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Francis Ford Coppola Defends Piracy - Sort Of[teaser]A recent interview has Coppola dismissing artists who expect big money, supporting those that download their music and movies.[/teaser] Francis Ford Coppola is a great filmmaker, and one who seems to have a bit of disdain for those that expect to get rich off of their art. " You have to remember that it’s only a few hundred years, if that much, that artists are working with money. Artists never got money," he says in a recent interview with The 99 Percent. Coppola says that money and art don't necessarily go hand in hand. " I’m going to be shot for saying this," he says, "But who said art has to cost money? And therefore, who says artists have to make money?" "As we enter into a new age, maybe art will be free. Maybe the students are right," he continues. "They should be able to download music and movies." Hit the source to read the full article, where Coppola speaks on great directors, great actors, and the need for a real job. No word on whether he plans to give his wine away for free or how he got the dough to found that vineyard... Source: The 99 PercentPosted Tue Feb 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
THX Certified Displays Take Four of Five 'Sound + Vision' Accolades[teaser]As you can imagine, THX says this is a very good sign. [/teaser] THX Certification is a contentious subject for some, especially since the company refuses to reveal detailed standards for approval. Still, if the 2010 Editor's Choice awards from 'Sound + Vision' magazine are anything to judge by, THX Certification can make a big difference. THX Certified displays took four out of the five commendations, including an Editor's Choice award for the Runco Q-750i DLP Projector, Epson Powerlite Pro Cinema 9700UB LCD Projector and the LG 47LE8500 LCD TV. Video Product of the year went to the THX Certified Panasonic TC-950VT25 3D Plasma TV. "THX should be proud of its work with nearly all of our winners," says Sound + Vision Editor-in-Chief Mike Mettler. "It's clear that by going through the process of certification these companies care deeply about giving consumers the highest-quality home entertainment experience." PR NewswirePosted Tue Feb 1, 2011 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Amazon May Be Introducing an Unlimited Streaming Service[teaser]If Amazon jumps into the ring, Netflix will finally have a real competitor. [/teaser] There are plenty of digital video rental services out there, but there's only one that really stands out as wildly successful. Netflix is sitting pretty right now as the only streaming service to offer unlimited streaming with a low monthly fee, but that isn't going to last forever. According to the folks over at Engadget, we may be seeing Amazon jump into the ring very soon. A source of theirs revealed some screenshots that he took of Amazon's new service and it could be a contender. The tipster said that the option appeared under a new menu option - "Unlimited Instant Videos." The screenshots indicate that only Prime members are able to use the service, but that the service is free for Prime members. That means the Amazon streaming service would run around $6.50 a month and have added benefits to boot. The option has already disappeared from Amazon's page, and we're left with a great deal of questions. Early screenshots revealed 480p streaming only, but could HD be on the way? Will this new service offer access to all of the video content on Amazon including television? Even more importantly, will we be able to access this service on our Blu-ray players, game consoles and connected TVs? Source: EngadgetPosted Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 03:40 PM PST by: -
'Let Me In'-terview: Richard Jenkins On Playing a Murderous FiendThis week, the criminally underrated horror remake 'Let Me In' makes its splashy, blood-soaked debut on high-definition. It was one of 2010's very best movies… and one of its most under-seen. If you've seen the original Swedish film 'Let the Right One In,' well you'll have a pretty good understanding of the basic story beats, but director Matt Reeves, along with his supernaturally talented cast, which includes Kodi Smit-McPhee ('The Road') as a lonely young boy and Chloe Grace Moretz ('Kick-Ass') as the vampire that befriends him. [teaser]Richard Jenkins, in the remake, assumes the iconic role of Moretz's guardian, a serial killer who operates just so he can feed his vampire companion. [/teaser] HDD's Drew Taylor got to talk to Richard Jenkins about his performance, the film, being in Joss Whedon's 'Cabin in the Woods' and whether or not there'll ever be a 'Step Brothers 2.' HDD: You're known for your small-scale comedies and dramas, but 'Let Me In' is very much a horror film. What attracted you to doing a genre piece? Richard Jenkins: I didn't look at it like, "Gee, I'd like to do a genre piece." I looked at the character. And I really liked the story, I loved Matt's script. I didn't know there was a Swedish movie of this when I signed on and I just liked the whole idea of the film. And I loved being the oldest person on set, which for the past ten movies, I have been. [Laughs] Now you did [Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's horror movie send-up] 'Cabin in the Woods' before 'Let Me In,' right? What was that experience like? That was incredible! This is a whole group of really talented young folks, from Joss Whedon to Drew Goddard to Matt Reeves. They're all friends, they all kind of came in together, and they're all really gifted and sweet and fun. And the two movies, to make them, was a ball. 'Cabin in the Woods' was such a ball. Do you have any idea when that's coming out? [Due to a prolonged post-production process in which 'Cabin in the Woods' was up-converted to 3D and then financial ruin struck MGM, when, exactly, the long-completed film is scheduled to be released is anybody's guess.] I think it's a week from next Thursday… I don't know! I don't think anybody knows. I have no idea. So, you didn't know there was an original Swedish film when you read the script. Did you go back and watch it later? I did after I finished the film, yep. And what were your thoughts on that? It was incredible. I had read the book before I read the movie. Was there anything you took from the book that you applied to the movie? Well, I thought he was different in the movie. I try to just take what's there, on the page, and deal with that. But, you know, I started to shoot and Matt said, "Have you seen the Swedish movie?" And I said I didn't know there was one. And he said, "Well, wait until we're finished before you watch the other movie." And I did and it's an amazing film. So you didn't know how sort-of iconic the original movie was? Well, it didn't take me long to figure it out. It's one of those movies that not a lot of people saw but those that did just… Well, it's just a brilliant film. Can you talk about what it was like shooting the scene in the back of the car with the botched murder attempt? Well, it was fun. It was really fun. We did it one night. We kind of had to cancel it because we had to do it with the roof off the car, so we could get into my face, or the bag over my head, and it was snowing. And we had to go back and do it again. But I don't want to give away how he did it, but I think he's going to do that on the [Blu-ray]. Isn't he? I haven't gotten a chance to look at the Blu-ray yet. [Since the interview I have looked at the Blu-ray, and there is an amazing little documentary on how they pulled off the shot.] It's cool. It's really, really cool. And when you see it, you kind of go – oh, right. It's like a magic trick. It's always easier than you think it is when you know the trick. And it was a really smart idea that he had. And he had a great editor and they put it all together. But it was fun. The young guy, who I ended up putting to sleep there, was really struggling. He was a stunt guy but he was like "Geez!" It was fun. I had to hang on. Can you talk about what about the story and the character appealed to you so much? Well… I liked the fact that he was kind of… There weren't a lot of words. That's always a challenge to see if you can create a life and a human being without a lot of dialogue. I always love when film does that. It's one of the things that it can do and we don't do it as much as we should, I think. And I love that. I like Matt. I met Matt before this movie… It was announced that he was going to do it. But I liked him, I thought it was a really smart guy. I thought – "What the heck?" This sounds be fun, you know, running around the snow with a half-gallon of blood. Could be a good time. You talk about being the oldest actor on the set and a majority of your scenes are with children. What was that like? I kept looking at them like, "Let's see, when I was their age I was trying to figure out how to tie my shoe so I could untie it later." You know, it's a whole different world. These kids are really sophisticated and sweet but still kids, and really bright and fun. It always amazes me when I work with young actors like that. It seems like Chloe is going to be the next Meryl Streep or something. Oh yeah. Chloe. She's going something, man. And he does too! They're just really good. Now, it's made more explicitly clear in the remake but the implication seems to be that Kodi's character is going to grow up to be the next version of your character. Is that your understanding too? That's how I played it, yeah. I mean, whether or not… That was my interpretation. From reading the script and looking at it... That was my fear. That's what I was going to ask you about, was how you brought this kind of resigned melancholy to your character. There's a way that you light your cigarette that is so kind of mournful. What was it like creating that character? I mean, nobody ever thinks they're a really bad person, I don't think. And that's part of the fun of being an actor, is you get to stand in other people's shoes and look at it from their perspective and their point of view. And this is someone who is trying to do his best to keep someone he cared about alive. That's how I looked at it. It's not that I enjoyed doing what I did. In fact, I didn't. It's what I had to do, it was the life I had chosen. I felt regret. I felt – why am I here? What is this? What does this lead to? I've always said about this movie, part of the reason I love it, is that vampire movies are always so glamorous. And you look at this, you think – I don't want to be a vampire, you know? Cardboard over the windows, sleeping in the bathtub, it couldn't be worse or more depressing and almost sad. Were you disappointed by the lack of commercial appeal for the film? I was. I was surprised. But, you know, the longer you do this the more you realize that you don't know anything. That's the line from William Goldman's book, you know, nobody knows anything. And it's the truth. But I was a little surprised, because I saw it at the premiere and really loved it. I thought, gosh he did a great job. Matt is a really talented guy. After the fact, everybody says – why? Everybody knows after but nobody knows beforehand. But I was surprised. I was. There's one quick throwaway question. I saw something online about a 'Step Brothers 2.' Is that something you look to revisit? Well, no, I haven't heard anything. I think I mentioned once that Adam McKay had mentioned to me something in passing. I think I read something on the web – "He says it's a done deal?" But… no, no. I have not heard a thing about it. I did hear that they're doing a rap album. I don't even know if that's true. Thank you so much, Richard. I really hope people check it out on home video. I do too. I do too.Posted Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 01:15 PM PST by: -
Sharp is Bringing Back Pioneer's Elite TVs[teaser]But will the quality live up to the name? We'll have to wait to find out. [/teaser] HDTV enthusiasts remember the Pioneer Elite line fondly - especially the Kuro, which is still held up as one of the best ever on the market. Sharp knows this, and has licensed the Elite brand from Pioneer to market a new TV line. Sharp says that the new Elite televisions will be among the company's premium offerings, and will consist of high-quality large-screen TVs. What you might not have expected is that all of Sharp's Elite TVs will be LCD. "Adding a line of high-end flat panel TVs fills a market need in the industry and will help reinforce the strength of a complete Elite home theater offering," says Pioneer's Russ Johnston. "With its cutting edge LCD technology and unmatched production capabilities, Sharp is an important strategic collaborator that will deliver a whole new dimension to the large-screen home theater experience." Source:Posted Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Early-Purchase Oppo BDP-95 Players Sold Out - Shipping in February[teaser]Oppo offered customers the chance to buy a BDP-95 early and they sold out fast! [/teaser] The BDP-95 is the latest player from Oppo, a company that's quickly become a favorite of many HD enthusiasts. It's a player designed for audiophiles - those who really care about their sound. Oppo sent out emails on Thursday to alert customers that early versions of the BDP-95 were available, and the units quickly sold out. Customers receiving the email can now pre-order the unit to receive it in March. Those lucky enough to pick up an early release BDP-95 will be getting theirs shipped between February first and fourth, so you can expect to hear some reports on the player soon. According to Oppo, stability of the player isn't an issue, since it uses the same firmware as the BDP-93. The players will be shipped with the most up-to-date firmware.Posted Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Does Comcast/NBC Universal Merger Mean Higher Cable Prices?[teaser]Cable prices could go up faster than ever thanks to the Comcast/NBC Universal merger according to Alexander Per, an economist working at CBSaver. [/teaser] If you're paying for cable, then you know the pain of shelling out money for the service every month. Cable bills often surpass heating, electricity, phone, and even car payments in some households. It's a lot of money to spend, and it's only going to increase. Alexander Per, who works for the bill negotiation site CBSaver, says that the recent deal between Comcast and NBC could accelerate this increase. He says that since Comcast's negotiations didn't include any commitment to limit rate increases, we're bound to see something big soon. Cable rates have been going up faster than everything else we buy, according to Per. "We are talking about 100%-plus growth in the cost of cable in past decade and it is has only just begun," he says. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
HD Advisor 91: Bad As I Wanna BeEditor's Note: Each Friday, High-Def Digest's own HD Advisor will answer a new round of questions from our readers. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to [email protected]. If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient as we work our way through them. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page. Answers by Joshua Zyber TV Show Frame Rates Q: In the past, TV shows were universally 30 fps productions, and 1080i was the resolution of choice. However, many TV shows are released on Blu-ray in 1080p24. I can gather that shows such as 'Lost' are shot with 24 fps cameras, but what about documentary shows such as 'Ancient Aliens'? The Blu-ray release is 1080p24, but the show incorporates footage from a myriad of sources. It was my understanding that interlaced formats are traditionally used in such a case. Has production turned a corner and moved exclusively to 1080p24? Do 1080p30 or 1080p60 really exist in professional production? A: 'Lost', like the majority of primetime dramas over the years, was photographed on 35mm film at a frame rate of 24 fps. A series of this nature would not be shot at 30 fps for two reasons. First, the 24 fps rate gives the production an appearance similar to a feature film, which is an aesthetic decision. Secondly (and perhaps more importantly), it's simple a matter of cost. The slower frame rate uses less film per second, and thus is less expensive to produce. 'Lost' was broadcast on the ABC network at a 720p resolution. All American over-the-air television broadcasts (whether 480i, 720p or 1080i) run at a 60 Hz refresh rate. In order to accommodate this, the show's 24 fps photography was converted to 60 Hz by the addition to 3:2 Pulldown. The Blu-ray release restores the series to its original 24 fps rate at 1080p resolution. These days, many primetime dramas are switching to digital photography rather than film. Nonetheless, they continue to use the same 24 fps shooting rate in order to maintain the "film look." Faster frame rates give an appearance more similar to the classic "video look," which is usually not desirable for dramas or many comedies. Material shot at 24 fps continues to have the film-like appearance even after 3:2 Pulldown. Non-fiction programming (news, sports, game shows, Reality shows, and so forth) has traditionally been shot on video, first in standard definition and more recently in HD. These types of shows have a higher frame rate and a distinct "video" appearance. A show like 'Ancient Aliens' falls into a middle ground where the producers have discretion on how they want to shoot it. Honestly, I'm surprised to see that the Blu-ray release is encoded at 1080p24. I would have expected this to perhaps be a 1080p30 production encoded on disc as 1080i60. (The Blu-ray format does not support 1080p30.) If the program incorporates older standard-def video clips recorded at 480i60, those would need to be frame rate converted to 24 fps by dropping frames, which will likely give them a stuttering appearance. Note that I haven't seen the show or watched the Blu-ray myself, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Updated: After this column went live, I received the following email from Bryan Banks, one of the editors on 'Ancient Aliens'. BB: I have to say that I am a little surprised to see 'Ancient Aliens' pop up in this week's HD Advisor. I have worked on both seasons 1 & 2 of the series as the lead asst. editor. The emailer was correct that we get a number of different source formats. We get EVERYTHING... The variety of formats makes my job particularly frustrating. The deliveries spec for History requires a 24p master on HDCamSR. The Blu-ray was authored from this tape. All of our interviews are shot 1080p24, and all acquired material stays at its native frame rate until the final output when it is converted by the Avid to 24p. The Avid has a few different methods of field blending for this. 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' Playback Issues on PS3 Q: I just got 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' on Blu-ray and I 'm having problems getting it to load on my PS3. When I insert the disc and try to start the movie, the PS3 (fat) will try to load it, and then for some reason it returns to the PS3 main menu. A pop-up comes on screen saying "The disc cannot be played" or something like that. When I turn off the PS3 with the disc inside and turn it back on, it starts the movie with no problems. I decided to try it on a buddy's Sony Blu-ray player and it played like normal. Is anyone else having this problem playing this disc on their PS3? My PS3 is connected to the internet with the latest firmware and has no problems playing other Blu-ray titles, games, or DVDs. A: I happen to have a copy of this Blu-ray, but only the standard 2D version. You didn't mention whether your disc is the 2D or 3D edition. I also have an original ("fat") PS3, which I hadn't used in a while and was running an older firmware (Version 3.50). I inserted the disc and it loaded without issue. However, the disc didn't auto-load. I had to navigate to the "Video" menu and manually prompt playback. Next, I ejected the disc and upgraded the console's firmware to the latest update (Version 3.56) and rebooted. Once that was complete, I tried the 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' disc again. This time, the disc auto-loaded on its own. Once again, I had no issues getting to the main menu or starting movie playback. I'm not able to test the 3D edition at this time. I'll leave it to our other readers to comment in the forum thread for this article if they've experienced the issues you describe with either Blu-ray release. Based on my own experience, I have to assume that this is a glitch specific to your player, or possibly a defective disc. I don't believe this to be a general authoring error with the release. Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor The HD Advisor knows many things, but he doesn't know everything. Some questions are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too! Audio-Only Blu-ray Compression Q: My company is looking to do on spec (we'll pay mastering and replication) several audio titles that will take advantage of a BD-50 disc's storage capacity. There are two types of titles: spoken word audio books and music. The audio books are intriguing, as you could have five language tracks and multiple subtitles that would allow a book to be listened to, say, in French but translated with an English subtitle crawl. There could be a classical music compilation or a collection from a jazz festival, etc., with limited graphics and menus that would allow one to program a personalized compilation that would provide day-long enjoyment from a BD player. What compression format would you recommend for the music? If I use AC3 at 640 Kb/s with 5.1 channel sound, does 180 hours on a BD-50 sound correct? Is it 640 Kb/s for each one of the 6 channels? That is to say, would a 2-channel title use more or less bits than the 6? What about for audio books? Is this a good idea, or am I crazy? Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming. Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.Posted Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 10:50 AM PST by: -
Netflix Streaming Up, Premium Channel Subscribers Down[teaser]Time Warner lost 141,000 video subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2010. Netflix gained 3 million.[/teaser] Between Netflix, Redbox and the slew of other cheap and simple ways to get content into the home, people aren't seeing the value in premium channels like HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. After all, why should you tune into programming that someone else picked when you can watch what you want? Time Warner Cable reports a loss of 141,000 video subscribers in the last quarter of 2010. That number includes video-on-demand as well as premium movie channels. That's a substantial number, and one that certainly helped contribute to the growing number of Netflix subscribers. Netflix ended the year with 7.7 million new subscribers, with 3 million of those coming in the last quarter of 2010. A third of those customers are going with the $7.99 streaming-only option, while the majority opt to receive one disc at a time. Source: Premium Channels Down - Home Media Magazine Netflix Up - Home Media MagazinePosted Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Westinghouse Explains Its TV Making Philosophy[teaser]"We give the consumers what they need. Nothing more and nothing less."[/teaser] The folks at Westinghouse sent around an interesting video today featuring Doug Woo, the company president, explaining the philosophy behind Westinghouse televisions. You might not be surprised, but Westinghouse is focused on practicality and affordability. "Everyone really deserves to have the latest technology," he says. "If you load everything in to make the price not-affordable to get the latest technology, we don't think that's fair." Woo seems to think of Westinghouse televisions in the same way that most home theater buffs do. They're not going to compare to the latest models from Samsung and Sony, but they're decent enough for someone who just needs a TV. Check out the full video at the link below. Source: Westinghouse (YouTube)Posted Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 08:00 AM PST by:
