Sun Microsystems Joins Blu-ray Board

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) said that Sun Microsystems, the creator and lead advocate for Java technology, has joined the DVD consortium's board of directors. The board is made up of various computing, consumer electronics, media, manufacturing, gaming and entertainment companies supporting the Blu-ray format. Rival format HD DVD has a similar structure.

Sun Microsystems said it now "looks forward to playing a key role" in supporting Blu-ray's inclusion of Sun's proprietary Java platform to, among other things, provide interactive capabilities that will create new opportunities for Blu-ray content vendors.

Blu-ray lead advocate Sony said the BDA currently has more than 170 members with its board now consisting of Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi, Panasonic (Matsushita), Pioneer, Royal Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK, Thomson, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney, and Warner Bros.