extras
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Sling adds Spanish TV to its multi-stream beta
Sling TV's service is great for cord-cutters, but not ideal for families who like to watch different stuff at the same time. It recently launched a multi-stream option (in beta) that allows viewing on up to three Sling-TV supported devices at once, but so far content has been limited to Fox and a few other channels. However, Spanish viewers now have a bunch of new options thanks to the company's Best of Spanish TV-Beta that brings multi-stream viewing of channels like Azteca, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, Cinelatino, CineSony, De Pelicula, Pasiones, Teleromántica, UniMás and Univision.
You shall use this season pass for Shadow of Mordor add-ons
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is getting the season pass treatment, giving players bonus content when the game launches on September 30. Season pass holders will receive the exclusive Guardians of the Flaming Eye Orc Warband mission, early access to the Trials of War series of challenges and two story missions: Lord of the Hunt and The Bright Lord. Additionally, those that opt-in to the season pass program will be guaranteed access to future add-on content like runes and skins. Monolith's adventure based in the Tolkien-o-verse was previously expected to launch on October 7 before Warner Bros. moved the game's launch up last month to late September (October 3 in the UK). The publisher did not offer a price for the season pass, though it's not the only method of obtaining extra goodies for Shadow of Mordor; PS4 owners that pre-order the game will receive exclusive "PlayStation Legion Missions." Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is in development for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. [Image: WBIE]
Netflix adds director's commentary option to House of Cards season one
You'll have to wait until Valentine's Day to get the next dose of Netflix's popular series House of Cards, but it's doling out some love early. Starting today, fans can revisit season one with optional director's commentary tracks from all six directors: David Fincher, James Foley, Joel Schumacher, Charles McDougall, Carl Franklin and Allen Coulter. As shown above, viewers get the additional commentary option under the alternate audio/subtitles menu and it should be available on all devices. Usually these kinds of extras are tied to physical media, but Netflix announced recently it would give them a test run starting with its original content like this show and Orange is the New Black. If you appreciate the extra insight give them a spin, we know the streaming company makes many of its decisions based on analytics so vote with your play button -- if you're waiting for 4K we should hear more about that very soon.
Netflix will experiment with DVD-style extras for originals, Android app gets UI tweaks
Netflix made a couple of interesting announcements today, the first of which should be most pertinent to the Android users amongst you. The streaming video company has updated its app for the Google mobile operating system with a revamped interface that promises snappier covers, smoother scrolling and new action and navigation bars. Chromecast users should especially take note, as apparently the Netflix app has been slightly tweaked to play nicer with the TV dongle, such as improved lock screen playback controls. The only bad news? It still doesn't have support for the new profiles, although we asked and the company is still working on that, as well as broader HD streaming support. The slow rollout begins today, though you can hit Android Police for the APK if you're impatient. The second announcement is a little more experimental. Netflix's VP of Product Innovation, Todd Yellin, mentioned at the GigaOm Mobilized conference today that the company will begin testing enhanced content or extra features around its original shows such as House of Cards or Orange is the New Black. If that works out, he says Netflix is open to offering DVD extra-style content to other partner providers as well. "Hopefully if we try something like that," said Yellin, "We have that lightning bolt of an idea that it's more than just a tiny percent user game." For those who're in the process of giving up physical media, additional extras like these could certainly be welcome.
Sucker Punch scans random faces for crowds in Infamous: Second Son
Sucker Punch uses real-life extras to populate the city of Seattle in Infamous: Second Son – developers recruited 75 friends, family members and professionals over three days to sit in front of a complex camera installment, absolutely still, while the lenses strobed out layers of their faces. With friends like Sucker Punch, who needs seizure medication? Everyone, probably. There's a visual breakdown of Sucker Punch's scanning process on Game Informer. Or, if you're patient, just buy an Xbox One later this year and sit really still in front of that always-on Kinect camera – and maybe you'll spot your own fine face in a next-gen crowd. (You probably won't. We hope.)
Kaleidescape's online video store officially opens, promises Blu-ray quality downloads
Kaleidescape launched its online offering in beta late last year, and now it's officially open, becoming what it claims is the first store to provide "internet delivery of Blu-ray quality movies." The Kaleidescape Store goes beyond other 1080p services (Vudu, iTunes, Xbox and PSN come to mind) by promising the disc-equaling higher bitrates, extras and lossless audio options they don't have. There's no streaming to be had here, only downloads, with file sizes we saw ranging from 23GB (Austin Powers) to as much as 55.4GB (Inception) and everywhere in between. While the store is only built to work with Kaleidescape's high-end disc-playback systems -- these usually start in the thousands of dollars, and you'll need M-Class hardware for HD -- it currently offers movies from Warner Bros. with an Ultraviolet copy attached, so buyers can play them back on mobile devices through apps such as Flixster and Vudu. Ultraviolet support also means $6.99 upgrades of DVD purchases to Blu-ray-quality HD, and potentially disc-to-digital type features later. Naturally, anyone interested will need an internet connection with a generous / non-existent bandwidth cap, but we imagine that's not out of the price range for these niche owners. Still, it does provide an idea of the difficulty others like Sony and Netflix will face when trying to digitally distribute feature films in 4K to a wider audience. Check out a few screens of the store in the gallery, and the Random Thoughts blog link below for firsthand impressions from a beta tester.%Gallery-187360%
The Daily Grind: Are you tempted by perks for lifetime subscriptions?
I liked Star Trek Online a great deal during my time with the game, which lasted a few months. I haven't been back since, and I'd really have to re-learn the game if I did go back. Despite this, it's hard not to be at least a little tempted by the latest lifetime subscription deal, since I have to admit that some of the veteran rewards look really cool, even though I'm not actively playing the game at the moment. Silly? Most definitely. But I'm willing to bet that many of us look at a game occasionally which is no longer in our play rotation and have a moment of appreciation for the carrots we're being offered. Some people no doubt look and aren't tempted to go back to a game of yesteryear just for some new perks, but some are. So what about you? Are you ever tempted to pick up a lifetime subscription to a game just because of the added perks offered? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Prometheus Blu-ray specs unveiled, arrives with seven hours of extras October 9th (video)
While Ridley Scott's latest flick is already available on just about every downloadable movie store you could name, Prometheus is still a few weeks away from making its debut on disc and now Fox has officially released all the details. The extras listed in an earlier leak appear to be accurate, with a Second Screen iPad app that promises access to character Peter Weyland's archives, while much of the 15 minutes or so of deleted and alternative scenes have already been posted on the internet (search around if you absolutely must know what else there is and can't wait / don't want to spend the cash). Arriving October 9th, there's a four disc set with both a Blu-ray 3D edition and bonus extras disc with featurettes for a total of seven hours of bonus materials, while the two disc set trims it to just one Blu-ray and DVD / digital copy. The two disc set is currently selling for $24.99 on Amazon, while the four disc edition bumps the price another $5. A trailer with a peek at some of those extras and the full list of details awaits after the break, but an explanation for why anyone would ever try to touch some weird alien snake is something you'll have to find on your own.
Canonical launches Ubuntu One referrals program, lets you earn cloud storage one friend at a time
If you're rich in buddies, but poor in cloud storage space, Canonical will let you turn those relations into megabytes with its new Ubuntu One referrals program. If you didn't want to pay before, you could get up to 5GB of storage, with an upgrade to 20GB available for $30 per year. Now, you can use the new link on the service's web dash to tell your contacts all about it via Twitter, Facebook or email. For each one that signs up, you'll get an extra 500MB, gratis, as will your newly clouded pal. However, if you're thinking you can leverage that fat Twitter list into terrabytes of offsite storage joy, think again -- the limit is 40 invites, or 20GB. Still, that's that's not bad compared to the competition and other referral programs, so check the source to see how to start.
Prometheus Blu-ray extras leak reveals Second Screen app and 15 minutes of deleted scenes
While Ridley Scott's Prometheus is still in theaters, it's been available for preorder on Blu-ray 3D since before the flick debuted, and now Amazon France has exposed the full list of extras on the way. The bad news, pointed out by Movies.com and Prometheus Forum, is that those anticipating a classic Ridley Scott Director's Cut to fill in plot holes appear to be in for a disappointment -- while there are 15 minutes of extended / cut scenes, there's no indication that you'll be able to watch the movie with them reinserted. There are a lot of other extras, including a director's commentary, extensive making-of featurettes, many of the short viral videos that were posted previously and production materials, along with a Second Screen iPad app. The specific set listed includes the other Alien flicks, but since we're sure you've already snagged the Anthology with its MU-TH-UR interactive mode you'll probably be looking for a more limited release. The release date for the set remains October 9th, hit the source link for the listing or check out the full list of features and a trailer after the break.
Interactive Game of Thrones content comes to HBO Go iPad app
Home Box Office has been pushing its "interactive viewing experience" for Game of Thrones over at the HBO Go site, but if you weren't sitting in front of a computer there was no way to take part in the fantasy world fun. Now the premium channel is bringing the commentary tracks, interviews, maps and loads of other extra features to the Go iPad app. But, having that content available for season one isn't particularly exciting. What has our little nerd hearts aflutter is that all of the same features will be available for season two, starting immediately with the April 1st premier. As you watch, if the seemingly bottomless well of characters and their rival houses trip you up, you'll be able to pull up a guide to help you separate your Arryns from your Tullys and Redwynes. For a quick preview check out the video and PR after the break.
Bungie details iPad release of Crimson: Steam Pirates, coming next week
Man, after all the rumors, it almost seems expected: Bungie has finally announced its first original project for the iPad, a game called Crimson: Steam Pirates. It's due out on the iPad next week, and will let you command a steampunk crew across a turn-based battlefield, combining strategy, action, and Bungie's own polish and experience into what looks like a pretty impressive iOS game. The best news is that it's free to play -- the first chapter of the game contains eight missions, two multiplayer scenarios, and lots of extras like Bungie.net and Facebook integration. Other chapters will soon be available for $1.99, with chapter 2 coming immediately after release, and presumably more content later. For now, the app is iPad-only, which leaves us iPhone owners out of the loop, unfortunately. Still, the game looks good, and Bungie has had few bad games in its time. Stay tuned -- we should see it ready for download next Thursday.
Hulu Plus for PS3 updated, users still complaining about playback issues
Just a few weeks after hitting v1.01, the Hulu Plus app for PlayStation 3 was updated to v1.03 a few days ago, crediting user feedback as helpful in clearing up issues with skipping or stalling during playback. Unfortunately, in the comments many users are reporting they're still having issues, with many saying they only started in the last month or so. It's hard to determine the cause of each individual's issues from here, but if you're having any problems we'd suggest letting Hulu know so they can get straightened out. In happier Hulu news, the company released its Q1 stats at the beginning of the month, calling its projected growth to 1 million Hulu Plus subscribers this year the fastest launch it is aware of for any online subscription video service, and 90 percent revenue growth over last year. Criterion fans should also notice some new sorting options, along with supplemental videos which, if you'll recall, was a part of what lured the flicks away from Netflix in the first place. Feel free to check them out whenever the PlayStation Network comes back up again.
Inception Blu-ray review
The combination of Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. added up to success in ratings and sales in 2008 with The Dark Knight, and now both return just in time for the holiday season with Inception. Already a hit in theaters, viewers have been waiting to get the disc home hoping the dreams still feel just as real. To that end, Warner's released a three disc set with 90 minutes of extras, so does it measure up to our (admittedly lofty) expectations? Check out the rest of our review after the break and find out. (Note: While we try to avoid spoilers, there are a few key ones, if you haven't seen the movie and want to remain untainted, please check the review card page for our rating only.)%Gallery-109355%
Inception Blu-ray dated for December 7 with 90 minutes of extras
Warner's finally seen fit to announce details for the US release of Inception on Blu-ray disc, due December 7. Our expectations are high, after the success of Christopher Nolan's last effort, The Dark Knight in sales and quality, and Inception's visuals and audio seem like a perfect fit for Blu-ray. Extras include a "Extraction Mode," likely similar to other Warner Maximum Movie modes where the director comes in and explains details in PiP, and a DTS-HD MA soundtrack. The sellsheet (after the break, along with the back of the box) for the $35.99 Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy combo pack promises more than 90 minutes of extras featuring the director and star Lenoardo DiCaprio, however right now it appears if you've been looking to obtain a briefcase like the one featured in the movie, you'll need to grab the European version and its laundry list of collectibles.
Iron Man 2 Blu-ray goes on sale September 28 with plenty of extras
After breaking $300 million in the domestic box office and a record breaking (though initially flawed) predecessor, you'd figure Iron Man 2 would be in for an incredibly well-spec'd Blu-ray release... and you would be right. The three disc Blu-ray/DVD with Digital Copy set has plenty of extras including a 5.1 DTS-HD MA English soundtrack, commentary from director Jon Favreau and Previsualization and Animatics special features -- and that's just Disc 1. Disc 2 brings even more HD features including an extensive making of, more featurettes and a shout out to the late DJ AM. Check after the break for box art and all the other details in the press release (except for the MSRP) we'll be waiting to find out if this is a proper addition to the collection of reference quality discs this fall.
Sony Ericsson spends some marketing bucks, christens its accessories 'Extras'
Long gone are the simple times when accessories were just accessories, apparently, because Sony Ericsson is making a pretty big deal that they all fall under the umbrella of an actual brand now: "Extras." Yes, "Extras" with a capital "E," as opposed to saying "hey, I'm going to buy some extras with my phone." Totally different animal here, you see. To commemorate the occasion, Sony Ericsson is kicking off the Extras brand on the right foot with the VH110 and VH410 Bluetooth headsets (pictured left and right, respectively), both of which will be available in August; both fall into the "Talk" subcategory. Oh, we forgot to mention those? Yes, Extras will be divided into four buckets depending on the accessory type: Talk, Play, Listen, and Go. We imagine we can expect announcements to fill up those other categories shortly. Follow the break for Sony Ericsson's release.
Repo Men Blu-ray disc gets the premium treatment
With a 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and no Emilio Estevez we're not sure Repo Men deserves a top of the line Blu-ray release, but it appears to be getting one. Universal's stuffed the disc full of extras, including pocket BLU functionality, letting uses control the action from their iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry device or a connected PR or Mac, as well as pull up the video timeline or browse other titles while the movie plays. Of course, its U-Control tech, BD-Live My Scenes bookmarking and social BLU social networking features are also accounted for, plus a wealth of extras in HD and DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. Even with all those extras... we're thinking rent at best, are any one of you buying up discs just to control them from their phone?
Avatar disc opens up online-only extras until ultimate edition arrives in November, 3D next year
Fox continues to pull back the layers of its release schedule for Avatar after yesterday's press event with director James Cameron, producer James Landau and Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers (above) as Reuters indicates the Blu-ray 3D version will arrive next year. What does 2010 hold for the most dedicated fans of Pandora? While the DVD and Blu-ray editions due April 22 will arrive stripped clean of any extras whatsoever, a registration code slipped in the case will give owners access to "The AVATAR Program" to view bonus content online, adopt a "virtual hometree" among the million being planted and other enticements to string them along connect this release with an ultimate edition due in November. Check the press release after the break for all the details and see if you can resist the urge to triple dip.
Avatar Blu-ray & DVD official for April 22, "ultimate version" in November and 3D...?
It's really no surprise, since Fox was quick to dispute Jim Cameron's prediction of November for a 3D home release of Avatar but didn't say anything about the now confirmed release of April 22 (check the press release after the break for worldwide release info) for the standard 2D DVD & Blu-ray. The L.A. Times reports we can expect one first for this version -- a new release Blu-ray movie with no trailers or promo content of any kind. No extras, no nothing, with the justification that they'll use all the space on the disc for the highest quality audio and video transfer possible. Whether you buy that one (literally or just the idea that 50GB isn't enough for a beautiful movie and a featurette or two) get your wallet ready as an "ultimate version" multi disc release is already on deck due in, wait for it... November. The "ultimate" tag might be a bit much if it can't present an extra dimension to the visuals, but we should find out more during a press event planned for March 23 featuring producer Jon Landau and director James Cameron (the Black Eyed Peas are regrettably not scheduled to attend.)
