Sony Brings Movie Database To BD-Live

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 6/19/2009

San Francisco — Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) introduced Thursday a real-time movie database called MovieIQ, which will be accessible through the BD-Live feature on new Blu-ray Disc players.

The system, which is powered by Gracenote’s Video Explore engine, can be accessed by a MovieIQ-enabled Blu-ray Disc and an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. It offers continuously updated information on cast and crew, and explores relevant trivia such as production facts, music and soundtrack information all tied to scenes within the movie, Sony said.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment plans to feature MovieIQ on new Blu-ray Disc titles starting in September. The capability will be found on forthcoming catalog and new releases, including “Angels & Demons,” “Easy Rider,” “Punch Drunk Love,” “The Quick and the Dead,” “Silverado” and “sex, lies, and videotape.”

“It has always been our goal at Sony Pictures to offer fans the ability to truly connect with their favorite movies using BD-Live,” said Lexine Wong, SPHE worldwide marketing senior executive VP. “We know many people interrupt their movie-watching experience to look up the filmography of an actor or to find out more about a song playing in the background. Now through MovieIQ, movie lovers can dive into constantly updated information about the movie they are watching without leaving their sofa, further enhancing the experience of watching movies in this always-connected age.”

Gracenote’s Video Explore system provides search and navigation capabilities to connected consumer electronic devices. The technology allows users to search the online Gracenote video database, linking together related cast, crew, movies, TV episodes, franchises, seasons, DVDs and Blu-rays.

In addition to MovieIQ, Sony’s BD-Live portfolio now includes social networking through Vinechat, multiplayer games, a customizable music video editor, soundtrack playlists, e-movie cash and downloadable featurettes, among other things.

To date, more than 100 Sony Pictures Blu-ray titles worldwide offer BD-Live features.