Silverlight-powered Virtual DVD now available from Tesco

In September, we announced that Microsoft and Tesco intended to collaborate and use Silverlight to deliver the next generation of Home Video entertainment to consumers. Dubbed “Virtual DVD,” Tesco customers who purchased physical DVDs or Blu-ray products would be able to download Silverlight versions of those movies providing the exact same experience as the physical disc.

Now consumers can reap the benefits of that partnership, as two of the biggest movies of the year, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” and “The Hangover,” are now available on DVD. Tesco is offering an exclusive bonus Virtual DVD to its customers in the U.K. when they purchase the physical DVD either in-store or on Tesco.com. Using Silverlight 3, the Virtual DVD applications deliver a desktop-installed experience that exactly replicates the DVD experience, including chaptering, bonus features, multi-language support and subtitling.