AVATAR Thread: POCAHONTAS in Space!

[AndyDursin]

I agree with you Eric on all of that. I think 3D, as it has always been historically, is a fad -- but this time the industry is trying to shove it down everyone's throat. What I find most interesting were all the people I heard raving about AVATAR after two screenings (I went with Paul last night and disliked it every bit as much the second time) were mostly older movie-goers. "It's an experience more than a story" -- that kind of sentiment, I heard repeatedly. But to me the experience wasn't that incredible at all.

Studios and the industry, of course, LOVE 3-D.

Why not? They get to charge an additional $4 for EVERY TICKET SOLD. That's like a third of the ticket price is being laid on top of the regular admission. No wonder why AVATAR hit $440 million after three weeks or whatever the number is.

We'll be seeing more and more of these 3-D movies until people stop going, because the studios love the inflated ticket prices and people like "the experience" so much that they'll leave their homes to see a movie in the format.

But with that said, there's a big difference between going to the theater to experience 3-D and wanting to drop thousands on watching it at home. Frankly I think 3-D at home is going to be a dud. I have zero interest in buying a new TV to support 3-D, buying a new player, buying new software -- the industry should be thankful Blu-Ray is where it's at right now, because it's been difficult enough getting the mainstream consumer to buy an HDTV as it is! HDMI 1.4? Yeah whatever buddy, happy trails to you if you think people will be rushing out by the millions for whatever "enhancements" 1.4 is going to have.

As you say they're getting greedy and want more -- well good luck to them. They are trying absolutely to push 3-D as the "next big thing," but they ought to be focused on improving what's out there instead of trying to cultivate something that I feel has a very, very small chance of being successful.

[Eric W.]

I agree with you Eric on all of that. I think 3D, as it has always been historically, is a fad -- but this time the industry is trying to shove it down everyone's throat. What I find most interesting were all the people I heard raving about AVATAR after two screenings (I went with Paul last night and disliked it every bit as much the second time) were mostly older movie-goers. "It's an experience more than a story" -- that kind of sentiment, I heard repeatedly. But to me the experience wasn't that incredible at all.

Studios and the industry, of course, LOVE 3-D.

Why not? They get to charge an additional $4 for EVERY TICKET SOLD. That's like a third of the ticket price is being laid on top of the regular admission. No wonder why AVATAR hit $440 million after three weeks or whatever the number is.

We'll be seeing more and more of these 3-D movies until people stop going, because the studios love the inflated ticket prices and people like "the experience" so much that they'll leave their homes to see a movie in the format.

But with that said, there's a big difference between going to the theater to experience 3-D and wanting to drop thousands on watching it at home. Frankly I think 3-D at home is going to be a dud. I have zero interest in buying a new TV to support 3-D, buying a new player, buying new software -- the industry should be thankful Blu-Ray is where it's at right now, because it's been difficult enough getting the mainstream consumer to buy an HDTV as it is! HDMI 1.4? Yeah whatever buddy, happy trails to you if you think people will be rushing out by the millions for whatever "enhancements" 1.4 is going to have.

As you say they're getting greedy and want more -- well good luck to them. They are trying absolutely to push 3-D as the "next big thing," but they ought to be focused on improving what's out there instead of trying to cultivate something that I feel has a very, very small chance of being successful.

Agreed 100 percent. The whole thing reeks of desperation and as we all know: Good decisions are rarely if ever made under that kind of "duress" so to speak.

You can go to forums like AVS and such and see that even most of the enthusiasts just aren't that wild about 3D.



Here were some trends that came out of CES 2010 that barely got any coverage because of all the 3D hype and noise. I thought these were far more relevant and pertinent to most people.


http://bitstream.soundandvisionmag.com/ ... m-ces.html The link has pictures of everything.

CES 2010: Four overlooked tech trends from CES Websites and cable TV channels are packed with news from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But with thousands of exhibitors spread out through several convention halls and hotels, there are always lots of stories that go overlooked. Here are four we found especially exciting:

1.) Energy-saving innovations: The electronics industry has come up with some entirely new products that help save energy without sacrificing convenience. One of our favorite examples is the Klipsch LightSpeaker. The LightSpeaker (pictured below right) combines a 2.5-inch speaker with a powerful LED lamp. It fits in a standard recessing lighting fixture, and it installs just like an ordinary light bulb. Light-Speakers-Side-Angle-NoGrille A wireless transmitter sends sound from an MP3 player, a TV, etc., to the speakers, and a remote dims the light and controls the sound. Klipsch says the LightSpeaker’s efficient LED consumes only 10 watts but puts out the same light as a 65-watt incandescent bulb. A package with two LightSpeakers, a transmitter, and a remote costs $599. Another great green product is the Regen ReNu Audio Dock (pictured at top). The dock has a solar panel/battery pack that you can hang in a window to change. Place the charged panel in the dock, insert an iPhone or iPod, and you can listen to music for up to 60 hours on a single charge. A backup power supply assures the ReNu will never fall silent. The solar panel/battery pack costs $199 and the Audio Dock costs $249.


2.) Skype on your TV: Lots of people now sit in front of their computers when they want to make video phone calls through Skype. Now LG and Panasonic make it possible to see and hear distant family and friends from the comfort of your couch. Both companies will soon offer Internet-enabled TVs with Skype built in. Using Skype through these TVs should be super-simple. As with many new laptops, the TVs feature a built-in camera and microphone. And you’ll enjoy a much bigger picture than you’re probably getting on your computer monitor or laptop.


3.) Pure Ciao, CDs: More and more consumers are using less and less “physical media” (i.e., CDs and DVDs). Instead, they’re streaming their audio and video entertainment from the Internet, through home networks, or from iPods and smartphones. Many new products at CES were designed specifically to suit these trends—they don’t even have CD slots. One that caught our eyes was the Pure Sensia (pictured at left), a desktop audio/video system that looks almost like a big Easter egg. Each end of the Sensia has a speaker, and touchscreen fills the middle. The $349 Sensia plays any of thousands of Internet radio stations, and also streams content from computers and hard drives that are connected to your home network. The only concession to old-fashioned media is the built-in FM tuner. Alpine and Sony took the bold step of launching new auto sound head units that have no CD playback capability. You get your music from a docked iPhone or iPod, or from the units’ AM/FM tuners.


4.) Pencil-thin TV: TVs are rightly getting lots of attention at this year’s CES, but our favorite new models—the Samsung 9000 series—got a little lost in all the hubbub about 3-D and Internet connectivity. According to Samsung, the 9000 series TVs measure only 0.3 inches thick, which is about the same thickness as a pencil. An ingenious stand (which doubles as a wall mount) provides all the connections. Not only is this slim, silvery set incredibly sexy, it also includes a touchscreen remote control/video screen that lets you keep tabs on the ball game while you’re watching the latest DVD. The sets are 3-D capable, so when the new 3-D Blu-ray Disc players come out later this year, you’ll be ready. —Brent Butterworth

And my personal fifth:


5.) STILL No BD recorders outside of Japan.

Still. We're going into the FOURTH year of Blu-Ray's life and a good two years since the end of the format war.

This is inexcuseable and unforgiveable. Past insanity at this point.

Forget 3D! Get me one of these first!


Feel free to edit this thread's title or split my posts off somewhere else if I'm really derailing this thread too much.

[Paul MacLean]

5.) STILL No BD recorders outside of Japan.

That's hugely aggravating. I have all this HD footage I've shot, but I still have to distribute it on standard definition DVD. Its really getting under my skin.

[John Johnson]

5.) STILL No BD recorders outside of Japan.

That's hugely aggravating. I have all this HD footage I've shot, but I still have to distribute it on standard definition DVD. Its really getting under my skin.

And the UK.
Panasonic have the DMR-BS850 Blu-ray Disc™ Recorder. Makes me wish I was still living there.

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/P ... kInfo=true

[AndyDursin]

I've been through the whole record-from-HD/burn-to-media deal before. I still think for the forseeable future the only way you can make it happen is to use a PC to accomplish that.

As I wrote before, I think the problem with the Blu recorders here is what they'd be able to record. Those European models seem to have a certain kind of video input that works with their satellite boxes, but that's never going to work here because all the cable companies and dish providers have their own DVRs. They're never going to license their services out to a device that would basically negate their DVR services and monthly fees.

With that in mind, the only thing the device could do is record from OTA sources -- and I don't think there's enough of a demand for a $800 product that only does that.

So if a BD recorder can't record from HDMI, it could enable the possibility of recording from RGB component inputs -- which is what the Hauppauge HD PVR I have is able to do --
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html

That would still enable you to record in component HD (720p/1080i), and the Hauppauge works really well, though you have to be a bit tech savvy to figure it out.

[AndyDursin]

Haven't checked my Aisle Seat inbox in a while and received this response from Barry Nichols:

Andy Dursin is much too kind in his review of AVATAR. No amount of
technically proficient special effects could disguise the fact that
the insultingly simple-minded, blatantly hypocritical piece of junk
disguised as a screenplay is a virtual remake of the powerful 1950
Delmer Daves/James Stewart film BROKEN ARROW. I find it hard to
believe that any individual with a just a smattering of intelligence
could be taken in by this soul-less piece of nonsensically boring
and predictable garbage. AVATAR now takes it place on my list as one
of the three worst films of all time alongside PEARL HARBOR and
TITANIC. Barry Nichols.

[Eric W.]

Haven't checked my Aisle Seat inbox in a while and received this response from Barry Nichols:

Andy Dursin is much too kind in his review of AVATAR. No amount of
technically proficient special effects could disguise the fact that
the insultingly simple-minded, blatantly hypocritical piece of junk
disguised as a screenplay is a virtual remake of the powerful 1950
Delmer Daves/James Stewart film BROKEN ARROW. I find it hard to
believe that any individual with a just a smattering of intelligence
could be taken in by this soul-less piece of nonsensically boring
and predictable garbage. AVATAR now takes it place on my list as one
of the three worst films of all time alongside PEARL HARBOR and
TITANIC. Barry Nichols.

Wow. I can't say I disagree with him, either.

[mkaroly]

Haven't checked my Aisle Seat inbox in a while and received this response from Barry Nichols:

Andy Dursin is much too kind in his review of AVATAR. No amount of
technically proficient special effects could disguise the fact that
the insultingly simple-minded, blatantly hypocritical piece of junk
disguised as a screenplay is a virtual remake of the powerful 1950
Delmer Daves/James Stewart film BROKEN ARROW. I find it hard to
believe that any individual with a just a smattering of intelligence
could be taken in by this soul-less piece of nonsensically boring
and predictable garbage. AVATAR now takes it place on my list as one
of the three worst films of all time alongside PEARL HARBOR and
TITANIC. Barry Nichols.

Ouch! Lol....

[Eric W.]

5.) STILL No BD recorders outside of Japan.

That's hugely aggravating. I have all this HD footage I've shot, but I still have to distribute it on standard definition DVD. Its really getting under my skin.

And the UK.
Panasonic have the DMR-BS850 Blu-ray Disc™ Recorder. Makes me wish I was still living there.

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/P ... kInfo=true

At least there's that.

I've been through the whole record-from-HD/burn-to-media deal before. I still think for the forseeable future the only way you can make it happen is to use a PC to accomplish that.

As I wrote before, I think the problem with the Blu recorders here is what they'd be able to record. Those European models seem to have a certain kind of video input that works with their satellite boxes, but that's never going to work here because all the cable companies and dish providers have their own DVRs. They're never going to license their services out to a device that would basically negate their DVR services and monthly fees.

With that in mind, the only thing the device could do is record from OTA sources -- and I don't think there's enough of a demand for a $800 product that only does that.

So if a BD recorder can't record from HDMI, it could enable the possibility of recording from RGB component inputs -- which is what the Hauppauge HD PVR I have is able to do --
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html

That would still enable you to record in component HD (720p/1080i), and the Hauppauge works really well, though you have to be a bit tech savvy to figure it out.

It's too bad it's this needlessly complicated. Why it can't be the same rules as DVD Recorders is beyond me. Who cares if it's over HDMI or a different resolution or not? If a person buys legit hardware and everything is HDCP compliant and all that...that's it. That's all that should be required.

I think if they brought out BD recorders and the rules were no different than DVD recorders they'd sell quite well.

Dumb.

[AndyDursin]

It's too bad it's this needlessly complicated. Why it can't be the same rules as DVD Recorders is beyond me. Who cares if it's over HDMI or a different resolution or not? If a person buys legit hardware and everything is HDCP compliant and all that...that's it. That's all that should be required.

But that's the whole issue I believe -- HDMI and HDCP. The studios and manufacturers don't want you to be able to make your own recordings and possibly copy them onto disc.

I owned a Gefen HD-PVR that was really expensive (and quite buggy), but before I got rid of it on Ebay, they even updated the firmware on it so you could not copy HDMI recordings over to another form of media -- you couldn't even transfer the recordings from its internal hard drive to an SD card and store them elsewhere.

The Hauppauge is the only thing on the market that I'm aware of that even lets you record in HD via the component inputs...that's pretty much the only workable thing out there. And if not that, some people find a way to transfer recordings from a DVR to a PC hard drive and rewatch them that way. But it's tech-intensive and not that easy to do unless you know what's going on.

I am convinced that the copy issue is what's hindering Blu recorders from happening here. The recording inputs on these Euro-Asian BD recorders is something I've paid attention to -- looking at the back of this unit it almost looks like a propreitary cable running from the back of a European sat box...haven't seen anything like that here, nor will we.

[Eric W.]

It's too bad it's this needlessly complicated. Why it can't be the same rules as DVD Recorders is beyond me. Who cares if it's over HDMI or a different resolution or not? If a person buys legit hardware and everything is HDCP compliant and all that...that's it. That's all that should be required.

But that's the whole issue I believe -- HDMI and HDCP. The studios and manufacturers don't want you to be able to make your own recordings and possibly copy them onto disc.

I owned a Gefen HD-PVR that was really expensive (and quite buggy), but before I got rid of it on Ebay, they even updated the firmware on it so you could not copy HDMI recordings over to another form of media -- you couldn't even transfer the recordings from its internal hard drive to an SD card and store them elsewhere.

The Hauppauge is the only thing on the market that I'm aware of that even lets you record in HD via the component inputs...that's pretty much the only workable thing out there. And if not that, some people find a way to transfer recordings from a DVR to a PC hard drive and rewatch them that way. But it's tech-intensive and not that easy to do unless you know what's going on.

I am convinced that the copy issue is what's hindering Blu recorders from happening here. The recording inputs on these Euro-Asian BD recorders is something I've paid attention to -- looking at the back of this unit it almost looks like a propreitary cable running from the back of a European sat box...haven't seen anything like that here, nor will we.

SCART cable?

In any event, I think you're exactly right.

[AndyDursin]

Hmmm...could be exactly that. I dunno.

[John Johnson]

It's too bad it's this needlessly complicated. Why it can't be the same rules as DVD Recorders is beyond me. Who cares if it's over HDMI or a different resolution or not? If a person buys legit hardware and everything is HDCP compliant and all that...that's it. That's all that should be required.

But that's the whole issue I believe -- HDMI and HDCP. The studios and manufacturers don't want you to be able to make your own recordings and possibly copy them onto disc.

I owned a Gefen HD-PVR that was really expensive (and quite buggy), but before I got rid of it on Ebay, they even updated the firmware on it so you could not copy HDMI recordings over to another form of media -- you couldn't even transfer the recordings from its internal hard drive to an SD card and store them elsewhere.

The Hauppauge is the only thing on the market that I'm aware of that even lets you record in HD via the component inputs...that's pretty much the only workable thing out there. And if not that, some people find a way to transfer recordings from a DVR to a PC hard drive and rewatch them that way. But it's tech-intensive and not that easy to do unless you know what's going on.

I am convinced that the copy issue is what's hindering Blu recorders from happening here. The recording inputs on these Euro-Asian BD recorders is something I've paid attention to -- looking at the back of this unit it almost looks like a propreitary cable running from the back of a European sat box...haven't seen anything like that here, nor will we.

SCART cable?

In any event, I think you're exactly right.

Before HDMI came out, SCART was the norm on UK machines. First on VHS and then on DVD/BD machines. I found it altogether much better than leads on a U.S. player. Now that HDMI is here, that's all changed.
Anyway, here's someionfo on SCART.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART

[Eric W.]

Before HDMI came out, SCART was the norm on UK machines. First on VHS and then on DVD/BD machines. I found it altogether much better than leads on a U.S. player. Now that HDMI is here, that's all changed.
Anyway, here's someionfo on SCART.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART

I'm not a fan of the HDMI cable myself, either. A very fickle and finicky connection. I liked DVI better myself. DVI wasn't too terribly different from SCART in physical concept.

[AndyDursin]

Hahaha, the Golden Globes actually gave AVATAR best picture. But I am not shocked -- the foreign press loved the film's messages, regardless of its inane story line.

I hope the Academy wakes up. AVATAR would the worst movie to ever win Best Picture if it does. I could think of dozens of more deserving films from last year -- including TERMINATOR SALVATION!