According to Variety, for the first time in the home entertainment industry, Warner Home Video will be linking up "friend" networks on Facebook.

This will allow the communities on these sites to watch Warners' Blu-ray Disc releases. This all begins with the release of Watchmen Directors Cut.

The plan is to use the the BD-Live interactive feature that comes on high-definition discs. People that buy the disc will have the ability to watch the film at the same time and share comments on Facebook.

BD-Live has offered a similar feature before but now lists of users can be "synched with Facebook's friend networks for immediate access to a broad network of acquaintances."

No many has exchanged hands between the studio and the social networking site to make this happen.

"We want to do this partnership with Facebook because research has shown that consumers want to have social networking capabilities with BD-Live," stated Kris Brown, Warner Home Video Vice Production of worldwide high definition. "Previously, those possibilities have been limited to your friends within BD-Live and the general BD-Live community."

In order to use use this new feature users of Facebook will have to purchase the Watchmen Directors Cut on Blu-ray disc. The hope is that these virtual screenings will be promoted via the users "status updates."

Recent improvements in wireless router and fiber optic technology have home entertainment executives bullish on computer-to-television connectivity taking off. The feeling is that more interactive features will make consumers embrace Blu-ray disc, but the catch is that BD-Live requires people to have access to a high speed broadband connection.

During its theatrical run Watchmen Directors Cut made $182 million at the worldwide boxoffice.

Watchmen Directors Cut comes to DVD in July. It will sell for $35.99 on Blu-ray disc and $28.98 in Standard Definition.