Mind-blowing Blu-ray with BD 2.0? Maybe.

A

admin

Audioholics Robot
Staff member
Recently a report came out on NewsFactor.com which covered a very interesting presentation given by James Gosling at the Sun Tech Day in Sydney. Gosling is the "father" of the Java scripting language and is somewhat of an expert on what it can do. What makes this an interesting topic is the fact that Blu-ray's specification includes mandatory Java scripting support (BD-J or BD-Java). Java is what is used to provide the interactive menus on Blu-ray Discs. The inclusion of a Java Virtual Machine as well as network connectivity in BD Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) devices will allow updates to Blu-ray Discs via the Internet - updates which can add features and additional menu content not included on the disc at pressing time.


Discuss "Mind-blowing Blu-ray with BD 2.0? Maybe." here. Read the article.
 
Biggiesized

Biggiesized

Senior Audioholic
People shrugged off the extra features implemented by HDi on HD DVD, and yet this, somehow, will get people to care?
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
People shrugged off the extra features implemented by HDi on HD DVD, and yet this, somehow, will get people to care?
What is scary is that consumers are given features they could care less about and denied features they want cough managed copy cough.
 
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D

Dezoris

Audioholic
What they are attempting to do is basically what the PS3 is or a mobile devices like the iphone are trying.

The most practical use of Java will be able to have a base OS or bios designed by the manufacturer.

When you boot up the machine you will have options to install java widgets that can be pulled up manufacturers custom website. If you install lets say the "Amazon Widget" you can go and type in your review of the movie after it is done.

Or want to pull up different style clocks or skins. Its really just there to connect people to the web and make the player more functional and more mobile/PC based. With plugins or widgets from studios it can make the move experience more fun.

At my current job we are doing this now for some of our equipment to make the user experience better.


The only way I can describe it is to throw in a VHS tape or Laserdisk.
And you soon think, where are the menus? Where are my options?

At first everyone just wanted to put in the disk and have it start. Now we expect more GUI options for controlling everything. The Java will be the next evolution of that as long as it does not hinder playing the movie.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Yes, but the question seems to be not what or how good the features are; rather it is whether or not anyone will even use them? Most supplemental features are novelty at best, as most polls on forums like this one show that the typical person does not watch the vast majority of extras. I do, but not for every movie and generally not every single extra. They are going to have to add some pretty significant content to get me interested in using the feature.
 
A

autoboy

Audioholic
Sorry, I still just want the movie to just start. I rip out all the rest. There has been one special feature I really liked, and that was the blue screen playback of the 300 HD-DVD
 
J

Johnd

Audioholic Samurai
Sorry, I still just want the movie to just start. I rip out all the rest. There has been one special feature I really liked, and that was the blue screen playback of the 300 HD-DVD
Yeah. You mean the Pip feature on 300? Pretty cool. I don't know if BD plans on having this feature, but it makes 300 worth almost twice the price. We'll see if they can get it together on this one.
 
1

1tribeca

Audioholic
I don't own a Blu-ray...yet! Either way, I've NEVER bothered with the extras on DVDs...just gimme the film man, that's what I paid for!!
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Yeah. You mean the Pip feature on 300? Pretty cool. I don't know if BD plans on having this feature, but it makes 300 worth almost twice the price. We'll see if they can get it together on this one.
Yes, Blu-ray already has this feature per Profile 1.1.
 
Jack Hammer

Jack Hammer

Audioholic Field Marshall
I gotta say, the percieved value is higher on a movie with lots of features. You feel like you are getting more for you money. That said, I've found most extra features to be a waste of time. That's not to say that there aren't some great ones out there. Most are just PR for how 'great' the director or actors are. I do like to see filmographies, which are more and more rare these days. I'd rather save the $5 and get the single disc movie only version.

Jack
 
Jack Hammer

Jack Hammer

Audioholic Field Marshall
I think the studios will find a way to charge extra for the online features, just give them time.

Jack
 
J

Jacksmyname

Audioholic
In all the years I've been buying movies, VHS, LD, DVD, HD-DVD, and now BD, I've watched the extras on only two:
The original version of "The Thing From Another World"
The restored version of "Lawrence Of Arabia"
Both were LD's, many years ago.
Give me just the movie, please. :)
 
S

swestbom

Audioholic Intern
Recently a report came out on NewsFactor.com which covered a very interesting presentation given by James Gosling at the Sun Tech Day in Sydney. Gosling is the "father" of the Java scripting language and is somewhat of an expert on what it can do. What makes this an interesting topic is the fact that Blu-ray's specification includes mandatory Java scripting support (BD-J or BD-Java). Java is what is used to provide the interactive menus on Blu-ray Discs. The inclusion of a Java Virtual Machine as well as network connectivity in BD Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) devices will allow updates to Blu-ray Discs via the Internet - updates which can add features and additional menu content not included on the disc at pressing time.


Discuss "Mind-blowing Blu-ray with BD 2.0? Maybe." here. Read the article.
Please don't confuse the Java programming language with Javascript. Java bears no relation to the Javascript language used on the web other than the word Java within Javascript. Java is a nice network aware programming language, Javascript is a POC hack language that is a necessary evil for interactive web development that just won't go away, just like most of the crappy stuff for web programming that we are stuck with such as HTML and CSS (I use this stuff every day but I don't have to like it).
 
R

Reorx

Full Audioholic
Please don't confuse the Java programming language with Javascript. Java bears no relation to the Javascript language used on the web other than the word Java within Javascript. Java is a nice network aware programming language, Javascript is a POC hack language that is a necessary evil for interactive web development that just won't go away, just like most of the crappy stuff for web programming that we are stuck with such as HTML and CSS (I use this stuff every day but I don't have to like it).
So, is Blu-ray using Javascripting or Java Programming?

From what I've programmed in person, heard from friends, read online...Java Programming sucks. If you Google 'java sucks' you find 190k links.

So what makes BD-Java so different?
 
HookedOnSound

HookedOnSound

Full Audioholic
For their needs not ours...

If they upload Commercials into players I'm gonna freak!!!

I've started to notice alot of DVDs that don't let you bypass commercials so I can bet where this is going....updates? yeah right...
 

bigbangtheory

Audioholic
Sorry, I still just want the movie to just start.
Amen to that. It's funny how when HT just started to become in vogue, it was supposed to be a movie-like experience at home. Now with BD 2.0 features on the way, the HT experience is more akin to surfing the web than it is sitting in a movie theater.

Are we the consumers really asking for this? If so, can some of you stop asking, I really just want to watch the movie I just bought!
 
A

allargon

Audioholic General
So, is Blu-ray using Javascripting or Java Programming?

From what I've programmed in person, heard from friends, read online...Java Programming sucks. If you Google 'java sucks' you find 190k links.

So what makes BD-Java so different?
BD-J is real Java not Javascript. That's why it's so slow on everything but the PS3. Anyone who remembers the late 90's remembers how sloooooooooow client-side Java can be. I don't think it's the full implementation or even the full client-side runtime implementation just a subset of the embedded device version.

Here's the requisite Wikipedia link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BD-J
 
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