1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to data processing and media playback systems, and more particularly, to a system and method for updating digital content by supplementing the content from a global computer network, e.g., the Internet, or other stored digital content.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are presently a variety of different technologies available to deliver media selections, such as audio, video, audio/video, etc. to users in an effective and beneficial format. Moreover, there is a substantial volume of material available over computerized networks, such as the Internet which may or may not be related to specific media selections. Unfortunately, although a user may independently seek out additional materials and information associated with a specific media selection, presently no specific and effective facility exits for effectively enhancing a media selection with quantities of additional updated materials, without requiring separate independent machinery and separate and independent programming on the medium itself. Indeed, such is especially the case with regard to the large amounts of media already distributed and in use by the public.
Recent technological advances have made significant strides in what may be termed, enhanced DVDs or similarly enhanced media delivery products including CD-ROMs, hard drives, digital storage devices, and the like. These existing enhancements include the embedding and/or programming of additional content onto a specific media storage medium, such as the DVD, for effective communication to the user. As a result, merchants are able to sell these various media selections while promoting substantial enhancements, which can expand the marketability of a product which may or may not have already been viewed and/or heard by the consumer at a previous time. To this end, enhanced media players are also being developed continuously to take advantage of these enhanced media selections and avoid the need to use personal computers. Specifically, these media players may include Internet connectivity and/or a variety of other features that may previously have only been available on specific computer processors which also had media delivery capabilities. While such exiting technologies are effective and beneficial for the purposes of enhancing new releases and publications of various types of media selections as indicated, they are generally incapable of providing any enhancement capability whatsoever to already distributed media selections and/or live or remotely delivered media selections, such as through a cable or satellite system. Moreover, the enhancement provided with existing technology can become somewhat stagnant since the available additional materials and types of interaction or enhancements must be pre-programmed onto the storage medium, and thereby are permanently set. Also, typical enhancements available with present technologies are often provided in the form of add-ons which are available and accessible separate and apart from the delivery of the actual media selection itself such that there is no true, direct interactivity with the actual media selection being delivered, but rather later, separate opportunities for independent access and/or retrieval of additional materials are provided.
An example of such stagnant media delivery is the case of digital optical or stored memory content for a movie, TV show, etc. This content is routinely sold by retailers usually in the form of CDs or DVDs and other fixed media for example in the form of UMD media that plays movies, etc. on the Sony PlayStation™. This content is often supplemented by promotional content such as trailer segments for upcoming movies or with other supplemental content that is often ancillary to the main content. An example of this would be for the 1997 movie Titanic released on DVD. The Internet Movie Database (located at www.imdb.com) states the commercially available DVD contains the following features:                Commentary by: filmmaker James Cameron, various cast and crew members, two on-set historians        29 never-before-seen deleted scenes with optional commentary        Alternate ending: Brock's Epiphany        Branching viewing option to see background materials        Production and special effects featurettes        “Breaking New Ground” TV special        Visual effects breakdown of the stuntsThese features are commonly presented to a user of a media player via a menu 10, such as that shown in FIG. 1, which is loaded onto a display of the media player after the DVD is inserted into such a player. Once the user purchases this DVD, the user is forced to view this static and, in many cases, dated content without regard to the date the user purchased the content (which may have been years after the DVD was released). The consumer would oftentimes prefer newer and more relevant content. An example of this would be following the 1997 release of the Titanic DVD there have been several new and relevant features produced on the Titanic. Yet the user has no ability to see these features and the publisher of the DVD has no ability to offer the features. Similarly, in the case of this or any digital medium that includes previews of upcoming attractions, the attractions will be stale in an older DVD. By example, if a user purchased the Titanic DVD mastered in 1997 the user would see a trailer for an upcoming 1997 or 1998 movie. This is no longer relevant to the user or publisher, who would instead desire to offer a preview trailer of a current film that is showing in the theaters or about to show in the theaters at the time the user views the DVD. Thus, there is a clear need for both the user and publisher to be able to dynamically update digital content on stored or fixed media.        