Monthly Archives: May 2010

Blu-ray giveaway – Splinter

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Here’s a cheap horror thriller from Icon. No proper label, no box, but the movie’s fine as far as it goes: Splinter. First request in comments from an Australian resident gets it. Running time: 82 minutes Picture: 2.35:1, 1080p24, MPEG2 @ … Continue reading →

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

Madman & Luc Besson

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

It looks like Madman Entertainment has taken over pretty much the entire rights to Australian distribution of the Luc Besson oeuvre. The documentary Atlantis: A World Beyond Words and the drama Le grand bleu will both be out on Blu-ray soon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Disc details | 3 Comments

From the archives – 1998

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

I’ve just submitted my review column for this Monday’s The Canberra Times (the Panasonic PT-AE4000E full HD projector, if you’re interested). As I glanced through the folder containing these reviews, my eye fell on one I did back in late … Continue reading →

Posted in CD, Testing | Leave a comment

Region A

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

I see that The Criterion Collection has UK movie Walkabout, set entirely in Australia, available now on Blu-ray. Pity its stuff is Region A, so it won’t work in the great majority of Australian and UK Blu-ray players.

Posted in Blu-ray | Leave a comment

Would you like a movie?

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

If so, the first to ask in comments can have Into the Blue, a modest thriller about beautiful people swimming around in a tropical paradise. No box, no proper disc label. I’ll post within Australia. Running time: 110 minutes Picture: 2.35:1, … Continue reading →

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

The Fall

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

What the hell is it with The Fall? This is a glorious movie, made all the way back in 2006. It had David Fincher and Spike Jonze behind it (‘presented by’). It stars Lee Pace (from ‘Pushing Daisies‘) in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Cinema | 1 Comment

Fine music and fine wine

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Sometimes I think the art of listening to hifi — not for the music, but for the performance of the system — is somewhat like the art of tasting wine. Long time readers would realise from that association that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Giveaway, Imperfect perception, Mysticism, Testing | 4 Comments

Digital Radio trial for Canberra

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

Well, it looks like Canberra is going to be the first ‘regional centre’ to receive digital radio, after its introduction into State capital cities last year. This will be a trial, commencing from July this year. Apparently the stations that … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Radio | 1 Comment

Edge enhancement

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

In so many ways video technology replicates what the eye does naturally. Consider the illusion called ‘Mach Bands‘. I’ve lifted the following graphic from the Wikipedia entry to which I’ve linked: What you can see is a light grey block … Continue reading →

Posted in Imperfect perception, Video | Leave a comment

3D Crosstalk

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Stephen Dawson

When I went to the Sony 3D TV launch a couple of months ago, and to the Panasonic 3D TV launch a couple of weeks ago, both the spruikers of the new 3D technology highlighted the superiority of their system … Continue reading →

Posted in 3D, Video | 11 Comments