Also making waves with its current U-Control features for Tokyo Drift, Univesal is upting the hidef interactivity ante for atleast two of its new releases, Children of Men and Smokin Aces.

On 'Children of Men,' viewers get a chance to see the film's featured video billboard advertisements in their entirety. The HD DVD will allow users to click on each of the approximately ten billboards and watch the complete ads.

'Smokin' Aces' will integrate Google Earth to identify specific locations of assassins during the film.


http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Mic...DVD_Assault/523

Online Interactivity to Spearhead Universal's 2007 HD DVD Assault
Mon Mar 19, 2007 at 02:50 AM ET


Universal Studios Home Entertainment is betting that interactivity will boost HD DVD in the next-gen battle against Blu-ray, with the studio planning to release three major titles in 2007 with web-connected features.

Currently, no studio supporting HD DVD has taken advantage of the Ethernet capabilities found on all Toshiba first- and second-gen HD DVD players. That is due to change by year's end, when Universal will unveil three, as-yet-untitled releases to take advantage of the format's web connectivity.

The news came courtesy of Kevin Collins, Microsoft director of HD DVD evangelism, who outlined the studio's plans to Video Business. Microsoft, along with Toshiba and Universal, have so far been the primary backers of the HD DVD format since it's launch last year.

"We are still scratching the surface of what we are capable of doing, but Universal is leading the format in terms of exploring all the different aspects that are out there now," said Collins. "By the holidays, there will be a lot more features."

To date, Blu-ray titles have featured relatively little interactivity, as its BD-Java technology is still being tweaked for implementation on future titles. Nevertheless, HD DVD sales recently began to lag behind Blu-ray, with the format's disc releases selling fewer units than its rival over the last couple of months.

Hoping to reverse the trend, Universal will continue to promote existing HDi-based interactivity on two key upcoming HD DVD titles, 'Children of Men,' due March 20, and 'Smokin' Aces,' which streets April 17. The studio promises features even more advanced than those seen on earlier HDi-enabled hits like last September's 'The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift.'

On 'Children of Men,' viewers get a chance to see the film's featured video billboard advertisements in their entirety. The HD DVD will allow users to click on each of the approximately ten billboards and watch the complete ads.

'Smokin' Aces' will integrate Google Earth to identify specific locations of assassins during the film.

We'll keep you posted as Universal's HD DVD plans continue to heat up throughout the rest of the year, and of all new titles as soon as they are officially announced.

A complete list of all currently-announced Universal titles can be found in our HD DVD Release Schedule. Stay tuned...

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