InterActual Technologies
Software platform for web-enabled interactive DVD content.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
$1.2m | Series C | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
InterActual Technologies, Inc. was a software and services company founded in 1995, primarily known for connecting DVD technology with the internet. The company developed a software platform that allowed movie studios and content creators to add interactive, web-based bonus features to their DVD releases. These features were accessible when the DVD was played on a computer with a DVD-ROM drive.
The company's main products were the InterActual Player and its predecessor, PCFriendly. This software enabled users to access exclusive online and offline special features, such as games, screenplay viewers, behind-the-scenes content, and web links that could be updated in real-time. This approach aimed to make DVDs more collectible and extend their entertainment value beyond the linear movie-watching experience. Major Hollywood studios, including Warner Bros., Columbia TriStar, and MGM, utilized InterActual's tools to enhance their DVD-ROM content for blockbuster titles like 'The Matrix,' 'Shrek,' and 'Planet of the Apes'.
The business model centered on licensing its authoring software and playback engine to movie studios on a per-title basis. The company's CEO was Todd Collart. In February 2004, Sonic Solutions entered into a definitive agreement to acquire InterActual Technologies, integrating its web-linking capabilities into Sonic's professional and consumer DVD authoring product lines. The service was permanently shut down as of January 2017.
Keywords: DVD-ROM, interactive media, PCFriendly, InterActual Player, enhanced DVD, digital entertainment, DVD authoring, web-enabled DVD, bonus features, multimedia software, digital video, home entertainment, movie technology, Sonic Solutions, Todd Collart, interactive content, media player, DVD technology, entertainment software