04/30/2008
My first iPod
Just bought mu first iPod. The girls in the house all have the new style shuffle, but I have'nt had one :(
Even Nathan my boy has my wife's old stick type shuffle. He's mad keen on Primeval, so he has it as an Anomaly detector!
Anyway, it arrived yesterday. It's a beautiful piece of kit. Even the packaging is a work of art. So well thought out. I plugged it into my PC and had an issue straight away, I'm running XP 64 pro and iTunes has an issue with that OS, so I was'nt too surprised when the connection kept dropping. I did a search on GOOGLE and found that when I did a quick rebuild all the problems went away.
So it sinced up very quickly, I downloaded some YouTube videos (with the help of an FLV converter) and added my iTunes library, of about 6000 songs and it's not even scratched the 80GB!
The sound is phenomenal, the videos look stunning, the whole interface is more like a mini PC than an MP3.
The plan now is to hook it up to a Marantz IS201 docking station. This can take the audio and video signal to your amp for navigation on your screen via remote. i've got it on order, so just waiting.
09:48 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
04/09/2008
Finally got my Blu Ray
I've been pulling so much overtime at work, and still am, that I thought I'd splash out and take the plunge and buy a Blu Ray player.
Everyone who's been looking at the HD war will know by now that HD-DVD has lost it's battle against Blu-Ray, which is why you can pick the players and discs up so cheaply now.
Blu Ray on the other hand remains a tad expensive.
The player I bought, due to overwhelming feedback and advice was the Sony Playstation 3:
By farawaypictures at 2008-04-09
Because I'd bought my Marantz amp last month I was able to have this and my DVD connected via HDMI to my screen, because of course you can't watch an HD signal without an HD lead.
The PS3 is a superb piece of kit. It's reasurringly heavy. I added some higher rubber feet on mine to give better airflow, as it does warm up pretty quickly. I bought it with the Turismo prologue game. It's a stunning game, really showing off HD gaming. The controller connects via USB, that is until the pad has been charged, then you can put the lead away and play wirelessley. Talking of wireless, it also connects to your broadband to update it's firmware, log onto the net or go shopping at the PS3 store where you can download demo's etc.
Because I bought this primarily as a Blu Ray player I had to buy the seperate remote too:
By farawaypictures, shot with H 25 at 2008-04-09
It's a bluetooth device, so no IR and thus my Phillips Pronto can't learn the codes, so i'm stuck with an extra remote. Not a particularly big deal for such great HD entertainment.
As mentioned the discs are a bit pricey, for now, but allready some places are doing 3 for 2 deals. So I bought a few, amongst those Ratatouille and Surfs Up. Watched these and was thrilled at the detail of the image. I believe the Marantz has a lot to say in this quality, as it's really improved the image of my Denon DVD player too.
What I would say though is that you have to pick your discs for this player. Unless it's a new film with big effects and CGI I expect my DVD will give just as good an image, but for digital animation like those mentioned it's unbeatable on Blu Ray.
Next stop, a new iPod I think.
10:00 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
03/03/2008
The Last Amp You'll Ever Need
I worked so much overtime last month I thought I'd treat myself to a new Amp.
Richer Sounds had a superb THX rated Receiver on sale, was £900, now only £600. When i rang the only silver one left was down to £550, so I bought it.
Marantz SR7001
It's a beast of a machine! Here's the full spec:
| Remote Control | Is an Infra-red remote control included? | Yes |
| Pro-Logic/pro-Logic 2/pro-Logic 2x | Analogue surround sound system - for TV and video. Pro-Logic 2 features stereo effect rears, whilst Pro-Logic 2x can output in 6.1 or 7.1 | Yes/Yes/Yes |
| 5.1/6.1/7.1 | The number of channels. 5.1 is the basic standard. 6.1 adds a rear centre. 7.1 adds side effect speakers. | 7.1 |
| Dts/dts-Es | Digital Theatre System - a rival to Dolby Digital. DTS-ES is a 6.1 format that offers a rear centre speaker. | Yes/Yes |
| Thx Select 2/thx Ultra 2 | Is it THX Certified? A specification requirement from Lucus Studios of Star Wars fame. THX Select 2 is the required standard for small/medium sized rooms, THX Ultra 2 is for larger rooms. | Yes/No |
| Video Inputs | Inputs for visual sources - DVD, video etc - on rear of unit. | 4 |
| Audio Inputs | Inputs for hi-fi sources - CD, aux etc - on rear of unit | 6 |
| Built-In Tuner | Built-in analogue or digital radio? | FM/AM |
| Coaxial Outputs | Number of coaxial digital outputs to loop digital information through. | 1 |
| Coaxial Inputs | Number of coaxial digital inputs to input digital sources such as DVD player | 3 |
| Optical Outputs | Number of optical digital outputs to loop digital sources through. | 1 |
| Optical Inputs | Number of optical digital inputs to input digital sources such as DVD players | 3 |
| Sub Out | Does it have a seperate connection for subwoofer | Yes |
| 6-Channel Input | Does it have a 5.1 analogue input? - uses 6 RCA phono sockets | Yes |
| Power Rating (Wpc) | Maximum power output per channel - RMS into 8 ohms | 110 x 7 |
| Hdmi Interface | Is HDMI included? HDMI offers the highest quality, digital connection. The number given relates to the number of HDMI inputs fitted - a single output is standard unless otherwise stated. | Yes - 4 |
I set it up on Saturday night, and was pulling my hair out. I got the sound down first time. It actually comes with a microphone that will set it all up for you, just put the mic where you like to listen and click Auto. I went for the manual set-up though, which i'm more familiar with. Just tell it the size of the speaker, how far away from you it is and then adjust the test tone.
It was the picture that through me. I had connected it up with some Scorpion HDMI cables, a superb power buy from AV Talk, and was getting sound but no picture. After countless attempts at trying different things i gave up and went to bed. i tried again in the morning and finally got it. The DVD had to be set up for HDMI component.
Anyway, watched Stardust last night with the THX setting on and it's fantastic. I've never owned a bit of THX kit before, but it really does make a difference.
Next stop now is Blu-Ray, and despite the cheapish stand alone players now the only way to go it seems is with the Playstation 3. So, roll on next month.
12:00 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
02/14/2008
Stephen Chow
Probably most people with any interest in the martial art genre wil know of Chow. BUT. This is one guy who's worth watching if you have any interest in film, especially action/comedy.
I bought Kung Fu Hustle a while ago last year. A superb film that has so much comedy in it that genuinely appeals to a wider audiance than just the original Asian.
From Amazon:
Stephen Chow's follow-up to SHAOLIN SOCCER ups the over-the-top action quotient by about three zillion percent. The story is set in 1930s Hong Kong, with Chow as a shaggy-haired, would-be bad guy named Sing, who gets caught up in the middle of a war between the top-hat-wearing Axe gang and the hard scrabble inhabitants of Pig Sty Alley. Chow who wrote, produced, and directed doesn't step in as the star here for quite a while, letting the comic duties fly in a myriad of directions: a landlady in curlers (Yuen Qiu) has a yell that can flatten buildings; people get kicked across courtyards and through walls; musician assassins whip ghost sabres from lyre strings, and a mental patient in pink flip-flops named 'the Beast' (Leung Siu Lung) catches bullets in his fingers. Buoyed by SOCCER's box office success, HUSTLE uses bigger production values and a dizzying amount of CGI-enhanced martial arts (imagine Bruce Lee vs. Bugs Bunny in THE MATRIX). It's full of references to other films and filmmakers, revering spaghetti westerns and '70s Shaw brothers movies a la Tarantino's KILL BILL (fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping worked on both films). It also pays sly homage to the works of Wong Kar Wai, D.W. Griffith, Sam Raimi, Jean-Luc Godard, Stanley Kubrick, and Akira Kurosawa. Raymond Wong's inspired score matches each cinematic reference with the appropriate cue as the camera circles and swoops around the sprawling sets. This is a real treat, more than a great action film or comedy, it's a great film period, and one that set box office records in the East.
I recently bought Shaloin Soccer, I'd heard it was a poorer film than Hustle but, instead found it even funnier as Chow takes his particular type of OTT action effects into the world of football.
Again, from Amazon:
Computer generated special effects have seldom been so giddy as in Shaolin Soccer, a gleeful fusion of kung fu and a classic Bad News Bears sports story. A former soccer star--whose "golden leg" was broken by a hired mob--assembles a team of former students of Shaolin martial arts, whose assorted skills (indicated by their nicknames, like Mighty Steel Leg and Iron Head) lend themselves to the swift interplay of the world's most popular game. Along the way, the team's leader (Hong Kong comic superstar Stephen Chow) meets a sticky bun baker (Vicki Zhao) whose kung fu is the equal of any of his teammates. Shaolin Soccer is supremely silly--in the final match, their opponents are called Team Evil--but that's part of the fun. American movies rarely achieve this perfect balance of the absurd and the sincere. A delight. --Bret Fetzer
Both films are well worth a look, more so, they need to be watched, these are great comedies full of action and wonderful characters. they easily stand up to repeat watching, SS has been watched in our house 3 times in the 2 days since I bought it!
And if you get the bug for Chow's work, then your in luck, as he has a brand new film coming soon: CJ7
12:08 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
01/14/2008
The War Is Over.......maybe?
There have been a lot of reports since the New Year that the HD war may be over.
Well, let's see. Here are some quotes from respected people and sites:
This from last week by Stuart Miles,
5 January 2008 17:28 GMT - The format war is over, we can all get on with our lives, buy a Blu-ray player and all be happy about it.
Well that's what looks likely to happen following the announcement from Warner Bros. that it would be ditching HD DVD support in favour of an exclusive agreement with Blu-ray.
HD DVD might have the better interactivity, might have had the cheaper player offering, but it seems that wasn't enough when it came to wooing the movie studios.
And so Toshiba, who've been singing the praises of HD DVD for over four years are left holding on to just handful of studio's still supporting the format. But for how long?
The HD DVD format might have big players like Universal, in from the beginning, Paramount and DreamWorks who recently switched, and New Line, but even these alliances now look shakey as well.
In an exclusive interview with Pocket-lint last month, Rachel Banin, product manager of the home video business group at Sony said "We understand that it was only for a set period of time. I think that if the progress of the Blu-ray format continues, Paramount will have to come back."
New Line is owned by Time Warner, who incidentally owns Warner Bros, and therefore likely to switch as well, leaving just Universal and DreamWorks out in the cold supporting the format.
Compare this against movie studios 20th Century Fox, MGM, Lionsgate, Disney, now Warner Bros and of course Sony Pictures plus hardware makers such as Dell, HP, Hitachi, LG, Samsung, and Apple and you can see why HD DVD looks set to fail.
We would love to say it's a shame, that poor Toshiba has been beaten by Sony in what has to be its first format war victory; UMD, MiniDisc, Beatmax, ATRAC anyone? But in reality consumers should be pleased that finally one format has been victorious and that Home Cinema fans can now concentrate on buying a Blu-ray player and getting on with investing in movies.
Of course if Blu-ray has won the victory and the battle, there are further consequences to consider.
What of Microsoft's Xbox 360 HD DVD drive? What of Toshiba's line of HD DVD players. Without movies to play what will become of the players and what will Toshiba do to bring High-def content to those who want it? Opt for Blu-ray? It would be an amazing move and show that the company has plenty of heart, but lets face it, its unlikely to happen.
As for Microsoft, the idea of including a HD DVD player in their console will most likely have been shelved overnight, if they even existed of course.
We will have to wait and see, but one thing for certain, we won't get a response at CES this week. The HD DVD group has cancelled its keynote speech at CES.
Rumors just won't stop about the future of HD DVD, and while we try not to post all of them, some seem too believable to pass up. Our friend Bill Hunt, at the Digital Bits, -- still waiting on those permalinks, Bill -- is reporting that his "second to none" sources informed him that both Universal and Paramount are in the process of going blu. But don't bother asking 'em, because the same contracts that prevent them from switching now, prevent them from confirming the rumor. In addition, Bills sources tell him that while Paramount could make an announcement any day now, Universal's won't come until February -- at the earliest -- because "their contract period with the HD-DVD camp expires at the end of January."
The sprawling consortium of technology and media companies assembled to promote the HD DVD format of next-generation, high-definition discs could be close to collapse after a spate of defections to the rival Blu-ray Disc consortium.
As many as 20 companies that are members of the HD DVD Promotion Group could be preparing to remove their names from the alliance’s 130-strong membership list, The Times has learnt.
The defections could, one Tokyo-based analyst said, represent the final nails in the coffin of Toshiba’s HD DVD standard after a bitterly fought “format war”.
Eiichi Katayama, of Nomura Securities, said that the battle between the formats, which display films and video games more sharply in an era of ever-larger television screens, was now “entering its final phase”.
The threatened exodus from the HD DVD format comes after the decision by Warner Bros last week to back the rival Blu-ray Disc format, whose main technology backers include Sony, Apple and Dell. Apparently encouraged by the strong momentum behind Blu-ray, Paramount emerged yesterday as the latest Hollywood studio poised to switch allegiances.
Pony Canyon, a Japanese music, animation and film studio and part of the Fuji Television media empire, said that although it was a member of the HD DVD Promotion Group, the decisions taken by American studios meant that it would “choose Blu-ray in the end”. Several other Japanese companies, including content producers and electronics component makers, said that their support of HD DVD was “under review”.
Backers of HD DVD point to the relative ease of producing the discs and the lower cost of building machines capable of reading them. Unlike previous format wars, particularly the Betamax v VHS skirmish in the 1980s, the Blu-ray v HD DVD war effectively has been decided in board-rooms, rather than in electronics showrooms. The decisions of the big studios have come well before those of customers, who generally have held back from picking one format for fear of backing a loser. Paramount has turned out to be a pivotal figure. Its decision in August to give exclusive backing to HD DVD was seen as a potentially devastating blow to the prospects of Blu-ray and to the strategy of Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s president. Sir Howard argued, however, that the PlayStation3 games console, which includes a Blu-ray disc player, would put the format in people’s living rooms more quickly than HD DVD players would be adopted by consumers.
Paramount, like other members of the HD DVD group such as Fujitsu, Lenovo and Kenwood, has hedged its bets. It offered exclusivity on the basis that it could reverse the decision should Warner Bros switch to Blu-ray.
Facing a future with only Universal Pictures as its big Hollywood supporter, analysts at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas said that Toshiba and HD DVD could quickly be isolated.
12:51 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
09/05/2007
TV Licensing....BIG rant!
What is wrong with these people!
As some know I am one of the rare people in the UK who do not watch TV. I have no aerial. I cannot receive outside broadcasts. I have been doing this for about 15 years.
I do have a Plasma screen linked to a DVD player, and that's it.
Every few months I get a letter from TV Licensing asking why I dont have a License when there is a TV at my property. i used to fill these in with long explanations about the quality of TV, how much more valuable my time was, how I have no plans to change etc etc.
After a few years though I just through them in the bin.
I've had countless of these letters over the years, 2 visits from the inspectors, who I might add have been perfectly satisfied that i am in no way breaking the law.....
But I've had it.
this week I got a letter from TV Licensing, I did'nt throw it in the bin this time as it was marked Urgent. Immidiate action must be taken.
I opened it and it explained how an investigation has now been launched against me!
I rang the emergency number, and after 5 mins of menus got through to someone:
Me: I've just had a letter saying I have to take immidiate action as an investigation has been launched at me.
Him: Can you give me the License number.
Me: I dont have a License. I dont watch TV or have the ability to receive it.
(my address is given and he gets my details)
Him: Yes, I see there is an investigation.
Me: (now getting angry) This is just harassment. I keep getting letters, people visiting, and now threats purely because I dont own a product that people think I should!
Him: I understand, I can stop the letters for a few years, but you'll still have an inspector visit soon.
Me: And what if I dont want to let him in? What are my rights here?
Him: You can decline him entering, but he has the right to get a court order to search the property.
Me: This is stupid, surely you have detector vans in the area?
Him: Of course we do.
Me: And as a minority they must be paying me visits regularly, so is there an entry on a computer somewhere showing I dont watch TV?
Him: No, I have no information on the computer.
Personally, I think the Detector Vans are a huge myth. I've never seen one, and I would have thought I'd be a prime target.
So, the conversation finished with me letting the Licensing company know with no doubt that this sort of harassment is completely unacceptable. I still await the inspectors visit, but weather to let him in....dont know yet. If it's the same guy as last time, who apparently made no record on the computer of his findings, he's in for an earfull!
And remember, what is the crime I commit that I get all this attention? I dont want a TV licence.
Can you think of any other product available that you get this much hassle for NOT buying?
There rant over. Now tell me....what would you do in my shoes?
10:32 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this
07/04/2007
In Car MP3
We've just bought a new car (well, second hand, but you know what I mean), it's a Citroen Picasso. Cost us a lot of dosh, and needed some work done too. Anyway, still paying it off, but wanted to get a CD player or MP3 player for the car, it currently only has a radio.
Anyway, I just dont have the hundred or so quid it would cost to have one put in that matches up to the steering controls. So decided upon a completely different route.
These devices plug directly into your cigar lighter, there are a few types, but the best transmit signals from an MP3 player to a station you select on your radio. The other type have a tape plug in device which is inferior quality. The best let you choose any frequency, which is the one I bought. Also, a decent device will have a USB attachment to also keep your player charged whilst docked, again, like the one pictured that I bought.
It also has cushion fittings, extendable arms, so even my Rio Karma will fit it, and a selection of connection devices to your player.
I tried it out on the weekend, it works like a dream, quality is superb.
And all for.......£10 delivered on Amazon!
11:31 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
06/13/2007
Rant No.4
Ticker
Well, 2 rants in a row...I must be on a roll. This one concerns possibly the worst film I've ever seen.
Before I start, I must at first lay down my position on martial arts films. On the whole I like them. Most reviewers who put them down seem to miss the obvious fact that these are not about oscar winning performances. After all, did anyone complain when Bruce Willis did'nt bag a gong for his role in Die Hard? No, of course not, because it's an Action MOVIE!
So, when your watching Nico or Bloodsport your expecting some top class martial arts, agreed they should be interspersed with a half decent story, but top acting is not what you should be expecting. Jet Lee may be the exception here, as his performances seem to get better and better, see Unleashed or Fearless for 2 examples.
OK, back to the rant, now I love the early Segal movies, I think Aikido is one of the most skillful martial arts out there and I love seeing it used well. Films like Hard To Kill, Out For Justice and even the Under Siege films show some brilliant examples.
So, when Ticker appeared featuring Segal alongside Dennis Hopper, as yet another mad bomb maker (another Speed) and Tom Sizemore, another respected actor (Saving Private Ryan) I was expecting something a bit special.
What I got was a big pile of...well, I'd say see for yourself, but really, dont.
Segal plays some sort of Buddhist Zen leader of the Bomb Disposal Unit. Hopper is obviously killing everyone there is, and Sizemore is the detective on his heels.
Now remember, the redeeming factor of any Segal film is the Aikido and his skill in using it. Say what you like about the bloke, but he is lethal. So, it was a huge shame bordering on insane ridiculousness that the major fight scene was shot in the dark! With occasional noises of "oomph" and "Urrr" and interspersed with close up headshots of Segal looking mean. And that was it! What on earth were they thinking?
Back to the plot, Hoppers been dealt with and one bomb remains....of course it's a doozy and Sizemore is there. The clock is ticking, he's on the radio to Segal for instructions....but instead of the "cut the red wire...no the blue!" what you get is Segal philosophising with him that first he must become nothing etc and know nothing etc and only then with the patented hollywood 2 secs left on the clock may he cut the wire. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it, and pray I never do again.
Back to Segal, it's a shame that he really has seemed to have lost his way in films. The last few I've seen that were any good are quite old now, but if you like him dont go beyond Glimmer Man or Exit Wounds.
Well, glad that's off my chest.
12:10 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
Rant No.3
Saw
OK, another rant, have'nt had one in a while.
I remember seeing this after hearing a lot about it. it was one of the new wave of ultra real, ultra shocking thrillers that seemed to be appearing.
I sat down, put the DVD on, and expected something along the lines of Seven, but maybe a bit gorier.
So, what's to complain about?
Well, it just struck me as absurd that the 2 seasoned detectives on the trail of Americas most wanted serial killer, after tracking him down to his apartment do...well, guess which of the following:
A: Call for back up, preferably a SWAT team covering all angles of the building etc.
B: Radio in and say they've located the perp and are awaiting instructions.
C: Do none of the above but decide to go it alone and try and bag the bad guy.
No prizes as to which it is.
OK, so they're in the apartment, it's heavily booby trapped but they have the guy at gunpoint.
Remember, he's Americas most dangerous killer. Would you:
A: Shoot him in the leg just for starters....well, might not be to ethical...so how about...
B: Make him get down on the floor, hands behind his head to put the cuffs on or...
C: Just walk up to him and get your throat cut
Well, so one of the detectives is down, but hey, these are seasoned detectives, they spend hours on the shooting range honing their skills....but unfortunatley, when it does come to shoot they could'nt hit a barn 12' away!
Which is a shame, because remember the Doc stuck in that room with the photographer? Well, apparently, with beginners luck you can shoot with surgical precision between arteries and bones...yes, I kid you not.
Almost at the end of this rant....but what about the killer lying on the floor....I mean, come on...really?
11:46 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
02/05/2007
Some New Kit
Just got myself a new HD Plasma. I've not read a lot about the Samsung other than they seem to be a company these days that produce goods that just dont know when to die.
I did look at a Pioneer too from an online company called TVs4U, who have 4 branches around the country. It did'nt look good, when I got to the store in Weston Super Mare, there was a queue of people waiting to return faulty TV's. Then when I saw the Pioneer it too was not as described....with a chip in the glass. Anyway, I went to Richer Sounds, which for some reason is seen by some as a bit of a joke to buy from, but I found that the Cardiff branch was superb. The Assistant Manager, Jonathan, who helped me was a very curteous, knowledgable person, mild mannered and very helpful. I did see another guy there who was a bit "in your face-I know everything" but I steered away from him.
www.richersounds.com
Anyway, bought the Samsung for just under 1K (after finding a spare £600 in my account....no really!) and amazed all by getting it in the back of a Fiesta.
Hooked it all up on the weekend and it was superb. I calibrated it with the Digital Video Essentials disc, which basically turned Sharpness down to 15%, although there was little to see from 0-15%. The brightness down to 50% and the contrast to around 50-60%.
Picture is excellent. The feet come off with 3 screws on the back. The wall generic mount I have for my old LG worked fine with this too.
I used HDMI which is another story (later), and that's it.
I tested it out with Aeon Flux, which was'nt overly spectacular, but Fifth Element was like a new experience. Using the 720P option the cityscapes were incredible. I've never noticed so much detail!
Overall, I'm very pleased.
Here's the company blurb:
Quote:
For a feature rich plasma TV from a top quality brand, the Samsung PS42E7H takes some beating.
Coming with a high resolution screen, HDCP and an HDMI interface, the PS42E7H is ready to display High Definition signals. Not only can it show them, but it can show them with style! With high technology features such as Filter Bright and Digital Natural Image Engine, the Samsung's picture quality is amongst the best in its class. Little wonder that such technology helps give the PS42E7H a stunning contrast ratio of 10,000:1, with depth of picture to match. If you use your TV for gaming, then you'll find the PS42E7H has even more to offer. Not only is a dedicated PC input included, but there's also a special Game Mode. This sharpens up the response time, enhances dark areas and adds a more dynamic element to the sound quality. With its 42" screen, gaming has never been so involving!
For added value, the PS42E7H comes complete with a basic stand and speakers. Twin SCART sockets a component input complete this excellent value package.
For an impressive, flat screen TV, the Samsung PS42E7H is amongst the best at this price.
OK, so it's my mistake. After I bought my new HD screen I realised that my old Oppo did'nt have HDMI, only DVI, which of course the Screen did'nt have.
So, I did a quick bit of research. I saw the new Oppo had some great reviews, but also there was a lot of talk about the Denon 1930. Well, I was at Richer Sounds earlier in the week to get the screen, and they had it in the sale. So I picked one up.
It seems to be a player, similar to the Oppo, that's either too clever or too dumb enough not to know it should'nt play whatever you put in it. I should have tried a coaster, I'd probably have got something!.
It seems very light, which I always find a bit worrying, but when in place it feels "heavier" with a very solid disc mechanism. The front panel display is quite nice too with a stylish on/standby button that turns red/green.
www.oppodigital.com/
As said it handles everything you can put in it, and upscales it without a sweat. I dont know how it would go head to head with the new Oppo, but compared to the old one it really stood out, but that was in the sound dept.
I dont know what it does, but it sure does it well. The sound was superb. Everything was clearer. There were sounds coming from the surrounds I'd never noticed before. Bullets were having more ricochet's, ambience was having more room. It really was a great moment realising how good it was.
It's a bit more pricey than the Oppo, does'nt come with a lead, but is a very smart addition for me until some super player comes out.
Blurb:
Quote:
If you're serious about film then, short of Blu-ray or HD-DVD, the Denon DVD1930 is one of the finest choices about.
Key to the DVD-1930's appeal is the HDMI output with up to 1080p up-scaling. This means that, should you have a suitable LCD, plasma or projector (HD Ready), you can enjoy your current DVDs up-scaled to a level of clarity to run Blu-ray or HD-DVD very close.
As you'd expect from Denon, top quality electronics are used throughout. A quality 216MHz 11bit video DAC gives superb picture definition - whatever the output used. Faroujda's DCDi FLI-2301 progressive scan system offers superb picture stability and depth of image. With 24-bit/192KHz Audio DACs, the sound quality is equally impressive - helped still further by Denon hi-fi quality audio components.
With playback of most formats, including SACD, DVD-Audio and DivX, the DVD-1930 is a truly universal player. If you have a substantial DVD collection and want to get the best from it, then try Denon's DVD-1930. We guarantee you'll be impressed!
10:49 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
01/17/2007
fennel DVDManager
fennel DVDManager
I've just found this free software for OSX on the Mac. it seems very easy to use and very quick.
A nice way to keep a database of your DVD's.
Description
fennel DVDManager (aka fsDM) is our next-generation DVDManager (sigh) for Mac OS X.
With its clean interface, DVDManager makes maintaining your DVD library as easy as Macintosh!
• Retrieve & Update your DVDs' details through online sites
• or Add & Edit them manually, yet quickly (just the core details!)
• Manage their life when lent to friends thanks to your Address Book
• Create box sets+wish list easily & Manage them intuitively
• Export a complete list of your DVD library, etc.
Quick, Simple, Easy & Fun! It's time to manage the workflow of your DVDs with Style.
License: Donationware
Current Version: 1.6.7
Requirements: Any Mac running Mac OS X v10.3 or later (Mac OS X v10.4.8 Tiger recommended)
fennel DVDManager
09:25 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
01/08/2007
Dave's Trailer Page
Dave's Trailer Page
I've been using this site for years and thought it was worthy of a mention.
www.davestrailerpage.co.uk
Here's Dave's own introduction:
About the site
This site began life way back when the now infamous World Trade Center Spider-Man teaser was released on the Apple website. Trying to provide a direct link to patrons of the DVDForums I gave up trying to post the lengthy Apple urls via the bulletin software in use at the time and set up an incredibly basic page (it would make the current site look like a dozen people ran it) on my personal ISP web space. This proved to be very popular so I eventually began updating the list of trailers each time Apple posted something of interest, and as they say, the rest is history...
...a server move, url change, and complete eradication of the teaser that started it all, and roughly four years online the site has grown and is still going strong. I have also purposely kept it basic, for both personal and professional reasons
10:59 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
2006 in Review
Here is a post by everyone's favourite AV Talk Uncle, Uncle Eric on the hi-lights and lo-lights of 2006. It's a great read for all those with any remote interest in Home Cinema:
From an installer's point of view, 2006 has been quite a year. The biggest stories this year have been the HD-DVD v Blu-ray saga and the rise and (price) fall of HD display devices.
In this brief summary of the year, I'll try to pick out the highlights and lows, try to raise some worthwhile points and hopefully dispel a few myths along the way.
HD-DVD was first to the market with first generation players from Toshiba and some decent software. Unfortunately folks were soon moaning about how slow and glitchy these first machines were but loved the image quality which was a far cry from the blocky artefact riddled HD downloads people were used to seeing. Even D Theatre tapes, the previous pinnacle (albeit a backwards one) paled in comparison to a top notch HD-DVD pressing.
If Toshiba made a boo-boo by using weedy processors in their first generation machines, the Sony camps laughter was soon turning into tears. Delay after delay meant first to market Toshiba and the HD-DVD format were gaining an important foothold with Blu-ray nowhere near the horizon for months.
More tears followed when Samsung finally launched the first Blu-ray machines. Firstly they were twice the price of Toshiba's HD-DVD players, more importantly; picture quality expectations were not met. Samsungs sharpness processing was pushed so far to the max that images produced ringing/softness. Add poor mastering using the less effective MPEG2 compression codec and soon people were calling Sony's effort BLUR-RAY. Not a good start for what many deemed the format with the most to offer.
Splitting the two HD video formats meant inevitable comparisons with the on-going bitter war of the two high definition audio formats, SACD and DVD-A. Truth be told the downfall of both these audio formats should teach the Sony and Toshiba camps valuable lessons. Unless of course they have money (and pride) to burn.
If rumours are true one major hardware manufacturer is about to drop both formats altogether (Pioneer, Denon ????).
Add the fact that neither format is being supported enough via software (even Sony couldn't be bothered, go figure), all means the consumer has finally had enough of both SACD and DVD-A which all means DVD-A and SACD software sales (which were not exactly flying anyway) are grinding to a halt. I mentioned earlier this year that both formats were limping along. The prognosis now is even worse. I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel for either format and I fear both will probably die in the not too distant future!
There is no doubt this year AV has been mainly about V!
Flat panels are now being sold by the millions. LCD which has sold well for years in the smaller sizes gained a lot of ground in large size panel sales in 2006, much to the dismay I might add of anyone who values high image quality. 1080p is the key buzzword of all things video and LCD manufacturers were first to market with the biggest selling size sector (40-45"). LCD makers used 1080p as their Trojan horse and many who were spellbound by the 1080p hype are now kicking themselves when they see decently set up plasma with half the resolution.
Whilst 1080p 42" plasma's are around the corner, for those of you that are waiting, I suggest you go and buy a cheaper lower res panel now as, A) The current units will be at least half the price of the new 1080p 42" panels, and B) You really won't be able to see a whole heap of difference from an average seating distance. In fact the further you sit the less obvious the differences, especially on standard def material.
The projector market caught finally caught fire this year with the introduction of Sony's three chip SXRD beauty, the Ruby. It's not a perfect projector by any means, there is no perfect display device. But at a price of £6-7k, or $10k USD, it was embarrassing projectors at two or three times the price.
Upon release, the value for money this projector offered was without comparison. It was also the quietest projector many of us had ever heard, by a long way too!. Before 2006 was done and dusted, Sony had done it again with their new Pearl. Another three chip SXRD but this time at half the price of the Ruby!!!!.
In my humble opinion Sony did everyone a big favour with the Ruby and Pearl. These machines kicked projector (and many video processor) manufacturers in their rear ends so hard they changed pricing OVERNIGHT. Like everything electronic, mass production will always mean inevitable price reductions were eventually going to happen, but in 2006 Sony were responsible for an industry wide five years worth of price reductions concentrated into the space of (in some cases) 5 weeks. Infocus famously halved the price of their 777 three chipper within days!!!! Projector prices were decaying faster than children's teeth.
All this meant that 1080p projection is now within easy reach of even the most budget conscious.
There is an irony to all this. By bringing 1080p projection within reach of the much larger budget oriented marketplace, Sony may also have unwittingly saved HD-DVD (and Blu-ray) from the same fate that has befallen the high res audio formats because every 1080p PJ buyer wants to see what HD-DVD and Blu-ray will look like on their lovely new projectors!
It's a funny old world!
More good stuff to come this time from JVC as well as Sony. I will be receiving JVC's latest machine soon which (on paper anyway) offers big numbers in the contrast department.
Going back to HD video software, there is a lot of hype about the two main compression codec's, VC1 and MPEG2. Both have their supporters and whilst there are some sensible things being said by many, there is a lot of disinformation being spread about both codec's. We've all heard how crap MPEG2 is. It's not crap at all.
You just need far higher data rates to accomplish what VC1 is doing with lower bit rates.
The key word here is efficiency.
And efficiency = $$$$$$
Broadcasters (many US based companies currently use MPEG2) find VC1 ultra attractive. Not only can they improve current quality with the same data rates, they can sneak in more worthless programming under the radar and up their charges on the pretence of offering more channels for the same (crap) quality. See my thread here for what's currently happening with HD broadcasting in the USA,
Av Talk, Register to view
How does the AV fan compare projector performance if he doesn't have the time or inclination to visit and view every dealer/projector on his shortlist? Help (or confusion) is on the way. THX is about to instigate a certification for good video quality which will be bought up by various projector manufacturers wanting to increase their prices by paying for their THX certification (that was tongue in cheek as the cost is not huge per projector). How seriously should one take THX certification? With a pinch of salt and a little pepper IMHO.
Sitting in front of my THX certified computer speakers how can I take them seriously anymore?
One of the low points of the year has been the HDMI kafuffle.
HDMI 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, handshaking and other issues, you name it. Full-on high res audio formats via HDMI will be a while yet but most manufacturers have got video nearly there. One of my gripes about this format is the connection itself. Give me a nice secure bullet proof DVI connection any day (but make it small like HDMI)
Streaming from network attached storage (NAS) devices has grown considerably. There is an abundance of cheap front end machines out there from the likes of Snazzio, Roku, Squeezebox and so on that will do most jobs. Storage is now so cheap that for under a grand we can have most of our media stored away in the loft forever and let the NAS whir away out of sight in a spare corner. This trend will continue to escalate and it will be interesting to see how high end systems like Kaleidescape deal with the new HD video formats. Their on-going lawsuit with the DVD forum (you need to crack DVD before you store it right?) has made them pretty well known in the industry. The only way forward for the company (certainly for their higher end offerings) is to offer a similar system with HD-DVD and Blu-ray.
http://www.kaleidescape.com
There are some new screen technologies also on the way but I think I'll let them surface before we start to speculate.
Happy new year everyone and happy AV'ing!
10:15 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
01/03/2007
Alias
Alias.
Everyone and his dog has now heard of JJ Abrams, creator of Lost. That show about those people on that Island etc, etc. But what about his previous show Alias? What's all that about. it's got some saucy woman in it that looks different every time you see her, it's a sort of spy thing, and you can find reviews on the net saying it's the best girl power show since Buffy and Xena....so what is it all about?
Well, Buffy and Xena had never rocked my boat, and reading a review of Alias comparing it to those shows was one of the biggest turn off's going. But I kept reading about it and curiosity was getting the better of me. Fortunatley, top AV Talk mod Squirrel God had been in the same boat and trod this path before me asking just how good the show was.
I sent SG an e-mail and he sold me on the idea of the show.
So, after finally finishing all 5 series on DVD, what is the lo-down on this show?
First, thankfully, it's nothing like Xena or Buffy. The only similarity I can see is there all female leads. Also, it's not a story about a scantily clad woman prancing around every episode, although Jennifer garner does sometimes go for a skimpy costume, it's all part of the story....and that is....
Without giving too much away, the original pilot episode showed us a twenty something Sydney Bristow (Garner) being proposed to by her fiance. Sydney has a secret though, she has been recruited by a special branch of the CIA whilst in college after matching a certain profile, and worked her way up inside a dummy bank to be one of the best field operator's there is.
Unfortunatley Sydney does the unforgivable and tells her fiance the secret, who is later murdered to seal the security breach. Sydney is devestated and on a leave of absence discovers another terrible truth. The CIA branch she works at, SD6, is not CIA, butr in fact the very enemy she's been working at defeating.
Yep, all this in the pilot! So she turns herself into the real CIA where her contact Michael Vaugn each week gives her counter missions as she goes back to work for the bad guys as a double agent.
Things seem to move along quite nicely in this fashion for a while, you enjoy the action/espionage, you enjoy the office banter as you meet Marshall Fleetman the geekiest tech guy ever who brings a lot of humour to the show and is all the better for it, and you enjoy Sydneys Friends type home life with Will and Francie.
And then JJ throws you a curve ball and you come across Milo Rimbaldi, the 15th Century techno prophet.
That's as much as I'm telling you. If you've seen Alias, then you know how good it is, if you've not then you have a treat in store, with a heroine that you warm to very quickly and a great supporting cast that you almost want to cheer every episode in the way the characters for Happy Days were cheered when they appeared each week, and even the baddies are so likeable. the DVD's are currently a great bargain especially as you cannow buy the complete series in a Rimbaldi Artifact boxset.
16:45 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
11/13/2006
Rant No.2
This rant is a bit different because it involves two films I actually like.
First we have the groundbreaking piece of originality that is Jumanji directed by Joe Johnston.
In this film we see a young Alan Parrish, due to be sent away to boarding school, just rowed with his Dad, bullied at school, find a strange boardgame at a local construction site. No questions are asked about the makers of the game, where it first came from (though the film starts with the game being buried by two boys in an earlier generation).
As the game is played, strange things start to happen, the world of Jumanji seeps into the real world causing chaos and mayhem wherever it spreads too.
The film was incredible. A very fresh idea, a great performance from all the cast led by Robin Williams. Some groundbreaking effects from ILM. A truly stunning performance for 1995.
Now we jump ahead 10 years to 2005.
Another excellent film Zathura....but how on earth dod this get made?
Imagine the sales pitch from now Director Jon Favreau to the film company:
Sony Pictures:Hi Jon, how you doing and what have you got for us?
Jon Favreau: I've got a great story from Chris Van Allsburg!
SP: Hey, is'nt that the guy that wrote Jumanji? What's this one all about?
JF: Well, it's about these two boys...
SP: Oh' great, another family movie, tell us more.
JF: Anyway, these two boys are left in a big old house and find an old boardgame.
SP: Uh, yeah.
JF: So they start playing it and the game kind of comes to life.
SP: Uh?
JF: Now it all turns to chaos, we have loads of effects and if the boys can finish the game it will all go back to normal.
SP: ........?
Do you see where I'm coming from? How on earth did they manage to make the same film twice from the same writer? I do like both films, and glad they're in my collection, but realisticly how on earth did this happen?
11:12 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
11/06/2006
DVD
I wrote this for a competition over at AV Talk asking:
You are allowed one shot (or one post) where in your own words you will write about what is in your opinion 'the greatest single inovation we've seen in A/V (audio, video or both) in the last 10 years and why it has had the impact you mention'
My answer:
DVD.
So much in life these days is like having a first beer after a hard days work. You pull back the tab or prize open the cap, hear the whoosh of the gas escaping, then take that first refreshing mouthful. And that's the trouble, the second swig never seems to match up to the first, and the rest of the liquid is just that, liquid.
It's very hard for something to keep that "first taste" experience, but looking back over the last 10 years there's really only one contender.
Dateline 1997. I'm working at a printers in Laindon, Essex, when a new job comes in. It's a flyer to advertise a new magazine coming out called DVD Review. It's going to be printed in metallic blue and has Pierce Brosnan on it in a scene from Goldeneye. I've started to hear a lot about this new DVD technology, Digital Video Disc it stands for then, later to be changed to Digital Versatile Disc, it's going to have film on it that's so much better than your old VHS cassettes. It will have stunning moving menu's that you can click on to get trailers, behind the scenes footage, hidden extras. There will be different soundtracks that can be changed at the touch of a button, some will have the director and cast talking about the movie. There will be an angle button that you can press to watch the same scene from a different view. This new DVD technology sounds awesome!
I do some hunting on the Internet and find that Pioneer have got some players coming soon. There's a very special DV 717, which I am destined to acquire at a later time, but Pioneer have bought out "The Beast"! it's the 909, it can play DVD's, VCD's, LD and just about anything else you can throw at it. It costs me £900. I buy this as I know I can start picking up all those old Laser Discs that people dont want anymore now that DVD is here, and I do. This new DVD technology has a price though, and I now have to buy a new amp that can take a fiber optic connection. I have to buy more speakers and a sub woofer, but the local shop Woolfmans helps me out and soon I have a basic home cinema.
Then it's time to finally buy a DVD. There's not that many to choose from when I visit my local supermarket (no online shops yet for me). There's Face Off, a "flipper" disc that has the movie spread on both sides of the disc, but I go for Contact a Jodie Foster film.
When I get home and play it the "first taste" is incredible. We're in space, there's radio waves playing all around the living room. Then the radio waves get older and older and slowly the sound starts diminishing from the rear speakers, then it's just stereo, then it's just mono and then we are in the eye of a small girl as our trip through space finishes.
I stop. I am literally stunned by what I've just seen. I'm sitting in a room surrounded by shelves of VHS tapes thinking, all this has to go and be replaced, because from this point on anything other than this wonderful new technology is going to be a poor second.
The next few months that follow in Essex, there's a running joke about me on commission with Pioneer due to the amount of DVD players my friends and workmates buy after seeing what I've seen. Contact get's played over and over, the car chase from Ronin, another favourite, has the room rumbling with the sound of impact from DeNiro's rocket launcher, even sample discs showing future titles get played again and again and still the first taste is as good now as it was then.
10 years on I'm still watching DVD's that make my jaw drop. The look of Appleseed, the quality of LOTR, the menu's of The Italian Job and Terminator 2.
It's been a superb 10 years for the home cinema enthusiast and the joy that is DVD.
13:00 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
09/18/2006
Blu-Ray VS HD-DVD, another thought....
I dont watch TV. This always comes as a bit of a shock to my friends when they come round and see I have a home cinema. But I've lived without watching TV for around 17 years now and dont miss it at all. I love the freedom to watch what I want, when I want, and not become a couch potato that sits on the sofa watching whatever drivvle the TV companies decide to spoon feed you with next.
For news I listen to Radio 4, which IMO reports the news in a much more responsible manner rather than trying to show you the next most shocking image.
And yes, I dont pay a license. It's perfectly legal because I cant receive outside broadcasts, and have no aerial. Anyway, where is all this going....oh yes. HDTV. Currently you can go out and buy a nice HD ready screen and pay £300 for a Sky box that gives you HDTV images. Me and a mate at work worked out it costs around £700 per year! Can this be right!?
As stated previously, I dont watch TV, but do have a DVD.
So what options are open to those who want to move into the next generation of players....Well everyone and his aunt must be writing HD-DVD Vs BluRay articles at the moment, but what I'm going to write is a "hold on everyone" article.
First thing to clear up is this. Currently there are no British players on the market, so that bloke you know who's going on about his great new player has gone and imported it from the States. Then he's had to buy a step down transformer, and then of course import the discs. So, what's wrong with that? Well, here goes. Currently whenever you hear the Blu Ray HD thing being mentioned someone also mentions VHS Vs Betamax, but it's not like that, it's more like what if VHS AND Betamax had been popular? That's right, what if both formats , neither working on the other's machine, had taken off? And then to boot, what if the film companies decided only to release films on one or the other? So when Die Hard appeared, you'd think great I'll get that for my VHS, then when Star Wars is released you think you'll get that too, only to find out you can't because Fox has decided they'll only release it on Beta....now do you see what's happening?
That's right, your going to have to buy both.
And with HD DVD currently somewhere in the region of £500 and Blu Ray around £800 that's a massive chunk of dough.
Talking with a mate about this he said what about PS3? Is'nt that going to be about £300 and have Blu Ray? Well, I dont know, but this does'nt make sense to me, how can a standalone BluRay player cost £800 but you can pick up a games machine with graphics and ram and what not for less than half price? Maybe I'm being cynical, but I reckon the parts are going to be lesser quality.
Also, to cap it all there's news items appearing it seems every week talking about new methods to region code, so if your thinking of buying an HD DVD and playing all your old DVD's on it too, then think again on that as well.
So, my advice, if you can, is to wait, maybe even a year if possible. Someone has go to come out with a dual player, one that plays both formats and all your old discs. Hopefully it will have the best of both worlds, great picture and sound, which after all is what it's about.
One last thought, if you decide to get everything: DVD, HD-DVD and BluRay, how you going to connect it all up? That's a lot of leads and HDMI connections. Can your screen AMP take them all?
Well, that's that off my chest. Now let the waiting game begin.
14:46 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
08/30/2006
All Of MP3
All Of MP3
I've been hearing a lot about this site recently. It's a Russian based music site offering extremely cheap downloads at various qualities from MP3 to CD quality.
With songs starting at around 12 cents and albums for $2 the first thing you think is rip-off, but there seems to be controversy over this. Recently Radio 1 in the UK blasted the site for not paying royalties to the British Music Industry, but apparently that is not the same as paying royalties to the artist, which as far as I can gather they claim to do.
The site is owned and managed as a legal Russian business, so the BMI dont have much chance to stop them, and as Russian copyright laws are a lot easier than in the UK this seems to be the cheapest legal site around. I say legal, because wheras the UK do not like this site, in Russia there are no laws being broken.
What do you do:
You join up and add a minmum of $10 to your balance through a secure pay site. When you have your balance you can then start shopping. Just add albums or songs to your basket and either download the whole lot using the PC software or on Mac's just download the tracks seperatley using the links supplied.
I've tried it with no problems, sound quality on MP3 is excellent.
17:05 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
07/12/2006
New Pronto NG Set-Up
My last Futurama one was so complicated I could'nt be bothered to make a whole lot of new buttons etc when I got new kit.
This one is as simple as it gets, very easily customisable.
You can download the file from Remote Central
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06/28/2006
A new DVD Player
I have'nt done a Home Cinema post for a while so here goes:
I wanted to upgrade my DVD player, I'd been using the excellent Pioneer DVR 7000, one of the best recorders on the market, but for watching DVD's it had a couple of things that were a bit annoying. Namely, the incredibly long load time, the time it took to access a menu and the quality....I just felt I could probably get something better. Plus my son Nathan wanted a DVD player in his room, so a new player meant they could all move round one, with the DV717 going into his room and the 7000 going into the kitchen....
So, I of course did some homework, which for me meant asking someone who knows more about it than me...which is of course AV Talk
Now here comes the shocker. I knew there were some seriously good Arcam players for a few grand, and that is a lot of money to me, but then someone mentioned the OPPO!
Now I'd never heard of this, but as it turned out it was being sold by CRT who had done a brilliant job with my cables and was one of the most outstanding companies I'd ever dealt with. So I gave Henry a ring there and got the lowdown.
Listen, this is all true.
This player costs around £165 delivered, beat ALL other players in something called The Secrets benchmark where it scored a staggering 98% ! It upscales your picture to match your screen resolution through a DVI or HDMI lead. What this means basically is that if you have something like a Plasma Screen, it can look superb, much better than a normal player. It has a load of features, can handle nearly any disc you chuck in it, is Multi Region and has downloadable firmware updates that you just record on a CD and play to upgrade!
It sounds all too good to be true, does'nt it...but it works!
So, all I can say, is check out the links above and look into it yourself if you dont believe me. it really is as good as they're saying.
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04/04/2006
CRT Projectors
I think the older you get the less surprised you are by life. Everything becomes a bit so-so, nothing standing out that much as different or unique, maybe I'm on my own in that. Anyway, I write this because these days I feel I'm surprised very little in life, so when I am, it's a big deal.
Well CRT Projectors surprised me.
I'd just bought myself a Lumagen Vision Scaler . If you dont know what this is I'll have to explain it in another post sometime. Anyway, I needed 2 leads for it, and these can get very expensive. So I went to AV Talk where you can find trusted traders aplenty. So I rang CRT and spoke to a guy called Henry.
I landed on my feet here. Henry turned out to be one of the most thorough people I've ever come across. Bear in mind I was only after 2 leads, the amount of time he spent looking up my equipment, studying PDF's of manuals I sent him until he was completely satisfied that everything would connect up to give me the best possible image, was phenomenal.
Henry warned me as well they were very busy so it would bve about 2 weeks, which I did'nt mind. I was sent e-mail confirmation before each lead was sent, and finally received 20% off the second lead when it took a bit longer to come.
Just incredible service that is so rare these days.
Highly recommended. Click the image at the top to visit the store.
11:42 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
02/23/2006
Who's The Daddy!
Just a bit of fun, there seems to be some controversy on just who is the toughest guy around?
Jack Bauer
or
Chuck Norris
Just click the picture for more quotes like these:
Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.
There is no chin under Chuck Norris' Beard. There is only another fist.
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02/21/2006
Best Of The Boxsets
For someone who does'nt watch TV I seem to be accumalting quite a few TV Series Boxsets. There's a lot of rubbish out there, but here is a list, in alphabetical order, of my favourite 8 boxsets. These are all TV series as opposed to film sets.
24
One of the cleverest set of thrillers I've seen in a long time. They're very hard hitting storys with Kiefer Sutherland laying a take no prisoners Counter Terrorist Unit agent. When you think these shows have no swearing, sex or real violence it makes it an even bigger achievment. Eash series is a day in the life of, allbeit a very bad day. Minus the breaks for adverts and each episode lasts about 42mins, which means if you had to watch it on Sky a quarter of the show was ads! Long live DVD eh.
Charles Dickens
Some of the best period drama series from the BBC all penned by Dickens. There's a host of British acting talent on these discs from Bob Hoskins to even Phil Daniels. Some amazing and timeless stories. The box itself has been created to resemble an old boox. Superb!
Family Guy
It's a cartoon, but not for kids. Featuring a dysfuntional family it has some superb characters. Peter Griffin, the dad, Stewie the homicidal toddler, and Brian, a talking dog. There are some great parodies in these boxsets, but my favorite has to be when they emulate the old Bob & Bing "Road To" movies with Brian & Stewie.
Full Metal Panic
Difficult to choose just one Anime set, but I chose Full Metal Panic over others such as Lain or Noir because it has such a good chunk of fun to it, as well as plenty of action.
Futurama
These are the best box sets I've ever bought. We must have watched them through about 40 times at least and they are still funny. Every character has a spark of genius to it from Sal the fat delivery guy all the way up to Fry the main character. A must have for anyone who likes a good laugh.
Sherlock Holmes
If you've ever read Conan Doyle's stories then you know Basil Rathbones character was good but not best, and Nigel Bruce's Watson was just a bumbling bafoon. Jeremy Brett's version is much truer to the stories, and Watson is much more like us as the observer struggling to see it for himself. Some very dark stories here but all acted marvelously.
Lost
What can I say about Lost. A superb story (so far) about survivors of a plane crash on an island full of mystery. The production values are film quality, which makes it an even bigger pleasure to watch.
Moonlighting
A blast from the past with Bruce Willis and Sybil Shepherd at there best. An incredibly fast paced witty dialogue shoot out that never stops drawing you in and playing you off against Dave and Maddy.
14:34 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
01/19/2006
Video Help
I dont know why I've never mentioned this site before, I've been visiting it for years, ever since I started making VCD slideshows, now I've moved onto DVD it comes with it's own host of problems: Why does'nt this file work, how can I make a slideshow with my own music and have a movie with moving menus, what's the best software, is there a free converter etc...etc... or even, how do I make my DVD player multi-region, is there a hack?
All these questions and about a billion more can be answered at Video help.
So, if your new to all this and finding teething problems or want the latest advice on some software, go and visit the site and find ALL your questions answered,
Direct link: Here
10:11 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
01/04/2006
What is wrong with Highlander?
I dont often get a bee in my bonnet over bad films, but for some reason I just can't let Highlander get away with it. I think it's due to it's incredible popularity that I wonder if noone has actually put any thought into what they are watching.
The film spawned 2 sequels as well as some sort of TV show. I'm ignoring all that for this rant in the whole as I'm sure they only came about due to the strange success of the original and as some sort of explanation of all the nonsense you'd already seen by making them space men or aliens or something?
The film stars Christopher Lambert aka Christoph Lamb-Pie as a Scottish Higlander. Not my favourite actor, although he was quite good in...um...well...um...OK I liked Greystoke OK! 
It also stars Sean Connery (Yesh Mish Moneypenny) as some sort of Spaniard Courtier.
OK. Right away can anyaone spot something stupid? Yep, that's right, a Frenchman playing a Scotsman and a Scotsman playing a Spaniard? Why did'nt they just reverse the roles?
On a side note, I remember reading an article on Dragonheart. The designers were asked to send Connery a miniature of Draco so he could work out his voice!
I bet that took a lot of working out did'nt it? Lets face it, he's not that versatile is he:
Hunt for Red October:
OK Sean your playing a Russian, what sort of voice will you give him?
Connery: I think I'lll make him Scottish.
Untouchables:
OK Sean your playing an Irishman, what sort of voice will you give him?
Connery: I think I'lll make him Scottish.
Dragonheart:
OK Sean your playing a Dragon, what sort of voice will you give him?
Connery: I think I'lll make him Scottish.
etc, etc, etc.
So, back to the film....Lamby-Pie discovers he's immortal and invincible, as you do, and Connery turns up to let him know so is he and a lot of others and they all have got to fight and cut each others heads off until there's only one left...are you buying this?...and then the winner can become normal.
How on earth did this get made?
So, Lambby with his immortality and invincibility goes to work as a Superman ridding the world of fear and suffering making everyones life better and becoming a hero....well, not quite, he rescues some little girl in WW2 and gets her to work in his antique shop. Well, that's a good use for his talents eh?
Anyway, all that comes to an end when the baddy shows up. They have a nice chat at church where they can't hurt each other (for some unexplianable reason), then all the others, who are as big a waste of time as Lamb-Pie get beheaded, and good riddance, and then the Highlander wins, cos There can only be ONE! (why?) and he gets his prize of being normal.
(Does anyone know who was overseeing all these immortal goings on?)
Well, that's a good prize isn't it? Hey, he can now get sick, have asthma, get paper cuts, get arthritis, get old and cop it....except he does'nt and they make a sequal.
I suppose I should quickly mention the soundtrack. Queen did a great job, but I remember in one of the sequals Christoph starts playing "It's a kind of magic" on a jukebox and my skin went grey with death and I though this is it, I'm dying!
Ladies and Gentlemen I offer you Highlander Turkey number 1.
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12/12/2005
Futurama Set-up is finished
Finally finished my Futurama Set-up. It can be downloaded from Remote Central Here
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11/15/2005
The Remote Has Landed.
The PDA remote is no more, long live the TSU 7000 remote!
I bought this from the States recently, it worked out at almost half the price of the UK equivalent RU980! All you need is a transformer to turn the voltage back to 110v.
There is a full review of the remote at Remote Central Here
I loost no time in making a new PCF file (a customised interface where you choose any graphics that are asigned any commands). I chose a favourite theme: Shaiya.
The file is available for download Here
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10/11/2005
Find a cheap DVD
Ever wondered if the DVD you want to buy can be found for less? Ever wondered where people find all those great bargains?
Look no further than http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/
it has a search engine for Region 1 or 2. Just type in the name, click the correct result and the database will search the net to find the cheapest price. Simple as that!
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09/22/2005
Remote Central
I've been a member of this site for a few years now and been a visitor even longer. If, like me, you love the idea of flashy touch screen remotes controlling everything from the TV to the lights, then this site is for you. Any question you can imagine as well as nearly every dreamable resource is here.
15:45 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
09/15/2005
The Original Band Of Brothers War Movies List
This was a list created ages ago now (a new one has just been started). All members of the wargaming club Band Of Brothers were asked to name all there favourite war films/series and then all members were asked to vote. here follows the results:
MOVIE NAME
NUMBER OF VOTES
BAND OF BROTHERS 302
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 301
DAS BOOT 132
A BRIDGE TO FAR 107
GETTYSBURG 74
BLACKHAWK DOWN 72
KELLY'S HEROES 57
ZULU 48
THE LONGEST DAY 47
PATTON 47
CROSS OF IRON 45
STALINGRAD 42
WE WERE SOLDIERS 42
PLATOON 39
FULL METAL JACKET 38
APOCALYPSE NOW 35
BRAVEHEART 33
ALL'S QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT 31
HAMBURGER HILL 31
WHERE EAGLES DARE 31
THE DIRTY DOZEN 23
NIGHT AND FOG (NUIT ET BOUILLARD) 17
WATERLOO 17
SCHINDLERS LIST 16
THE GREAT ESCAPE 15
WHEN TRUMPETS FADE 15
12 O'CLOCK HIGH 14
THE WINTER WAR 14
THE BRIDGE 12
HEARTBREAK RIDGE 12
BATTLEGROUND 11
LAST OF THE MOHICANS 11
THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER 11
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED 10
THE DEER HUNTER 10
GLORY 9
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 9
ENEMY AT THE GATES 8
ZULU DAWN 8
GARDENS OF STONE 7
BATTLE OF BRITAIN 7
PATHS OF GLORY 7
BLUE MAX 6
BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI 6
HENRY V 6
THE LIGHT HORSEMAN 6
BREAKER MORANT 5
THE ODD ANGRY SHOT 5
DARK BLUE WORLD 4
GUNS OF NAVARONE 4
TORA TORA TORA 4
THE WINDTALKERS 4
A MIDNIGHT CLEAR 3
BATTLE OF THE BULGE 3
THE BRIDGE AT REMAGEN 3
GALLIPOLI 3
HELL IN THE PACIFIC 3
THE LOST BATTALION 3
MIDWAY 3
PORK CHOP HILL 3
RED DAWN 3
THE THIN RED LINE 3
TO LATE THE HERO 3
CATCH-22 2
THE NAKED AND THE DEAD 2
THE SAND PEBBLES 2
SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 2
WINGS 2
BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATTE 1
THE DAM BUSTERS 1
FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE 1
GRAVE OF FIREFLIES 1
GREEN BERETS 1
HELL IS FOR HEROES 1
THE KILLING FIELDS 1
KONIGSTIGER VOR EL ALEMEIN 1
RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP 1
THE SANDS OF IWO JIMA 1
HONORABLE MENTION
30 Seconds Over Tokyo
The 49th Parallel
The Alamo
Attack
The Big Red One
Boys in Company C
Casablanca
The Charge of the Light Brigade
Charlie Mopec
Come and See
Crimson Tide
The Cruel Sea
The Desert Rats
Excalibur
Four Feathers
Good Morning Vietnam
Go Tell the Spartans
Grand Illusions
The Hill
The Life and Times of Private Chomkin
The Long, the Short, and the Tall
The Man Who Never Was
Merrill's Marauders
Oh, What a Lovely War
The Patriot
Platoon Leader
PT-109
Sink the Bismarck
The Tenth Man
Three Kings
Tobruk
To Hell and Back
The Trench
Uncommon Valor
Von Ryan's Express
What Price Glory
The Young Lions
U-571
Pearl Harbor
12:20 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
08/05/2005
Do you like Futurama?
Well if that is the case a great site to visit is: Can't Get Enough Futurama
it was there that I saw some cards in the Character Bios section and that gave me an idea to do a bigger set.
The whole range that I made of 52 cards can be downloaded free at my Webshots album Here
17:32 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
05/09/2005
Full System Enhancer
Maybe the cheapest upgrade you ever buy:
Description
The IsoTek philosophy is a simple one, ‘the search for excellence at every level’. So it came as no surprise that when they launched their ‘Full System Enhancer’ it would be something special. This disc not only covers burn-in tones, but couples this with full demagnetisation and concludes with a rejuvenation track that is recommended as a warm up prior to listening sessions. The Full System Enhancer draws on years of work and painstaking experements to identify the nature of both burn-in and system demagnetisation tones, the results speak for themselves.
Essentially the IsoTek disc consists of three tracks. The first is a ‘one size fits all’ burn-in and demagnetisation signal which can be used as often as required on practically any audio system with highly beneficial results. The second track is similar but in some parts of the signal includes significantly higher levels of bass energy; it is thus optimised for systems with subwoofers or large loudspeakers of enhanced bass performance. The third rejuvenation track is much shorter than the others, and intended for use as a rapid ‘system refresher’ that can be used on a system that has recently benefited from a full procedure, as a daily ‘warm-up’.
IsoTek have always claimed that their products can improve the performance of a complete audio system in one go, this disc is no exception. The Densen DeMagic could finally have met its match! Recommended.
You can purchase this from
Audio Phile Candy for £14.95.
I bought mine after seeing a small review at AV Talk and yes, it really does work. There are 3 tracks on the CD and you just play through them once, after that just give track 3 (5mins) the occasional play as a refresher. It runs through lots of strange signals such as white noise and what sounds like an air raid siren, but these guys know what they're doing and your speakers go through a complete range work out. Everything does seem a bit clearer after playing.
11:13 Posted in Home Cinema | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
05/04/2005
Converting a PDA into a Remote Control
How to have a Remote Control, just as good (or arguably better) than a Pronto Pro for about 1/3rd the price.
OK, I bet most of you allready know this, but for those who dont, you might find it interesting. I wanted to do this with all the links together in one place.
I started my research into a new Remote about 3 months ago when I wanted to upgrade my Phillips RU890 to a colour model, but was taken aback by the Pronto-Pro's £600 price tag.
I came across an article on the Remote Central forum :
Remote Central
About using a PDA or Pocket PC to operate AV equipment.
There is now a dedicated forum at Remote Central just for PDA's.
After doing my research I opted for the Dell Axim X5, though I could easily have chosen a Palm etc.
There are currently 2 in the range, a 300MHZ and a 400MHZ.
I got the 400 MHZ on Ebay delivered for £200. It has a very stylish docking cradle, which also connects to the PC to download and upload.
(At this point I'll also mention you can have games, e-mail, internet, and yes dedicated software that tracks your DVD collection etc on the Axim) It has 64MB memory (the 300 has 32MB), and that is all you will need...or can have (no added cards I'm afraid, I'll explain in a minute).
From dell:
The Dell AximTMALT+0160 X5 is the ultimate handheld device that delivers style and outstanding features at an affordable price. It's powered by the Intel®ALT+0160 XScaleTMALT+0160 Processor at 300MHz to help you keep up with the tasks of everyday life and equipped with 32MB SDRAM and 32MB Intel StrataFlash® ROM. The Axim X5 is equipped with Microsoft®ALT+0160 Pocket PC 2003 Premium and pre-installed with familiar applications like Pocket Word and Pocket Excel, along with a calendar, contacts, voice recorder and a number of other built-in features. With an integrated Type II CompactFlash card slot and Secure Digital / MMC card slot, the expansion capabilities might seem endless. And with its removable, rechargeable battery, the Axim X5 is never tied to its cradle - simply leave a spare battery charging in the cradle - and swap your battery when running low.
* Equipped with Microsoft®ALT+0160 Pocket PC 2003 Premium operating system and familiar applications like Word and Excel
* Includes 30 day trial of McAfee VirusScan
* Powered by the Intel®ALT+0160 XScale Processor at 300MHz
* Brilliant TFT color 3.5" screen for indoor and outdoor viewing
* Navigation button and scroll dial for quick access to information
* Packed with 32MB SDRAM and 32MB Intel StrataFlashTMALT+0160 memory
* Integrated Type II CompactFlash and Secure Digital / MMC card slots provide flexible expansion
* Removable Primary Battery with optional High Capacity Battery
* Built-in microphone and speaker for easy recording on the go
* Sleek, stylish ergonomic design
OK, so I've got my Handheld.
next was the software that will emulate a Pronto Pro.
This costs $15 from:
Win TV
And is a download. You must make sure your PDA is supported. There are alternative software's and some PDA's come with their own, but this was recommended as the best.
Install the software and part 2 is complete!
Now you need to write your CCF (the file that has all the IR codes in it).
I started by browsing the Remote Central files section and pulling off some colour CCF's