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Kids are Quick to Adopt Digital Media - Majority of Purchases are Still Physical[teaser]A recent study shows that digital acceptance is growing, but it's not there yet. [/teaser] One thing that we can look at clearly when considering the future of entertainment is what kids are buying. As young people grow up and gain expendable income, they'll help to determine what the mainstream market ends up looking like. The NPD Group surveyed 3,343 kids between ages two and 14 - what the hell is a two year old buying, seriously - and found that 21 percent of their entertainment budget was spent on digital media. That's a big step up from the 15 percent last year. The other 79 percent, of course, went to physical media like DVDs, CDs and Blu-ray discs. That's a nice figure to look at for those that prefer to keep physical media as the mainstream. Reasons for this are up for speculation, but we're guessing that the lack of access to credit cards is a big blocking point for online spending. That, or kids just aren't ready to move into an all-digital world quite yet. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Wed Oct 5, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
The Toshiba Regza DVR Packs Four Terabytes for Six Channels of Time Shift[teaser]You'll be able to go back 15 days while recording six channels worth of content. [/teaser] Ever wish you had recorded a show that you totally missed? Or maybe you didn't set up your recurring recording and missed the first episode or two of something. Either way, Toshiba's new DVR makes sure it doesn't happen again. With 4 terabytes worth of storage and a decent amount of compression, it's able to record six channels for up to fifteen days, allowing you to bring up whatever program you want whenever you want. Don't have six channels worth watching? Recording three channels doubles that time to a full month worth of recording. If you want to eliminate the compression and keep things looking like they did when they aired, you're looking at quite a bit less recording time. Specifically, you're looking at around three days instead of 15. The DVR is only available in Japan and will likely stay that way. It's going for the equivalent of $2,600. Source: EngadgetPosted Wed Oct 5, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Showtime Anytime Offers Streaming to PCs[teaser]You won't find a streaming app quite yet, though a new social sharing app is available now for the iPad. [/teaser] Being able to stream TV content to any device you have is, of course, the dream. We're not there yet - not by a longshot - but we may be on the way. Showtime Anytime is a nice step forward for the company, especially after pulling their content from Netflix. It allows subscribers to watch shows on their PC or laptop by simply logging in to the site. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's convenient for those already paying for Showtime. The offering is fairly incomplete as it is, at least as far as full features are concerned. You can't stream to a mobile device and, of course, there is no way to access the site if you aren't a subscriber. Being able to sign up for just Showtime Anytime would be really nice. You'll also have to wait a bit for it unless you're an AT&T U-Verse subscriber, since they get first dibs. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Oct 4, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Marine Corps Get a Home Theater Upgrade[teaser]Troops at Camp Pendleton are getting some impressive facilities for entertainment and productivity. [/teaser] As part of a $2.5 billion government program to upgrade living conditions for Marines across the U.S. the folks at Camp Pendleton are getting an impressive upgrade. The latest additions to the Camp Pendleton base include a fairly impressive home theater. The room is equipped with a 60 inch HDTV which looks to be one of Sony's LCDs from the picture, though it's hard to tell. It's also decked out with theater style seating. Outside of the home theater, the Marines are going to be able to enjoy a nine hole disc-golf course, tennis courts, horse shoe pits and plenty more - even an amphitheater. Not a bad setup at all, and well deserved for folks that are going to be putting their lives on the line. Source: CE ProPosted Tue Oct 4, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
10 New Episodes of 'Arrested Development' are In the Works - Netflix Among Bidders[teaser]The much loved cult comedy is finally coming back to the air, or to streaming. [/teaser] 'Arrested Development' fans - in other words, pretty much anyone who has seen the show - are in for a treat. Creator Michael Hurwitz has announced that 10 new episodes are in the works. After talk of a film for quite some time, it's great news that we're getting even more 'Arrested Development' than originally promised. There are a few different bidders on the new episodes of the show, including Showtime and, more interestingly, Netflix. This pickup could be incredible for Netflix, a service that's known more for watching older content than new. Netflix has already outbid other companies on 'House of Cards,' but picking up 'Arrested Development' would be huge, not just for the streaming service, but for digital distribution in general. After all, this would be the first network show to make the switch from TV to streaming exclusively. And face it folks, Netflix needs a bit of positive press BADLY! Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Tue Oct 4, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD's Exclusive Interview with Robert Forsterby Luke Hickman Robert Forster is one of those great actors that has been around for a very long time, successful on both the small and big screens. His role as bail bondsman Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's 'Jackie Brown' is arguably the part he's best known for. Forster received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role and gives Tarantino credit for rejuvenating his acting career. [teaser]After a few Miramax sell-offs, 'Jackie Brown' is finally coming to Blu-ray next week, and to help promote the Blu-ray release of 'Jackie Brown,' Forster took some time to chat with High-Def Digest about the film, his fondest memories attached to it, the insanely complex dynamic of acting, and his upcoming role in Alexander Payne's 'The Descendants.' Enjoy![/teaser] HDD – Luke Hickman: Hello! How are you doing this morning? Robert Forster: I'm good. I've got my first cup of coffee. I start my morning at this little coffee shop and I said, “This morning I've got to get my coffee before I start talking.” So here we are. How can I be helpful? HDD: I'm looking forward to 'Jackie Brown' on Blu-ray and when the opportunity to speak with you presented itself, I got excited. Robert Forster: Well, thanks. What is High-Def Digest like? You feed information about high definition products to whom? HDD: There are so many people out there into new high-def technology, they follow it constantly, so we let them know what's out there. Robert Forster: Yeah. …. I've had Blu-ray in my house for years. ... HDD: Do you have a home theater? Robert Forster: No. I've got a flatscreen Sharp that's connected to – well, somebody connected to the other things, but I don't have streaming stuff, Netflix for instance. … I would like to have that thing – if it was easy – where in my house, when I'm far away in bed in Vancouver, I could jump on my iPad … and access my Tivo, my recorded shows. These are probably the simplest of things, but that's next on my list. HDD: It's great what you can do with technology these days. Don't worry, you'll get it down and they'll have that technology around soon enough. Robert Forster: So, low-def 'Jackie Brown' in high-def. HDD: Have you gotten to see the Blu-ray yet? Robert Forster: I have not. I saw it on a screen about three nights ago. They screened it out here at LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), the – where are you? HDD: I'm in Salt Lake City. Robert Forster: I see. Well, we've got a nice museum where they screen movies once in a while and they screened 'Jackie Brown.' It was a real good audience. These people knew the picture. I suppose it's like those 'Rocky Horror' shows. Remember those, whatever those were? People would go on Friday night's and everyone knew the words? Everybody knew the jokes from 'Jackie Brown' because they laughed a lot. I was very delighted with this audience. HDD: Did they show the new remastered version, or was it an old print? Robert Forster: You know, it looked pretty good, but I have no idea. This is a museum, so they probably had the best print you could get. I got to see a few seconds of it because they kept pulling us out for interviews and photos. It's a work day. I never knew it was a “work day” when they said, “Would you come and promote the picture.” But since 'Jackie Brown,' all these things have become understandable. HDD: It's not been 14 years since 'Jackie Brown' was first released. What comes to your mind when you think of the film? Robert Forster: Wow. (laughs) Good – thanks. Now I'm searching my mind for that first thing. (laughs) I know one of the things comes to my mind. Oh, gee. I can remember the moment in my kitchen when I was with my daughter after [the nomination] – now we're talking about a personal experience. Or do you want movie experience? HDD: Either or – both! Robert Forster: There was a moment driving back from the day I was nominated. This was a huge thing. I didn't expect such a thing. It was a very [big] surprise. And I didn't know that I needed to go out and do interviews. We did 29 interviews that morning. When the car was driving me back, I realized that the reason that I got a nomination was because a lot of people signed my name – they didn't just check off a box – and the thought of that gave me such warmth. It was the strongest little emotional thing that movie represents to me. If you're talking about the movie, the very very moment in the end when [Jackie] comes in the office and she throws out the idea that he might want to come to Spain with her. He's giving it some thought and she says, “You scared of me?” And I tell her, “A little bit.” That scene ends with a kiss – and a close-up on that kiss. When we got to that point in the scene, Quentin came over and said, “Now, look. I haven't figured out how I'm going to end this movie yet, but this moment is the beginning of the end – this kiss moment.” He said, “The phone will ring. Pick it up.” We were in the middle of the kiss on the first take, the phone rang and I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to say to the other person, but I fumbled it a little bit. Then we shot it a second time and by then I knew what I wanted to say. And so the moments immediately after the phone rings were a big surprise to me on the set. … Movies are a business of making movie shots – there's a discreet number … of shots in a day. You set them up. They're complex. The guy who wrote it wants you to deliver a piece of information inside that shot. And there's the director who may have a plan inside that shot – it's a motion maybe, or an entrance, or some dialog, or a reaction. … The director may give you something he wants to see in that scene or maybe some timing that he's hoping you can achieve for him. And then you have to stand so the guy who sets the lights is happy. And the one listening to words has to be happy. Otherwise, at the end of the shot he's going to say, “It's no good. Start it again.” Or if I put the cup in the wrong spot, somebody says, “It's no good for continuity. Start it again.” Or if I do something too big for the size shot I'm in, the guy behind the lens says, “It's no good for composition. Start it again.” The actor have to deliver a stroke that meets everyone's needs at once. Everybody is your boss. And that's not the end of it. The one who's cutting this picture wants you to deliver stuff that can be cut. In the old days it was harder. Matching was one of the things I learned when I started, it's so that you can cut the cut looking like you're drinking the same cup of coffee or whatever. We've got to know the rollercoaster shape of this movie so that we can give the audience … a ride. They've got to be there going around the curves or they wont be there at the end of the ride with us. We've got to give our audience something too. To the one who hired me, I am responsible for helping to deliver this picture on time. I've got to be ready on the first, second, third take so that this picture can come in on time and they'll be willing to hire me again. There's an awful lot of little things that you've got to be doing. Every movie shot is important. It's an existential exercise because never is any [movie shot] the same as the one before. So, you're out there shooting movie shots and [the last shot of 'Jackie Brown'] is one that I think of as warm when I think of it. Gee, was that a nice shot. I grabbed the phone. By then I knew what I wanted to say. I talk to the mother, ask whether the father was in the house, da-da-da, and by the time I look up, the car was pulling away. It was a nice movie shot. Those are the things you do on a daily basis. HDD: I love the way you explain the complexity of making a movie. It's poetic. Robert Forster: Thank you, Luke. HDD: You're welcome. Breaking off topic a little, next up you appear in 'The Descendants.' Robert Forster: Yes, I do. HDD: I'm excited to see it because you get to work with Alexander Payne. Can you tell us a little about it? Robert Forster: 'The Descendants' is a really nice picture. I knew this guy Alexander Payne from 'Sideways,' then I saw 'Election.' And then I saw 'About Schmidt.' That may be how I got to know this guy. … Boy, I knew this was a real interesting filmmaker. And when my agent called me – I was in the car – and said, “Would you be willing to do one scene in a movie?” I, who am not afraid of doing just one scene, said, “Sure.” I had a meeting with this Alexander Payne – what a nice guy – and nothing happened. A month, two, three go by and I don't hear a thing. And then I get a phone call from a guy who says, “Hi. This is Alexander Payne. I'd like to invite you to Hawaii to work with us on our movie.” Wow! This seems to be a really really classy guy. Usually I get to know that I got a role when the wardrobe designers calls. What do I want to say about the movie? I heard about one review that said something like I abused everyone in sight. I'm an angry father-in-law of George Clooney, my daughter is in a coma and I blame him. By the way, [my part] turned into two scenes – I said one scene, he said, “No, there's two scenes. You don't have the right script. You read an old script.” HDD: Alexander Payne is great, so I'm really looking forward to 'The Descendants.' Robert Forster: Yeah, I play a father with his family in crisis. He gets to know his children. It's quirky, lovely and touching. I don't know what everyone else thinks about it, I just hear it's getting nice reviews. I'll be delighted to see this picture. HDD: Thanks again for fitting me in with your morning coffee. I really appreciate it. Robert Forster: By all means, Luke. HDD: I look forward to the 'Jackie Brown' Blu-ray and seeing you in 'The Descendants.' Robert Forster: Thank you. Have a good day!Posted Mon Oct 3, 2011 at 11:50 AM PDT by: -
High-Def Holidays: The Hunt for Blu-Octoberby Dick Ward It's finally here - the month you've been waiting for. The month that culminates in one wonderful day of candy, cider, and costumes and ends with you waking up tied to your bed by a Wonder Woman that looked so much better the night before. At least that's how mine usually go. [teaser] There's much more to October than one day at the end to the month where all the goth kids feel out of place because they look like everyone else. And that's what High-Def Holidays is all about - finding some quality Blu-rays to celebrate some less quality holidays.[/teaser] National Apple Month Granted, National Apple Month is almost certainly taking a pro-apple stance. I do too, especially if they're covered in caramel. But still, my mind wanders to the most anti-apple story since the book of Genesis. That, of course, is the Disney classic ' Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.' Watch it and balk at the propaganda against one of the doctor-away-keepinest fruits there is! National Clock Month We're going back to Disney to talk about a movie that's ripe with clocks, and of course the desire to not be late. Specifically, the desire not to be late for a very important date. Consider 'Alice in Wonderland' to keep your clocks wound and properly calibrated so you don't have to go running around with your pocket watch out. Week 1 - National Fire Prevention Week Fires can start in a lot of ways. You could leave the gas on or drop a lit cigarette in the woods. Sometimes they happen due to faulty wiring or just because everything's too darn dry. And sometimes they happen because you made fun of the weird girl in school and dumped pigs blood on her head. ' Carrie' is the Smoky the Bear of Bullying. "Only you can prevent pyrokinetic fires." October 1st - World Vegetarian Day I've probably pimped 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' before. Maybe a few times. Well it's that damn good. And of course, it ties in to World Vegetarian day because of the vegan evil ex boyfriend. If he wasn't kind of a dick about it, his vegan superpowers could really have been cool. October 2nd - Name Your Car Day Some people name their cars. Those people are weird. To be fair though, I've always wanted to name my car Desire just to see if anyone gets the joke. If you can't think of any good title to attribute to your beater, you can always crib something from ' Cars,' a movie so good that it made Larry the Cable Guy tolerable. Barely. October 10th - Indigenous People's Day Unlike a lot of holidays that I feature here, Indigenous People's Day is actually serious. It's all about celebrating Native American culture and I think 'Dances With Wolves' is a good way to do that. And if the 1990 classic isn't your style, you can always check out the more modern remake 'Avatar.' Zing! October 12th - Farmer's Day I drive by a lot of farms on my way up to my grandmother's place, and while they're pretty cool and quaint in the daytime, they're creepy at night. Giant areas of land with nothing in them, and of course plenty of potential for some creepy kids to go all ' Children of the Corn' on you. October 16th - Boss's Day Ah bosses. They're the people that make sure things are going right at work, keep people on task and encourage them to do their best. Or you've got a real boss and they're more like the folks in 'Office Space.' Celebrate Boss's Day by kicking back and living vicariously through a man who doesn't mind shirking authority. October 20th - Monster Mash Day I can't think about the great song 'Monster Mash,' - if you were wondering, is indeed a graveyard smash - without thinking about ' Monster Squad,' which in my youth I remembered as a fairly edgy Halloween comedy. It's less edgy now, but it features the creepy German guy, some really out-of-place serious moments, cuss words that kids don't get to say anymore and of course, the answer to life's ultimate question. "Does Wolfman have nards?" October 22nd - National Stuttering Awareness Day Sure, yeah, 'The King's Speech' earned critical acclaim. Whatever, no one died watching it. But according to a Wikipedia "fact" that I may of may not have inserted for the sole purpose of writing this article, the John Cleese starring 'A Fish Called Wanda' did kill a man with humor. Interesting that it's something Monty Python joked about so many years ago.Posted Mon Oct 3, 2011 at 11:20 AM PDT by: -
Technicolor Sells ContentGuard DRM Stake[teaser]Pendrell Technologies now owns over 90 percent of the tech. [/teaser] Thanks to incredibly fast internet speeds, simple file sharing and a public that's increasingly okay with downloading content that they didn't pay for - hey, we're not judging here, just stating the facts - companies have gotten a little DRM crazy. It makes sense, of course, that they wouldn't want their content distributed without being paid for. One of the options for handling digital rights management that's available to keep movies from getting on BitTorrent is ContentGuard, initially owned by several companies but now almost exclusively owned by Pendrell. Time Warner owns the remaining 10 percent. "We believe that ContentGuard’s DRM technologies set the standard for protecting content in virtually every instance where content is transferred to a connected device," says Penrell CEO Ben Wolff, "from mobile phones to tablets, set-top boxes, e-readers, game consoles, DVD players, personal computer and televisions." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Mon Oct 3, 2011 at 10:45 AM PDT by: -
Cable Companies Seek to End Bundle Packages for Themselves[teaser]Of course, who knows if they'll pass that savings on to the consumer. [/teaser] Are you frustrated by cable channel bundles where you have to pay for several channels you don't watch just to get access to one or two that you do? So are cable companies. Some smaller cable companies are putting the push on content providers to allow them to pick channels individually instead of as a bundle. It's an inconvenience for them of course, and it keeps the prices higher for you. What would be really fantastic is if that freedom of choice passed on to the consumer, but that doesn't seem entirely likely. What may happen though, is that you'll be able to pick from smaller, more specific packages. This should help eliminate some clutter and lower your bill a bit. Source EngadgetPosted Mon Oct 3, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Bonus View Digest - September 30, 2011[teaser]This has been one of our busiest weeks at The Bonus View. With the new TV shows premiering these last few weeks we've been hard at work trying to recap as many new series for you as possible. That's not all we've been up to though. We've covered a variety of different subjects this week. Take a look.[/teaser] Home Theater News This week E let us in on the way he has found to store his growing Blu-ray collection. Running out of shelf space, then you may want to read how he has consolidated his collection. Feeling like streaming a movie at home this weekend? Check out what's new on Netflix and Vudu. Theatrical News Along with the Weekend Box Office report Luke Hickman also saw 'Moneyball' which he raved about in his review. Baseball statistics not your thing? Then check out Luke's other review for the new Joseph Gordon-Levitt film '50/50.' Even though Josh is home from the Toronto Film Festival, we've still posted a few more of his reviews. Check out his review for 'Jeff Lives at Home' starring Jason Segel, directed by the Duplass Brothers. Another review from the festival that you may want to read is 'I Am a Good Person/I Am a Bad Person.' E takes on the latest trailers in this week's edition of the Trailer Park, while Aaron takes a look at the new movie posters being hung on cinema walls everywhere in this week's Posterizing. Video Game News Dick gives us a list of brand new video game releases we should be excited for. While Wayne recounts his initial impressions of the big video game release of the past couple weeks, 'Gears of War 3.' TV Recaps This week has been extremely busy on the TV front. In order to give you the best, most thorough coverage of all the new premieres and returning shows, I'm going to point you toward the TV-centric Bonus View posts we have up. Please check out Part 1 and Part 2. Special Features This week on One From the Vault Wayne watched ' Marathon Man,' see what he thought about this 70s thriller. Our Weekend Roundtable gave us an opportunity to talk about shows that started of rocky, but became very good in later seasons. The Mid-Week Poll asked which new TV comedies you'd be watching this fall. Right now 'New Girl' is in the lead, but just barely. Thanks for joining us once again on The Bonus View. Have a great weekend.Posted Fri Sep 30, 2011 at 01:30 PM PDT by:
