Apple is set to start selling Blu ray content via their iTunes store. The deal is tipped to be launched in Australia soon.
The first Blu- ray movie to be released will be “Fast & Furious,” which iPhone and iPod Touch owners will have a chance to control special interactive features through their devices, provided they have WiFi-enabled Blu-ray players. The movie will be released on July 28th according to executives at Universal distributors of the movie.
The functionality will be available later in the year on other releases, and features will also be available in which users can download special features to their devices and use them on the go.
“By harnessing Blu-ray technology and combining it with Apple’s highly acclaimed iPod touch and iPhone, we continue to raise the bar in delivering an array of unprecedented, user-friendly home entertainment experiences,” Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms, said as part of the announcement.
“Bridging these platforms further broadens the scope of the digital landscape by paving the way for innovative new applications and interactive content enhancements that continue to uniquely engage consumers.”
Dealerscope Magazine said, Ironically, Universal was one of the only movie studios that backed HD DVD during the entire hi-def disc format war- and Apple’s Steve Jobs last fall famously referred to Blu-ray as “a bag of hurt”
