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'Carnival Magic' Released on Blu-ray[teaser]The long thought lost cult classic has now brought magicians, monkeys, mad scientists, and more to Blu-ray! [/teaser] Film Chest and Virgil Films & Entertainment quietly released 'Carnival Magic' on Blu-ray on January 25. The late Al Adamson’s G-rated talking monkey movie has been the source of rumors and wild speculation for nearly 30 years. Some insist only a single print was ever made, while others claim the film never saw the light of day until a copy was “found” in Adamson’s Florida home shortly after he was murdered (on the cusp of a reported comeback effort) in 1995, his corpse discovered beneath the concrete and tile-covered whirlpool bath in his newly remodeled bathroom. Adamson was married to the film’s star, Regina Carrol, from 1972 to 1992, when she passed away from cancer. The release is a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with digitally restored video in high-definition from the original 35mm film assets presented in 16x9 aspect ratio, the original sound plus a new 5.1 mix, and special features will include an interview with producer Elvin Feltner; outtakes; audio commentary with cult film historian Joe Rubin and Feltner; “Making Of” featurette; original theatrical trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Carnival Magic' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 25.Posted Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 08:00 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: -
'The Last House on the Left (1972)' Blu-ray Best Buy Exclusive[teaser]The original 1972 version of Wes Craven's cult horror classic will be available this week on Blu-ray as a Best Buy exclusive. [/teaser] MGM will release 'The Last House on the Left (1972)' on Blu-ray exclusively at Best Buy on February 1. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but the pricing will be $16.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Last House on the Left (1972)' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 1.Posted Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: 'WWII in HD' Blu-ray $16.99 at Amazon[teaser]This week's deal is the A&E World War II documentary on Blu-ray! [/teaser] The online retailer is now selling 'WWII in HD' for $16.99 (57% off suggested list price). Seventy years in the making. Three thousand hours of color footage no one knew existed. The first documentary to show World War II from the perspective of both sides in full, immersive HD color, the world premiere HISTORY series WWII in HD uses the diaries of soldiers who fought in the war’s biggest battles to create a personal, introspective and detailed look at life on and off the front lines. Though it was illegal for U.S. soldiers to carry diaries, many hid them away in their packs and recorded their experiences in detail. History buffs will want to click here to pick up this great 2-disc set for a great price today! The deal will run from now through February 5.Posted Sun Jan 30, 2011 at 03:00 PM 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: -
'The Cat O' Nine Tails' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Another classic thriller from acclaimed filmmaker Dario Argento will hit Blu-ray in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Blue Underground is planning to release 'The Cat O' Nine Tails' on Blu-ray on May 25. The film stars Karl Malden and James Franciscus and the Blu-ray will be transferred from the original uncut camera negative. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: "Tales of the Cat": Interviews with Argento, co-writer Dardano Sacchetti and composer Ennio Morricone; Radio interviews with Franciscus and Malden; Theatrical trailers; and TV and radio spots. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Cat O' Nine Tails' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under May 25.Posted Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 10:00 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: -
Hulu Talks Live TV and Content Bundles[teaser]Some big changes may be in the works for Hulu, as the company searches for a successful business model. [/teaser] The biggest problem that the folks at Hulu are running into is that there's no precedent for what they're doing. There are successful streaming services out there of course, but none that aims to provide the TV experience without the need for a cable or satellite subscription. "It remains unclear what the business model is," says Time Warner's Bruce Rosenblum. Hulu's owners agree - they're not really sure what to do either. Hulu's Jason Kilar says that the company is up to the challenge though. "When we blaze trails, which is what Hulu is about, it takes time. That is not for the faint of heart, and we understand that." One of the options being discussed is that of providing live television to subscribers and redefining Hulu as an online cable provider, rather than a streaming service. Channels could be purchased in bundles, just like with traditional cable subscriptions. Source: Wall Street Journal (via Engadget)Posted Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Scooby-Doo: Aloha Scooby-Doo!' & 'Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase' Blu-rays Announced[teaser]Two more Scooby-Doo mysteries are coming to high-definition this April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers is working on 'Scooby-Doo: Aloha Scooby-Doo!' to Blu-ray on April 5. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: An Evening with the Scooby-Doo Gang: cast Q&A and The Wiki-Tiki Tail of Aloha Scooby Doo! On the same date, Warner Brothers will also be bringing 'Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase' to Blu-ray. This release will feature 1080p video, a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: The Making of Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase and Music video: Scott Innes, "Scooby and Shaggy Love to Eat." Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Scooby-Doo: Aloha Scooby-Doo!' and 'Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under April 5.Posted Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 06:00 AM PST by:
