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Page last updated: 11/04/98 12:36:06 AM
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10/26 - Brief Update - Not much went on in the world of DVD this weekend. I know there was a lack of updates, but I was really busy this weekend. My girlfriend came into town so I spent a lot of time with her. Hey, she's gotta have priorities, right? This week is going to be kind of rough so I may not have a lot of time to update anything, but I'll do my best. For now, just sit back and watch some DVDs.
10/22 - Paramount Info. - Word around the net today is that some of the Paramount titles that were scheduled for November may be pushed back a little. I'll let you know as I find out. Speaking of Paramount, I just received my copy of Top Gun today. I was actually pretty happy with the disc just looking at the picture quality. I still find myself amazed at the quality of the picture and sound on DVDs everytime I pop one in, which is something I never had on VHS. Of course, if Paramount would actually put some special features on their discs, it would make them much better, but I can only make suggestions!
10/20 - Dreamworks Info. As I'm sure most of you have heard already, Dreamwroks has finally announced their first releases and their features. Let me just say that I think this list is incredible! They all have Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, trailers, and some include deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage! It sounds like Dreamworks is headed in the right direction. Also, today marked the announcement of Universal/Amblin Entertainment's first announcements. Included on the list: 1941, Back to the Future, and The Flintstones (all of which will be special editions). The rest of the list includes several other titles. Take a look at the press release by following this hyperlink to Bill Hunt's Digital Bits page. This week marks some other exciting news in DVD land. Yes, it's finally here: DVD Week. This is the week where the consumer has a chance to send a message that we do not want DIVX! Check out Shawn Eyer's website for full details.
10/16 - FAQ Update I've just posted the most recent copy of Jim Taylor's official DVD FAQ. Just follow the hyperlink to view it. Also, sorry about the lack of update yesterday, but my monitor went out on me, so I had to find a temporary replacement. Well, I didn't find one until late, so I didn't have a chance to update this. Some interesting news from the net: apparently, Lost in Space has become the highest selling DVD of all time in its first week! With this disc being jam-packed full of goodies, including DVD-ROM material, it is no surprise that this happened. Message to every DVD supporting company: EXTRA FEATURES GO A LONG WAY, EVEN IF THE MOVIE IS NOT THAT GREAT!! Keep that in mind when you decide to release your next wave of discs. I'm taking a vacation this weekend, so don't expect this site to be updated again until Monday or Tuesday. With that, enjoy your weekend!
10/14 - Afternoon Update - Sorry about the lack of update last night, but I was busy finalizing the posting of my other website. If you want to check it out, just follow the hyperlink. Some interesting things happened yesterday. First off, Laserviews posted it's list of announcements, which included some great titles such as BASEketball, which by the way, if you haven't seen this movie, I would strongly urge you to do so! The net has been buzzing with this topic over the past few days, so I figured I'd throw my thoughts in on this subject: the release of X-Files: Fight the Future on VHS and DIVX, but not DVD. This movie will also be released on Laserdisc in November. Fox...you've tried and tried my patience. First, it's DIVX only. Then it's also open DVD, but you throw in an outrageous $34.99 price tag. Then, you still don't seem to openly support the format. Well, I'm sick of your half-@ssed support, along with many others! You release a collector's edition videotape, but what about the digital format? DIVX does not cut it, and judging by the market reaction, it won't be around for much longer. So release it on open DVD and give the public what they really want. I know one thing for sure: it will be a long time before Fox gets any of my business. I don't buy video tapes any more because they are useless to me, so get with the program! Warner announced that their release of City of Angels: Collector's Edition brought in an amazing $1.6 million dollars by its' second week of release. Can you say the same about any of your DIVX discs, Fox? Oh well, I guess you care more about yourself than the consumer who buys the product, but that's just my personal opinion. I probably will not be able to post anything this evening as I have to study for my Physics test tomorrow, which won't be fun at all. I'm sure some of you can relate! Anyways, I'm off to classes now. Enjoy your evening!
10/13 - Dreamworks info - Over the past few days, the web has been buzzing with anticipation as to the status of Dreamworks's first DVD's. What will they include? Will they be anamorphic widescreen? Check out my rumors page for details. So what did you all think of the DIVX ad in the Circuit City flyer this weekend? I would like to hear your thoughts on this subject so feel free to e-mail me as to what you think. I, of course, thought it was funny that they tried several low tactics to distract you from the superiority of DVD. Oh well, what do you expect? They've told us lies for months now, why stop? For now, enjoy the rest of your day!
10/11 - Brief update - Sorry about the lack of update this weekend folks, but I had to go back into Omaha this weekend for my girlfriend's homecoming dance. I guess some things are more important than DVD, right? =) Anyways, not much has occurred since I've been gone. Bill Hunt has a great piece of information on the DIVX monster (or should I see dead in the water monster.) that you might want to read. Check out his web page the Digital Bits for the full story. In the mean time, keep those DVDs spinning!
10/9 - Disney's outrageous pricing - The following announcement is a little touchy for all of us. I'm talking about Disney and their decisions made for their releases of Goodwill Hunting and Scream. They claim that they are collector's editions...well, if those are collector's editions, then I'm President Clinton. First off, the price is at an insane figure of $39.99 SRP. This didn't bother me so much at first, but then I saw the content of these discs. No anamorphic transfer. Scream is not the Director's Cut that was originally announced. Warner Bros. recent release Lost In Space included commentaries, DVD-ROM content, trailers, anamorphic widescreen, and a lot more. Price? $24.99 SRP! Do the numbers add up? No. My message to Disney..."Shape up before you piss everybody off." I don't want to buy a whole new collection when everything goes to widescreen televisions, I don't want to pay $39.99 for a so-called Collector's Edition DVD that is almost exactly like the already over-priced regular version, and I most certainly do not want to pay $34.99 for Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas!! I don't want to pay over $25 for a DVD period. IT'S OUTRAGEOUS!! Paramount also seems to have left out the anamorphic transfer in their November wave of discs. Considering most of your original discs did have the 16 x 9 transfer, shouldn't you include them on the new discs, as well? It seems as if that the only company paying attention is Warner Brothers. I'll post more news later when I've had a chance to do some more research.
10/6 - Paramount now at a store near you!! - Enjoy it while you can DVD fans...Paramount has finally come to DVD! With hot titles such as Face/Off, Star Trek: First Contact, and soon to come Top Gun, Paramount is obviously on the right track. Their first few titles that I have seen are all Dolby Digital 5.1 and include an anamorphic widescreen transfer! Kudos to you Paramount for the great start. And, hopefully, Braveheart is soon to come! Enjoy your new Paramount DVDs everybody!!
10/5 - Another quick update - Laserviews has posted their new release announcements and also their Image preview for the month of October. If you like Laurel and Hardy, you definitely will not be disappointed. Recent FAQ up and other tidbits - If you haven't noticed already, the most current copy of Jim Taylor's Official DVD FAQ has been posted. This was last updated on Sept. 25th. You've also probably noticed the lack of updates this weekend. Well, I was pretty busy as I had a midterm today that I needed to study for and I had to travel back to Omaha last Friday. Since I last updated this page, several noteworthy things have happened. First off, Buena Vista has announced the release of two Special Edition DVDs in Goodwill Hunting and Scream. Both of these will include an abundance of extras, and will surely be a great addition to anyone's collection. My only gripe about this is that they have an SRP of $39.99. It seems to me that they should follow the Special Edition pricing of Columbia-Tristar, but nobody's perfect! Both of these are scheduled for release on December 8th. Another interesting note is that MGM is delaying the release of two titles to include a widescreen transfer. These two titles are: A Fish Called Wanda and Kingpin. Kudos to MGM for the delay! On a personal note, I saw my first DIVX commercials the other day...let's just say I'm not worried anymore! The way they are advertising their product doesn't say enough for the consumer to just want to go out and buy it. Since most of the commercial focuses on the DVD aspect, it seems to me that it will do more for DVD than it will harm it. Next weekend, I'm going to try and make it into Circuit City so I can report to you firsthand what I experience.(This ought to be fun!) I'll try to update this page once more before the day ends, but no guarantees. With that, I leave you with two words... GO HUSKERS!! 10/1 - Dreamworks info. and Archives Running - There is some very interesting news I read today about Dreamworks and their upcoming releases. Check the Rumors page for details. Also, you may have noticed that this page has gotten a lot smaller. I've archived a lot of the announcements I made in early September, so you can view them by clicking above. I'm going to try to get some reviews posted this weekend, but I can't guarantee you that. For now, enjoy your Friday!!
9/30 - Laserviews confirms Paramount rumors - Today, Laserviews confirmed the release dates and titles of Paramount's next release wave. On October 10th it will be Mission: Impossible, The Ghost and the Darkness, Night Falls on Manhattan: Special Edition, The Rainmaker, and Star Trek: Generations. Releasing on October 24th: Breakdown, The First Wives Club, The Hunt for Red October, and Switchback. Of course, their first wave of titles is scheduled for release this Tuesday. Some stores such as Sam Goody's have put them on shelves early, so if you want to pay the extra money to get them early (because you can usually get them for $5 cheaper at places like Best Buy), you can do that. Of course, I have also heard that some Target stores have also put them on display early. That's not the case here in Lincoln, though. Also, DTS looks as if it will finally be a reality with the DVD format. According to this press release , DTS may have their first titles on shelves by Christmas. If I had the money, I'd love to get my hands on one of those DTS receivers to experience the excellent sound provided by DTS. Unfortunately, I'm a college student. =)Tomorrow, I should be cleaning up the home page here, making less to download. I'll create an archived post, so if you want to access a past announcement, feel free to do so. That's all for today, but keep coming back for more!
9/29 - New Release Tuesday - As all DVD fans know, today is New Release Tuesday, and there are several new titles coming out today that are noteworthy. First off, City of Angels: Special Edition is being releases to day by Warner. Lord of Illusions: Special Edition is also scheduled for release today. Another title I would strongly recommend that is on the shelves is The Quick and the Dead. Now, I'm not a big fan of westerns, but I personally liked this one. I have put up a banner for the DVD Week website, so to check it out just go ahead and click on it. I will probably have another update before the day is over, so visit again later for more information. -Titanic by December? - There is an interesting piece of information about the Titanic DVD that everybody seems to be talking about on my Rumors page. Not much big happening today in DVD land, but HBO did announce what special features will be included on their upcoming release of the miniseries From Earth to the Moon. From the looks of it, this could be a great set of DVDs. If you want the full list, take a look at Bill Hunt's Digital Bits page. That's all for now. If I find anything new, I'll keep you posted.
9/28 - Laserviews announcements and more info on DVD Week - If you take a look at the Laserviews announcements, you'll notice a few good titles that will be coming out over the next few months. Warner announced that The Negotiator will be out just in time for the holiday season with a release date of December 15th. Of course, the disc will have several goodies, including an audio commentary by Samuel L. Jackson and my favorite actor, Kevin Spacey. Warner definitely has the right idea for the holidays! Also, a notable release is that of Can't Hardly Wait. Being a graduate of the class of '98 myself, I find myself relating to this movie pretty well. This is scheduled to street on November 17th and will have an audio commentary by the cast and the SmashMouth video Can't Get Enough of You, Baby. Columbia-Tristar never disappoints, and it doesn't seem like they will soon. Now, if only they would set the default to Dolby Digital 5.1 instead of Dolby Surround. Other notable titles are Earth Girls are Easy: Special Edition and Weekend at Bernie's. Both of these are classic comedy movies that we all love. Of course, I also must mention DVD Week. The date has been scheduled for the week of Oct. 18th to the 24th. Check out the DVD Forever site that is dedicated to DVD Week. Shawn Eyer has put some hard work into it so take a look. That's really all for now, but I'll keep you posted if I find out anything new.
9/25 - Paramount rumors and DIVX launch here- I'm sure most of you have already heard this, but there is some very interesting news about Paramount and their upcoming November releases. Check out my Rumors page for the complete story. Changing topics to the whimsical portion of todays news, DIVX national rollout is scheduled to start today. With all of the trash I've seen about DIVX, and heard from those who actually have players, I won't be surprised to see it pulled after the Christmas season. You all know my feelings about this, so I don't think I need to expand any further. This weekend should see more interesting updates, so I'll keep you posted. |
