I have an 60GB Tivo2 and its barely big enough on basic quality with reasonable program retention
Christ on a shingle, man, how much TV do you watch? I have a series 1 TiVo that's capable of 30 hours at basic quality. I record most everything on medium quality (save for "Alias" and certain sporting events that require high quality or else the action gets pixellated), and I've only come close to filling up my TiVo once or twice in 3 years, even when things got so busy that I had no time to watch TV.
Seriously, are you recording 3 movies a day off HBO or something? (Do they actually show that many different movies in a day on HBO?)
Of course this assumes anyone cares about a category that last year only bothered to put up three nominees and none of them was Final Fantasy or Waking Life, you stupid Academy traitorous rat bastards who are constitutionally incapable of recognizing any films or critically-acclaimed box-office flops.
I am so sick and tired of all these computer animation geeks defending the Final Fantasy movie. Final Fantasy was a HORRIBLE film, and all the eye-popping computer graphics in the world could not save it from a script that felt like something written by pot-smoking fan-fiction authors.
Plus, it was a HUGE mistake to hire known actors to be the voices, because it created a big disconnect in the minds of the audience. Ving Rhames didn't look like Ving Rhames. Donald Sutherland looked like Patrick Stewart on a three-year Nyquil bender. You can get away with this when your characters are toys or animals or furry blue monsters, but when photorealistic humans look one way and sound another, people don't buy into it. It pulls them right out of the story.
Final Fantasy may have looked more gorgeous than any film in recent memory, but you know, Anna Kournikova is gorgeous, too, and how long has it been since she got past the first two rounds of a major tennis tournament? If this thing were a live action film, it would never escape development hell, nor would it deserve to.
On the other hand, we agree on Waking Life. That was a good flick.
GE Plastics claims that the material is also theoretically capable of "thermochromic" effects that change the color with the temperature -- imagine your Lexus molting from red to black as you head from the desert to the mountains.
Uh, doesn't molting mean shedding skin or other outer coating? I can't think of one Lexus owner who wants to imagine their car molting. Giant strips of Lexus skin all over the road! Ewwwwwww!!!
If this decision holds up under appeal, it could very well stop ISPs from ignoring users that swap files over P2P networks. If ISPs know the copyright cartel is going to come at them with subpoenas every time they want to make an example of an MP3 trader, then they may start banning programs such as KaZaA and Morpheus from use on their networks. Why put up with the constant threats of the hijacker when it's easier to shoot the hostage?
And if that starts happening, how much more will CD sales plunge? I think it's grand entertainment, watching the music industry kill itself in an attempt to save itself. =^)
Don't forget to support indie music. Listen to more Solomon Burke.
Convergence, IMHO, is for the guy with a lot of extra money, a lot of extra time, and a burning desire to read his e-mail on that 54-inch flat-screen plasma monitor in his living room.
I don't trust anyone who wants to turn a PC into a "media center." The convergence devices that Microsoft and others envision are designed for PASSIVE entertainment. Don't stand up and say anything, just sit there on the couch and watch. An internet-connected PC is designed for ACTIVE entertainment. It encourages you to participate, to communicate, to share your knowledge and ideas and creations with the world. Linux was not created by some schmo on the sofa with a clicker in his hand.
This is not to say that passive entertainment is a bad thing, mind you. What I'm saying is that a general-purpose computer is not the right tool for this job. Ultimately, we're better off having a PC for one set of tasks and a TiVo, DVD Player and PS2 for another. If people really wanted full-fledged PCs in their living rooms, the guys who created WebTV would be billionaires right now.
I remember that mat. One time in college, a group of us tried playing Super Mario Bros. with that thing. I actually got most of the way through level 1-2 by running fast and jumping a lot. Everyone watching me laughed their asses off. I would have, too, if I hadn't been totally out of breath when I was done.
So, does this mean that the Running of the Bulls will no longer be pushing toward Millenium Force anymore? =^)
This ride actually bears a bit of a resemblance to Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain, only that ride isn't an out-and-back like this one. It also owes a small debt to King's Dominion's Hypersonic XLC, which has the most intense launch of any coaster I've ever ridden -- a compressed-air system that pushes the car 0-80 mph in 1.8 seconds. At 20 seconds long, Hypersonic is also too short a ride. If someone could have made a full 90-second coaster ride out of something like Hypersonic, it would likely be my favorite coaster of all time. As it stands, that honor still goes to Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens.
Until I get to Cedar Point this summer, that is... =^)
Everyone's favorite movie review compilation site, Rotten Tomatoes, gives Nemesis a pretty solid 51% rating, with the big name reviewers rating in at 88%. Full details here.
For a franchise movie such as this, that's not so bad. Die Another Day got a 59% rating, and the Rush Hour series usually scores in the 50s. I have a feeling Nemesis will get exactly the same numbers from Trek fans.
In summary, this is nothing like, say, a manufacturer of horse whips asking for government protection from the advent of cars; cars made horses irrelevant while the cable companies and the production industry is still very essential.
Please explain to me what is "essential" about cable television. Lots of people in America live without cable television, and if millions of people decided to cancel their cable service en masse, it would be news, but it wouldn't be cause for the government to step in and pass a law requiring citizens to pay for cable.
People could live without cable if they wanted. Some would switch to satellite. Some would subscribe to Netflix or just rent from the local video store. Others would find a local sports bar to watch the games they wanted to see. Some would read more books or listen to more music or use their computers instead. Cable television is essential to people employed by cable companies and some networks, but we could live without it, so I would say Heinlein's argument stands.
Well, Borders isn't really in competition with Amazon. In fact, they shut down their web store and ship all Borders.com traffic directly to Amazon. But that's nitpicking.
The big problem with something like this is that it would jeopardize Borders' standing with the record companies. If they set up an MP3.com-like system in which any band could upload ten tracks and then sell a CD for less than $10, how soon do you think the Big Five would halt shipments of CDs? That would send customers to the competition in droves. This is the chilling effect that the major labels have created among retailers.
Only a company that has nothing to lose would try it. Borders has too much to lose to even think about this. MP3.com had nothing to lose when they started doing this, but they stopped being successful the moment Napster got people's attention. Finding a happy medium in a P2P world can be done, but it'll take a lot more effort than anyone really wants to give it.
Hmmmm... y'know, I really don't need to download that copy of Ocean's Eleven from Movielink. I think I'll make my own movie instead. Or should I make my own photo album? Or write some original music? Wow, so many choices...
Nobody is really going to care about this issue until contaminated foods leak into the market and people start dying. When the lawsuits start flying, and when the connection between Bush and ProdiGene is covered by Dan, Peter and Tom (or perhaps Brian by then), THEN we'll start seeing some real action.
Until then, pass that Cap'n Crunch/flu vaccine this way.
Look, kids, we just figured out Cary Sherman's nickname on Slashdot. Thanks for stopping by, Cary. Any chance you could post your server's IP address for us?
I've lived in North Carolina for more than 20 years, and this may be not only the first time Jesse Helms and I agreed on something, but the first time I wanted to stand up and applaud him for following through on it.
Clearly, the apocalypse is coming. Someone tell the FBI...
DVDs that only last 8 hours? But then I might miss that bonus blooper reel where Viggo Mortensen picks his nose during a break on the set of Fellowship of the Ring! Horrors!
Seriously, this won't fly because human beings have an infinite capacity for carelessness -- which Blockbuster has exploited to great success, I might ad. There are too many opportunities for something to go wrong here, not only on the part of the consumer, but the factory workers, the shippers, and the handlers at the grocery stores and mall CD chains where these DVDs will be marketed relentlessly. (Watch once and throw away! Only $4.99!) A couple batches of ruined airtight seals will turn retailers away from this idea in a hurry.
This idea is destined to go the way of the caribou. IMHO, that can't happen too quickly.
"Marty, you gotta come see the future! We solved the problem of overcrowding in schools."
"How did we do that, Doc?"
"The Mr. Fusion laptop computer! Since its introduction, class sizes have been cut in half!"
I sure hope so. I slapped together a breakbeat that samples the original Moon Patrol theme song, and I'd be willing to offer it to the developers dirt cheap. =^)
Yep, I'm sure there aren't any good reasons to sitting at home in front of a good home cinema.
Not if the home theater is wasted on a fuzzy, grainy telesync of a film in theaters at that moment, no. If you'd rather wait six months to watch the DVD release at home, that's your prerogative. I'm talking about bootlegs like this Harry Potter bootleg that's out there now. Nobody's going to pick that over going to the theater to see it on the big screen. Either they'll go see it now or wait for the DVD.
Well, the experience is always going to vary from theater to theater. A few chains where I am get it right. One small chain where I live that shows a lot of well-regarded indie flicks doesn't overcharge for tickets and popcorn, offers great seating arrangements, and actually sells beer at the concession stand. Try getting away with that at the local dodecaplex.
As for actors making millions, that's just capitalism in action. Sure, we don't think Julia Roberts should make $20 million for Erin Brockovich, but that movie netted somewhere between $50 million and $75 million in theaters alone, and residuals from home video are probably still coming in. Any studio exec will see $20 million as a relative bargain.
Of course, filmmakers are starting to see some real value in low-budget films by talented filmmakers, too. "Memento", "Barbershop", and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" cost a combined $22 million to make. They grossed a combined $284 million (!) in theaters.
Most of your analogies all describe new items that are BETTER and/or MORE INTRIGUING than their predecessors -- cars over horses, aircraft over buses and trains, DVD over VHS. Please explain to me how a grainy telesync bootleg that took forever to download is better than a movie theater with a big screen and stadium seating.
The chess analogy doesn't fit, either, because we're comparing products here. Besides, wasn't it a team of human beings who wrote Deep Blue's algorithms?
Film piracy is never going to cut into box office dollars, period. No computer setup -- not even one with a projector screen and 5.1 surround sound -- will ever duplicate the theater experience, especially with a grainy telesync. The big screen and crowded theater hold too much fascination for us as human beings, and it won't go away any time soon.
The place where film piracy will hurt the most is in the home video market, because DivX rips of DVD films are at least VHS quality, usually better in some cases. Still, the movie industry has an advantage over the music industry here, because DivX rips are hard to download and DVDs are cheap. Hell, it's easier to rent a DVD and rip it yourself then to hunt down a film on Gnutella, and even then, you're still supporting the filmmakers in some small way, because you're paying the rental fee.
If the movie industry can improve the video quality and service quality of sites like MovieLink and CinemaNow, they'll have the one thing the music industry never really created -- a convenient, inexpensive alternative to piracy in the marketplace. Gee, is that all it takes? Who knews?
Slashdot Mirror
I have an 60GB Tivo2 and its barely big enough on basic quality with reasonable program retention
Christ on a shingle, man, how much TV do you watch? I have a series 1 TiVo that's capable of 30 hours at basic quality. I record most everything on medium quality (save for "Alias" and certain sporting events that require high quality or else the action gets pixellated), and I've only come close to filling up my TiVo once or twice in 3 years, even when things got so busy that I had no time to watch TV.
Seriously, are you recording 3 movies a day off HBO or something? (Do they actually show that many different movies in a day on HBO?)
Of course this assumes anyone cares about a category that last year only bothered to put up three nominees and none of them was Final Fantasy or Waking Life, you stupid Academy traitorous rat bastards who are constitutionally incapable of recognizing any films or critically-acclaimed box-office flops.
I am so sick and tired of all these computer animation geeks defending the Final Fantasy movie. Final Fantasy was a HORRIBLE film, and all the eye-popping computer graphics in the world could not save it from a script that felt like something written by pot-smoking fan-fiction authors.
Plus, it was a HUGE mistake to hire known actors to be the voices, because it created a big disconnect in the minds of the audience. Ving Rhames didn't look like Ving Rhames. Donald Sutherland looked like Patrick Stewart on a three-year Nyquil bender. You can get away with this when your characters are toys or animals or furry blue monsters, but when photorealistic humans look one way and sound another, people don't buy into it. It pulls them right out of the story.
Final Fantasy may have looked more gorgeous than any film in recent memory, but you know, Anna Kournikova is gorgeous, too, and how long has it been since she got past the first two rounds of a major tennis tournament? If this thing were a live action film, it would never escape development hell, nor would it deserve to.
On the other hand, we agree on Waking Life. That was a good flick.
GE Plastics claims that the material is also theoretically capable of "thermochromic" effects that change the color with the temperature -- imagine your Lexus molting from red to black as you head from the desert to the mountains.
Uh, doesn't molting mean shedding skin or other outer coating? I can't think of one Lexus owner who wants to imagine their car molting. Giant strips of Lexus skin all over the road! Ewwwwwww!!!
If this decision holds up under appeal, it could very well stop ISPs from ignoring users that swap files over P2P networks. If ISPs know the copyright cartel is going to come at them with subpoenas every time they want to make an example of an MP3 trader, then they may start banning programs such as KaZaA and Morpheus from use on their networks. Why put up with the constant threats of the hijacker when it's easier to shoot the hostage?
And if that starts happening, how much more will CD sales plunge? I think it's grand entertainment, watching the music industry kill itself in an attempt to save itself. =^)
Don't forget to support indie music. Listen to more Solomon Burke.
That would explain that long stick up your bum.
*rimshot*
Have you been contacted about doing any more guest spots on "Alias"? Would you do them if asked?
Convergence, IMHO, is for the guy with a lot of extra money, a lot of extra time, and a burning desire to read his e-mail on that 54-inch flat-screen plasma monitor in his living room.
I don't trust anyone who wants to turn a PC into a "media center." The convergence devices that Microsoft and others envision are designed for PASSIVE entertainment. Don't stand up and say anything, just sit there on the couch and watch. An internet-connected PC is designed for ACTIVE entertainment. It encourages you to participate, to communicate, to share your knowledge and ideas and creations with the world. Linux was not created by some schmo on the sofa with a clicker in his hand.
This is not to say that passive entertainment is a bad thing, mind you. What I'm saying is that a general-purpose computer is not the right tool for this job. Ultimately, we're better off having a PC for one set of tasks and a TiVo, DVD Player and PS2 for another. If people really wanted full-fledged PCs in their living rooms, the guys who created WebTV would be billionaires right now.
I remember that mat. One time in college, a group of us tried playing Super Mario Bros. with that thing. I actually got most of the way through level 1-2 by running fast and jumping a lot. Everyone watching me laughed their asses off. I would have, too, if I hadn't been totally out of breath when I was done.
So, does this mean that the Running of the Bulls will no longer be pushing toward Millenium Force anymore? =^)
This ride actually bears a bit of a resemblance to Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain, only that ride isn't an out-and-back like this one. It also owes a small debt to King's Dominion's Hypersonic XLC, which has the most intense launch of any coaster I've ever ridden -- a compressed-air system that pushes the car 0-80 mph in 1.8 seconds. At 20 seconds long, Hypersonic is also too short a ride. If someone could have made a full 90-second coaster ride out of something like Hypersonic, it would likely be my favorite coaster of all time. As it stands, that honor still goes to Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens.
Until I get to Cedar Point this summer, that is... =^)
You mean like the market made room for Betamax, RDRAM and Liquid Audio?
Perhaps the correct phrase here should be, "if your product is superior and free, the market will make room for it."
Everyone's favorite movie review compilation site, Rotten Tomatoes, gives Nemesis a pretty solid 51% rating, with the big name reviewers rating in at 88%. Full details here.
For a franchise movie such as this, that's not so bad. Die Another Day got a 59% rating, and the Rush Hour series usually scores in the 50s. I have a feeling Nemesis will get exactly the same numbers from Trek fans.
In summary, this is nothing like, say, a manufacturer of horse whips asking for government protection from the advent of cars; cars made horses irrelevant while the cable companies and the production industry is still very essential.
Please explain to me what is "essential" about cable television. Lots of people in America live without cable television, and if millions of people decided to cancel their cable service en masse, it would be news, but it wouldn't be cause for the government to step in and pass a law requiring citizens to pay for cable.
People could live without cable if they wanted. Some would switch to satellite. Some would subscribe to Netflix or just rent from the local video store. Others would find a local sports bar to watch the games they wanted to see. Some would read more books or listen to more music or use their computers instead. Cable television is essential to people employed by cable companies and some networks, but we could live without it, so I would say Heinlein's argument stands.
Now, broadband, on the other hand... =^)
Well, Borders isn't really in competition with Amazon. In fact, they shut down their web store and ship all Borders.com traffic directly to Amazon. But that's nitpicking.
The big problem with something like this is that it would jeopardize Borders' standing with the record companies. If they set up an MP3.com-like system in which any band could upload ten tracks and then sell a CD for less than $10, how soon do you think the Big Five would halt shipments of CDs? That would send customers to the competition in droves. This is the chilling effect that the major labels have created among retailers.
Only a company that has nothing to lose would try it. Borders has too much to lose to even think about this. MP3.com had nothing to lose when they started doing this, but they stopped being successful the moment Napster got people's attention. Finding a happy medium in a P2P world can be done, but it'll take a lot more effort than anyone really wants to give it.
Hmmmm... y'know, I really don't need to download that copy of Ocean's Eleven from Movielink. I think I'll make my own movie instead. Or should I make my own photo album? Or write some original music? Wow, so many choices...
Nobody is really going to care about this issue until contaminated foods leak into the market and people start dying. When the lawsuits start flying, and when the connection between Bush and ProdiGene is covered by Dan, Peter and Tom (or perhaps Brian by then), THEN we'll start seeing some real action.
Until then, pass that Cap'n Crunch/flu vaccine this way.
Look, kids, we just figured out Cary Sherman's nickname on Slashdot. Thanks for stopping by, Cary. Any chance you could post your server's IP address for us?
=^P
I've lived in North Carolina for more than 20 years, and this may be not only the first time Jesse Helms and I agreed on something, but the first time I wanted to stand up and applaud him for following through on it.
Clearly, the apocalypse is coming. Someone tell the FBI...
DVDs that only last 8 hours? But then I might miss that bonus blooper reel where Viggo Mortensen picks his nose during a break on the set of Fellowship of the Ring! Horrors!
Seriously, this won't fly because human beings have an infinite capacity for carelessness -- which Blockbuster has exploited to great success, I might ad. There are too many opportunities for something to go wrong here, not only on the part of the consumer, but the factory workers, the shippers, and the handlers at the grocery stores and mall CD chains where these DVDs will be marketed relentlessly. (Watch once and throw away! Only $4.99!) A couple batches of ruined airtight seals will turn retailers away from this idea in a hurry.
This idea is destined to go the way of the caribou. IMHO, that can't happen too quickly.
"Marty, you gotta come see the future! We solved the problem of overcrowding in schools."
"How did we do that, Doc?"
"The Mr. Fusion laptop computer! Since its introduction, class sizes have been cut in half!"
So what's next? Moon Patrol Xtreme?
I sure hope so. I slapped together a breakbeat that samples the original Moon Patrol theme song, and I'd be willing to offer it to the developers dirt cheap. =^)
Yep, I'm sure there aren't any good reasons to sitting at home in front of a good home cinema.
Not if the home theater is wasted on a fuzzy, grainy telesync of a film in theaters at that moment, no. If you'd rather wait six months to watch the DVD release at home, that's your prerogative. I'm talking about bootlegs like this Harry Potter bootleg that's out there now. Nobody's going to pick that over going to the theater to see it on the big screen. Either they'll go see it now or wait for the DVD.
Or they'll read the book instead. =^)
Well, the experience is always going to vary from theater to theater. A few chains where I am get it right. One small chain where I live that shows a lot of well-regarded indie flicks doesn't overcharge for tickets and popcorn, offers great seating arrangements, and actually sells beer at the concession stand. Try getting away with that at the local dodecaplex.
As for actors making millions, that's just capitalism in action. Sure, we don't think Julia Roberts should make $20 million for Erin Brockovich, but that movie netted somewhere between $50 million and $75 million in theaters alone, and residuals from home video are probably still coming in. Any studio exec will see $20 million as a relative bargain.
Of course, filmmakers are starting to see some real value in low-budget films by talented filmmakers, too. "Memento", "Barbershop", and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" cost a combined $22 million to make. They grossed a combined $284 million (!) in theaters.
Most of your analogies all describe new items that are BETTER and/or MORE INTRIGUING than their predecessors -- cars over horses, aircraft over buses and trains, DVD over VHS. Please explain to me how a grainy telesync bootleg that took forever to download is better than a movie theater with a big screen and stadium seating.
The chess analogy doesn't fit, either, because we're comparing products here. Besides, wasn't it a team of human beings who wrote Deep Blue's algorithms?
Plain old movies wont get as much benefit, and some will get worsened artifacting.
Dude, that'll make Koyaanisqatsi and a nickel bag even TRIPPIER, man!! =^)
Film piracy is never going to cut into box office dollars, period. No computer setup -- not even one with a projector screen and 5.1 surround sound -- will ever duplicate the theater experience, especially with a grainy telesync. The big screen and crowded theater hold too much fascination for us as human beings, and it won't go away any time soon.
The place where film piracy will hurt the most is in the home video market, because DivX rips of DVD films are at least VHS quality, usually better in some cases. Still, the movie industry has an advantage over the music industry here, because DivX rips are hard to download and DVDs are cheap. Hell, it's easier to rent a DVD and rip it yourself then to hunt down a film on Gnutella, and even then, you're still supporting the filmmakers in some small way, because you're paying the rental fee.
If the movie industry can improve the video quality and service quality of sites like MovieLink and CinemaNow, they'll have the one thing the music industry never really created -- a convenient, inexpensive alternative to piracy in the marketplace. Gee, is that all it takes? Who knews?