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Apple is in Talks with Cable Operators to Introduce a Set-Top Box[teaser]The rumors of Apple entering the TV market are turning out to have some merit. [/teaser] Apple products, once relegated primarily to the computer domain, have become a part of everyday life for a huge amount of people. Some of the most popular music players, phones and tablets are Apple's, and the Apple TV isn't doing too bad either. Apple, as you might imagine, wants to take it further. The company is currently in talks with cable companies about creating an Apple set-top to go along with their services. This would allow Apple to make the hardware while the service is doled out by another company. Initially, it seemed like Apple would be handling both, but with the experience Microsoft has had trying to start its own streaming TV service, it's no surprise that Apple is taking a more conventional route. Source: Deadline HollywoodPosted Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Jennifer Lawrence: From Worst to Firstby Aaron Peck [teaser]I, like a lucky few, had my first experience with Jennifer Lawrence at the Sundance Film Festival when she burst onto the scene with a little movie called 'Winter's Bone.' It was easy to see she had the makings of a well-respected leading lady in Hollywood. [/teaser] Looking over Lawrence's filmography, her career is still young, but she's already one of the most popular actresses in the business. I was surprised by her confession on 'The Hunger Games' special feature where she announced that she was totally planning on doing indie movies her entire career. Couldn't you see her as a much more serious version of Parker Posey? Her star rose fast though, and before she knew it she was starring in big budget movies. I'm sure she quickly forgave herself once she discovered the kind of fame and fortune those types of franchises produce. We forgave her too, since she never really lost her indie flair. As of right now Lawrence only has starred in seven notable film releases. She has at least five other projects (including the sequels to 'X-Men: First Class' and 'The Hunger Games) in various stages of production. Since her filmography lacks the requisite number of movies to do a Top 5 / Bottom 5 article, we decided to rank them from worst to first, although, she hasn't had many "bad" movies. This is one of those rankings where it's more like "Fairly Good to First." 7. 'The Burning Plain' It wasn't lacking talent. With Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, John Corbett, Robin Tunney, and Lawrence, this was one of those films where you looked at the cast and said, it's got to be good. Too bad writer/director Guillermo Arriaga felt like he had to clog the screenplay and visuals with far too much symbolism for his own good. It's a pretty confusing, and often, tiresome film. It's heaviness bogs down an otherwise very capable ensemble cast (Note: To be fair, fellow High-Def Digest reviewer M. Enois Duarte gave the movie a very favorable score in his Blu-ray review). 6. 'The Beaver' Okay, everybody take a deep breath and say it with me one more time, "Finally!" I never really bought into the whole, "Mel Gibson Talking to a Beaver" gimmick so 'The Beaver' never really resonated with me. While that was the main draw for the film I felt like the real reason to watch were the performances surround Gibson's like Lawrence, Yelchin, and Jodie Foster. 5. 'The Poker House' This is actually a small movie you might never have heard of, but it has a few good performances from young actresses. You'll be able to see a strong performance by Selma Blair, a subtly commanding performance from Lawrence, and a young Chloe Grace Moretz showing what she's capable of as an actress. The movie's drawback is that it's an auto-biographical tale courtesy of actress-turned-director Lori Petty, so the movie tends to wander around aimlessly instead of staying focused. 4. 'Like Crazy' If you haven't seen 'Like Crazy' then you should. Although I will warn people that don't like quirky indie romantic comedies that this movie may not be for them. This is another movie that took Sundance by storm. Lawrence isn't the main star here, as the movie focuses more on the characters played by Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, but it's still a movie worth seeing if you like her work. 3. 'The Hunger Games' When people were throwing around their guesses for 'Hunger Games' casting once the project was announced I immediately thought Lawrence would be the perfect choice for Katniss and I'd never even read the books. I was simply going off of the characteristics my wife had told me. She's strong, resourceful, stands up to authority, fights for her family etc. After seeing 'Hunger Games' I couldn't help but draw many parallels between Lawrence as Katniss and her as young Ree in 'Winter's Bone.' She gives an extremely strong performance here and makes everyone around her better for it. She's so compelling in the role that it's easy to forget how average some of the other acting is (I won't name names). 2. 'X-Men: First Class' I fought over whether to switch 'First Class' with 'Hunger Games' over and over. Truthfully, I think Lawrence's performance in 'Hunger Games' is, overall, stronger than the one she gives in 'First Class.' But this is a better movies list and I still think that 'First Class' edges out 'Hunger Games' in that aspect. Kudos to Lawrence though, as she took a relatively unemotional character and made me care about Mystique again. Sure Rebecca Romijn was hot in the role, but she seemed like she was just there to look hot. I thought Lawrence actually gave the character some humanity. 1. 'Winter's Bone' Even though she was in two notable movies before 'Winter's Bone' we'll just consider this her inaugural movie. It's the movie that made us all sit up and say, "Holy crap, that girl has chops!" It's the same reaction we all had when we saw 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' and thought, "Wow, the Olsen family actually produced a quality actress!" 'Winter's Bone' debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and never really stopped chugging along, all the way to awards season. All of its nominations, from Best Supporting Actor to Best Picture were completely deserved (even if its Best Picture nomination came in the newly expanded-to-ten-movies section). I was actually pulling for Lawrence to pull the upset in the Best Actress category, but nothing was stopping Natalie Portman from winning there after the success of 'Black Swan.' Still, Lawrence deserved to be up there amongst the best of the best, and it was her first major starring role. Imagine what else she's capable of. As you can see, Jennifer Lawrence is just getting started. She's a magnetic actress. 'Winter's Bone' is among my all-time favorite Sundance Film Festival movies. She's only going to get more and more popular, but hopefully she sticks to her guns and gives us lots of independent work to balance out the numerous sequels she'll be doing in the 'Hunger Games' and 'X-Men' franchises. Have a different way of ranking Lawrence's filmography? Please, click on the link below and let us know, in the forums how you'd rank her films.Posted Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 01:30 PM PDT by: -
Pioneer's Elite A-20 Stereo Amplifier is Now Available[teaser]The amp includes a phono imput for the vinyl enthusiasts out there.[/teaser] Pioneer just released a brand new amplifier designed for those with a predisposition towards stereo sound. It's an analog integrated amp that gives you six inputs, including one phono in dedicated to turntables. The total harmonic distortion on the A-20 is nice and low - less than 0.05 percent. Of course, it's not all about what's inside. The aluminum front and side panels on the chassis add rigidity and stability, as does the trans-stabilizer design. You can pick up the A-20 now for $300. Source: eCousticsPosted Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Seymour-Screen Excellence Launches an Acoustically Transparent Curved Screen[teaser]Pricing starts at $12,500 for a 70 inch screen.[/teaser] The latest screen from the folks over at Seymour-Screen Excellence is downright droolworthy. It's called the Absolute and from the look of things, it lives up to the grandor that the name suggests. The absolute is a curved screen, which not only focuses the light towards the viewer and gives a brighter picture, but allows for speakers to be hidden behind. Even better, those speakers are able to be tilted and shifted along with the curve, giving you the audio sweet spot that you can't get from flat screens. You can pick up the screen in sizes from 70 inches up to 170 inches. Either way you'll have the ability to program aspect ratios from 1.33:1 to 2.37:1. The masking layers and screen are acoustically transparent, and you can choose between ISF-certified .98 gain Enlightor 4K or 1.1 gain Enlightor 2 screens. Source: Electronic HousePosted Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
AudioQuest Releases the DragonFly DAC USB Stick[teaser]The device is around the same size as a thumb drive and gives improved audio from your PC.[/teaser] There's very little that beats the sheer convenience of having all of your music in one place, but playing audio directly from your PC can leave you wanting more in terms of audio quality. The new DragonFly aims to solve that problem. The DragonFly is a DAC that plugs into your USB drive and kicks up the audio that's coming out of your PC. It features a 24-bit Sabre chip, 64 position volume control and a 2-volt output. It's also not much bigger than a typical USB thumb drive, which keeps things nice and simple. You can pick up the DragonFly on Amazon now for just under $249. Source: Electronic HousePosted Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Yamaha Launches a New Home Theater System[teaser]The YHT-697BL includes AirPlay connectivity and smartphone control apps, but lacks Wi-Fi for other streaming options.[/teaser] The Yamaha YHT-697 is the latest HTiB from the company. It comes in at $645 and includes essentially everything you'd expect from a home theater system. You'll find AirPlay baked right in, as well as the ability to use the Yamaha AV Controller app for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire devices. The system also includes a pair of floorstanding front speakers with a unique look, two satellite speakers and a center channel. To pick up the bass is a 6.5 inch, 100 watt subwoofer. Yamaha also packed in 4K and 3D passthrough, the YPAO room calibration system and an ECO mode that brings power consumption down by 20 percent. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Bonus View Digest - Aug. 10, 2012[teaser]We have another contest going on The Bonus View! How would you like to win the 'Rushmore' Criterion for free?[/teaser] Details after the jump. Blu-ray News The biggest news this week is that we're giving away a copy of Criterion's release of Wes Anderson's 'Rushmore.' Head on over to the contest and enter in your own caption for a chance to win. Today is the last day to get your entries in, so hurry up and add your caption. You could be cracking open a brand-new, free present from High-Def Digest in the near future. Like every week, Josh covers the week's Blu-ray releases in this week's Blu-ray Highlights column. Not a whole lot hitting the format this week, but Josh let's you know what you should be looking out for, including the long-awaited John Cusack films 'Grosse Pointe Blank' and 'High Fidelity.' Home Theater News Josh continues on with his Auteur Theory series by taking a look at 'Twin Peaks' pilot episode and explains why it's one of the best things director David Lynch has ever directed. Theatrical News Headed out to see 'The Bourne Legacy' this weekend? Check out Luke's review to see what he thought about the fourth movie in the 'Bourne' franchise and the first one to not star Matt Damon. Luke also reviewed the new Will Ferrell comedy 'The Campaign' and the indie movie 'Ruby Sparks.' In the Trailer Park, E discussed the new trailer for 'Skyfall' the new Bond movie along with 'Taken 2.' TV News This week Steven Cohen took one for the team to find out if NBC's 'Whitney' is actually that bad. Find out what he thought about the much-maligned NBC sitcom. We also recapped an episode of 'True Blood' in case you're interested. Special Features Last weekend on the Weekend Roundtable we discussed our favorite movie dogs, what are yours? In the Mid-Week Poll we asked what was the best streaming service for watching television series. Finally, Aaron has started a new feature on the blog called Cinematic Association. The inaugural post is called The Dolph Dilemma. Aaron takes a look at Dolph Lundgren's perplexing acting career and tries to make sense of it. Thanks for joining us on the blog this week. Also, just to give you an extra reminder, make sure you enter the 'Rushmore' contest. Today is the last day to get your entries in before the cutoff and we really want you to win that free Blu-ray.Posted Fri Aug 10, 2012 at 02:00 PM PDT by: -
Sony Launches a 7.2 Channel Network Receiver at $499[teaser]You’ll find built-in AirPlay, Wi-Fi and even Bluetooth connections. [/teaser] The latest receiver from Sony is the 7.2 channel STR-DN1030. It offers up a handful of connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Airplay, and gives you access to both Pandora and Spotify. The DN1030 is DLNA enabled as well, so you can stream from your computer. Sony packed 145 watts in each of the seven channels for a total of 1015 watts. It includes the usual assortment of HD codecs, including Pro Logic IIz for height channels. As you might expect, the STR-DN1030 upconverts analog video to 1080p and offers 3D passthrough. You can buy the DN1030 now on Amazon or at retail for the price of $499. Source: eCousticsPosted Fri Aug 10, 2012 at 09:45 AM PDT by: -
Acer Announces Laser/LED Projector Hybrids[teaser]They say the combination gives you a better picture, but its the energy savings that are really impressive.[/teaser] The folks at Acer have a first on the way. It's called the K750, and it's the first projector to combine laser and LED technologies for its light source. Acer says that you'll get better color saturation to 85% of NTSC thanks to the system of three independant sources. You'll also find a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,500 lumens brightness. The more tauted stat, however, is the energy savings that comes with this combo. Not only will you get 20,000 hours from the hazardous substance free lighting, but the projector offers an ExtremeECO mode that gives you an energy savings as high as 90%. The K750 hits the UK this month of a price around $2,650. There's not yet word on a US release. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Aug 9, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
The 48fps 'Hobbit' Getting Positive Feedback, But You Might Not See It[teaser]Apparently, not even all the theaters equipped to handle the higher frame rate will be getting the movie at 48fps.[/teaser] When 'The Hobbit' was first shown earlier this year, it didn't go over so well. The 48fps speed was unnatural, and those that watched it said that the increased frame rate made effects stand out as fake and gave the movie a TV show like feeling. Apparently, that's become less of a problem. According to Variety, the movie is looking a lot better now that post-production has started. We've got high hopes for the new style, but depending on where you live, this may be a non-issue. "The high frame-rate (HFR) version will go out to only select locations, perhaps not even into all major cities," said a source with knowledge of Warner's release plans. "The studio still wants to protect the format by going into a limited release for the HFR version, hoping to test the marketplace and expand the HFR release for the second and third installments." Source: Topless RobotPosted Thu Aug 9, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by:
