Universal Thinks The Future Of Home Entertainment Is Your Phone

You know how it is: you're lounging around in your comfy chair, basking in the glow of one of your favorite flicks unspooling on your crystal-clear HDTV. You're swept up in the transformative power of cinema, possibly with a jumbo bucket of artificial-movie-theater-butter-flavored popcorn in your lap and a loved one on your shoulder (or vice versa). And yet...you feel unfulfilled. "If only," you think to yourself, "there were a way I could control my DVD player with my phone! Or use my Blu-ray player to update my Facebook status!"

Have no fear! Universal Studios Home Entertainment is here!

USHE has announced that you'll be able to do all of the above and more as part of their ongoing attempts to connect every technology to every other bit of technology. (I, for one, look forward to someday being able to browse YouTube videos on my electric toothbrush.) These exciting features join this week's Twitter-and-Facebook Xbox 360 update at the forefront of advancing technology that I will never, ever, ever use.

But hey, maybe I'm just behind the times. Maybe I'm vastly underestimating this market. Certainly, the below-18 demographic doesn't seem capable of sitting through a movie without texting somebody on their phone, so what do I know? Take it away, anonymous Universal Studios Home Entertainment press-release writer!

pocket BLU app

USHE’s groundbreaking pocket BLU app makes its debut this holiday season for the iPhone and iPod touch on the Blu-ray editions of Bruno (November 17), Funny People (November 24), Public Enemies (December 8), Inglourious Basterds (December 15), American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (December 22), and 9 (December 29). The app uses the device’s Wi-Fi connection to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray player and offers the following advanced features:

• Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray player. Users can navigate through menus, playback, and BD-Live functions with ease.
• Video Timeline: By turning the phone to landscape mode, users will bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the movie.
• Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of exclusive bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
• Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
• Pop-Up Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray player with this easy and intuitive keyboard that will facilitate such Blu-ray features as chatting with friends and sending messages.

pocket BLU is an extendable platform that will allow Universal Studios Home Entertainment to introduce even more new and groundbreaking mobile features on additional devices and platforms in the very near future. The pocket BLU app is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch at www.itunes.com/appstore.

social BLU

The American Pie Presents: The Book of Love release also will mark the integration of Blu-ray content and social networking applications. This newly developed interactive technology allows users to easily sign on with their Facebook and Twitter login information and enjoy a variety of connected Blu-ray features with their friends. Users can control status updates from their Blu-ray player, the UniversalHiDef.com website, or within pocketBlu.

As part of the newly developed interactive social BLU technology, users can update their Facebook and Twitter profile statuses via BD-Live. With the click of a button, users can rate the movie, send messages, and on future releases will be able to share film-related, user-generated content with their friends via their social networking pages. social BLU opens up an entire world of social networking possibilities.

BD-Live Center Update

The newly redesigned Universal BD-Live Center, as seen first on Funny People, will offer an easy, fun, and interactive experience directly from an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. By clicking on “What’s New,” users can check out the latest releases coming to Blu-ray and theaters, along with exciting BD-Live features. Additionally, when they visit the new “Content Center,” users will intuitively find their favorite previews, trailers, and more. Meanwhile, the previously launched ticker and video rotation automatically bring updated content directly to the viewer. Login and registration aren’t required unless the user wants to access select community features, so browsing BD-Live is easier than ever. Best of all, everything is designed for simple, one-click navigation, making BD-Live perfectly optimized for surfing content with a remote control.