iPhone to Become Blu-Ray Player Remote

[miked924]

http://gizmodo.com/377290/iphone-to-...-player-remote

According to NetBlender, iPhone and iPod touch users will be able to control their Blu-ray players using an application called BD Touch. The application will use the network capabilities of Blu-ray hardware and Apple's handheld devices to transfer data, allowing you to do many different things beyond controlling movie playback.

According to NetBlender:

• The iPhone application will be able to interact directly with movies, showing extra information in the iPhone.
• It will also be able to keep a database of your movie collection.
• BD Touch will also be able to get digital copies of the movies inside the Blu-ray disc, presumably already encoded for iPod touch and iPhone playback.

The only problem we see with BD Touch is the quote they gave to MacWorld UK:

The sophisticated user interface of the iPhone enables greater user interaction as well as the power to leverage the iPhone's existing network. Search, e-commerce and advertising possibilities related to movie content abound when one imagines real-time communication between the iPhone and the content currently being displayed on a Blu-ray player.

Possibility of buying/snatching a song while I'm listening to it in the movie soundtrack? Great. Advertising popping on my iPhone while I watch a movie? I was going to say "no thanks," but I just stopped at the "why?"

We will see how it exactly works when it gets announced this Thursday. [Netblender via MacWorld]

[BStecke]

Huh. Sounds interesting. I'll check it out.

Edit: Scratch that . . . probably won't work with the PS3.

[apollo92178]

Hmmm, Apple should be upping the ante with some bluray loving. This could be a good start.

[CptGreedle]

Sound fishy to me, but if this is valid, it is very interesting indeed.
Since the iPhone supports bluetooth, there is NO REASON it should not work as a remote for the PS3. If this does happen, it will not only promote the format, but also put Apple in a good position with Blu-ray AND advance the capabilities of Blu-ray with devices such as iPhones and iPod Touches.

[sardaukar1977]

but I don't have an iphone

[lilhomie86]

Originally Posted by sardaukar1977

but I don't have an iphone

Get an iPod Touch

[visual0ne]

Originally Posted by BStecke

Huh. Sounds interesting. I'll check it out.

Edit: Scratch that . . . probably won't work with the PS3.

I would think it would work with the PS3 they are both bluetooth devices. The link to the story in the first post has a picture of the two together so that makes it seem more hopeful to me at least. I have both so I will be egar to see what they come up with.

[Krandor]

This sounds a bit odd to me. Is this supposed to be something every manufacterer of Blu-ray devices is going to add in? I really doubt this is something that would become mandatory. and only supplying his "Extra information" to just one hardware device like the iphone doesn't sound like a good move for Blu-Ray as a whole. I don't have or want an iPhone, but if there is stuff I cannot use or information I cannot get from Blu-Ray because I don't have one I'll be very upset.

I suspect this will be more that maybe one or a few Blu-Ray players will be designed so they can work with the iphone - the same type of the Sony could do with the PSP.

[miked924]

Originally Posted by Krandor

This sounds a bit odd to me. Is this supposed to be something every manufacterer of Blu-ray devices is going to add in? I really doubt this is something that would become mandatory. and only supplying his "Extra information" to just one hardware device like the iphone doesn't sound like a good move for Blu-Ray as a whole. I don't have or want an iPhone, but if there is stuff I cannot use or information I cannot get from Blu-Ray because I don't have one I'll be very upset.

I suspect this will be more that maybe one or a few Blu-Ray players will be designed so they can work with the iphone - the same type of the Sony could do with the PSP.

Why would this be mandatory?? It's a feature for people who do have an iPhone and that's all, no need to run out and buy one

[Krandor]

Originally Posted by miked924

Why would this be mandatory?? It's a feature for people who do have an iPhone and that's all, no need to run out and buy one

The article reads like the iPhone can do this to any blu-ray player over the network connection. For that to be possible, it would have to be a required feature of all players to support that. To my knowledge, no current player allows control of the player through the network port let alone "interacting directly with the movie" and "supplying additional information".

[monkeytap]

same story, from applieinsider

[CptGreedle]

Originally Posted by monkeytap

same story, from applieinsider

it says a formal announcement is expect on Thursday! That's tomorrow!! I can't wait!

[TK421]

Originally Posted by miked924

Why would this be mandatory?? It's a feature for people who do have an iPhone and that's all, no need to run out and buy one

I agree, why would it be something mandatory? it's sounds plain and simple, a feature for owners of iPhone or iTouch. I have a Palm Treo, NO WAY in the world would I ever get a iPhone.

[Bango]

Wow this sounds cool...I can't wait to try it out with my iPhone.

[monkeytap]

Originally Posted by Bango

Wow this sounds cool...I can't wait to try it out with my iPhone.

agreed. im looking forward to trying a lot of new stuff with my iphone, won't be long

[blackhawktraffic]

Woah awesome

[Entertainment72]

Originally Posted by TK421

I agree, why would it be something mandatory? it's sounds plain and simple, a feature for owners of iPhone or iTouch. I have a Palm Treo, NO WAY in the world would I ever get a iPhone.

I have had 3 Palm Treo's.. its funny you say that because I feel the complete opposite..

That stylus can kiss my a$$! The resolution of those things and blackberry's must be like 10x10dpi but anyways it's exciting to see two giant tech items join.. Sony PS3 and Apple iPhone..wondertwins activate..

[monkeytap]

Originally Posted by Entertainment72

I have had 3 Palm Treo's.. its funny you say that because I feel the complete opposite..

That stylus can kiss my a$$! The resolution of those things and blackberry's must be like 10x10dpi but anyways it's exciting to see two giant tech items join.. Sony PS3 and Apple iPhone..wondertwins activate..

agreed...i had a treo and I would rather piss on myself than browse the internet on that thing.

it would no doubt be awesome if XMB could be displayed on my iphone.

[Krandor]

Originally Posted by TK421

I agree, why would it be something mandatory? it's sounds plain and simple, a feature for owners of iPhone or iTouch. I have a Palm Treo, NO WAY in the world would I ever get a iPhone.

The article makes it sound like this will work with any BD-Live player so is this a feature that is part of the BD-LIve specs and mandatory on every BD-Live player? If so, why would they put something in the specs that will only work for a single manufacters device? That seems kinda weird.

I'll await details, but I think it would be dumb to have blu-ray features that will only work with products from one company. If the hooks are there for these type of features, they should be available for any product that wants to use them. Is that the case?

[Teazle]

On the website it says developers could make the iPhone / iPod Touch work as a remote control.

Somebody please get this working for the PS3, for full XMB navigation and control without switching on the TV which draws 200-300 W, heats the room, puts needless wear on the display etc -- very dumb when all you want to do is navigate your music collection, tweak the volume, arrange DLs etc.

I hope someone finally works this out. I would happily scrounge up an iPod Touch (maybe an old 4GB model) just to use as a remote.