Some of my fellow Sci-Fi fans may be shocked by the title, but I’ll stand by it. Last week I finally got what I’d be waiting years to have, or so I thought. The new DVDs are the same as those in the trilogy box set that came out about two years ago. What’s new is that they’re each sold separately and come with a copy of the original theatrical version on a second disc. (oh yea, and there are big FBI antipiracy labels all over the cover and the discs, tacky…) Unfortunately almost no work went into producing this new disc. The original version isn’t even in a true widescreen format; it’s a 4:3 letterbox formatted for traditional TV sets, not widescreen. I’m going to take a guess that Lucas doesn’t want the original to compete with his new vision of the films and left us with the old Laserdisc version instead. I don’t expect surround, as the original film didn’t have it either. However, I would’ve liked to get at least a full quality widescreen version for my money. My advice: if you already have the trilogy don’t waste your money.
Category Archives: Movies & TV
Geeky weekend
It’s been a while since I had a true ‘geek weekend’ where I just have a lot of fun playing with technology. My buddy Jason was kind enough to give me one of his extra Linksys WRT54G routers a couple of weeks ago. Since then, I’ve used it to replace my home-built linux firewall/router box. Being somewhat environmentally conscious, I’ve been concerned about the power I was wasting with the IT equipment that powers my home network (and this site). Up until now the Linksys device has been running a version of its original firmware modified by Sveasoft. While it was nice, it just wasn’t customizable enough for me not to miss the old linux box. To that end, I’ve flashed it yet again with another distribution called OpenWRT. My next project will be to get OpenVPN running on top of OpenWRT for secure remote access to my network.
I also decided to take the plunge and upgrade our copies of iTunes to the new version 7 despite Wil Wheaton’s experience with it. (don’t worry, he got it all back with a little help from Apple…) So far, no problems. I do have to say that I love the new cover art browser mode. It really is like a jukebox. (at least the kind that flip the album art…)
It’s been a while since I saw an action film that was actually fun and not just an excuse for bad lines and lots of stuff that goes boom. My friend Corbett and I watched a french film called District B13. It sounded cool, but I didn’t really know what to expect. Having seen it, I would definitely reccomend it. It’s a non-stop action ride that has fun being over-the top, but also surprises you with a few parts that actually make you think. Plus, the stunts are simply amazing.
First Blu-Ray player released
InformationWeek | | Samsung Ships Blu-Ray Disc Player In U.S. | June 15, 2006
Samsung has finally shipped the first Blu-Ray player to hit the market. While Blu-Ray is undoubtedly the better technology, it remains to be seen if it will be able to catch up with HD-DVD.