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What's on your HDTV: '24' finale, MLB All-Star Game, 'Orphan Black' & 'Black Dynamite' on Blu-ray
Orphan Black may have been snubbed by the Emmys, but fans can grab season two for themselves this week as it arrives on Blu-ray. Another disc release we're looking forward to is season on of Adult Swim's Black Dynamite animated series that's arriving ahead of its return to television with season two, due in October. While everyone tries to shrug off a post-World Cup hangover, baseball is serving up the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game this week, while NBA Summer League action is on NBA TV. We're still trying to figure out some of the new summer TV series like The Leftovers, The Strain, Extant and Tyrant, but there are a few more new shows incoming (as 24: Live Another Day makes its exit -- Fox hasn't yet announced if it will run another miniseries in the future). FX is premiering Married and You're The Worst this week, Hulu will stream The Hotwives of Orlando, USA has Rush and Satisfaction, PBS tosses in Sex in the Wild and CW brings Seed. Have any of the new shows made it into your DVR queue? Check after the break for a list of what's new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we've missed.
Must See HDTV for the week of May 6th: 24, Louie and Weekend at Bernie's
It's springtime and football is back (sort of). The NFL Draft will stand in for actual games (unless you dig arena league) among a slew of sports this week, but if your tastes turn towards drama or comedy there's still plenty to look forward to. Among the list of long-awaited movies being released on Blu-ray this week are 80s favorites Weekend at Bernie's and Revenge of the Nerds, but the biggest news is that Jack Is Back on 24 tonight along with Louis CK's Louie on FX. Check after the break for a list of what's new this week plus a few trailers, and drop in the comments if you see any highlights that we've missed.
First episodes of '24: Live Another Day' to be simulcast with the US
Not wanting to be left behind by networks across the pond, Sky's been pulling out all of the stops to broadcast big-budget TV shows at the same time as its American counterparts. Following the season four premiere of HBO's Game of Thrones, which saw 538,000 viewers opt to return to Westeros way past their bedtime, the broadcaster has confirmed it's hashed out another simulcast deal, this time teaming up with with Fox to mark the return of Jack Bauer to UK TV screens. The opening double bill of 24: Live Another Day will air on Sky1 at 1am on May 6th, the same time as when US viewers will be tuning in. The 12-part series will revert to its traditional 9pm slot from then on, but it will also be available on-demand. After a surge in Game of Thrones streams managed to bring Now TV and HBO Go servers down yesterday, we wonder if Sky will be better prepared for when Jack comes back.
Amazon Prime signs '24' away from Netflix just before the new season airs on Fox
After four years away CTU agent Jack Bauer is coming back to TV on May 5th in 24: Live Another Day, and he's already being used as a pawn in a new battle: Amazon vs. Netflix. Until today, US fans of the show could catch up with all 192 episodes (plus 24: Redemption) on Netflix's streaming service, but now Amazon Prime is the exclusive subscription streaming home of 24. Amazon's deal with 20th Century Fox is timed to take advantage of the show's upcoming return, similar to exclusive agreements it's made for other shows like Orphan Black, Suits, Falling Skies, Downton Abbey, Justified, Workaholics, Veronica Mars,Under the Dome, and Extant. Amazon's "pilot season" to crowdsource opinions on potential shows hasn't produced hits on par with Netflix Originals like House of Cards or Orange is the New Black, but we suppose this is another way of filling the library. For Netflix's part, it sent out a PR blast yesterday focusing on what it's adding to streaming this month, including an exclusive deal for the complete series of House M.D. plus Rocky I - V, Coneheads, Amistad and Braveheart. Of course, today only (check your calendar), there is also a very special Netflix Original for you to check out.
Fox Broadcast app now available to Xbox Live customers with Dish and FiOS subscriptions
Xbox Live frontman Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) took to his blog on Tuesday to announce that Dish and Verizon FiOS customers can now download the Fox Broadcast app for Xbox 360 to stream next-day Fox programming. In order to use this free app, you'll need a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription. In addition to keeping you up to date with recent episodes of Fringe and Family Guy, this new app also includes access to legacy series such as House and 24. Like most things Xbox, the Fox Broadcasting app features Kinect integration, because everything is "better with Kinect," right?
Hulu's new original series The Confession fills the 24-sized hole in our hearts
Hulu has been pushing original programming for some time and even though Netflix has gotten recent pub for far off plans, it just released the first three episodes of a new series, The Confession, starring 24's Kiefer Sutherland. For the 10-episode run he's playing an assassin in each of these 5- to 7-minute episodes and while Chloe, Morris and the gang aren't anywhere to be found, it's close enough to be the Jack Bauer bump we've been missing all these long months. We're not sure any of these original series will potentially fill holes left if content providers pull their movies and shows from either service, but it can't hurt. The video's embedded above, and available in HD via Hulu Plus, Chapters 4 and 5 are due to arrive next week.
Sony's Google TV screen sizes and prices leak?
While its controller may have a button layout that only an Atari Jaguar apologist could love (...), Sony's Google TV set itself is still something intriguing, if only because of the missing pieces of the puzzle set to be revealed October 12th. Or now, perhaps, if this Sony Insider leak proves true. According to the site, four models will initially be introduced: NSX-24GT1, NSX-32GT1, NSX-40GT1, and NSX-46GT1 -- which, as you may have surmised, correspond to 24-, 32-, 40-, and 46-inch sets. While no price is known for the littlest of the quartet, the others are reportedly equipped with respective $1299.99, $1499.99, and $1899.99 price tags. The lowest of those three is about $300 more than BRAVIA EX710, the most expensive Sony 32-incher right now. Three Benjamins could also net you the Logitech Revue and the freedom to hook it up to any TV you wanted, so if these prices are true, let's hope there's some wiggle room for the retailer.
HD channel expansion roundup
Once upon a time, a smattering of new HD channels in one major metropolitan area was a huge deal. Nowadays, it's almost expected that one area or another will experience some HD expansion each week. In order to keep things nice and tidy around here, we deliver high-def expansions, market expansions and anything else dealing with HD channel growth right here. If we missed an area that you're familiar with, drop us a line in comments so everyone can catch up. The more the merrier, we say! Read - Mediacom brings coverage of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games Read - CW now available in HD (Springfield, Missouri) Read - Cablevision Customers to Enjoy NBC Universal's Comprehensive Coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Read - Verizon FiOS TV Adds MSNBC HD Read - Cox adds five HD channels (Hampton Roads, VA) Read - AT&T Brings Fans Interactive NBC Universal Coverage From Vancouver with Olympic Games Multiview App Read - Dish Delivers Interactive Winter Olympics Read - DISH Network Partners With NBC Universal to Deliver Immersive, Interactive TV Experiences for 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Read - BELD Broadband adding HD channels in March (Massachusetts) Read - Verizon to Offer NBC Universal's Coverage of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games to Customers Read - Comcast To Offer '24' Series On Demand Read - Xfinity Goes X-Platform to the Olympics Read - Bright House offers Olympics coverage
Poll: What winter TV premiere are you waiting for?
Of course the big daddy Lost is preparing for a February return and its final season, but there's going to be plenty of new shows to watch on our HDTVs over the next few weeks, plus the return of some other familiar faces. So let us know, what are you most ready and waiting for? %Poll-39212%
AOC's 2436Vw does 24-inches of power sipping LCD on the cheap
It's nothing too astonishing in the specs department (300 nits, 60,000:1 contrast, 5ms response time), and the DVI and VGA plugs are rather lonesome without an HDMI or DisplayPort plug to tag along, but we can't fault AOC for the 2436Vw's $220 pricetag. The 49W of power draw in a 24-inch 1080p display doesn't hurt either, and we're sort of digging the clean design. The 2436Vw is out now. [Via Electronista]
Blu-ray releases on May 19th 2009
After missing some great movies last week, for no good reason, we're back. The most exciting new release is easily Tom Cruise's Valkyrie, but Paramount also has an old favorite in Enemy at the Gates -- if you love playing the sniper in FPS games then this is a must see movie. Lionsgate gets ready for the latest Terminator movie in theaters by releasing special editions of the previous blockbuster hits. There are also a few TV shows this week which is a trend we like to see as True Blood and 24 both get the Blu-ray treatment. Next week is a little slower though, but Universal does have a few more catch up titles -- yeah we can't believe there are still any left either. Valkyrie (MGM) Lions for Lambs (MGM) The Machinist (Paramount) Enemy at the Gates (Paramount) Paycheck (Paramount) Three Days of the Condor (Paramount) Changing Lanes (Paramount) My Bloody Valentine (Lionsgate) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Lionsgate) Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Skynet Edition (Lionsgate) 24: Season Seven (Fox) Driven to Kill (Fox) Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts (Fox) Batman (Warner) True Blood: The Complete First Season (Warner) A Bug's Life (Disney) Eden Log (Magnolia) Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony)
First Look: 24: Special Ops for iPhone
Digital Chocolate has nabbed the 24 license (along with a few sounds and music bits) from Fox, and they've released an iPhone game based on my favorite TV show ever. Unfortunately, things don't get quite as good as they probably should, but the run-and-gun gameplay mixes it up with a nice variety of minigames, so if you're a 24 completist (and have an iPhone -- apparently this doesn't work for iPod touch at the moment), it might be worth spending the $5.If not, there's a "lite" version on the App Store which will take you through the game's first few "hours" (in reality, just a few minutes per segment) of stages. The game itself features Jack Bauer backed up by Chloe doing what else but saving Los Angeles from various terrorist threats. The grid-based action gameplay is simple but fun, and the shooter stages are broken up with encryption and driving minigames. None of it is brilliant, but just like the show, watching Jack Bauer kill bad guys is usually good enough.It's too bad they didn't do more -- 24's strengths have always been in its breakneck story pace and twists and turns, and just from playing the first few hours in the lite version, this seems like a Jack-and-Chloe story only (Bill appears in a suit on the menu screen, so apparently he shows up later, in some role at old CTU). If there are any cool story twists or turns, they take place more than four hours in -- it would be great to see Michelle or even Nina (if this is before Day 3) again, but I doubt we get that. Still, it's got Jack killing and blowing stuff up, and that's never a bad thing.
Screen Grabs: '24' offers up OQO, Mac mini BOGO special
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. We'll be honest: we haven't seen 24 for many a season now, but, thanks to a few sweet tips, we decided to take a look at a recent episode, and bam! Right after a nefarious-looking doctor suffocates an elderly gentlemen in his hospital bed, the evil chap shoots over to the nurses' station on the down low to download some hyper-rad schematics from the terminal. So... he whips out his OQO (not the device's first appearance on Screen Grabs), plugs 'er into the nearby Mac mini (ditto) and goes about his suspicious, suspicious business. Dude, we gotta get to this magical hospital, where technology rules and the "doctors" are plotting stuff. Jack into some more evidence after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
New Cinema Displays finally arrive with iSight cameras, MagSafe connectors
In a move that surprised everybody and nobody simultaneously, Apple has released a brand-new 24-inch LED Cinema Display to spruce up the languishing product line. In addition to a new form factor that brings their look in line with newer iMacs (and now the new MacBook and MacBook Pro models announced today), the displays have an iSight camera, speakers, and a MagSafe power connector to charge your laptop. They have a native resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels. Also, the displays are more environmentally friendly, moving away from the mercury-vapor backlights to newer LED backlights now available throughout Apple's line of laptops. The surface of the display is glass, with a glossy finish. The display includes three USB ports, but no FireWire ports featured on older Cinema Displays. The new 24-inch display will be available in November for $899. Update: "Old" Cinema Displays still appear to be on Apple's website, so it looks like other screen sizes in the older form factor will continue to be available. For how long, we don't know. [Via Engadget.]
DS Fanswag: Penguin (winners) United
Another DS Fanboy contest has rolled to a stop, and six lucky readers are about to become the recipients of a spiffy Penguin United case. The latest winners are: Josh Brian 898 rikki Cubivore wynaut Congrats, folks! Start working on filling up those pouches (as soon as they arrive, of course), unless you've already got a pile of games. If so, well, additional cases are cheap! To everyone else: better luck next time. Someday, it will be your time in the sun.%Gallery-25893%
DS Fanswag: Penguin United 24x Gaming Pouch
Have a lot of games and nowhere to keep them? Six lucky readers are about to have all their problems solved, as we've got six of the awesome Penguin United cases (currently valued at $14.99) that can hold up to twenty-four DS carts. Also, they've got a penguin on 'em. That's unbeatable.What do you need to do to win? Just leave a comment on this post and let us know how many DS games you have. If you can't fill up the pouch, it won't hurt you (you'll just be shamed), so don't worry! You may enter once per day and the contest will run through Sunday, August 3rd; that night, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, entries will close, and we'll choose six winners in a random drawing. To enter, you must be 18 or older, and a current legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). Have questions? Check the official rules.%Gallery-25893%
Shattered Sun Offensive exalted reputation pendants make some regret their faction choice
While Blizzard has made some steps to homogenize the playstyle of the Horde and Alliance a bit with the whole Paladin/Shaman swap, they've also done a bit of experimenting in the Burning Crusade with allowing people to make choices about certain paths, namely the Aldor and Scryer factions. While patch 2.4 has bought as an "end" to the Aldor/Scryer rivalry lore-wise, the mechanics remain the same: You cannot enter the other side's tier without being attacked, you can't use the other side's bank, and the item and shoulder enchant vendors will still only sell to those with proper faction. In addition, there's a new twist to the sides from this patch: At exalted reputation with the Shattered Sun Offensive, you can purchase 4 different neckpieces that have seperate bonus that depending on whether you're Scryer or Aldor.
24 spin-off The Rookie: Day 3 Extraction hits online, VOD and DirecTV
Fiending for some Jack Bauer ticking-clock action? 24 won't be back until 2009, but Degree is continuing its series of digital shorts based on the series, The Rookie: Day 3 Extraction. Focused on CTU agent Jason Blaine, this season is made up of six 3- to 4-minute episodes with Jason trying to rescue his boss from a drug cartel, and will be available on VOD and online in HD with 5.1 surround sound. We couldn't find the HD versions just yet, but the first installment is available via Comcast's On Demand under Searchlight or on DegreeRookie.com today, and on DirecTV April 7 on channel 115.[Via BusinessWire]
CTU ringtone for iPhone
Just last night we were chatting about ringtones on the Talkcast, and I mentioned that I was so happy with my iPhone that I hadn't taken steps to change either the ringtone or the wallpaper yet-- that Xylophone ringtone is probably the best ringtone I've ever heard.Until now, anyway. Matt Devost used that GarageBand tip posted by Apple to turn none other than the CTU ringtone from tv series 24 into an easy-to-install, completely (mostly-- who owns this ringtone? did Fox make it up?) legit iPhone ringtone. Yes, you too can have your iPhone sound just like the phones at Jack Bauer's place of employment.And this also illustrates just how easy it is to make these things now. Matt says he just put this together in GarageBand, and then followed Apple's doc, and all I did was drag it from my Desktop into my iTunes ringtones folder. Super simple. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I hear my phone ringing. Must be the President wanting to know how the hostage situation is going.
24 in 1994: the "lost pilot"
How did Jack Bauer ever get by without his magical Treo? We figure it must've involved a whole lot more eyeball threatening than he usually manages to cram into a season of 24. Also, according to CollegeHumor's "unaired 1994 pilot" episode, it involved a pager and some really bad early 90's hair. Consider yourself warned, video is after the break.
