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DIGITAL DIGEST - http://www.digital-digest.com
DIGITAL DIGEST | LiveUpdate Newsletter - Issue 78
27 January, 2008

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TOP NEWS SUMMARY:

1. Introduction

2. Weekly News Roundup

3. Weekly Software Roundup

4. How to cancel/change your subscription email address/settings
- how to maintain the subscription to this newsletter even
if your email address has changed

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1. Introduction

I finally wrote that blog entry about Wireless HD that I promised a
couple of weeks ago. And yes, the picture included in the blog of
the messy wires is from my actual home theater, without any
manipulation of what my cabling actually looks like - sad, isn't it?
It seems that WirelessHD is something that hasn't come too soon for
me at all.

Links:
* The Wireless Home Theatre (and beyond)
http://www.digital-digest.com/blog/DVDGuy/2008/01/24/the-wireless-home-theatre-a\
nd-beyond/

-- DVDGuy


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2. Weekly News Roundup

There comes a time in a man's life when he has to make a decision. A
decision so big, that it could literally alter the course of time,
space and reality. Today is not that time. Today is time for yet
another Weekly News Update.

It seems in the world of copyright, US colleges are public enemy
number one at the moment. The copyright lobby is pressuring the US
congress <1> to pass college funding legislation that will ensure
Internet filtering and monitoring. To threaten something as vital as
education with something as trivial (and rooted in greed) as
copyright protection, is probably exactly what is wrong with the US
political system at the moment. The MPAA has been on the offensive
as well, but perhaps their education wasn't all it could have been
either, as they seemed to have fudged up the numbers <2> in regards
to college kid's contribution to piracy. Their initial figure that
college kids are responsible for 44% of all lost income did sound a
bit strange. If I have to point to one thing a major cause of lost
income, I have to say it's the industry's attitude towards
consumers. When it comes to copyright control, consumers are treated
like convicted criminals. DRM is causing more damage to the industry
than casual piracy. Another example is Apple's QuickTime DRM update
<3> causing other software, such as Adobe After Effects, to be
disabled. Music DRM is dying, and movie DRM seems to be moving in a
more "consumer friendly" direction, taking special note of the quote
around the phrase `consumer friendly'. Fox's new Hitman Blu-ray will
include a digital copy of the film <4> for use on portable devices.
Sounds good, except the recommended price for the title is at
$39.98, which makes it higher than most other Blu-ray releases by a
couple of dollars. So basically, while a (DRM'd) "digital copy" is
provided, the price of this copy has already been included, whether
you want it or not. So basically "fine" you for what you might do
(which might be illegal) before you even do it. Sounds about right.

In HD news, it has all been about HD downloads these last few weeks.
It's strange that immediately after what appears to be a victory for
Blu-ray, people start questioning the need for an optical format.
Apple, Microsoft and Sony all have their movie download services,
and HBO will now launch something similar <5> in limited areas too.
But people look at the cheap prices of purchasing downloads compared
to buying discs, but are they looking at the total cost <6>,
including bandwidth? Maybe in the US and other advanced broadband
nations, it's not much of an issue, but a typical HD download from
iTunes might be 50% of someone's allocated monthly bandwidth
allowance here in Australia, not to mention it might take a day to
download due to our limited broadband speeds. I think for now, the
optical disc is still the best way to deliver high bandwidth movies.
It certainly might still be the cheapest way here in Australia, even
though our HD movie discs are way over priced. Speaking of Blu-
ray's "victory", Toshiba has introduced price cuts here in Australia
<7> for their range of HD DVD players (second-generation players).
The most interesting is the massive price cut for the award winning
<8> Toshiba HD-XE1 <9> (similar to the XA2 in the US), which uses
the highly sought after Reon HQV video processing chipset to achieve
the ultimate video performance, even for upscaled DVDs. Reading
through forums about people's chats with various stores around
Australia, it seems the XE1 (which comes with 11 free movies) is
selling very well indeed. Many Blu boys have been turned purple
(dual format => red + blue => purple) by the amazing value of the
XE1 (a similar DVD upscaling player that uses Reon HQV costs thrice
as much). But on the other end of the quality scale, we have the
Samsung BD-UP5000, which also uses Reon HQV, but is apparently so
problematic that even a class action lawsuit is being considered
<10> (although I doubt it). It certainly it's the best designed
machine, and even Samsung realises it as it will be discontinued
soon and replaced by the BD-Up5500 (does not have Reon HQV), with
the BD-UP6500 (rumoured to have Reon HQV + Blu-ray Profile 2.0)
coming soon too. I hope Samsung do get their act together, as a dual
format player will suit me just fine considering that I'm still
building up my movie collection by buying exclusives in both formats.

On to gaming, there's probably not much time left to get your free
copy of the Xbox Live Arcade game <11>, Undertow. I've played it and
it's pretty good, if not a bit repetitive. Underwater, pseudo 3D,
flag capturing team shooter is probably the best description of it.
Nice graphics and sound though. Sony seems to be dropping their 80
GB version of the PS3 <12>, the last model that has PS2
compatibility. This coincides with news of a new 40 GB white PS3
<13>, as well as a possible price cut to $299. January 28th is
supposed to be the date something happens, so stay tuned for more
updates. Sony is also partnering with HP to provide "Manufacture-On-
Demand" <14> service for their movies, with HP keen to expand MOD to
Blu-ray and HD DVD. Basically you choose a movie and the disc is
made to order. It's a nice idea, although it can't compete with the
lower cost of mass manufacture (although being able to order several
SD movies on a single HD disc, with your selection of extra
features, sounds very attractive).

And Fox News is up to their usual tricks, this time "bending" the
truth as they portray the Xbox 360 game Mass Effect as a deprived
sex orgy simulator <15>. It's funny how people made such a big deal
of GTA: San Andrea's Hot Coffee sex simulation modification, yet
people simply ignored that fact that the game allowed you to do
drive-bys, shot cops, kill civilians and become a drug mule to earn
more money.

And on that family friendly last paragraph, I'll end this news
roundup. See you next week.

Links:
<1> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85901
<2> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85958
<3> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85956
<4> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85972
<5> http://www.digital-digest.com/news-60905.html
<6> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85876
<7> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85913
<8>
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/toshiba-hd-xa2-hd-dvd-player-wins-sound-\
-vision-editors,257457.shtml
<9>
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_14_4/toshiba-hdxa2-dvd-player-10-2007-part\
-1.html
<10> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85988
<11> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85872
<12> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85976
<13> http://www.digital-digest.com/news-60909.html
<14> http://www.digital-digest.com/news-60910.html
<15> http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=85993


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3. Weekly Software Roundup

January 27, 2008 YAMB 2.0.0.8 (20080121) (Freeware)
January 27, 2008 CCCP 2008-01-24 (Freeware)
January 27, 2008 Winclipdvb 2.9.7 (Freeware)
January 27, 2008 ffdshow Rev. 1817 (Freeware)
January 27, 2008 DVD-Audio Solo 1.4.3
January 27, 2008 ProgDVB 5.13 (Freeware)
January 27, 2008 MONOGRAM GraphStudio 0.1.4.0 Alpha (Freeware)
January 26, 2008 Movie Library ++ 4.1.0 (Freeware)
January 26, 2008 Subtitle Workshop 4.0 Beta 2 (Freeware)
January 26, 2008 eac3to 2.18 (Freeware)
January 25, 2008 Burn4Free 4.0.0.0 (Freeware)
January 25, 2008 GOTSent 0.23 beta 9 (Freeware)
January 25, 2008 MediaCoder 0.6.1 Build 4038 (Freeware)
January 24, 2008 K-Lite Codec Pack 3.7.0 (Freeware)
January 24, 2008 K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 3.7.0 (Freeware)
January 24, 2008 TMPGEnc XPress 4.4.2.238
January 24, 2008 Got All Media 7.0.0.1
January 24, 2008 Kantaris Media Player 0.3.1 (Freeware)
January 24, 2008 WinMPG Video Convert 6.9.1
January 24, 2008 Camtasia Studio 5.0.2
January 24, 2008 DVD slideshow GUI 0.80 (Freeware)
January 23, 2008 VEMoDe 1.2b (Freeware)
January 23, 2008 Wondershare Flash SlideShow Builder 4.5.1
January 23, 2008 Plato Video To Zune 3.73
January 23, 2008 Plato Video To iPod PSP 3GP 3.73
January 23, 2008 Plato Video to iPod Converter 3.80
January 22, 2008 BluffTitler 7.19 (Freeware)
January 22, 2008 CTpvr 2.2 build 15
January 22, 2008 PPT2DVD 4.6.0.4
January 22, 2008 DVDRemaster Pro 4.2
January 22, 2008 DVDRemaster Standard 4.2
January 22, 2008 MemoriesOnTV Pro 4.0.3
January 22, 2008 MemoriesOnTV Home 4.0.3
January 22, 2008 BurnAware Free Edition 1.2 beta (Freeware)
January 22, 2008 DVDSubEdit 1.41 (Freeware)
January 22, 2008 SolveigMM AVI Trimmer 1.6 (Freeware)
January 21, 2008 Muxman Pro 1.0.3
January 20, 2008 Cut Assistant 0.9.12.2 (Freeware)
January 20, 2008 SUPER v2008.build.24 (Freeware)
January 20, 2008 DVBcut 0.5.4 Rev. 112 (Freeware)
January 20, 2008 RipBot264 1.8.3 (Freeware)

http://www.digital-digest.com/software/lastweeksoftware.php


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