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Blockbuster Canada is Closing its Doors[teaser]The remaining 253 Canadian stores will be shut down and the company liquidated. [/teaser] Sure, Blockbuster was a slow moving giant. And yes, we all saw it coming. A company that's unable to adapt to a quickly moving market is bound to go down in flames. Still, hundreds, even thousands of employees are losing their jobs and we at High-Def Digest are of the opinion that this is a bad thing. 253 total stores will be shut down and liquidated, finally ending Blockbuster's presence in Canada. Offers for sale were considered, but a satisfactory agreement was unable to be reached. Aside from the existing problems that were plaguing Blockbuster, Dish Network filed papers that would stop Blockbuster Canada from using the Blockbuster name. Not only is that a big blow for the company, but it negatively impacts potential sales which would, in part, be buying brand recognition. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Mon Sep 12, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Bonus View Digest - September 9, 2011This week, like every week, The Bonus View has been the place to be for HD fans. If you're interested in the new 'Star Wars' Blu-rays hitting stores this month you'll want to take a look at the blog to find out what changes you will be in store for. It shouldn't be news to anyone that George Lucas is tweaking more aspects of his beloved movies for the Blu-ray release. [teaser]It wasn't all 'Star Wars' news on the blog this week, it just seems that way as the September 16th release date approaches. Take a look at all the other stuff you may have missed that you'll want to read over and discuss with your fellow Bonus View fans![/teaser] Blu-ray News The biggest news this week was the videos that surfaced that showed the myriad of changes George Lucas has made to the 'Star Wars' films for the Blu-ray release. Josh covers them all, including the creepy blinking Ewoks , and he isn't kind about how he feels. Our Mid-Week Poll this week also had to do with the 'Star Wars' Blu-ray release. We asked if you were going to buy the set or if you were going to hold your ground and wait until the original versions were released. Get in on this always controversial discussion now! Aaron revisited another one of his favorite movies from his collection in Off the Shelf . Take a look back at 'Dr. Horrible' and find 21 things that you may have missed. We also ran a contest where readers had a chance to win a Limited Edition Steelbook edition of 'Scarface.' Theatrical News E's Trailer Park highlighted quite a few movies made especially for kids, including 'Happy Feet 2' and 'The Pirates! Band of Misfits.' Luke watched and reviewed 'The Debt ' starring Helen Mirren, and gave us an update of what we could expect to see in the theaters over the weekend . Don't get your hopes up because hardly any of them were actually screened for critics (never a good thing). Finally, Aaron covered some of the new movie posters, in his column Posterizing, that have been released for upcoming theatrical features including 'Drive,' 'Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance,' and 'Carnage.' Home Theater News Who hasn't thought that their sound system needed more rumbling bass? Everyone has thought it at some point, and Josh has a perfect solution. Instead of buying more expensive sub woofers, how about adding a relatively inexpensive seat shaker that will have the same effect? Check out this how-to, and add this to your home theater today. TV Recaps We've been steadfast in our coverage of the latest and greatest summer TV shows. Get recaps for 'Burn Notice ,' 'Project Runway ,' 'Haven ,' 'Alphas ,' and 'True Blood .' Special Features Our Weekend Roundtable covered the best TV pilot episodes of all-time. Although ours was only a short list. Take a look at the 50+ comments from readers who shared their own favorites! Finally, in a special article, Josh discussed whether or not 'The Empire Strikes Back' is too good for the original 'Star Wars Trilogy.' What do you think? Let us know. Please join us over on The Bonus View where we're striving to grow a community of people who love high definition entertainment. Plus, you can win free stuff,so, there's no reason you shouldn't check it out!Posted Fri Sep 9, 2011 at 11:40 AM PDT by: -
Integra Bows a Pair of THX Certified Network Receivers[teaser]Both 9.2 channel receivers are THX Ultra 2 Plus certified. [/teaser] The DTR-80.3 and DTR-70.3 receivers from Integra are fairly similar in their feature sets. The 80.3 pumps out 145 watts per channel while the 70.3 only offers 135, and each uses a different power supply but aside from that they're not terribly different. You'll find Audyssey DSX, Dolby ProLogic IIz and DTS Neo: X technology that upscales your sound up to 11.1 channels. They also give you the ability to stream from online sources like Spotify, Pandora, Sirius and more. You can also play a variety of files stored on your home computer. Integra's new receivers are no slouch in the video department either. They pack HQV-Vida video processors and Marvell Qdeo 4K upscaling. You'll get enhancement of not only traditional content, but cleaned up streaming content as well. Both receivers will be available soon with the 70.3 coming in at $2,000 while the 80.3 runs $2,800. Source: eCousticsPosted Fri Sep 9, 2011 at 10:30 AM PDT by: -
Sony Announces Consumer 4K 3D Projector[teaser]Of course, just because it's made for consumers doesn't mean it's gonna be cheap.[/teaser] We've been waiting for a lot of tech to trickle down to the consumer, mass market level for a while now. Virtual reality never quite worked, 3D is still up in the air when it comes to a standard and OLED is still years away if it's coming at all. 4K, on the other hand, is well on the way. Sony's first 4K entry to the consumer market is the VPL-VW1000ES SXRD projector. It utilizes a 0.74 inch SXRD panel that cuts pixel size nearly in half. It's 3D capable and uses an infrared system to sync up glasses with 3D content. One of the coolest features of the new 4K projector is the ability to upscale content. Sure, upscaling from HD to 4K is a natural transition, but Sony says the VPL-VW1000ES is capable of bringing things all the way from SD to 4K with a marked improvement in video quality. The downside is that if you want to go 4K, you're going to have to spend a rumored $30,000 when this thing comes out in 2012. Start saving! Source: eCousticsPosted Fri Sep 9, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
MartinLogan Debuts the Montis Loudspeaker[teaser]It's inspired by the CLX and offers many of the same features as Martin Logan's flagship. [/teaser] The Montis - no, not Mantis - is the latest speaker to come out of MartinLogan. If you've seen one MartinLogan speaker then you're familiar with the look and general principle behind the Montis, but the company's new electrostatic speaker is more than just nice. The Montis offers the same controlled dispersion XStat technology and DSP engine that you'll find in the higher-end speaker, all of which combine to provide mid-range clarity and excellent performance on the lows. It also utilizes an electrostatic transducer that, thanks to several new technologies, has a radiating area twice that of older speakers. Though the Montis is more than just a pretty face, it sure does succeed at being absolutely gorgeous. You can pick it up in a variety of wood finishes including a new Gloss Black Cherrywood. You can pick up a pair yourself later this month for $9,999. Source: eCousticsPosted Fri Sep 9, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Study Hall: Steven Soderberghby Luke Hickman Although his name is not as widely known amongst average moviegoers, every cinephile knows director Steven Soderbergh very, very well. Each year, the Sundance Film Festival somehow finds a way to stick him in the unique pre-show reel. Exploding onto the film scene at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival with 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape,' Soderbergh is one of the biggest directors to come from the then-small festival. Since then, Soderbergh has been all over the place, never sticking to just one studio, one genre, or one style. He's made both big budget studio flicks and small unconventional indies – sometimes back to back. Long before films began debuting on video on demand services, Soderbergh took a chance playing with different mediums. His small film 'Bubble' was released in theaters, on DVD, and on pay-per-view services on the same day. Currently, Soderbergh is working as the second-unit director on 'The Hunger Games,' a highly-anticipated film series based on a trilogy of wildly popular teen novels. What Academy Award-winning director takes a measly second-unit director job by choice?! Needless to say, Soderbergh is innovative, creative, more than willing to take risks and not above anything. [teaser]With his latest film 'Contagion,' a biological thriller with an enormous ensemble cast, opening this week, here is a look at five noteworthy films from Soderbergh's credits. Some are iconic Soderbergh films, some passed under the radar.[/teaser] 'Out of Sight' George Clooney stars in this comedic and romantic heist flick based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same title, playing a convicted bank robber who escapes from prison, sparks a romance with the female U.S. Marshal (Jennifer Lopez) hot on his trail, and plots a climactic final act robbery. A fun fact about 'Out of Sight' is that it takes place in the same world as 'Jackie Brown,' Quentin Tarantino's adaptation of Leonard's novel 'Rum Punch.' Michael Keaton appears as the same cocky FBI agent in both films. This is one of the absolute best Elmore Leonard adaptations, and its success is largely due to Soderbergh's skillful work behind the camera. Soderbergh earns bonus brownie points for bringing a strong and completely unannoying performance out of always-annoying Jennifer Lopez. In every other Lopez film, I've pitied the poor sap who ends up with her. But in 'Out of Sight,' she is so likable that you actually want Clooney's character to end up with her. 'Traffic' Soderbergh was nominated twice for Best Directing at the 2001 Academy Awards with two different films. Both 'Erin Brockovich' and 'Traffic' earned him the prestigious nominations, 'Traffic' being the one that finally earned him a directing Oscar. 'Traffic' also went on to win Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Benicio Del Toro), Best Film Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. Looking at 'Traffic' and 'Contagion,' it's obvious that Soderbergh enjoys making complex films with many great actors playing key characters. 'Traffic' dives into America's gritty war on drugs, covering the story from four angles on both sides of the border. For 'Traffic,' Soderbergh rounded up a huge cast, including Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Benicio Del Toro, Don Cheadle, Albert Finney, James Brolin, Dennis Quaid, Clifton Collins Jr., Viola Davis, Benjamin Bratt, Luis Guzman, Topher Grace, Erika Christensen, and Salma Hayek. Although heavy-handed, 'Traffic' never comes across as preachy. Soderbergh tells the complicated tale through genuine characters whose lives naturally intertwine. If you haven't seen 'Traffic,' it's definitely worth looking at. If you saw it once and didn't care much for it – like I did after my first viewing – give it another go. As it did with me, a second viewing completely changed my outlook on it. 'Ocean's Eleven' Just like the original Rat Pack film, Soderbergh's 'Ocean's Eleven' cast features some of the hottest actors of it's day. Were there any more popular male actors in 2001 than Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Matt Damon? Adding Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliot Gould, Andy Garcia, and Don Cheadle to the mix only made it better. Oh, and did I mention Julia Roberts? Again, Soderbergh likes his ensemble casts. Without a doubt, 'Ocean's Eleven' is Soderbergh's biggest mainstream studio film. Sitting fresh at 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, 'Ocean's Eleven' won over both the critics and the general audiences with it's superb cast, witty script, unpredictable story and all-out fun. Although the successful remake spawned two sequels, neither made it to the level of quality as Soderbergh's first. 'Twelve' received a rotten rating – probably for being the first heist-less heist film and featuring Julia Roberts' character being told that she looks like Julia Roberts – so 'Thirteen' tried to return the series to it's witty roots. Not nearly as good as the first, 'Thirteen' was still leaps and bounds above 'Twelve.' Audiences may not have had as much fun with 'Twelve' or 'Thirteen,' but neither did enough damage to ruin the memorable nature of 'Eleven.' Perhaps the best thing about the two sequels is that it's obvious Soderbergh and company had a great time making the trilogy. Too bad we couldn't be brought along with them. 'Che: Part One' Awards season takes place at the worst time of the year. Most deadlines for end-of-year voting in critics circles are just days before Christmas. The month leading up to the busiest holiday of the year is always crammed with last minute screenings and ton of screeners – meaning it's time to play catch up. Both of Soderbergh's 'Che' screeners weren't available to me until two days before voting for the Utah Film Critics Association, so I had to fly through them – all 269 minutes of it. Even with a rushed viewing, 'Che' was boldly intriguing. It's no wonder why Soderbergh decided to make a film (or two) depicting the revolutionary leader's life and death – the details are extremely interesting. Benicio Del Toro plays Argentinian Che Guevara, the man who became the leader of Fidel Castro's rebel forces in Cuba during the 1950s. 'Part One' is absolutely enthralling. It shows Che's role in overthrowing Cuba's dictator. 'Part Two,' not nearly as interesting as 'Part One,' relocates to Bolivia ten years later as Che tried to spark a revolution in South America. Watching 'The Motorcycle Diaries' followed by both of Soderbergh's 'Che' films will give you a full biography of one of the most notorious revolutionists in the history of the world. Just like 'The Motorcycle Diaries,' Soderbergh's 'Che' films intimately reel you into his life. You see life through his eyes. You understand the cause and watch your friends die trying to fight for it. The political rationale behind the Cuban revolution is invalid here. You're watching an intimate character story that takes place during the revolution, not a film about the revolution itself. Had Soderbergh flipped it the other way, 'Che' would be nothing more than another war film. But as is, it's a very strong character piece. 'The Informant!' For some reason, 'The Informant!' didn't receive much love. The story told is wildly entertaining – and not knowing the true story that the film is based upon makes it even better. Anyone who didn't follow the true story on the news prior to see the film will be shocked once the whole story is unfolds. You walk away thinking, 'I didn't know I was about to watch a film about that.' Matt Damon plays a whistle-blower giving away a lot of company secrets to the feds. The agents working with him eat up all of the information, knowing that they've got a major case on their hands. But the agents stumble across a problem when they realize that their whistle-blower is a total idiot completely incapable of collecting the evidence necessary to launch their official investigation. Showing how much of an idiot Damon's character really is, during different scenes that should be important to his character, we hear his random thoughts as his mind drifts off in boredom. Some of the lines delivered during these A.D.D. moments are priceless. Not only is it obvious that Soderbergh enjoys complex scripts requiring large casts, but he also enjoys certain flavors of witty scripts. He isn't bound to just one genre. Au contraire, he enjoys blending genres. He can tell major, all-engulfing stories as well as quiet simple character studies. Like every director, he doesn't have a perfect track record, but at least he's always trying to branch out and attempt something new. He passionately puts all of his effort into his work – and it shows.Posted Thu Sep 8, 2011 at 04:50 PM PDT by: -
Citizen Kane and Extras Come to iTunes[teaser]The classic film has come to the iTunes music, movie, and app service. [/teaser] The thing about streaming movies and digitally distributed content is that typically the only thing you get is the movie itself. All that cool extra content that comes with the Blu-ray is nowhere to be seen. Documentaries, interviews, commentary, and trailers are something that only owners with hard copies get to experience. It looks like the iTunes download of Citizen Kane may break the mold. In addition to the movie itself, the folks at iTunes say that the release is coming with "Extras." Exactly what that means isn't clear, but if they're delivering the same thing that comes with the Blu-ray, it would be quite an attractive deal indeed. To celebrate the release of the 70th anniversary edition, iTunes is giving away a copy of the film along with an iPad 2. To enter, simply enter on the Facebook page linked below. Source: iTunes on FacebookPosted Thu Sep 8, 2011 at 03:35 PM PDT by: -
MartinLogan Announces In-Wall and On-Wall Speakers[teaser] Two more releases from MartinLogan, both of which borrow tech from flagship products. [/teaser] The MartinLogan EFX is an on-wall speaker that uses a mix of technologies to produce what the company describes as reference quality audio. The EFX is also the slimmest on-wall speaker ever for MartinLogan. Inside the EFX you'll find a crossover derived from the CLX loudspeaker and diaphragm with a conductive coating that's applied in an oxygen free chamber to ensure uniform and transparent application. It's also as close to mass free as you're likely to find. The CLX is available now at $3,095 a pair. On the in-wall tip, MartinLogan is releasing the new Stealth series comprised of the Axis, Edge and Vanquish. A more badass sounding speaker you'll not find, though it's a bit odd for loudspeakers designed to be hidden away. Of course, if you want to show off, they're designed to look good without the magnetic grills. The Stealth series will hit in early 2012. Source: eCoustics Stealth Series Source: eCousticsEFXPosted Thu Sep 8, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
LG, Sharp, and Philips Working on a Smart TV App Standard[teaser]The set makers have released a universal SDK that will play nice with TVs from all three companies. [/teaser] Just as computers have two main operating systems, less powerful devices like TVs, smartphones and set-top boxes have the choice between Android and, well, Android. Of course, they could always make their own proprietary OS, but trying to attract developers to such a limited market is a hard sell. That's why LG, Sharp, and Philips have decided to work together on a standard that would work across all their platforms. By sharing one standard, they'll have a much easier time wooing developers. After all, making an app for three brands is a lot more attractive than making one for a single brand. "This cooperation is nothing less than a watershed in the brief history of Smart TVs," says LG president Havis Kwon. "By working in partnership with two innovators in TVs, we've taken a major step towards creating an app market every bit as inventive and dynamic as the one that exists for smartphones." Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Sep 8, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Netflix Glitches Cause Loss of Simultaneous Streaming and 'Star Trek'[teaser]Customers are up in arms, but Netflix says the offending changes are a glitch in the system. [/teaser] Folks are getting pissed. Netflix has made some very unwelcome changes in the last few months and now some members aren't able to stream to multiple devices at once. Even worse, depending on your love of sci-fi, the entire first season of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' has just up and disappeared. Netflix says that these aren't new policies or issues with contracts, but glitches in the system caused by the recent Latin America expansion. According to communications VP Steve Swasey, "No Netflix member is limited to less than two concurrent streams. A few Netflix members have heard differently from us, which is an error that we are correcting." On the 'Star Trek' front, Netflix is a bit more jovial. "The Starship Enterprise has veered off course temporarily because of a blip in the system with the start of streaming in Brazil," says a spokesman. "We will welcome the Enterprise and her crew back shortly." Source: Hacking NetflixPosted Wed Sep 7, 2011 at 01:00 PM PDT by:
