August 11 at 12:11pm

DVDs w/ Cross Platform Commentaries

I have been frustrated how DVDs do not exploit their technology. It is a long list as to what they could do to make better use of it, and hopefully one day I will build that out. In the meantime if you have any suggestions please forward them on to us here. And to tide you over until the day comes with the mega-uber list:

This suggestion from Dan McGuire:
Movie dvds should include a Aiff or Mp3 audio file of the director’s commentary, so I can listen to the comments on my ipod or car cd player the day after viewing the film.

How great would that be!

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  • Breaker

    I just attended a seminar about DIY Self Distribution in Hawaii. I think what your talking about has just been developed and released a week ago. Anyways, the company that presented is called EggUp.com and they created something called the EGG which contains encrypted video files . It also has the capability to download mp3, mp4, .mov files and many more. I was a little overwhelmed as there were so many cool features. Checkout www.eggup.com and watch the demo video to see how it works.

  • C. J.

    I agree that DVD's are outdated. A lot can be done with 4.7GB (single layer) and 8.5GB (Dual-Layer), but the main problem is in the players. When DVD's were cutting edge technology and the players were very expensive -- the industry began a conversion into this new format and platform. Remember when writable DVD's came out? The +R's and -R's. These new dvd's were not compatible with the older players (people had to throw out their $500 player to buy new ones at Walmart for $100). Like city streets, poor planning for the future was at fault. Unless a company decides to make a "DVD 2.0" once again most players will not be compatible with them (annoying customers once again). It can easily be done now by putting alternative data on DVD's such as AAC audio tracks and MP3's, but there is a WINDOWS / MAC complication with that; hence a plugin or new update software download would be required. With so much space a MAC/WIN version could be made, but once again that is splitting the space on the DVD by half. On a side note, anyone with Roxio Toast can burn a functioning DVD with video and data, but in order for someone to obtain the data from the disc they would need Roxio Toast installed on their computer (same goes for other stand alone burning applications), so for this to work a new "free" software would be required so that all who purchase would have access. (InterActual, has done this for years and recently is accepted on Mac platforms.)(It also caused the Disney DVD fiasco and recalls). Additionally one would have to consider that this content deemed "DVD-ROM" would have to work on gaming systems as well (PS3, XBOX, and future ones, which they currently do not). As for MP3's, it would simply just be better to put a serial number on each DVD that can be used to access and download the content online. All in all, anything can happen, but it may take a few software engineers and/or web-developers to do so. Now if DVD could store and run API's, now that would be something phenomenal.

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