Universal Studios Home Entertainment announced today that the HD
DVD release of "Evan Almighty" will include a number of new web-enabled features. Along with the ability to set a Best Buddies list,
viewers will be able to download exclusive trailers, content and games from the Download Center and purchase items from the movie through
U-Shop, Universal's new online store.
Today, Universal Studios Home Entertainment raised the bar on HD DVD’s unique
web-enabled experiences by unveiling an Internet infrastructure that allows it to take advantage of the guaranteed Internet connection in
every HD DVD player and deliver compelling, title specific features. Heroes: Season 1 on HD DVD was the first title to take advantage of
web-enabled capabilities, but with the forthcoming availability of Evan Almighty on HD DVD, Universal is setting the stage for new home
entertainment experiences with web-enabled features such as the Download Center, U-Shop, and much more. Taking advantage of the infinite
possibilities of web-enabled experiences, Universal is utilizing HD DVD to explore the promise of digitally distributed scenarios and
infusing movie content with e-commerce and social media capabilities.
“HD DVD provides a consistent platform that allows us to go
beyond DVD to deliver the best possible next generation HD experiences and begins to introduce consumers to the infinite potential of
web-enabled content,” said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms.
“With our web-enabled features, we wanted to deliver capabilities that compliment the HD movie watching experience while also offering a
destination online that gives users the opportunity to dive deeper into their favorite movies and TV shows. We’ve just begun to explore
HD DVD’s potential and this infrastructure lays the foundation for us to easily evolve with consumer preferences.”
While I can't see myself buying anything through my HD DVD player, the ability to download exclusive content is
definitely a nice feature. If you'd like to read more Universal's entire press release can be found here.
