| By Sam Molineaux With the announcement that both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray DVDs will be on the market by this time next year, the format wars for high-definition DVDs recently stepped up a gear. Remember the VHS vs. Betamax battle? This is revving up to be just as heated, with the Hollywood studios already divided over which format to back. In the red corner are Paramount, Warner Bros. and Universal backing Toshiba and NEC's cheaper-to-manufacture HD-DVD, and in the blue corner, Disney, Sony-owned Columbia and MGM (recently purchased by Sony) backing Matsushita, Philips and erm, Sony's greater-capacity Blu-Ray format. Twentieth Century Fox, at press time, was still waiting on the sidelines. While the studios and electronics manufacturers are duking it out, no word on consumer-friendly features like whether Blu-Ray or HD-DVD will be recordable or whether they'll finally do away with those pesky region codes that prevent anything but North American releases from being played on standard-issue consumer players. It's odd that new DVD players sold in Europe can play both Region 1 (U.S., its territories and Canada) and Region 2 (which includes Europe, Japan, the Middle East, South Africa and that hotbed of cutting-edge filmmaking, Greenland), while in the U.S., consumer electronics stores sell only Region 1-enabled DVD players. For those who like foreign films and TV shows, or whose family or friends live overseas, that means no can watch until U.S. rights are purchased and a DVD is released Stateside. Which is hardly going to happen with Uncle Hughie's shaky footage of little Penelope taking her first steps. It actually is possible to buy a code-free, or multi-region, DVD player in the U.S. They're legal and made by well-known manufacturers such as JVC, Pioneer, Toshiba and Philips. But they're virtually impossible to find outside of specialist, multi-region DVD stores -which all seem to exist on-line (including Amazon.com). There's a lot to be said for technological development, but does pristine picture quality mean more than quality media and consumer choice? The fourth best-selling DVD in the U.K. this holiday season - behind Shrek 2 and the latest Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings - is a TV show called Little Britain. By all accounts it's the best British comedy series since Monty Python. Since the only way to watch it in the U.S. is via a code-free DVD player, I've placed my order. By contrast, Brit super-chef Jamie Oliver has become almost as ubiquitous over here as over there. With the Beyond iCEBOX flipscreen kitchen entertainment unit, you can cook up his delights while watching his show. The iCEBOX is a television, DVD and CD player, web browser, radio and video monitoring system all in one, delivering entertainment and information to the one room in the house where everyone hangs out. The wipe-clean unit features a wireless keyboard and remote control that are fully waterproof, in case you were wondering about inevitable water and wine spillages. Designed to fit under a kitchen wall unit, its features include a touch screen so you can reach over and switch functions while you're stirring the onions. The screen can be rotated and angled for optimum stove-to-TV eyeline. Broadband Internet connection lets you bring the office into the kitchen, or websurf by touching links with the end of your wooden spoon. It even has a "my recipes" button, which links to popular recipe websites ... though, for me, nothing beats the good old "halibut, butternut squash, pecans" Google search (try it with the last two or three items left in your fridge next time you're out of menu ideas). The main drawback of the iCEBOX, aside from its inability to make ice, is its price tag. At $2,299, it's likely way beyond the reach most household budgets, even though it's hard to imagine a household that wouldn't benefit from its cool capabilities. Electronics manufacturer Philips recently ratcheted up a cool quota of its own as the official supplier of consumer electronics to Soderbergh's latest action flick, Ocean's Twelve. The company supplied a variety of products and services to the production, ranging from security technologies and multimedia monitors to home theater systems and flat-screen TVs. But it was its Key019 lipstick-sized digital camcorder that caused the biggest stir on-set, finding favor with producer Jerry Weintraub, among others. The Key019 records up to 25 minutes of MPEG-4 video with sound for spur-of-the-moment shooting ... little Penelope's first movie role, for instance. It's a bit light on features and functions (no zoom or special-effects) but it does include a 2-megapixel digital camera that captures up to 200 images and a quick 'n' dirty MP3 player (32 songs). Its keychain/lanyard connector means you'll always have it to hand, whether you're ferrying the kids to the soccer match or accompanying them on set, and hidden at its base is a USB connector for plugging into your PC for convenient file transfer. It retails for $249. I recently watched a man run towards a cliff edge with a video camera to his right eye, and couldn't help thinking there must be a safer way to achieve that effect. Well, there is: the Hang N Shoot car rig designed to mount a mini DV, video or still camera onto the exterior of your car. Looking much like a side-mounted bicycle rack, it may not come with a friend to drive the car while you shoot, but with a little bit of zoom action and a light touch on the gas it should help to prevent nasty accidents like plunging headlong into the sea while you're filming your first feature. The Hang N Shoot is made by FTS, Israel, and at $780 is clearly aimed at professionals, or amateur filmmakers/photographers with some modicum of sense. It features three-axis movement, 360-degree tilt and can be mounted on various different parts of the car, including the hood and the trunk. |
