Special Coverage: HD DVD

Interactivity

One of the most touted features of HD DVD is its enhanced interactivity. For example, the menu system is quite different from that of DVD. Pressing the menu button brings up the main menu, and selecting one of the menu items pops up a submenu, all while the movie continues to play. Some titles will have an "in-movie" icon that opens an inset window with footage and explanations of how the currently playing scene was shot or some other additional information. This icon also enables "fun facts" to pop up during the movie. Personally, I would find all this terribly distracting if I were trying to watch the movie, but maybe that's just me.

Then there's integrated Internet access via the Ethernet port on the back of the player. The first titles don't implement this feature, and the principal companies haven't said much about it other than it will exist, so it's difficult to say what it might entail. The interactivity features of HD DVD are made possible by a technology called iHD, developed by a consortium of companies, including Disney and Microsoft. According to Knox, Disney provided advice on what types of interactive features were needed, and Microsoft provided the technical skill to allow those ideas to be realized by today's authoring community.

The arrival of HD DVD heralds a new era in packaged home entertainment. No longer will all those HDTVs be limited to whatever broadcasters, cable companies, and satellite providers decide to offer. Now, consumers have more choice than ever about how to spend their entertainment dollars, and they will enjoy ever richer experiences for it.

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