HBO On Demand Previews True Blood Blu-Ray Features

Don’t have a Blu-Ray player yet? HBO is hoping to push you to buy with a preview of the True Blood Season One DVD Blu-Ray edition on HBO On Demand.

Starting on May 4, HBO On Demand subscribers will be able to watch the first episode of the series in “enhanced viewing mode.” Throughout the episode, you’ll have the option of viewing four original, interactive picture-in-picture features:

• Lafayette – viewers can get the scoop on everyone in Bon Temps with True Blood’s flamboyant and outspoken Lafayette, who dishes up everything from secrets about Tara’s crush on Jason to the history of the Stackhouse family.

• Vampire History – viewers intrigued by the vampire characters can learn more about how their favorites were “made.”
• Hints and FYIs – viewers get to unravel the mysteries surrounding the entire series through helpful hints and FYI pop-ups.
• Animated Maps – viewers get to explore colorful locations in Bon Temps through animated maps.

To my knowledge, this is the first time this kind of thing has been offered on TV (I’m not talking your basic Pop-Up trivia here), but feel free to let me know if I’ve overlooked something. The real question is, will this freebie treat tempt more people into buying the more expensive Blu-Ray edition of the DVD when it comes out on May 19?

What do you think? Are the bonus features and functionality enough to get you to upgrade from regular DVD to the more expensive bells and whistles? I considered it last year, bought a player and the thing was a dud. That jaded me to the experience, but I gotta say, if Warner Brothers put out a new Supernatural with all of those extended features, I’d run to Best Buy right now and plunk down the cash for a brand new system.

Box art courtesy of Amazon.