The Movies! The Music! has opened

As some of you may have read (in a previous post) I'm in a performance with the Phoenix Ensemble at the moment. Vanessa has been along and reviewed the show which you can read here.

There are only 2 weeks of the show left running so it's almost your last chance to see me as:

• A Ghostbuster
• Rocky
• A Cowboy
• A Matador

Plus various other things.... I might even post up some photos shortly.

DVD Audit Chaos

Well after finally getting my full audit done I went to log into on Monday DVD Tracker only to find the site down. To my horror it's still down today!

Obviously I hadn't decided to export my newly created list to keep a backup...

Hopefully it's just down for some maintenance.

Mario gets a home away from home

Nintendo has joined with Namco to release an Arcade version of Mario Kart. Mario Kart: Arcade GP has been shown off at the Amusement Operators' Union (AOU) show, taking place February 18 and 19 in Japan. Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto released a video message on the game "The Mario Kart series has been enjoyed by a much wider age range than we had originally anticipated," Miyamoto said in the address. "It's a racing game, but it plays a lot like a party game... I was worried about how Mario Kart: Arcade GP would turn out [since it's based on a home console game], but it's very well balanced for the arcades."

Miyamoto addressed some of the ways in which Mario Kart was adapted for arcade gameplay. "Players take their time [and play over and over] when they're enjoying Mario Kart at home, but it's different for arcade games, and it's not ideal for anyone to be seriously lagging behind. The Mario Kart series features an item system so that players can catch up by using them when they're trailing behind, but with the new rubber-band system that Namco implemented [in Mario Kart Arcade GP], the races become a really close-pitched match,"

The game also gets a special guest from Namco. Pac-Man has been included as a driver on the game. This is probably as a result of Miyamoto recent work on a Pacman game for Nintendo and his revelation that he was a big fan of the original game.

Foxtel gets some iQ

Yesterday was the big release day for Foxtel's PDR (see PDR for Foxtel to be released ) nick named Foxtel iQ.

It was revealed yesterday that the Foxtel iQ set-top box controls a normal TV like a DVD player -- but with more applications. The PDR allows viewers to pause and replay live TV from any station. Using Foxtel Digital's on-screen seven-day program guide, it can record up to 60 hours of shows on a hard drive with just one button press a show.
The system contains a 160Gb harddisk for storing all your program information. Still not an archival system with the number of channels available on Fox. Standard PVRs for digital network can be filled up in a matter of weeks just with 4 channels.

The system isn't all that cheap though there is a $395 installation fee and $5.95 monthly charge on top of your existing Foxtel Digital packages.

Smarthouse have a review here

KISS doesn't stand for keep it simple when you're looking at DVDs

To keep me entertained on my trip to Sydney I picked up a copy of Smarthouse magazine. (It's basically a cheap Austalian knock off of WhatHifi) It's often disappointing but at 4:30am at an airport your options are limited. It was useful however for bringing a new DVD player to my attention.

The KiSS DP-558

This DVD player is as close to an all in one solution as you'll get at the moment. As well as being DVD Player capable of playing DivX, it incorporates an 80GB HD recorder and Ethernet connection for Online Program Guide, Online Web Radio and FTP access to your recorded programs.

Digital Video Recorder from the next generation, the DP-558 proves to be
more than what is first expected from such a product. What if you could watch
live television, then pause it for a while and start it again when you are ready
to watch more. What if you could browse through an electronic program guide,
find the desired program, press Record and the schedule for the next recording
would be set. What now if you could have online services directly available from
your television screen, be able to see the weather forecast or just play games.

The specifications are nothing less than impressive.

There is no information around if the Web Guides etc are available for Austalian content and at $1499 it something you might want to find out before you take it home.

Everyone Loves Fantales.

But who knew just how informational they were:-

In the Lord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo and Sam are in the field with the scarecrow, a car in the distance moves from right to left.

In Gladiator when Macimus feeds an apple to his hourse, a crew member in blue jeans is glimpsed between them.

I'm in Sydney at the moment so I haven't been able to confirm but I admit I'm keen to confirm it.

ABC to bring in a new channel but it's not Fly!

One of the things I used to love about being and early adopter of digital TV was FlyTV. It was an ABC run station focused on Youth programming. Basically it was like having triple j on your television 24-7. However, on June 30 2003 the programming (along with the dedicated abckids channel) were axed due to budget cuts. (detailed here in an article from The Sydney Morning Herald)

ABC takes the buzz out of digital TV

The ABC has pulled the plug on its digital multichannels, ABC Kids and Fly TV, making them the first casualties of the Government's decision not to boost the ABC's budget.

The 35 staff who work on Kids and Fly were told at 10am yesterday that the channels would be shut down on June 30. The ABC is negotiating with the union how many staff will lose their jobs and how many will be redeployed to other areas.

It was truly a sad day for Digital TV (let's face it apart from the better quality of the transmission this was the only thing you had to show off to your friends about Digital TV). The only dedicated Digital Channels gone forever.

But all is not lost. The ABC has announced that is will have a new Digital Sibling ABC2. Although it won't be a dedicated youth or kids station it's a step in the right direction for the digital network.

ABC television will have a younger sibling from March 7 in the form of ABC2, the broadcaster's new free-to-air digital channel. It's the second bite of the cherry for the ABC following the demise of its multichannel digital services ABC Kids and Fly TV in 2003, after the ABC was unable to secure additional funding for the channels. But ABC2 is assured of a longer life, with a business plan in place through to the 2009 financial year.

So don't despair early adopters you will soon be watching a new dedicated Digital Channel

New Stuff - Test DVDs (Part 1)

As I've been updating my blog page, I've added a list in the Sidebar of my Favourite DVDs for testing new componentry and also my list of Favourite CDs.

Star Wars Trilogy, The (4 Disc Box Set)

The release of this box set was highly anticipated. Thankfully the digital and audio transfer was amazing, almost no artifacts and the picture is just gorgeous. Possibly the only disappointment is that the movies are not the original theatrical release but with new material and digital enhancements. That aside the discs are great for showing of your home cinema kit and if you want a great moment to show off your sub 112:31 on A New Hope but beware if you sub isn't up to the job you'll know all about it...

(to be continued....)