The new generation of Blu-ray players gives consumers more opportunity to enjoy the BD experience by uploading and downloading content through the Internet. Audiences are increasingly familiar with this concept and they are beginning to enjoy the wealth of possibilities for Internet-connected devices, especially with camera capability. NICK BROWN, CEO of Crossplatform Ltd, introduces an exciting new technology, capable of adding even more life to a BD-Live title – Augmented Reality.
Increasingly, there is also an appetite for more video and 3D experiences, either from user-generated content (UGC) or exclusive professionally-produced ‘snackable’ content across platforms, generating huge opportunities for both marketing and content distribution.
Augmented Reality (AR) was originally used by defence organisations to create simulated environments. Now AR is being used to entertain consumers using facial and image recognition that drives video and 3D animation. As processing power increases and software becomes more affordable, interesting applications are being revealed to the consumer for the first time.
In recent years, consumers have been exposed to ever-increasing quality through formats designed to provide an incredible in-theatre experience (big sound, true colour and depth). They have seen SD give way to Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and are now enjoying the benefits of HD, with a dawning realisation that pretty soon 3D will yet again change their experience of home entertainment.
Combine this expectation with the increasing use of broadband connections, and the way is clear for BD-Live. This is a great opportunity for studios to leverage the full combination of HDTV, broadband, casual gaming and social web trends to transform the domestic viewing experience. BD-Live adds a new dimension — online connectivity — to the high-definition video experience, turning a disc with a movie into a doorway to a virtually limitless, interactive world of content, commerce and community.
