Above and beyond the improved clarity and sound it is the ability to hitch a ride on the good ship Internet which separates Blu-ray from its DVD forebears and so far that fun has included the ability to connect to the IMDb-like MovieIQ or a scheduled live link up to a director’s commentary event, but this is something new, and typically it’s James Cameron’s Avatar that is pushing boundaries.
Using the BD-Live feature on your original Avatar Blu-ray you will be able to stream or download some of the features on the Collector’s Edition and Fox will keep updating what’s available until the new disc is released. It’s a pretty great way of ensuring people jump on the Blu-ray format, and for those profoundly in love with Pandora it’s the gift which keeps on giving.
What I’d really like to see are a library of alternative commentaries from fans as well as cast and crew – or links to galleries of fan art, or trailer mashups – put simply – this technology is still finding its feet, but Fox and Avatar have combined to create a solid foundation for the future.
Cinema Blend posted the press release which tells you exactly what to expect when you fire up your Blu-ray player and gracefully slot your current Avatar Blu-ray into it.
With access to a BD-Live player with a network connection, once you insert your disc into the player a LIVE EXTRAS option will appear in the main menu. By selecting this, new content will quickly download, allowing you to access preview video clips from the forthcoming Avatar: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray.
Below I’ve listed the videos that will be made available from a new CE Extended Edition, which will launch in the lead up the release on 16th November and which you can chose to either download to your player in high quality, or stream them for faster access.
- Bar Fight: Excerpt from the Collector’s Extended Cut
- Users Guide for AVATAR deleted scenes
- Kauai: Excerpt from documentary
- Grandma’s Teylu: Never Before Seen Deleted Scene
- 2006 Art Reel Excerpt
- Driving Range: Never Before Seen Deleted Scene
- Acting in the Volume: Excerpt from documentary
- Drums of War (full version): Never Before Seen Deleted Scene
- Scene Deconstruction: Demonstration
- “What did happen”: Excerpt from the Collector’s Extended Cut
b) the following pieces of content are going on the Portal for the Avatar ECE November disc:
1) Crew Short: The Night Before Avatar
2) Raw Footage Production Elements (runtime estimated 51:55)
– Screen Test — Sam Worthington & Zoe Saldana (Raw Footage) (10:44)
– Screen Test — Stephen Lang (Raw Footage) (4:30)
– Screen Test — Giovanni Ribisi (Raw Footage) (3:10)
– Screen Test — Joel David Moore (Raw Footage) (4:10)
– Screen Test — CCH Pounder (Raw Footage) (4:47)
– Screen Test — Laz Alonso (Raw Footage) (6:49)
– Speaking Na’vi (Rehearsal/Raw Footage) (6:39)
– Weta Workshop: Walk & Talk Presentation (Raw Footage) (11:06)
The packed Collector’s Edition of Avatar is released in the UK on the 15th of November.
*as far as I know, if I’m wrong please let me know.
