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Sony Announces Three New TV Models for 2012[teaser]It's a much more streamlined lineup than last year, something Sony has been aiming for.[/teaser] One of Sony's big initiatives recently has been to completely rethink its TV business, and that's certainly clear from the company's CES offerings. Instead of the usual glut of sets with slight differences, the company has launched just three new product lines. At the entry level is the BX, which includes the 1080p BX450 and the 720p BX330. All the BX models offer the ability to connect to the Sony Portal for access to Netflix, Pandora and other streaming sources. They also boast Sony's Color Resolution Enhancer and Digital Noise Reduction. The EX line is a step up from the BX and gives you Motionflow XR 240 and LED edge lighting. It also provides Wi-Fi out of the box, though it's in the form of a dongle. Of course, the flagship HX sets are the exciting ones, packing built-in Wi-Fi, 3D capability, DLNA certification and can be controlled via smartphone apps. They also include Skype, though you'll need the Sony camera and mic - sold separately - to use it. Source: EngadgetPosted Fri Jan 13, 2012 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Vizio Unveils Three Cinema Wide 21:9 TVs[teaser]You'll be able to pick them up in 50", 58", or 71" sizes. [/teaser] When HD TVs came out, the way television was filmed and watched changed significantly - we went from 4:3 to 16:9, giving us a nice wide frame. It's a nice step up and it helps out with watching movies, but it's not as nice as it could be - black bars are black bars. Vizio's new line of Cinema Wide TVs set out to please hardcore movie fans. In 50", 58" and 71" sizes, the Cinema Wide TVs give you a long enough screen that you'll get a full frame without those black bars. The 21:9 sets aren't just 1080p TVs stretched out, of course. They sport a resolution of 2560 x 1080. The 50" and 58" sets offer Razor LED edge-lighting with smart dimming and a 120Hz refresh rate. The 71" TV steps things up significantly by including Full Array Tru LED backlighting with 120 zones across the TV. It also gives you a 240Hz refresh rate. You'll also find things that have become standard for higher end TVs, like a controller with a QWERTY keyboard, built-in Wi-Fi and, because it's a Vizio, passive 3D capabilities. No prices or release dates have been revealed yet, but we should be seeing these sometime in 2012. Source: eCousticsPosted Thu Jan 12, 2012 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Sony Shows Off their OLED Competitor - Crystal LED[teaser]The company says this self-emitting display uses three ultrafine LEDs per pixel. [/teaser] Sony ditched consumer OLED some time back, but that doesn't mean they're giving up on the quest for a better TV. The company unveiled its latest creation at CES this week - a Crystal LED television that boasts some incredibly impressive stats. This potential OLED competitor is an LED TV in the true sense of the word. It's not an LCD TV with LED backlighting - it uses LEDs only. In all, Sony's set uses 6 million incredibly small LEDs to recreate the picture. That's three per pixel - one red, one blue and one green. One other big difference between the Crystal LED and OLED sets is that Crystal LED is still in prototype form. There are no plans currently in place to mass produce or release these sets. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Jan 12, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Dolby Digital Plus is Coming to HBO Go, Tablets, Smartphones, and More[teaser]This adds to the already significant deals with streaming services like Netflix, Vudu, and CinemaNow. [/teaser] People tend to focus on picture quality primarily when speaking about streaming services, but video is only half the story - bad audio can make even the best looking films suffer. The addition of Dolby Digital Plus to a variety of services and devices is a move to combat the problem and provide higher quality sound to those streaming their content. HBO Go is the latest to adopt Dolby Digital Plus to provide its customers with better sound when tuning in through connected TVs and Blu-ray players. Samsung is also adding Dolby Digital Plus to the Acetrax application that's used by European Blu-ray players. In addition to the Acetrax app Samsung is among the companies that will be using Dolby Digital Plus in new smartphones, and tablets. Other makers incorporating the tech are Acer, HP, Lenovo and more. Finally, L L Cool J has partnered with Dolby specifically for CES. He's promoting a new website called Boomdizzle that's meant for collaboration between recording artists and Dolby provided technical assistance to make his Dolby enabled laptop sound its best.Posted Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Samsung's 2012 Blu-ray Player Lineup Includes One Compact and One Sporting HDMI Inputs[teaser]As you might expect, they also come packed with UltraViolet Disc to Digital for DVDs. [/teaser] Samsung has more than a few Blu-ray players coming out in 2012 but they're highlighting two in particular as their flagship products. The first is a player with a surprisingly compact form-factor and the other can operate as a makeshift receiver. Samsung's new BD-ES6000 changes things up significantly in terms of size. Samsung says that their new compact player is only slightly larger than a Blu-ray disc. It looks more like a Blu-ray drive for a computer than a player, but Samsung says you can still expect the kind of high-quality playback for both 2D and 3D discs as its bigger brothers. The BD-E6500 goes in the other direction. Instead of the minimalist approach taken with the ES6000, Samsung has added a new function to the Blu-ray player. The E6500 gives you a pair of HDMI inputs on the back of the player that you can attach other components to, just like you would a receiver. All of Samsung's players have at least one thing in common - a new video processor that can upconvert DVDs and low-resolution streaming video to 1080p. They also support Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD bitstream outputs. Samsung's new players also give you the ability to register DVDs with UltraViolet and then access digital versions of those movies any time you want on any registered device. You can then pay to upgrade that copy to HD if you like. Source: SamsungPosted Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Samsung Announces New TVs at CES Including a 55" OLED[teaser]LG isn't the only company bringing a living room sized OLED to market in 2012. [/teaser] Samsung kicked CES off with a bang, announcing new televisions in their plasma and LED backlit lines, but the big news is the company's 55" OLED display. The folks at Samsung are referring to their new set as the Super OLED TV. It gives you everything you'd expect from an OLED set - fast response time, bright colors, deep blacks, slim design - and adds a few extra features. One of the most interesting is a Smart Interaction camera, which gives you Kinect-like voice and gesture control as well as facial recognition to easily switch user profiles. There's been no price announced for the Super OLED TV and no specific release date though Samsung does expect to have it on the market in 2012. As usual, Samsung put a great deal of emphasis on their LED backlit sets. At the high end are the UNES8000 and UNES7500, both of which offer micro dimming for a brighter and more accurate picture as well as all the Smart TV features you've come to expect. One big change - they're utilizing a dual-core processor. Samsung has plans for plasma as well, as shown by the PNE8000. The set features a new bezel design which includes a transparent border which Samsung says will create a more immersive experience. The 8000 also has the deepest black levels yet in Samsung's plasmas thanks to the Real Black Pro Panel. All of Samsung's new higher-end TVs offer 3D and Smart TV capabilities as well as dual-core processors and a few other extras. Source: SamsungPosted Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
HDD's Interview with 'Shakespeare in Love' director John Maddenby Luke Hickman Do you remember the 1999 Academy Awards? Do you remember how 'Shakespeare in Love' won Best Picture over 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'The Thin Red Line,' 'Life is Beautiful' and 'Elizabeth?' It was quite the upset – especially when you note that it took home a total of seven Oscars that night. I don't know anyone who predicted that outcome, but 'Shakespeare in Love' is still a very fine film. [teaser]With 'Shakespeare in Love' finally coming to Blu-ray domestically on January 31st, director John Madden took some time between flights to talk to us about the new Lionsgate Blu-ray release of the film and his upcoming movie 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.'[/teaser] HDD – Luke Hickman: How are you doing this morning? John Madden: I'm fine, thank you. Just sitting in an airport lounge waiting for my flight. It should board in the next 15 minutes, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm speaking softly. HDD: You'll have to forgive me too because I'm come down from a cold and my voice sounds terrible. John Madden: (Laughs) Too bad. I'm sorry to hear that. HDD: No worries. I don't feel bad, I just sound bad. But since our time is limited, let's kick this thing off. When you were making 'Shakespeare in Love,' did you have any idea you were making a movie that would win seven Oscars? John Madden: Not at all. First of all, this project had a history. They tried to make it when it was at another studio – Universal. They tried making the film over five years earlier and it fell apart because they couldn't cast a certain famous actor as the part of Will. In the meantime, the property had languished until Harvey Weinstein bought the script. I think there was the misconception in a lot of people's minds that it was a very esoteric piece – it's hard to understand that now. It deals so much with theatre, which is famously hard to make it at the box office; it's about Shakespeare, which was seen as an esoteric sort of interest to people. I remember when I read the script for the first time, it was smack in the middle of my wheelhouse. I thought, 'I'm going to enjoy this movie and some people I know will enjoy this movie.' But I was just so thrilled and amazed that someone was prepared make it because it seemed so specific to this sort of interest. Of course, that level of interest was shared by the actors involved who immediately realized that it was a gem of a piece. But none of us necessarily knew that it would reach as wide an audience as it did. I think one has to give a lot of credit to Harvey Weinstein, who, of course, invested a lot of money in it - mainly, buying the script in the first place for $6 million, I think he bought it for – which was a statement of faith. I acknowledged that, first of all. But we, of course, didn't know that we'd get it as right as we now all know we did. You know, when [screenwriter] Tom Stoppard had done the first re-write on it, I think he envisioned the piece to be a comedy, and that was my model for what it should be. HDD: Were there any unique and specific challenges that you had with the shoot? John Madden: The only – you know, I'm on record having said this elsewhere – I realized halfway through that we didn't have the right ending – not the "right ending" as in terms of what happened, but the right mise en scene for it because in the original script Shakespeare and Viola – although she was known as Belinda before we started shooting – said goodbye to one another in a large sort of crowd scene with a whole lot of other things going on. I realized very quickly that that was not going to be right. I could feel it, in terms of what we already shot. We slightly realigned ourselves while we were shooting, taking advantage of that realization. There weren't any disasters, as I remember – the set didn't fall down – but I know there was one thing that Tom Stoppard had written into the script that I was determined to realize, which was that there was a downpour when it started to rain during the fifth act of the first production of 'Romeo & Juliet.' Mind you, that didn't happen in reality. There's no record of that. But it was a choice that Tom had made that I found so incredibly satisfying and brilliant that we all labored for weeks trying to figure out how to do this. Of course, it meant that we were going to have to film out of order drastically for the scenes and have to deal with the whole getting the set wet issue. It became a huge logistic issue about how we could get 400 or 600 or 800 costumes wet and then dry them out again overnight for another part of that sequence the next day. In the end, I sort of tore my hair out when I realized that we weren't going to be able to do it, we didn't have the resources to do that. I had this image (laughs) of the audience as tears pour down their faces. I told Tom that it seemed like such a terrible loss to have to get rid of that. It was such a shame. And he said, "Well, I really only had one reason for putting it there." I said, "What was that?" And he said, "I needed a puddle." (laughs) HDD: (laughs) John Madden: And that's a reference to the joke where Queen Elizabeth walks through the puddle and all the courtiers throw their capes down for her. And that was a joke that he had in his head, but he figured out that it would be tough to find that big of a puddle outside without rain. (laughs) There weren't any sort of major disasters that I can remember. HDD: I know that the powers that be at the studios who are involved in transferring catalog titles to Blu-ray like to involve the directors and as much of the crew as possible for the process. John Madden: That's right. HDD: Were you brought on to assist in the transfer of 'Shakespeare in Love?' John Madden: I have to say, my schedule didn't allow it. Actually, I know that they went back to the neg – as you know, it's first transfered from an original negative – so they obviously did that matching the guidelines from the original grade as closely as they could. I'm sure they'll have done an amazing job with it. But, no – my schedule wouldn't allow it, unfortunately. HDD: I understand that. I spoke with a studio's VP of restoration a while back and he told me that it's hard to get directors involved with the transfer process because they've moved on and are busy making other movies. John Madden: That's right! That's right! HDD: I know you've got to go, but before you do I just want to ask you a little about 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' because the trailer for it looks great. John Madden: Good! (laughs) It's strangely fitting since this is a conversation about 'Shakespeare in Love,' but I think that there's a sort of similarity between the two films not just because I cast Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson are two of the stars, but there's something tonally that's very similar about the films. They're sort of melancholy comedies, I would say. They're both about transformation, about people who go through an experience in a suspended environment – which is the environment of the play, I suppose, in 'Shakespeare in Love' and is this foreign exotic culture and strange building, the hotel, they're in in 'The Marigold Hotel.' I found some distinct similarities. It's certainly the film I've made that's closest to 'Shakespeare in Love.' It's very funny, I think, due to a similar kid of ride with some sharply opposed tones that I like and enjoy about it. You know, it's pretty great to have those people [on the set] again. Judi is playing an abashedly different character. And so is Tom Wilkinson – he's unrecognizably different. And I suppose everyone else in the cast could have easily have been in 'Shakespeare in Love.' It's hard to believe that Bill Nighy wasn't in 'Shakespeare in Love.' (laughs) It's Shakespearean in theme because it's about high life and low life, young people and old people, and a collision of all of those things. And it's got a central kind of joy at the center of it. We'll have to see how it goes. HDD: I'm excited for it. John Madden: That's great! Now I'd better head off towards the gate so I don't miss my flight. Are there any other questions that you'd wanted to ask? HDD: (coughs) Nope. We made it through the main points in my notes. Thank you. John Madden: You're welcome. Feel better, Luke. HDD: Thank you! I appreciate it.Posted Tue Jan 10, 2012 at 01:20 PM PST by: -
Top 5/Bottom 5: Don Cheadleby Aaron Peck Don Cheadle is a very versatile actor. He's also extremely likable no matter what role he's playing. In the new Showtime series 'House of Lies' he plays a womanizing, no-good scummy management consultant and somehow he's still as likable as always. I don't get it. We can call it the Cheadle Effect I suppose. He's also one of these actors that, for better or worse, spans every genre. He doesn't stick to just one movie or one type of role. He seems invested in just about everything that comes by – yes, unfortunately that also means movies like 'Hotel for Dogs.' [teaser]With the debut of Cheadle's new series on Showtime, and his role in the recently released dark comedy 'The Guard,' we take a look back at his career and document the highs and the lows.[/teaser] The Best 'Boogie Nights' On the surface I'm still not convinced that 'Boogie Nights' was supposed to be a good movie. You take Paul Thomas Anderson out the equation and suddenly you have Mark Wahlberg and Burt Reynolds starring in an epic drama about the rise of the porn industry. However, the end product is still quite stunning in its unflinching look at the adult film industry coupled with real eroticism and some very funny moments. 'Boogie Nights' hits just about every tone, from happy to sad, from coked-out to happily satisfied there isn't an emotion that the movie leaves untouched. One of the most memorable scenes from that movie – besides the ample Heather Graham nudity – was when Cheadle, as Buck Swope enters a donut shop only to find himself in the middle of a hold up where everyone is killed except for him. It's a scene that seemingly pops up out of nowhere, but Cheadle handles it perfectly. 'The Guard' Acting alongside Brendon Gleeson must be a daunting task, especially when the man is pulling off one of the funniest and bizarre performances of the year. Gleeson's dry wit throughout the movie is only matched by Cheadle's straight-laced FBI agent who can do nothing but be surprised and disgusted by the things that come out of Gleeson's mouth. One of the most underrated films of 2011. It won't win any awards, but I dare anyone to watch it and not like it. 'Hotel Rwanda' This is one of those movies that critics could easily label "manipulative" because it deals with such an emotionally charged issue. Genocide is something that needs to be dealt with delicately when presenting it a dramatic fashion. Here Cheadle, as Paul Rusesabagina, runs a hotel in Rwanda. Despite his best efforts, Paul is caught up in the middle of the Hutu and Tutsis conflict. The hotel soon becomes a refuge from the innocent people fleeing the bloodshed. Cheadle handles his role with a sincerity that could never be confused with heavy-handedness. 'Reign Over Me' The attacks on the World Trade Centers are another issue that is usually maligned by people whenever someone tries to make a thoughtful movie about them. It's still a sore subject in American history and one that conjures up all sorts of feelings, from sadness to hatred. Cheadle plays Alan Johnson who happens to run across his old college roommate Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler). Charlie lost everything in the attacks and has since become a recluse. Alan does his best to help Charlie, but realizes that his old friend is helping him just as much. It's a tender movie about friendship and love. It's about how we deal with loss even during some of the most traumatic moments of our lives. It's yet another dramatic role where Cheadle brings a sincere earnestness to the screen. 'Traffic' Steven Soderbergh's examination of drug trafficking and its effects on people and culture remains a masterpiece in multi-character filmmaking. 'Traffic' bounces around from storyline to storyline, fitting in as much as possible. Everyone is great in this movie, not just Cheadle, who plays a DEA agent named Montel Gordon. 'Traffic' is the sum of its star-laden parts, and the product of a visionary director. Oh, and did I mention it comes out in a Criterion release in a couple of weeks? Color me excited. The Worst 'Brooklyn's Finest' If there's ever been a more mundane, lifeless police procedural I don't think I've seen it. This sinks to the bottom along with 'Righteous Kill.' It's a boring, unoriginal work about policemen doing police-like things. Some are dirty, some are straight-laced, and the movie is a bore. 'Hotel for Dogs' It's so funny (well, it's not that funny now that I think about it) that an actor who could take such believable and honest roles in some great dramatic features can also find himself in a movie about a hotel for stray dogs that looks like it was lifted right out of Disney Channel Hell. 'Ocean's Twelve' Speaking of Steven Soderbergh the 'Ocean's' movies are, more or less, light fun. The first one was actually quite enjoyable, but the second one was beyond awful. From the first movie everything led up to the heist. That one quick succession of events that left us wondering what had just happened. Nothing like that happens in 'Twelve.' Even though it's still directed by Soderbergh, something feels completely off about this whole movie, including Cheadle's accent. Although... 'Thirteen' is pretty bad too. I guess it's a tie. 'Rush Hour 2' Sure, Cheadle only plays a bit part here. Why he's in such a lame movie is a good question. Why he's in such a lame role in a lame movie is an even better question. What, you don't remember Cheadle being in 'Rush Hour 2'? He plays Kenny who lets James Carter in on information about the group who is counterfeiting $100 bills. Still don’t remember who he is? No worries, it's better if you forget this whole mess ever happened. 'Volcano' 'Volcano' is one of my guilty pleasures, but I'm not above admitting that it's a bad movie. The late 90s were home to all sorts of natural disaster movies like 'Dante's Peak' and 'Twister.' 'Volcano' never does much more than showcase computer generated lava slowly devouring Los Angeles. To quote Roger Ebert: "'Volcano' is an absolutely standard, assembly-line undertaking; no wonder one of the extras is reading a paperback titled "Screenwriting Made Easy." Still one of my favorite movie review quotes of all time. Agree, disagree, or have any other movies to add? Click on the link below to head into our forums and add your two cents about Don Cheadle's acting career.Posted Tue Jan 10, 2012 at 12:20 PM PST by: -
LG is Bringing a Google TV Infused Set to CES[teaser]It includes the LG Magic Remote and packs Cinema 3D with 2D to 3D conversion. [/teaser] Google TV adoption by manufacturers is picking up significantly in 2012. One by one, new devices have been announced and the platform looks like it might be on the way to making the impact it was expected to at launch. LG is the latest to jump on the Google TV train with two models of Google TV sets being revealed next week at CES. It offers LG's passive Cinema 3D and 2D to 3D conversion and almost certainly includes a few pairs of glasses. You'll also find the motion control Magic Remote that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. LG specifies QWERTY which seems a bit silly. What TV maker is going to create a Dvorak remote? There are a few mysteries as to the size of the televisions though the model in the promotional picture looks to be around 40". The other big mystery is what kind of hardware the LG Google TV will be packing. It might be too early to expect the recently adopted Marvell processor, but if the deal has been in the works for a while we might indeed see the quicker chip inside LG's TV. Source: LGPosted Tue Jan 10, 2012 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Masterimage 3D Will Launch 720p and WUXGA Glasses-Free 3D for Phones and Tablets[teaser]The company boasts the widest viewing angle possible in glasses-free 3D. [/teaser] Glasses-free 3D is still in its infant stages, but display makers continue to make advances on the technology. The folks over at Masterimage 3D "have their own take on parallax barrier 3D that they're hoping to get into tablets and smartphones in the coming year. Their smartphone screen will offer a 720p resolution for a nice clear HD picture. We imagine that's the resolution in 2D and not 3D of course. The company's tablet offering is a 10.1 inch screen with a WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution. "This technology is truly pioneering for the 3D industry," says Masterimage 3D executive vice president Roy Taylor. "Never before has anyone seen 3D resolution on a smartphone or tablet that looks so compelling and amazingly beautiful and doesn't need glasses." Source: Masterimage 3DPosted Tue Jan 10, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by:
