The first step on the agenda is to form the Advanced Interactivity Consortium (AIC), an open forum created in collaboration with Toshiba, another main supported of the HD DVD. The new organization will also include major Hollywood studios such as DreamWorks Animation SKG, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Warner Bros..
According to the agreement, the studios are set to distribute HD DVD titles with HDi-enabled features: advanced in-movie navigation, bookmarking and picture-in-picture, as well as Web- enabled communities, content downloads and e-commerce stores.
"The Advanced Interactivity Consortium has its roots in the work we’ve done with HDi(TM) and HD DVD, but is open to all companies interested in bringing a broader set of experiences to consumers on different platforms," said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "We look forward to contributing to this effort with HDi, our implementation of HD DVD’s interactive layer, and to collaborate with AIC members on how to extend interactive compatibilities to the consumer electronics market. The goal is to ensure a high-quality experience not only through optical discs but also through new digital download services."
As expected from Microsoft, the new project will also aim to bring these advanced scenarios to other services and platforms, including digital downloads to DVD players, PCs, TVs, cell phones, portable media players and game consoles.