Monthly Archives: March 2010

Video bitrates for digital TV stations

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Rather than doing my usual mini-review for The Canberra Times for this coming Monday, I’ve done a piece on digital TV. Primarily, what it now offers. In preparing for it, I’ve gathered and calculated the basic technical specs for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Codecs, DTV, HDTV, Video | 6 Comments

Video vs PC settings

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

As a comment to this post, Victor suggests: You made some recommendations on settings in your S&I artical which I found useful, at least to confirm my own observations and assumptions. There was another setting I changed which was not … Continue reading →

Posted in BD-Live, HDMI, How Things Work, Video | 2 Comments

Blu-ray reviews

Posted on March 21, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

I’ve just added five of my Sound and Image and Australian HI-FI Blu-ray reviews to the relevant page. The reviews are: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Pulp Fiction Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Star Trek The Wizard of … Continue reading →

Posted in Admin, Blu-ray, Disc details | 2 Comments

Gone With the Wind: Blu-ray vs DVD

Posted on March 21, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

I think this is the oldest live-action movie I’ve done yet. Half a dozen comparison shots here, and here’s a sample (DVD to left, Blu-ray to right):

Posted in BD-Live, Disc details, DVD | Leave a comment

HD DVD

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Does anyone out there still own a HD DVD player? I do. What are your plans for it? Do you have a bunch of discs that you treasure? Or are you replacing them with Blu-ray?

Posted in Blu-ray, HD DVD | 4 Comments

Testing and cheating

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Has LG Electronics been naughty? Apparently it had installed a ‘circumvention device’ in a couple of its refrigerators. This, it is said, turns down the fridges when it senses they are in a 22C environment. The aim was to reduce their … Continue reading →

Posted in Testing | 1 Comment

Blu-ray giveaway – Halo: Legends

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Apparently this one is a number of animated stories coming out of the Halo game universe. The disc does not have a proper Blu-ray box, nor a slick, but it works just like a bought one. The disc is region … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Disc details, Giveaway | 3 Comments

Better not offend

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

I’m looking at the Blu-ray for 2012 at the moment, particularly the special extras. More particularly, the Mayan Personality Profile. You stick in your date of birth and it tells you everything you need to know about yourself. Amazing, heh? … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray | 2 Comments

Hey, variable chapters

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

I’m checking out the Blu-ray of the epic disaster movie 2012 and exploring the special extras (more on this later). One of these is a Bonusview PIP commentary feature. You have to select this specially to play, rather than just … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Disc details | Leave a comment

Oppo benefits from Lexicon’s discomfiture?

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Presumably Oppo makes a nice dollar or two out of selling  the guts of Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray players to Lexicon, to which the latter affixes aluminium fronts and backs and resells for seven times as much as the BDP-83. But yesterday … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Equipment | Leave a comment