…Warner Bros. Chose BluRay over HD-DVD… HD-DVD camp chose to show shock at this instead of ‘business as usual’…
…Best Buy and Netflix Chose BluRay Support over HD-DVD…
and finally…
…Wal-Mart chooses BluRay over HD-DVD.
That’s it folks. Toshiba has chosen to cease production of both HD-DVD players and media. The game goes to BluRay.
Either stock up on your HD-DVD discs now while you can, or trade in your old HD-DVDs for BluRays today.
Set and Match…. or… Checkmate!
P.S. Universal has already announced upcoming BluRay support for all titles.
Pixar and Disney have just announced that both Toy Story I & II are being re-rendered in actual 3D for re-release in October 2009, as a prelude to March 2010’s release of Toy Story III–also in 3D. But Why would they go through all of the effort re-rendering both I & II when so much is being converted to 3D from an original 2D format. Why? The answer after the break….
McFarlane Toys has just accounced that they are releasing their 7th Elvis Action Figure in the pose and outfit he wore during the 1968 Comeback Special when Elvis sang ‘If I Can Dream’. Yes, that is the song and special clip that was recently used as a source element to allow Celine Dion to sing alongside ‘The King’ on American Idol.
You’ll notice that there is no Celine Dion figure to be found.
You can read more about this new Elvis figure here.
To see better pictures from different angles, click here.
Today, the soundtrack CD to the 1960’s classic television show ‘My Favorite Martian’ was released by La La Land Records. This CD was Produced by 2 Live Fools co-host David C. Fein, and has almost 80 minutes of classic music by the late George Greeley.
It’s real! There is an official Apple iCar! I’ve seen it, we’ve all seen it since March 2006. His name is MAC iCAR, and he has the unique distinction of being the only ‘real world’ trademark in the Disney/Pixar motion picture, Cars.
It’s MAC iCAR, the unsung Apple trademarked hero of the film!
The recently completed and launched US warship–the USS New York–takes the fight against terrorism to sea.
When I first heard about the USS New York, I was both touched and powerfully patriotic.
The ship was forged from 24 tons of scrap steel taken directly from the ruin of the twin towers.
It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.
Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship’s bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, “those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,” recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. “It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.”
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the “hair on my neck stood up.” “It had a big meaning to it for all of us,” he said. “They knocked us down. They can’t keep us down. We’re going to be back.”
It’s also reported that the ship’s motto is “Never Forget”.
While a vehicle of war is not how I want to remember the towers, I do feel that the use of steel in the construction of the warship is very very appropriate.
20 years ago the first officially Lucasfilm sanctioned ‘Star Wars’ convention was held in Los Angeles. The convention was amazing, and to this day stands as the one greatest Star Wars fan event ever.
Many filmmakers in Hollywood today were fans at the convention, and I recently uncovered a rare videotaped introduction for George Lucas by none other than Darth Vader. (Yes, with actual lines recorded specifically for this event by James Earl Jones, not an impersonator…)
There’s so much more to tell about this event, and in the near future I hope to share more about it with everyone.
Until then, enjoy this little taste… Before the Menace… Before the Clones… Before the Revenge…
Apple yesterday introduced new members and colors of the iPod. Almost completely doing away with plastic cases, Apple recolored the Shuffle, shortened the height and enlarged the screen of the nano, expanded the capacity of the classic iPod to an amazing 160 GB, and introduced the iPhone-less iPhone, called the iPod Touch.
Clearly the biggest news is the iPod Touch, and I’ll go into detail about what’s great and what’s not in my next article. But for me, my greatest joy was in seeing a new 160 GB iPod classic with a new interface and non-scratching metal case. My iPod is as much a tool as a portable hard drive, as it is as a entertainment device.
While the Pros clearly out weigh the cons, there are some changes that many will not like to the new products. Specifically, while they added video output playback ability to every iPod but the shuffle, it can no longer be accomplished without a dock. So long impromptu showings of television shows, movies, or even slide shows. Now you have more to carry with you if you expect to be entertaining from your iPod.
In general, Apple should be cheered for this well overdue update. It’s about time…
My only real complaint? I want a 160 GB iPod Touch. I doubt that will happen until RAM prices considerably drop.
The nightmare continues… and I don’t mean that John Carpenter’s masterpiece “Halloween” has been remade by Rob Zombie; the remake joins the ranks of films lost to the internet before theatrical release.
The new Rob Zombie film that opens this weekend has been leaked in DVD quality to the internet. Stereo sound, and all of the gore you’d expect. This isn’t good news.
When you have a film as expected as this one, this leak could be disastrous to the film’s release. Especially the opening weekend. Given the fact that this is a work print, it could also be destructive to the DVD release if the key deleted scenes are included in the work cut. From reports, this cut is a widely commented July cut of the film that didn’t test as well as the studio would have liked, and therefore there were many edits and the ending was supposedly reshot.
More and more films are showing up on the internet in the highest quality, and these leaks are leaving a major wake in their path. “Highlander: The Source,” “Hostel: Part II”, “Sicko” are just a few that have suffered.
Given the huge investment made by the studios, you can expect that the whole studio system will begin to lock up and lock down all outside production. Folks, with film industry strikes on the horizon, leaks of films on the net, and an overall eight-hundred-pound-gorilla mentality, you can expect to see the studio system of internal production departments increase in the near future with Fort Knox security being employed. Just wait and see…
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