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Redbox Rents its Two Billionth Disc – Gives Free Rentals to Celebrate[teaser]Number two billion was a copy of ‘Drive’ on DVD. Nice to see it wasn’t something totally embarrassing! [/teaser] Surprise, surprise – Redbox is crazy successful. In case you needed another indicator of dominance for the rental kiosk chain, the company has announced its two billionth disc rental. The magic number was hit by a customer at a McDonald’s in Philomath, Oregon. Happily for that customer, assuming they were identified in some way, the magic disc was a DVD of ‘Drive,’ a movie that’s well loved by critics and fans alike. Redbox is celebrating by giving you a free one-night movie rental on March 8th. Hit up the kiosk and type in the promotional code THANKS2U and you’ll get a free DVD for one night. If you want to go Blu-ray, you’ll get a discount that equates to the normal price of a DVD rental. “We’ve always known how much America loves easy, affordable entertainment, and today we can prove it 2 billion times over,” says company CFO Scott Di Valerio. “Just 18 months ago, we rented our 1 billionth DVD, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate this remarkable second rental milestone with our customers.” Source: Redbox FacebookPosted Wed Mar 7, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Workaholics: Seasons 1 & 2' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The first two seasons of the comedy series will be calling Blu-ray in June. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Comedy Central is working on 'Workaholics: Seasons 1 & 2' for a high-definition bow on June 5. 'Workaholics' is a scripted series that follows three friends fresh out of college who live and work together as telemarketers. Dress codes, deadlines, and waking up before noon aren't things these guys are used to. The crew spends their days scheming together to avoid doing any real work and their nights looking for good times. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the Blu-ray will include: Commentary on selected episodes with Anders Holm, Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, Kyle Newacheck, Kevin Etten, and Edward Barbanell; Deleted scenes and alternate takes; Cast interviews; Extended versions of the "Catherine Zeta-Jones Song" and "Ders Rap"; Live at Bonnaroo and Shart Stories features; "First Look" trailer; and Digital Originals. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray set is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Workaholics: Seasons 1 & 2' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 5.Posted Wed Mar 7, 2012 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Samsung Reveals 2012 Blu-ray Player Prices – They’re All Hitting Stores This Month[teaser]You’ll get features like disc-to-digital, built-in Wi-Fi, and more. [/teaser] Samsung just unloaded a flood of information on their 2012 home theater products, including pricing information for their new Blu-ray players, all of which are due out later this month. Features vary by model, of course, but the 2012 lineup includes plenty of things to make your experience a better one. 3D playback is one of them, as you might expect, but so is a full web browser, Allshare for sharing your content, SmartHub access for web based files and built in Wi-Fi. Hit the link for the full rundown. Source: SamsungPosted Wed Mar 7, 2012 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Beyond the Blu: March 2012by Dick Ward [teaser]There's a line that separates fans from fanatics. Movie fans already have the Blu-rays of their favorite flicks pre-ordered and are ready to watch them as soon as they come in. Fanatics need more.[/teaser] They need collectables, information and maybe a few other weird things as well. Beyond the Blu is your guide to the kind of periphery that the truly obsessed - and I mean that as a compliment - just can't live without. The Muppets 'The Muppets' is one of those few movies that surpassed my expectations. It was as true to the Henson era Muppets as I had hoped and funnier than I imagined, and I'm a nut for the Muppets. So is Kevin Clash, the man behind Elmo. His difficult journey and eventual success are chronicled in the moving documentary 'Being Elmo,' which is available for preorder on Amazon and is streaming on Netflix now. It gives you more than just the story of Kevin Clash - it gives you a look into everything going on behind the Muppets, including some really touching moments with Jim Henson. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) I don't know a tremendous amount about 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.' I know it's a pretty dark book series and probably a pretty dark movie, but that's about all. Oh, and I know, or at least feel safe in presuming, that there is a girl in the movie that has a dragon tattoo. You could do the obsessed fan thing and get a "fer real" tattoo to match, but if you're not feeling that crazy, get yourself a henna kit and create a temporary version. The Little Shop of Horrors I first saw the musical version of 'Little Shop of Horrors' when I was pretty young and the only thing in the world that I wanted afterwards was an Audrey II of my very own. Sadly, they don't exist. Actually, that's not sad at all - that plant was going to take over the world and eat everybody. Still, I ended up getting myself the next best thing, a venus fly trap . Plants that eat meat? It's just plain cool. Plan 9 from Outer Space Before 'The Room,' before 'Birdemic' and before 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' there was 'Plan 9.' It's the first movie hailed as "so bad it's good" and is required viewing for anyone with a love of terrible flicks. 'Plan 9' was never featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, but it did end up getting love from Rifftrax - Kevin, Bill and Mike from MST3K - a few years back. You can watch the movie with Rifftrax commentary streaming on Amazon or shell out for the DVD version of the ridiculously funny live show, featuring guest stars Jonathan Coulton, Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka and Veronica Belmont. I strongly recommend the live version - the jokes are essentially the same but the energy is so much better. Monty Python and the Holy Grail 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' is one of the most quotable movies there is, and still one of the most oft referenced anywhere that nerds gather. You've got the Knights Who Say Ni, the rude Frenchman, Sir Robin's bard and countless other characters that just can't be forgotten. There's also, of course, the killer rabbit, which is available in plush form. Get the plush and display it on your shelf with your other collectables. Take it out of the house if you must, but don't be that guy that goes up to everyone at work and pushes the rabbit up against people's necks and pretends that it's eating them. Seriously, everyone hates that guy. Well, I hate that guy. You know who you are. Iron Maiden: En Vivo! I freaking love Iron Maiden. They're consistently good - well, not during the Blaze Bayley days, but I just pretend those albums don't exist - and they continue to put on some of the best live shows I've ever seen. Bruce Dickinson at 53 still runs and jumps around a massive stage and retains his incredible voice. He's essentially the opposite of another metal frontman who managed to run out of breath after one lap back and forth across the stage and then completely miss his notes. I'm not naming any names. Yes I am, it's Axl Rose. There's so much cool Iron Maiden memorabilia out there, but I'm partial to the Eddie figures that have been released over the last few years. The latest is, as is fitting with the new album, Final Frontier Eddie. The coolest, and the one I wish I had picked up before the price skyrocketed, is The Trooper Eddie, complete with a battle-worn Union Jack. So cool. Wizards: 35th Anniversary Edition Being crazy enthusiastic about any of those other titles is one thing, but if you're a ridiculous fan of 'Wizards' then you're some kind of super nerd. That's not an insult - that's an honor. The movies of Ralph Bakshi are unique and some of the most creative ever made. Get some insight into the man and his films in the book Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi, written by Jon M. Gibson who went on to create iam8bit, a production company specializing in videogame and pop culture art.Posted Tue Mar 6, 2012 at 12:30 PM PST by: -
'Cocktail' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Tom Cruise will pour Blu-ray a drink this summer. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Disney/Buena Vista is working on 'Cocktail' for a Blu-ray release on June 5. Academy Award® nominated superstar Tom Cruise (Best Actor, 1996, 'Jerry Maguire') lights up the screen as Brian Flanagan, a young and ambitious bartender who becomes the toast of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Raise a glass to 'Cocktail' – now on Blu-ray for the first time ever with an astonishing new digital transfer. When Brian moves to Jamaica and meets an independent artist, their passionate romance brings a new perspective to his flashy, self-centered lifestyle. Academy Award nominated Elisabeth Shue (Best Actress, 1995, 'Leaving Las Vegas') and Bryan Brown ('Gorillas in the Mist') join Cruise and in this exciting drama, sizzling with high-powered performances and a sensational soundtrack. 'Cocktail' is the perfect mix on Blu-ray! Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $20.00. You can find the latest specs for 'Cocktail' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 5.Posted Tue Mar 6, 2012 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Acer Launches a New DLP Projector with Color Boost and Correction for Wall Color[teaser]The H6500 is an entry level projector that offers a few cool features. [/teaser] Acer's latest entry-level projector brings to the table pretty much everything you'd expect from a sub $1,000 projector. It offers a 1080p resolution, a pair of HDMI inputs, a 24fps video mode for Blu-ray movies and an image projection size of up to 300 inches. The H6500 boasts 2,100 ANSI Lumens brightness, but can scale down to 1,680 if you want to save some power. When run in this mode, the lamp life extends from 3,500 hours to as long as 6,000. If there's no video being sent to the projector, it will enter into this power saving mode automatically. Acer's projector gives you a few features to improve picture quality as well. It packs both eColor Boost II + and wall-color compensation - a technology combo designed to let you project against colored walls if you should choose to do so. The H6500 is available now for $899 Source: eCousticsPosted Tue Mar 6, 2012 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
'Monster Brawl' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The Official Selection at the FANTASIA International Film Festival will do the monster mash on Blu-ray this summer! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Image Entertainment is working on 'Monster Brawl' starring David Foley ('A Bugs Life,' 'Cars'), Robert Maillet ('Sherlock Holmes,' '300'), WWE superstar wresting veteran Kevin Nash and legendary wrestling manager Jimmy Hart for a Blu-ray release on June 12. In the tradition of a Pay-Per-View event and set in a cursed and abandoned graveyard, comes a fight to the death that’s as hilarious as it is grotesque. Eight classic horror monsters – supported by their colorful and eccentric managers – compete in visceral bloody combat to determine who will be the most feared and powerful fiend of all time. You can witness an ordinary wrestling match anywhere, but Monster Brawl is your ringside ticket to a fight of the living dead! Narrated by Lance Henriksen ('Aliens,' 'Terminator') and featuring an eclectic cast, including Art Hindle ('Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' 'The Brood'), and famous mixed martial arts referee Herb Dean, Monster Brawl is sure to quench any fans thirst for violence, horror and humor. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and there doesn't appear to be any supplements. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.97. You can find the latest specs for 'Monster Brawl' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 12.Posted Tue Mar 6, 2012 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Checks out Prescreen, A New Streaming Service Specializing in Independent Filmsby Michael S. Palmer Personally speaking, I'm a pretty big fan of Groupon because there are always fantastic deals to try a new local restaurants. While I instantly junk most emails from online retailers, I look forward to daily Groupon announcements because I can't wait to see what new foodie adventure awaits. This modern Internet age reminds me how we are constantly swimming in choices -- which friends to follow, what places to eat, what entertainment to enjoy -- but I also remember the days when my small town had a grand total of two movies screens playing only Hollywood studio movies. Don't get me wrong, I love huge tentpole studio movies, but even when the Megaplex Era took off, increasing local screen counts, the video store was really the only way expose oneself to independent cinema. For me, film festivals always seemed like magical, far off events. Thankfully, with DVD/Blu-rays and Netflix, things have been changing for the better, but I would imagine for most people who don't live in Los Angeles, New York, Park City, Austin, or a handful of other areas where there are art house cinemas and/or film festivals, it's still pretty hard to get instant, easy axis to documentary and independent films. [teaser]If you love movies and enjoy the Groupon experience, but don't have enough access to indie cinema, there's a new service you may want to try: Prescreen. Here's the scoop:[/teaser] What is Prescreen? A brand new venture from one of Groupon's creators, Prescreen is a streaming video-on-demand service specializing in independent films. It's a site to see a flick you've maybe never heard of, or never thought you'd get to see. And it's relaunching with a newly forged Facebook alliance. But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's talk content. Prescreen execs scour film festivals like Sundance, SXSW, and Tribecca to make streaming deals with independent film distributors of all genres. Each movie is encoded to Flash in 720p HD with stereo sound, and a variable bit rate, meaning the servers will give you the fastest streaming bitrate possible for your computer and Internet bandwidth. And because films typically remain on Prescreen for 60 days, Prescreen's library is constantly refreshing itself. When they get to the site, some films stream day-and-date with their home video releases, and sometimes they stream while they're still in cinemas. How do I sign up and how much does it cost? Easy, anyone can surf on over to Prescreen.com and watch trailers for all the available movies as well as for others (Oscar nominations or Sundance Selections), but to build a queue, and rent something, you need to sign up, for free, via your Facebook account. Then it's up to you. Browse, queue up, and rent, or sit back and relax. Like Groupon, Prescreen will email you every day with a brand new Featured Movie to watch. Movies generally rent for around $4, with some titles costing as much as $8. But, on a film's first day, films are usually discounted down to $2. Where can I stream my rentals? After adding movies to your QUEUE, you then decide whether or not to WATCH NOW (aka, rent the film). After clicking Watch Now, you have a 48-hour window to stream the film on any PC. Currently, HTML5 tags are added to all the trailers so you can access them from any iOS or mobile devices, but to stream a full feature film, you're going to need a Mac or a Windows PC running Internet Explorer 7+ (PC), Firefox 8+ (PC, Mac), Safari 4+(Mac), Chrome 6+(PC, Mac). Sadly, the only way to stream a Prescreen rental to your big-screen HDTV is if you have a computer hooked directly to one; so if you have an HTPC, you're good to go. However, Prescreen says they're hoping to bring in third party apps, and there might even be something in the works for one of the major gaming consoles, starting Q2 of this year so you'll be able to stream Prescreen movies anywhere you have an Internet connection. What's this about Facebook integration? As part of its new relaunch this week, Prescreen has partnered with Facebook to make the whole experience more social. Akin to Spotify or Yahoo News, if you log into Prescreen via Facebook, and watch a trailer or add a movie to your queue, this will post to your Facebook timeline and/or news feed to let your friends know what you're doing. Conversely, if you're friends are Prescreen members, you'll be able to see what titles they're checking out, and hopefully you'll be encouraged to join in. I know when my friends listen to tracks I've never heard on Spotify, or read interesting news articles I might not have found myself, I'll click on those links to hear or read what they're up to. Here, you'll maybe sample a trailer you might have never seen before. For those worried about privacy, this is an optional part of the Prescreen experience, and what movies you actually rent are never reported to your timeline; only trailers and movies you place in your queu. Not sure if I'm sold yet, but maybe I'd try it if there was an exclusive coupon for High-Def Digest Readers? Look, I get it. You're probably an HDD reader because you love Blu-ray's unparalleled picture and sound quality. Honestly, Prescreen can't compete here. But I think there is also an opportunity to find movies that aren't necessarily available to buy or rent on Blu-ray (though sometimes that's certainly the case). However, our friends over at Prescreen are pretty confident about their service, so they're offering an exclusive coupon code to the first 250 HDD Readers who try the service. Enter HighDef1 to receive $4 off your first rental(s). If these coupons are scooped up quickly, Prescreen may even offer us another. The hope is simply that this simple, easy-to-use service will give you access to a variety of interesting and (sometimes) hard to find titles. We're also going to hold a contest over on HDD's Bonus View blog next week, where one lucky winner is going to win a $25 credit to use on Prescreen (worth up to 12 rentals, if the winner plays his or her cards right -- Stay tuned for details!). So, if you're interested, head on over to Prescreen, watch a few trailers, rent a discounted movie, and tell us what you think right here in the HDD Forums. Is this something you might join? Do you already have access to independent movies? Would you be more interested with 1080p content or the ability to watch it on your bigscreen HDTV?Posted Tue Mar 6, 2012 at 09:15 AM PST by: -
Skype Functionality Comes to Vizio TVs[teaser]The company is also launching a $150 camera built just for the purpose. [/teaser] Skype is an increasingly common feature on connected TVs, allowing people to connect with one another through calls or video chat on the big screen. Vizio is the latest maker to announce a Skype app - a feature which is live now. The app is free, but to use it you'll need the Vizio Internet Apps TV Video Camera which will run you $150 directly from Vizio. The company says that most of its connected TVs will be compatible, but not all. They've created a handy search if you have any question about whether yours will work or not. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Mar 6, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Joyful Noise' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The Queen Latifah/Dolly Parton musical drama will be singing to Blu-ray in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers is set to release 'Joyful Noise' on Blu-ray on May 1. The small town of Pacashau, Georgia, has fallen on hard times, but the people are counting on the Divinity Church Choir to lift their spirits by winning the National Joyful Noise Competition. The choir has always known how to sing in harmony, but the discord between its two leading ladies now threatens to tear them apart. Their newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), stubbornly wants to stick with their tried-and-true traditional style, while the fiery G.G. Sparrow (Parton) thinks tried-and-true translates to tired-and-old. Shaking things up even more is the arrival of G.G.'s rebellious grandson, Randy (newcomer Jeremy Jordan). Randy has an ear for music, but he also has an eye for Vi Rose's beautiful and talented daughter, Olivia (Palmer), and the sparks between the two teenagers are causing even more friction between G.G. and Vi Rose. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the release will be a Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy combo pack and supplements include: Spotlight on a Song: Dolly Parton's "From Here to the Moon," Inspiration of Joyful Noise, Make Some Noise, Leading Ladies, and extended songs. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray set is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Joyful Noise' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 1.Posted Tue Mar 6, 2012 at 08:00 AM PST by:
