It doesn’t seem so long ago that movie cinemas and supermarkets were filled with big screen advertisements and demonstrations of the then latest home video technology: DVD. The differences between DVD and VHS technology were immediately noticeable and VHS video libraries were gradually replaced with DVDs. Nowadays, Blu-ray is the optical digital media storage medium of the hour and already has more extra features and technical wizardry than you can shake a stick at.

According to Slash Film, Fox is preparing to offer Blu-ray fans some exciting new features. The first feature, Live Lookup, will be included on the impending release of X-men Origins: Wolverine. Live Lookup will allow viewers to press a button and be linked directly to the relevant IMDB page, where they can find out a myriad of information relating to the film they’re watching.

The second snazzy feature is the ability to control Blu-ray playback by way of a remote device such as an iPhone. This feature is purportedly not only limited to playback control, but is also set to allow extra content to be streamed and viewed on the remote device.

The final bit of Blu-ray news was the announcement of improved loading times. They can be reportedly reduced, or even eliminated in some cases, by a preloading system that operates while the Blu-ray previews are playing. That does tend to suggest though that we may be stuck watching previews in order to ensure smoother loading times.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

JOIN THE POPSCI AU FACEBOOK GROUP

Popular Science Australia - reporting on the intersection of science, technology and everyday life. Whether you want to learn about high tech gadgets, find science projects, read the latest space news or search for the best computers or best digital cameras...you'll find it at PopSci.com.au