, the new service was unveiled at the MediaTech trade show last month. The service is based on a Blu-ray disc which runs a Java software application that functions as a client or browser and that synchronizes with the Java operating system inside the Blu-ray player, controlling and performing all the necessary tasks to enable delivery of movies from a dedicated content management system and video server, DVD Intelligence reports. In order to use the service, consumers must register themselves and draw up a playlist on the Web or via an iPhone. "The streaming service is so fast you can even start watching the movie as it's downloading," explained Lothar Kerestedjian, Enteractive's director of product and business development. "All you need is a Blu-ray Profile 2.0 player or Playstation 3, a personal computer, high-speed Internet connection and a BD-Live VOD-enabled disc. Register, preselect your favorite movies and create your play list on your PC, laptop or iPhone. Insert your BD-Live VOD-enabled disc in your Blu-ray player. Establish a broadband connection, login and enjoy your movies with the remote control. Just like watching a DVD."

Movies delivered through the Videociety service will be encoded in MPEG-4 with either Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo or 5.1 surround audio. The service is scheduled to officially launch at the IFA in Berlin in September. Enteractive claims to be negotiating with a range of major and indie studios to line up content for the service. The company will also have access to content from its sister companies in the Splendid Media Group--Splendid Film, Polyband and WVG Media--which collectively have a library of around 400 movie titles. According to DVD Intelligence, Enteractive will offer Videociety as a "complete turnkey solution and platform" in partnership with Akamai Technologies, and will manage customer relations, billing, copy protection and parental control functionality. "Already, we have passed the critical point for mass-market adoption," Enteractive CEO, Hans Henseleit, stated. "The 1.3 million PlayStation 3 consoles and about 70,000 BD-Live players sold in Germany are potentially ready for the new BD-Live VOD service. With prediction that the price of Blu-ray Profile 2.0 players will drop by Christmas 2009 below 100 Euros, the growth prospect for Videociety is excellent. Enteractive plans an extensive marketing campaign for the launch of a bespoke VOD service in the autumn, including promotion with Blu-ray hardware manufacturers, advertorials in the trade press and popular AV magazines as well as an Internet campaign to bring personal TV via BD-Live into the living room."