God gets real with Evan

The HD-DVD release of Evan Almighty, starring Steve Carell, will allow people to shop online directly from their TV sets, reports The Associated Press.

Universal has built a basic web browser into the HD-DVD that viewers can use to connect to the studio's e-commerce site, where products - either related to the movie or its environmentally-conscious theme - can be purchased. Information likecredit card number and shipping information has to be input through the TV remote, or an account can be created online.

The move is another salvo in the ongoing format wars between backers of HD-DVD and Blu-ray next-generation DVDs. It's also one of the first moves into full-fledged e-commerce on those discs.

Internet-based features were previously limited to downloadable trailers or other extensions of standard DVD features.