iPhone to interface with PlayStation 3 Blu-ray playback

[AppleInsider]

Blu-ray Disc solutions provider NetBlender is expected to announce this week a software kit for iPhone developers that will allow them to expand upon the Blu-ray playback features of Sony's PS3 gaming console.

Dubbed BD Touch, the technology aims to leverages the network capabilities of Blu-ray players, meaning that iPhones and iPod touches could soon add to their repertoire the ability to dual as a multimedia remote for supporting Blu-ray players like the PS3.

In addition, BD Touch could also serve to funnel movie extras from the PS3 to the iPhone, build an iPhone-based database of a user's movie collection, and beam iTunes Digital Copy versions of movies from Blu-ray discs to the Apple handhelds.

"It's a technology that is built into our professional Blu-Ray authoring tool that will allow studios, independent movie companies to enable BD Touch features," Denny Breitenfeld, the CTO of NetBlender, told Gizmodo. "These features send data in two directions from the Disc to the iPhone and vice versa. Video, Audio, text, and player commands can be sent."

Breitenfeld added that while the idea for remote control functionality has been well received, it should be noted that the BD Touch technology will also allow Blu-ray players to control the iPhone and iPod touch.

"One idea is to automatically pull up IMBD of the movie you are watching right on your iPhone or send the movie information a movie database on your phone," he explained. "The ideas are only limited to what people want and will use."

NetBlender plans on making its SDK available to all of the 100,000+ registered iPhone developers so they can begin work on "applications that easily work with all kinds of [Blu-ray] titles."

A formal announcement is expected on Thursday.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[fpsanders]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Dubbed BD Touch, the technology aims to leverages the network capabilities of Blu-ray players, meaning that iPhones and iPod touches could soon add to their repertoire the ability to dual as a multimedia remote for supporting Blu-ray players like the PS3.

In addition, BD Touch could also serve to funnel movie extras from the PS3 to the iPhone, build an iPhone-based database of a user's movie collection, and beam iTunes Digital Copy versions of movies from Blu-ray discs to the Apple handhelds.

Cool, iPhone remote control! I wonder how long before the iPhone will also get a beer from the fridge for me...

[skottichan]

WOOHOO!!


Yeah, I got nothing else. Just kinda geeked out that my Touch my be able to interface with my PS3 in the future.

[vinea]

Originally Posted by fpsanders

Cool, iPhone remote control! I wonder how long before the iPhone will also get a beer from the fridge for me...

That requires the iRobot option...

[Cubert]

Bend over Sony!

No kiss or Vaseline for you! Now squeal like a Ballmer!

[boobooq88]

Sounds awesome. Now only if I had a PS3....

[bigdaddyp]

Originally Posted by Cubert

Bend over Sony!

No kiss or Vaseline for you! Now squeal like a Ballmer!

Gross. Funny but gross.
I think I just threw up in my mouth at that mental image.

[hdasmith]

Whilst I like the idea, I would want to make sure I can control what is sent to my iPhone. I don't want them streaming ads to the phone while I'm trying to watch a movie for example!

One thing that could be enabled is using the iPhone as a different game controller... almost like using the touch screen on the Nintendo DS but for a PS3!

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by fpsanders

Cool, iPhone remote control! I wonder how long before the iPhone will also get a beer from the fridge for me...

Or roll a joint

Sounds cool as like as the DRM Gods are kind.

[EagerDragon]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

NetBlender plans on making its SDK available to all of the 100,000+ registered iPhone developers so they can begin work on "applications that easily work with all kinds of [Blu-ray] titles."

A formal announcement is expected on Thursday.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

The EULA to my knowledge prohibits using other SDK and libraries that are not part of the Apple iPhone SDK. Apple would have to make an allowance for this or this is pure speculation on this company part. I am also not sure Apple will be giving these guys the contact information for the 100,000+ iPhone registered developers. I think these guys are dreaming.

Jailbreak-ed phones are another matter.

[KindredMac]

I've been wanting the iPhone to be able to act as a remote for the Apple TV since last year....

Perhaps this is a gateway?????

[Crtaylor]

This is pretty cool that someone thought of this feature. I suppose if it were up to developer X to make something for the iPhone it could could be as amphibious as he or she wants it to be. Apple might even have to think up a new name for the iPhone itself!

[Crtaylor]

Originally Posted by hdasmith

One thing that could be enabled is using the iPhone as a different game controller... almost like using the touch screen on the Nintendo DS but for a PS3!

That would be nice. I'm just not sure if one would lose their hand-eye coordination due to the lack of tactile feedback. It would make an even better Apple Remote, though.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by EagerDragon

The EULA to my knowledge prohibits using other SDK and libraries that are not part of the Apple iPhone SDK. Apple would have to make an allowance for this or this is pure speculation on this company part. I am also not sure Apple will be giving these guys the contact information for the 100,000+ iPhone registered developers. I think these guys are dreaming.

Jailbreak-ed phones are another matter.

This doesn't look to require an SDK that would conflict with Apple's. It's a program that seems to be modular, allowing others to add to a basic framework.

They don't need the contact info. All they have to do is what they are doing, which is to announce the product. Those interested will call. If this is something that Apple won't disallow, they can go to the ADC in June and show it off there.

The question is whether Apple will allow a PS3 to control the iPhone/itouch.

[Crtaylor]

Originally Posted by skottichan

Yeah, I got nothing else. Just kinda geeked out that my Touch my be able to interface with my PS3 in the future.

I think you may have brought up a good point. If the iPhone has all of these apps coming to it, why not the iPod touch? It has a fairly similar interface, doesn't it?

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by Crtaylor

I think you may have brought up a good point. If the iPhone has all of these apps coming to it, why not the iPod touch? It has a fairly similar interface, doesn't it?

Forgetting about the PS3 for one second, I just want someone to create a cool all-in-one controller app for component video & audio as an option for the Touch.

[Ronbo]

Originally Posted by Cubert

Bend over Sony!

No kiss or Vaseline for you! Now squeal like a Ballmer!

Seems like a strangely inappropriate response.

Aside from your obvious desire to say something crude, how is it that Sony would look upon this development with anything other than delight? Will such a product decrease PS3 sales? Of course not. PS3 sales will likely increase (not everyone who buys an iPhone will have bought an HD player; and some of those people may well find this a deciding factor and go with PS3) -- or, at worst, stay flat. They pay nothing in development cost, since another company is making this product, but they stand to gain from it.

The halo effect isn't necessarily limited to Apple's products, and this is just the kind of thing that widens it.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Crtaylor

I think you may have brought up a good point. If the iPhone has all of these apps coming to it, why not the iPod touch? It has a fairly similar interface, doesn't it?

Any app for the iPhone that doesn't directly deal with the cell network will also work on the iTouch, though as the iTouch doesn't have a mic, VOIP programs won't work..

[Hattig]

Does this use Bluetooth? If so, that's why the iPod Touch won't have it.

Also if it is the case, then SDK developers can access the Bluetooth stack to implement functionality, which is great.

[8CoreWhore]

...and to think I was just sulking that the harmony remote doesn't work for the ps3...

[hdasmith]

Originally Posted by melgross

This doesn't look to require an SDK that would conflict with Apple's. It's a program that seems to be modular, allowing others to add to a basic framework.

They don't need the contact info. All they have to do is what they are doing, which is to announce the product. Those interested will call. If this is something that Apple won't disallow, they can go to the ADC in June and show it off there.

The question is whether Apple will allow a PS3 to control the iPhone/itouch.

There's no reason for the programme to brake the EULA. Have one application on the iPhone that receives data from the PS3 to display on the screen via wifi. You then have another programme running on the PS3 which sends the data and interprets the results from the iPhone. It doesn't have to be like Flash or Java which load mini apps into their own environment, it would just show an image, and send the resulting taps or accelerometer information back to the PS3.

[hdasmith]

Originally Posted by Hattig

Does this use Bluetooth? If so, that's why the iPod Touch won't have it.

Also if it is the case, then SDK developers can access the Bluetooth stack to implement functionality, which is great.

The SDK doesn't have access to BlueTooth as far as I'm aware, if it does, then access would be purely for audio. To talk to the PS3, I imagine it would be done using wifi.

[crees!]

Originally Posted by KindredMac

I've been wanting the iPhone to be able to act as a remote for the Apple TV since last year....

Perhaps this is a gateway?????

I remember about a year before the iPhone was released there was an Apple patent describing what looked like a remote whose interface would conform to the function of the selected device. Thinking back this could have been a cover-up for the iPhone touch-interface.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by hdasmith

There's no reason for the programme to brake the EULA. Have one application on the iPhone that receives data from the PS3 to display on the screen via wifi. You then have another programme running on the PS3 which sends the data and interprets the results from the iPhone. It doesn't have to be like Flash or Java which load mini apps into their own environment, it would just show an image, and send the resulting taps or accelerometer information back to the PS3.

This is the part I was referring to. It's pretty explicit.

Breitenfeld added that while the idea for remote control functionality has been well received, it should be noted that the BD Touch technology will also allow Blu-ray players to control the iPhone and iPod touch.

[Dzign]

Remote Buddy turns the remote control in your hands into a key to your entire Mac®.

http://www.iospirit.com/index.php?mo...705b063344a49a

Originally Posted by KindredMac

I've been wanting the iPhone to be able to act as a remote for the Apple TV since last year....

Perhaps this is a gateway?????

[EagerDragon]

Originally Posted by melgross

This doesn't look to require an SDK that would conflict with Apple's. It's a program that seems to be modular, allowing others to add to a basic framework.

I hope you are right, but the EULA is very, very specific about what frameworks you can use. We will know a little better on Thursday when they announce it, hopefully they give more details. But if they are adding any code to the iPhone, it has to be a complete application, not a library, SDK, framework, or interpreter for other developers to use.

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

Update:
Denny Breitenfeld, the CTO of NetBlender, told us that it's not a standalone application but a technology for professional Blu-Ray authoring tool combined with an SDK for iPhone developers:

It's a technology that is built into our professional Blu-Ray authoring tool that will allow studios, independent movie companies to enable BD Touch features.
These features send data in two directions from the Disc to the Iphone and vice versa. Video, Audio, text, and player commands can be sent.

So right now it seems everyone likes the "remote control" idea. However the player can control the IPhone as well. One idea is to automatically pull up IMBD of the movie you are watching right on your Iphone or send the movie information a movie database on your phone. The ideas are only limited to what people want and will use.

We are releasing an SDK for the 100k Iphone developers out there so they can take advantage of BD Touch features to build applications that easily work with all kinds of titles.

The way I read this, Apple will not permit it.

So far Java can not be implemented as it is an interpreter, Flash can not be implemented as is too heavy and IT IS ALSO AN INTERPRETER that loads and runs SWF files, and this does not sound like it can be implemented either.

We will know more on Thursday I guess but don't hold your breath.

[jawporta]

Nice, looking forward to this.

[d0uble0se7en]

Originally Posted by Ronbo

Seems like a strangely inappropriate response.

Aside from your obvious desire to say something crude, how is it that Sony would look upon this development with anything other than delight? Will such a product decrease PS3 sales? Of course not. PS3 sales will likely increase (not everyone who buys an iPhone will have bought an HD player; and some of those people may well find this a deciding factor and go with PS3) -- or, at worst, stay flat. They pay nothing in development cost, since another company is making this product, but they stand to gain from it.

The halo effect isn't necessarily limited to Apple's products, and this is just the kind of thing that widens it.

Maybe he meant that as delight! Some of us have differing opinions on what's fun....haha

[Booga]

Originally Posted by EagerDragon

I hope you are right, but the EULA is very, very specific about what frameworks you can use. We will know a little better on Thursday when they announce it, hopefully they give more details. But if they are adding any code to the iPhone, it has to be a complete application, not a library, SDK, framework, or interpreter for other developers to use.

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

The way I read this, Apple will not permit it.

So far Java can not be implemented as it is an interpreter, Flash can not be implemented as is too heavy and IT IS ALSO AN INTERPRETER that loads and runs SWF files, and this does not sound like it can be implemented either.

We will know more on Thursday I guess but don't hold your breath.

Apple explicitly excludes interpreters, but any given application will have a lot of libraries. If someone includes a library that was sold to them by someone else, Apple has nothing to say on the matter.

I don't see how this SDK is in any way an interpreter.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore

...and to think I was just sulking that the harmony remote doesn't work for the ps3...

You'll need a USB IR dongle for the PS3, but I've heard of people setting up their Harmony to work with one.

As far as I can tell, this iPhone thing won't be able to control anything else.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by EagerDragon

I hope you are right, but the EULA is very, very specific about what frameworks you can use. We will know a little better on Thursday when they announce it, hopefully they give more details. But if they are adding any code to the iPhone, it has to be a complete application, not a library, SDK, framework, or interpreter for other developers to use.

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

The way I read this, Apple will not permit it.

So far Java can not be implemented as it is an interpreter, Flash can not be implemented as is too heavy and IT IS ALSO AN INTERPRETER that loads and runs SWF files, and this does not sound like it can be implemented either.

We will know more on Thursday I guess but don't hold your breath.

All SDK means is software developers kit. That doesn't mean that it will write directly to the hardware. add frameworks Apple won't want, etc. It just means that it will allow developers to write apps around their product.

Until we know exactly what that means, we really can't comment one way or the other.

That's why I said, "if" Apple allows it.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Booga

Apple explicitly excludes interpreters, but any given application will have a lot of libraries. If someone includes a library that was sold to them by someone else, Apple has nothing to say on the matter.

I don't see how this SDK is in any way an interpreter.

So far, I don't either.

[EagerDragon]

Originally Posted by Booga

Apple explicitly excludes interpreters, but any given application will have a lot of libraries. If someone includes a library that was sold to them by someone else, Apple has nothing to say on the matter.

I don't see how this SDK is in any way an interpreter.

you did not read it correctly, I never said it was an interpreter.

We will know soon enough if people are allowed to import libraries. Apple has put some of the features out of scope like music playing for example, if someone would import a library to perform music playing they would be stopped.

Soon we will know if binary libraries can be used or not.
One thing is to type the source code and another is to bring a binary library. We will see.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by Crtaylor

I think you may have brought up a good point. If the iPhone has all of these apps coming to it, why not the iPod touch? It has a fairly similar interface, doesn't it?

It says right in the article that these features are coming soon to the iPhone and iPod Touch.

meaning that iPhones and iPod touches could soon add to their repertoire the ability to dual as a multimedia remote for supporting Blu-ray players like the PS3.

[amador_o]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

Forgetting about the PS3 for one second, I just want someone to create a cool all-in-one controller app for component video & audio as an option for the Touch.

And throw in some home automation control, like lighting.

[JasonGilbert]

If you know Denny and John,

You can be sure that their Blu-Ray application will be the best toolset available. It's really going to advance what the consumer experiences from playback. We are anxiously awaiting their tools.

Jason Gilbert
HDPostConsulting
Http://www.HDPostConsulting.com
310-415-7888