Advanced Content
Encyclopedia
Advanced Content provides interactivity in the HD DVD
optical disc format.
Advanced Content is used to provide interactive menus and "special features" such as additional bonus/extras content and games for HD DVD
(one of the high-definition video formats
). The Advanced Content runtime engine
is responsible for responding to user navigation input (eg, from a remote control) as well as events set to occur during playback of a movie, controlling all actions and interactive properties during the playback of a movie. The Advanced Content specification was developed by Microsoft
and Disney
with input from other members of the DVD Forum
including Toshiba
and Sonic Solutions
.
The ability to play back Advanced Content is a mandatory part of the HD DVD-Video specification. Its features were defined by content providers (specifically Disney and Warner Bros.
) based on the scenarios they required for a next generation disc format.
The most popular implementation of Advanced Content (running in both the Toshiba HD DVD players and Microsoft Xbox 360 add-on) is Microsoft's HDi.
The rival Blu-ray format does not use Advanced Content. It uses BD-J
instead.
language and the imperative ECMAScript
language. Advanced Content applications are very similar in structure to AJAX
applications on the web, using a combination of script and markup in an asynchronous execution model. A "page" is created using markup and it can be modified over time based on user input, the progression of the movie, and so on. A new "page" may be loaded as needed (eg, when switching to a different part of the application) and the process starts again.
Advanced Content includes an XML element grammar based on HTML
for content such as images, buttons, text, etc.; An XML attribute grammar based on CSS
and XSL
to describe layout, color, font types, etc.; and an element and attribute grammar based on SMIL
for timing, animation, eventing, and synchronization. Whilst it is possible to write complex, interactive pages using only the declarative XML dialect, any interactions with the player itself (eg, to change audio language or jump to a new title) requires imperative code written in ECMAScript.
To support the ECMAScript code, Advanced Content defines a large number of objects, properties, and methods ("APIs") that are analogous to the DOM
in a web browser; these APIs allow the script to query and control the player, animate the markup page, respond to user events, and connect to the internet
to download new content such as trailers, cast & crew bios, or other information.
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
optical disc format.
Advanced Content is used to provide interactive menus and "special features" such as additional bonus/extras content and games for HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
(one of the high-definition video formats
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
). The Advanced Content runtime engine
Run-time system
A run-time system is a software component designed to support the execution of computer programs written in some computer language...
is responsible for responding to user navigation input (eg, from a remote control) as well as events set to occur during playback of a movie, controlling all actions and interactive properties during the playback of a movie. The Advanced Content specification was developed by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
with input from other members of the DVD Forum
DVD Forum
The DVD Forum is an international organization composed of hardware, software, media and content companies that use and develop the DVD and formerly HD DVD formats...
including Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
and Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions, acquired by Rovi Corporation in 2010, was a computer software company headquartered in Novato, California. In addition to having a number of offices in the U.S., the company also maintained offices in Europe and Asia.-History:...
.
The ability to play back Advanced Content is a mandatory part of the HD DVD-Video specification. Its features were defined by content providers (specifically Disney and Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
) based on the scenarios they required for a next generation disc format.
The most popular implementation of Advanced Content (running in both the Toshiba HD DVD players and Microsoft Xbox 360 add-on) is Microsoft's HDi.
The rival Blu-ray format does not use Advanced Content. It uses BD-J
BD-J
BD-J, or Blu-ray Disc Java, is a specification supporting Java ME Xlets for advanced content on Blu-ray Disc and the Packaged Media profile of Globally Executable MHP .BD-J allows bonus content on Blu-ray Disc titles to be far more sophisticated than bonus content provided by standard DVD,...
instead.
Technology
Advanced Content is written using the declarative XMLXML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
language and the imperative ECMAScript
ECMAScript
ECMAScript is the scripting language standardized by Ecma International in the ECMA-262 specification and ISO/IEC 16262. The language is widely used for client-side scripting on the web, in the form of several well-known dialects such as JavaScript, JScript, and ActionScript.- History :JavaScript...
language. Advanced Content applications are very similar in structure to AJAX
Ajax
- Mythology :* Ajax , son of Telamon, ruler of Salamis and a hero in the Trojan War, also known as "Ajax the Great"* Ajax the Lesser, son of Oileus, ruler of Locris and the leader of the Locrian contingent during the Trojan War.- People :...
applications on the web, using a combination of script and markup in an asynchronous execution model. A "page" is created using markup and it can be modified over time based on user input, the progression of the movie, and so on. A new "page" may be loaded as needed (eg, when switching to a different part of the application) and the process starts again.
Advanced Content includes an XML element grammar based on HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
for content such as images, buttons, text, etc.; An XML attribute grammar based on CSS
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...
and XSL
Extensible Stylesheet Language
In computing, the term Extensible Stylesheet Language is used to refer to a family oflanguages used to transform and render XML documents....
to describe layout, color, font types, etc.; and an element and attribute grammar based on SMIL
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language
SMIL , the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, is a W3C recommended XML markup language for describing multimedia presentations. It defines markup for timing, layout, animations, visual transitions, and media embedding, among other things...
for timing, animation, eventing, and synchronization. Whilst it is possible to write complex, interactive pages using only the declarative XML dialect, any interactions with the player itself (eg, to change audio language or jump to a new title) requires imperative code written in ECMAScript.
To support the ECMAScript code, Advanced Content defines a large number of objects, properties, and methods ("APIs") that are analogous to the DOM
DOM
DOM may refer to:*D.O.M. , a restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil*Days on market, how many days since a piece of real estate was listed for sale*Deo optimo maximo, Latin for "to the Greatest and Best God", originally Jove, later the Christian God...
in a web browser; these APIs allow the script to query and control the player, animate the markup page, respond to user events, and connect to the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to download new content such as trailers, cast & crew bios, or other information.
Examples
Some examples of Advanced Content on HD DVD are:- Interactive features such as picture-in-picture, story boards, actor biographies, GPS, and "Tech specs" on many Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
titles, branded as "U-ControlU-ControlU-Control can refer to:* "U-Control", Universal Studios own HDi Interactive Format template for the interactive technology used in HD DVD movies, later ported to the BD-J format for use in Blu-ray movies....
" - Passive features such as picture-in-picture and story boards on many Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
titles, branded as In Movie Experience - User-defined chapter points, known as "Bookmarks" or "My Scenes" found on many titles from various studios
- Downloadable features such as a colouring book on for Shrek the ThirdShrek the ThirdShrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
from DreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds... - Downloadable trailers and other content on various titles, including FreedomFreedom ProjectFreedom Project is a Japanese promotional project by Nissin Cup Noodles for their 35th anniversary in 2006. As part of the project, the 7-part OVA series, titled Freedom, was commissioned with and designed by Katsuhiro Otomo serving as the character and mecha designer...
from Bandai VisualBandai Visual, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and... - On-line shopping for goods and services depicted in the film, such as Evan AlmightyEvan AlmightyEvan Almighty is a 2007 American religious comedy film and the stand-alone sequel to Bruce Almighty . The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Steve Oedekerk, and starring Steve Carell as the title character. Morgan Freeman also reprised his role as God from the original film. Production of...
from Universal Studios