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This is the Modem World: It's my movie
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology. "No worries, we can watch this movie on my iPad on the plane," I announced with confidence. "Oh really? Cool. Let's do that!" she replied, proud of her little nerdy man. Yup. I was cool. I was going to rip a DVD that we just bought to watch on my iPad on a long flight to Korea. How amazed would she be when that movie so easily pops up on the Retina display as we ease into complimentary wine and processed air for a good 13 hours! And then I tried to actually complete the task of getting a movie from a DVD to an iPad.
Windows 8 packaging and pricing revealed: standard OEM $99, Pro Pack $139, pre-order from today
We're almost there. Just a few more days until the big reveal. But that doesn't mean there aren't still a few final Windows 8 secrets to be disclosed. Two of those are the price and the packaging, which online retailer Newegg has just let slip. There are four packages listed: Windows 8 Professional Upgrade ($69), Windows 8 Pro Pack ($69, product key card only), Windows 8 OEM ($99) and Windows 8 Professional ($139), with the latter two being available in both 32- and 64-bit versions (for the same price). If you go into the product page, however, we can see that the original price for the upgrade and product key card only versions is listed as "$199" suggesting that this might either be a launch offer, or subject to change. Don't forget though, there's still the chance to upgrade for an even lower price, for those who qualify. You can officially reserve your copy of Pro from today for $69.99 at all the main retailers, but if you can hold back on that impulse purchase for just a little longer, you'll be able to upgrade to Pro online for $39 (until January 31st). Follow the source for details.
BBC Worldwide announces first four Blu-ray / DVDs with UltraViolet digital copies
Coming nearly on the anniversary of its US launch, the UltraViolet digital locker system is getting a boost in the UK from BBC Worldwide. The BBC's commercial wing is releasing four Blu-ray / DVD titles that are UltraViolet-enabled and is partnering with Warner-owned Flixster to allow users to redeem their copies. The digital versions are available via streaming and downloading for viewing on or offline, and the first four titles queued up consist of Doctor Who Series 7 Part One, Rollercoaster, a new Top Gear special and Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild. UltraViolet was already live in the UK, and recently announced it's spreading to cover Canada, Ireland and Australia. We'll see how users like the signup process with its multiple logins, but a quick check of previous Blu-ray releases didn't show any iTunes or Windows Media digital copies at all so at least they'll appreciate the option.
Dish gives up effort to turn Blockbuster into a Netflix competitor
It's been an especially bumpy road for the Blockbuster brand these past few years, and things just got a bit more rough. In an interview with Bloomberg, Dish Network founder and CEO Charlie Ergen confirmed that the company is abandoning its current efforts to challenge Netflix with Blockbuster, saying that it no longer plans to use the brand as a video streaming or DVD-by-mail service in the US. Ergen did say that Dish had other plans for Blockbuster, but he didn't elaborate on what those may be. He also seems to be fairly resigned to the whole matter, saying "worst case, we'll take our money after having wasted some time, not much money, and life goes on."
Toshiba's Regza SD-P100WP does TV, DVDs and doesn't mind a bit of water
Other manufacturers may be jumping off DVD bandwagon, but Toshiba's still got some love for the format -- not to mention the waning days of summer. The Regza SD-P100WP is more than just a portable DVD player, of course -- for one thing, the gadget's got a 1024 x 600 display, for watching your stories on the go. There's also a built-in TV tuner and wireless LAN, so you can watch content recorded on network-connected Toshiba TVs and Blu-Ray players. Oh, and then there's the IPX7-level waterproofing, for when you absolutely need to catch up on old seasons of Breaking Bad on the beach. The SD-P100WP has an SD slot for playing music, looking at pictures and the like, and should give you about eight hours of DVD-watching on a charge.
Sony getting out of PC optical drive business due to 'fierce competition'
It's being reported that Sony is closing Optiarc Inc., its company subsidiary that manufactures optical disc drives for PCs. Officials are quoted as saying that "fierce competition" forced prices down, causing the business to operate at a loss despite controlling roughly 15 percent of the market. Operations will be wound up by March of next year, with around 400 employees being offered early retirement and others being moved to other parts of the business. Don't worry about the future of your Blu-Ray and DVD player just yet though -- the company will continue to manufacture both as part of its Device Solutions Division.
Toshiba / Samsung joint venture hit with lawsuit by LG over DVD+RW/RAM patents
LG Electronics has found itself at the center of quite a few patent lawsuits in recent years (both as a plaintiff and defendant), and it's now kicked yet another one off. As Bloomberg reports, LG has today filed suit against Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology, alleging that the Toshiba / Samsung joint venture violated a number of patents related to DVD+RW and DVD-RAM technology. In the complaint, LG further alleges that TSST is knowingly infringing on the patents as they were previously licensed to Toshiba itself (and TSST as an affiliate company) as part of a deal that expired in 2010. LG is asking for a jury trial to sort things out, and demanding that TSSC pay "no less than a reasonable royalty" along with some unspecified damages. You can find the complaint in full at the link below.
Warner quietly extends the expiration dates of digital copies, discs remain ornamental
Missed out on claiming digital copies of video included with your discs because the expiration dates have passed? Well, Warner Bros. wants to make such frustrations a mere memory, as Tech of the Hub has found it's silently updated the use-by dates of a significant portion of its catalogue. By browsing the WB digital copy support page, it's evident most titles are now available until May 17th 2017, although we did find several exceptions. Some may discover that despite the extension their original codes won't work, but Gabe at Tech of the Hub was swiftly provided with fresh and functional ones when he notified WB, so we assume you'll get the same treatment. With streaming support now available for many of these digital copies through iCloud and expiration dates a thing of the far future, there's never been a better time to pack those shelves with limited editions and classic re-releases.
Fujitsu making laptops from unwanted CDs and DVDs
Back in our day, we used to listen to music on shiny plastic discs with lasers, not any of your new-fangled Zunes and what not. That was back when bands had sensible names, like the Dave Clark Five. These days, however, CDs and DVDs are remnants of a simpler time, a time before these kids were playing their Lady Gagas on their Rio Carbons. Fujitsu will be putting those outdated media formats to work again, with a recycling program that uses the material to build shiny new notebooks, starting with the Lifebook P772/E enterprise laptop, with more models to follow. According to the company, the new program is set to reduce the use of new plastic by 10 tons a year and slice C02 emissions by around 15 percent. More information on the program can be found after the break. Now please get off our lawn.
New York artist fashions dead drop from dying hardware, mounts DVD burner in city wall
The optical drive may be making its exit in the world of personal computing, but at least it seems to still have a place in artistic architecture. Aram Bartholl -- the man behind New York City's infamous USB dead drops -- has installed a DVD burner into the side of the Museum of the Moving Image to promote HOT, an art exhibition described as "a group show about video that is not video." Passersby who pop in a blank DVD-R will be rewarded with a digital copy of the show and the satisfaction of finally having something to do with their aging stash of unused optical media. Just how do you install PC hardware in a museum wall? Drill an enormous hole, of course -- check out a video of the installation for yourself after the break.
Redbox, Sony extend distribution deal, keep the movies flowing with no delays
While Redbox's parent company Coinstar rejoiced over earnings results that showed revenue growth that was partially due to last year's price hike, the kiosk movie renter had more good news after extending its DVD licensing deal with Sony Pictures. This means Redbox can rent Sony movies the same day they go on sale in stores and has the option to license Blu-ray movies as well through September 2014, when Sony will have the option of two one-year extensions. We'll still have to wait and see if it can work out an arrangement with Warner and Disney, and what its streaming service has to offer, but more new movies right away is always good.
Phoenix Wright movie comes to DVD and Blu-Ray in Japan this August
Director Takashi Miike's Phoenix Wright movie will be released in Japan on Blu-Ray and DVD on August 22. The home releases include a commentary track by Miike and Ace Attorney series creator Shu Takumi, along with a bonus disc with another Takumi interview, trailers, and other assorted material.The US and Japan use the same Blu-Ray region, so you can import that version and watch it. The language barrier might be an issue, but we're pretty sure we'd be able to follow the story of Phoenix Wright in pantomime by now.In the meantime, you do have a couple of opportunities to see it with English subtitles. The movie will be shown twice in NYC as part of the New York Asian Film Festival, on July 8 and July 15.
Sony's first smartphone-friendly MirrorLink in-car AV hits European roads, iOS and Symbian get to ride first
Sony outlined a grand future of smartphone-aware MirrorLink AV units back at CES, and the first example of the in-car media system is shipping right in line with the spring target. Although it's the more modest of the two we saw back in Las Vegas, the XAV-601BT aims to be the heart of anything mobile attached to your car with a 6.1-inch touchscreen and two USB ports to take advantage of your phone's music, navigation and other apps in a custom interface while another device charges on the side. Just don't expect Sony's stake in Android to have much bearing: at first, only more recent Symbian phones will have "guaranteed" MirrorLink support at first, with Android and possibly other platforms coming later. Even so, iPhone and iPod touch users still get into the party earlier through a Passenger App Control platform that lets certain iOS apps interact with or play videos through the head-end. Europeans should get a crack at the XAV-601BT before the end of the month, although we suspect Sony will want to wait for more phone support before bringing MirrorLink to less-than-Nokia-friendly American shores. More details await after the break.
Disney troubled over early offering of John Carter DVD by Netflix and Redbox
Well, well, the warrior from Mars seems to have stirred some problems over in the US of A. According to the LA Times, Disney isn't exactly happy with Netflix and Redbox, mainly because they're both offering the hot-off-the-press John Carter DVD ahead of that 28-day rental window -- granted, the parties never agreed to a deal in the first place, and thus it shouldn't cause any legal troubles. The conundrum started after Walt's movie studio couldn't close a pact with Netflix and Redbox that'd see them offer new rentals after the aforementioned time frame. This eventually lead to the services buying discs off of retailers like Walmart and Target for more than twice as much as they would from the studio, but allowing them to have it up for grabs on release date. Chances are this saga won't end here, though, so we'll keep you in the loop if this takes a turn for the worse.
IKEA Uppleva HDTV to retail for $960 in Europe beginning next month, US launch in 2013
Details continue to emerge as we approach the IKEA Uppleva's June launch. GigaOM has discovered that the set will be available in sizes ranging from 24 to 46 inches and will be priced "around $960" -- with a scale relative to the display size, we presume. The TV will feature a built-in Blu-ray player and a wireless subwoofer, and is being assembled by TCL Multimedia a manufacturer in China. Uppleva is expected to roll out to France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden beginning next month, then to other European countries later in the year, followed by the US in 2013. There will also be a handful of applications that will vary based on region, including Dailymotion, Vimeo and YouTube, along with games, music playback and video-on-demand apps, and the Opera for TV web browser. There's a familiar sneak-peek vid awaiting you just past the break. Update: Due to an error at the source article, we originally identified the manufacturer as TLC, rather than TCL Multimedia. The text above has been updated to reflect the correction.
New DVD anti-piracy warning now packs double the nag
Starting this week, you'll find any newly-minted DVDs and Blu-ray discs will now include a similarly fresh anti-piracy message. Homeland Security's special agent badge now partners up with the FBI's own emblem on the new warning played before DVDs -- and it looks like it'll still be unskippable. If this dynamic duo isn't enough to scare into legitimate media consumption, how about another warning screen to really bring it on home? This one features the National Intellectual Property Center, which follows the same "piracy is bad" message, offering a helpful link as to why -- one we're sure you're going to investigate in the middle of movie night. Interestingly, these new screens themselves are still not in the public domain and only the major US movie studios are authorized to use them. No news yet on whether the authorities plan to include another screen explaining this, but you can check that second warning that you'll soon be yelling at right after the break.
Microsoft talks DVD, Media Center support in Windows 8 and why most won't miss it
If you have to issue an explanation to follow up an explanation, then it's pretty safe to say the first one wasn't clear enough, and it's under those circumstances that Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky and the Windows 8 team are returning to the subject of Media Center and DVD movie support. After addressing both a few days ago, the internet backlash was (predictably) quick to finding out that Media Center would be available only as an upgrade to the Pro version of the OS, and that without it Windows wouldn't natively play DVDs. What many may not know however, and the new FAQ points out, is that this is not an entirely new thing -- Windows XP did not have support outside of specialized editions or add-ons, several versions of Vista did not play DVDs and on Windows 7 the Basic and Starter editions lacked the add-on. Of course, for most users this doesn't matter in the least since brand new PCs tend to ship with third party software to play DVDs (or Blu-ray movies where applicable, which no version of Windows has or will natively support). Answering the question we had of what this means for users upgrading their own computers, they'll either need to see if they have existing third party software to play DVDs that is compatible with Windows 8, or acquire Media Center post-upgrade.
Samsung intros 'world's thinnest' external DVD writer, tries to convince you to pack it with your tablet
Generally, a new optical disk drive is nothing to write home about, but how about one that's specifically purposed for tablets and Ultrabooks? That's the pitch Samsung is selling for its SE-218BB DVD / CD writer, which the company claims is the world's thinnest external ODD -- because what better to go with your svelte computing devices than more pluggable doohickeys? Cynicism aside, Samsung says this $60 add-on is just 14mm tall, "18 percent thinner than conventional DVD writers" and eight percent less weighty than its standard DVD ODD. The bus-powered unit connects via USB, and it'll work with Macs, PCs and devices running Android 3.1 and up. Oddly fascinated? The drive is currently on sale worldwide if you're willing carry it along with you. You'll find full details in the press release after the break.
More images and details emerge about Ikea's Uppleva
Did you not get enough Swedish furniture pr0n yesterday with the announcement of Ikea's Uppleva? Well, we've got a slew of new images and some new details for you. As far as specs, it seems that the sets will be available in 24, 36, 40 and 46 inches and all are LED backlit. They'll also all sport WiFi and "smart TV" features including the Opera browser -- except for the 24-incher, which must accept its role as the runt of the litter. The TVs will also come attached to three different TV bench designs in six different finishes. While we weren't able to score our own units yet, M3 did and you can check out their hands-on out at the source link.
IKEA puts away your TV cables, tech credentials
If your abode has ever been touched by the space-saving hand of IKEA, you'll be familiar with its clever, wallet-friendly wares. Now, the Swedish furniture giant is bringing its quirky ideas into the technology market. Frustrated with cable spaghetti ruining the otherwise sharp lines of its TV storage units, the Scandinavian firm has taken it one step further, and built the TV right in to the furniture. Yup, "Uppleva" is an all-in-one TV and stand with storage built in co-operation with China's TCL Multimedia. Not only that, it also incorporates a Blu-ray / DVD player and surround sound (with wireless sub woofer.) Details on the TV itself are sparse, but there's a brace of USB inputs and four HDMI ports (so you can re-add in some wires), plus FM radio and internet connectivity, but beyond that we're left guessing. More importantly -- for the casual IKEA customer we assume -- will be the array of colors and designs it will ship in. The delivery man will be kicking up Autumn leaves by the time you can get your hands on one, with prices starting at 6,500 Swedish crowns (around $960). In the meantime you can unpack a video after the break, which just like those shelves you bought, doesn't seem to contain everything.
