Sony is enhancing arsenal of its BD-Live features with the introduction of movieIQ, which connects viewers with a live real-time movie database powered by Gracenote.
movieIQ will directly link scenes within the movie to relevant information including updated filmographies of the director and cast, production facts, location details, music soundtracks and other relevant trivia. Viewers will be given the option of activating movieIQ or not in the disc launch menu. It requires an internet-connected player, as do other BD live features such as cinechat, Picture in Picture commentary, multiplayer games and downloadable featurettes.
The first Blu-ray title to offer movieIQ will be Angels and Demons, which launches in October. While the number of BD-Live titles is still fairly limited, the number of available Blu-ray offerings has grown significantly in the last two years — Sony Pictures Home Entertainment currently has over 180 titles on Blu-ray Disc.
The growth in BD disc availability has no doubt benefited from the recent opening of Sony’s Blu-ray manufacturing plant in western Sydney. New movies such as The Ugly Truth, Terminator Salvation, The Taking of Pelham 1/2/3 and the Australian feature Cedar Boys are all slated for Blu-ray release in December and January.