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In the first of two news items on new Denon kit I bring you the DVD-3800. The DVD-3800 brings many of Denon�s highest performance features to an affordable price point.The achilles heel of DVD-Audio has been addressed with full bass management on board and the built-in digital decoders make this an ideal upgrade for customers with older non-dts 5.1 AV receivers. I won't blabber on - I'll just give you the tech specs:
New Silicon Image DVDO PureProgressive � SiI504 Decoding Engine
High-resolution Analog Devices 108 MHz 12 bit Video DACs with Noise Shaped Video processing
Full onboard decoding for MLP/DVD-Audio,dts 5.1,Dolby Digital 5.1 and HDCD
Variable Black Level (Setup):0 and 7.5 IRE
Below-black (PLUGE)on both progressive and interlace outputs
5 Picture Memories,with adjustable tint,brightness,contrast,sharpness and gamma
Super Sub Alias Filter on Progressive and Interlace for Luminance and Chrominance signals
Audiophile grade Burr-Brown 24-bit,192kHz PCM 1738 Audio DACs
Pure Direct �quiet� mode switches off all non-essential circuits & displays during music playback
Full & Flexible Digital Bass Management for DVD-Audio
HDCD decoding for CD AL24 Processing Plus MP3 Playback
1 x wideband relay switched Component Video output 1 x RGB via SCART, 2 x Composite Video and 2 x S Video outputs
Standard 24/96 digital outputs;optical and coaxial 5.1 analogue outputs
RS-232C with Crestron & AMX support plus remote in/out ports
Glo-Key remote control
Did I mention that this one also comes in black as well? If you fancy getting your hands on this little beauty then you can do so for a tempting...�999! More hardware news as and when we get hold of it. If you have any interesting hardware news, please forward it on to [email protected]. Thanks. |
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The home cinema components of the Tannoy Dimension loudspeaker range have been on-sale in the USA and Europe since last Autumn. Now they are available in the UK.
The TDC Centre speaker is more powerful than most main speakers and utilizes Tannoy Wideband technology and comprises of a hefty 70lb shell holding a Wideband SuperTweeter�, 8 inch Dual Concentric� main driver and Twin 8 inch woofers.
Did I mention it costs �3250? |
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| Willow: Special Edition (Region 2) at 13.53 on 01/07/02 |
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Lucasfilm and Fox Home Entertainment have announced the release of one of the most successful fantasy adventures of all time, Willow. Directed by Ron Howard and executive produced by George Lucas, the film stars Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh and Warwick Davis, and was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects. The Special Edition DVD features exclusive material enabling fans of the movie, as well as a new generation, to experience the mystical adventure like never before.
The film has been THX digitally re-mastered for superior sound and picture quality, and is presented with a new 5.1 Dolby surround sound mix. Available to buy from 5th August, Willow will retail for �19.99. Here are the disc details in full:
Anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer
Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Surround tracks
Audio Commentary from Warwick Davis
�Willow: Making of an Adventure� Featurette
�Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking� Featurette
Stills gallery
Theatrical trailers
Two teaser trailers
Eight TV Spots
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| MGM - August Part 2 (Region 2) at 13.42 on 01/07/02 |
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Well, if the Woody Allen discs didn't tickle your taste buds...maybe the following films will. Mainly comedy titles are on offer, and again you can expect them this August. Here's the full rundown:
Bill & Ted�s Bogus Journey
Once they made history�now they are history, Bill & Ted�s Bogus Journey is the hilarious sequel to Bill & Ted�s Excellent Adventure starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Bill S. Preston Esq. (Winter) and Ted �Theodore� Logan (Reeves) have been killed by evil robot replacements sent by the wicked Di Nomolos. However, death doesn�t wash well with these cool dudes and they go to Heaven and Hell in order to save their �babes� and take part in the all important San Dimas Battle of the Bands. Bill & Ted have it all to do, they must escape from Hell, take the Grim Reaper on, meet God and defeat their evil droid doubles to win the day.
Cadillac Man
Cadillac Man, legend, lover, salesman. Robin Williams plays Joey O�Brien, a sleazy car salesman who�s starting to feel the pressure in this zany comedy. Joey thinks he�s got it all, the smart-ass sales job and a few ladies on the go. However, he�s having problems contending with his girlfriends and on top of this the boss at the car dealership has ordered Joey to shift 12 cars in 2 days or he�s out. Desperately trying to make the sales target and juggling everything else, the last thing Joey needs is a crazed jealous husband Larry (Tim Robbins) crashing through the showroom window brandishing a gun.
Delirious
Comedian John Candy shines as a soap opera writer who finds himself starring in a real life version of his own TV show in the hilarious release Delirious. Jack Gable is the writer of the hottest soap on television. Called Beyond Our Dreams, the show is a delicious mix of deceit, trickery, sex, sex and more sex! While driving in the country on a weekend break, Gable hits his head during a car accident and awakens to find himself in a real version of the fictional town he helped create for his TV show. But what begins as a nightmarish scenario turns into the opportunity of a lifetime as Jack discovers that he can control events�.by writing them!
January Man
With an all star cast including Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Alan Rickman and Harvey Keitel, The January Man is a wildly entertaining murder mystery comedy set in New York. Eleven murders in eleven months, a serial killer is on the loose. The citizens of New York are terrified, the police need to catch the killer and it looks like there is just one guy for the job. Unorthodox ex-cop Nick Starkey (Kline) is bought back for one last case. There are complications, however, as he�s also pursuing his ex girlfriend (Sarandon) and the Mayor�s daughter who happens to be a key witness to a murder.
You can expect to see all of the above titles in shops from the 12th August. Each of the discs should retail at around �12.99, except for Bill & Ted�s Bogus Journey which will retail at �15.99. Again, we have no further details on the technical side of the discs or extras at this stage.
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| MGM - August Part 1 (Region 2) at 13.07 on 01/07/02 |
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MGM have just sent through details on some discs that you can expect to see this coming August. There's plenty of discs to look out for...particularly if you're a fan of Woody Allen! Here's the full rundown on the Woody Allen titles that you can expect to see:
Another Woman
The successful and happily married Marion - beautifully played by Gena Rowlands - is satisfied with her life until a chance encounter with another woman leaves her questioning the lack of passion and true fulfilment, and eventually forces her to look at her marriage and finds it severely lacking in emotion and love. Also starring Gene Hackman, Mia Farrow, Martha Plimpton and Blythe Danner, Another Woman is a stylish drama full of pathos and self-realisation.
Zelig
Leonard Zelig, is a meek and mild character who discovers that he is a human chameleon who can perfectly blend into any situation with anybody. This talent enables him to meet the most of famous of 1920�s society and we see Zelig in shot with such greats as Josephine Baker, William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies, Al Capone, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lou Gehrig, �Babe� Ruth and Fanny Brice. This brilliant film is a technical masterpiece that was nominated for two Oscars. It�s an unusual insight into the world of a weak and insignificant individual who would do anything to make those around him like him more�
Hannah and Her Sisters
Hannah (Mia Farrow) is happy and successful, and so her two sisters, Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest), constantly look to her for emotional and financial support. However, the sisters and their respective partners are soon entwined in a way that becomes almost too claustrophobic and destructive for all of them. This movie about Manhattanites and their failing marriages, also starring Carrie Fisher, Max Von Sydow and Allen himself, is considered a benchmark of Allen�s career.
A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy
Allen moves from New York City to the picturesque setting of early 1900s New England for this whimsical farce of lust, love, and longing among friends. Borrowing from the Shakespearean comedy, the film tells a tale of three couples who enjoy a series of sexual entanglements during a stay in the country. The perfect players include writer/director Allen, Mia Farrow (directed by Allen for the first time), Jose Ferrer, Julie Hagerty and Mary Steenburgen.
Interiors
Three sisters Renata (Diane Keaton), Flyn (Kristin Griffith) and Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) after dealing with problems in their own lives, must now come to terms with the bleak reality of the break up of their parents, the anguish divorce brings with it and eventually the death of their mother Eve (Geraldine Page). From award winning director Woody Allen and nominated for five Oscars Interiors is a dramatic change from his comedy works but is one of his finest films. This is a must for all Allen fans and includes some great performances by Geraldine Page, Diane Keaton and Maureen Stapleton who plays the father�s other woman...
All of these discs will be available in the shops from the 19th August and should retail at around �15.99. We don't have details on extras or technical details at this stage. Stick around a little longer for more titles coming this August from MGM... |
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| Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger (Region 2) at 12.30 on 01/07/02 |
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Columbia Tristar have just announced the region two version of Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger. Most people will be familiar with this movie as it is on TV every Christmas. However, for anyone who is not familiar with it, here is a brief description:
Sinbad (Patrick Wayne) battles mythical creatures to break the spell of an evil sorceress and restore a prince, now trapped in the body of a baboon, to his human form. Jane Seymour co-stars as the lovely Princess who falls for Sinbad, and Patrick Troughton (Dr Who) as the wise man who guides them on their perilous journey. Classic Harryhausen monsters include the Minoton, a bronze colossus made by the sorceress, a giant troglodyte, a sabre-toothed tiger and the baboon-prince himself.
The DVD release will include the following extras:
'The Harryhausen Chronicles' featurette
'This is Dynamation' featurette
Filmographies
Theatrical trailer
The disc will also contain a mono soundtrack, as well as an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer. Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger will be released on the 12th August and is likely to retail for �19.99. |
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| Warner Releases : August (Region 2) at 09.37 on 01/07/02 |
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Warner Home Video have sent us some press releases for a couple of titles out this summer. First up is the action comedy Innerspace starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. Here is a little bit of info about the film:
"Hell-raising Navy test pilot Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is the world's first 'micronaught'. In a top-secret government miniaturisation experiment, Tuck is shrunk within his space-age capsule.
Stolen by industrial terrorists who want to sell the new technology on the black-market, Tuck is accidentially injected into the body of hypochondriac grocery clerk Jack Putter (Martin Short). With the terrorists in hot pursuit, Jack must come to terms with the strange voices in his head while Tuck has to figure out a way of escaping from Jack's body and returning to his normal size. Their only hope is Tuck's journalist girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan) but Jack has suddenly developed a crush on her..."
The DVD release will contain a commentary from director Joe Dante and visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren, as well as an original theatrical trailer. You can also expect a widescreen 1.85:1 transfer and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
Also forthcoming is the Marilyn Monroe romantic comedy The Prince and the Showgirl. The movie brought together two of the the world's greatest film legends. Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier in this 1950's modern day Cinderella story.
The movie will be presented on DVD for the first time in widescreen 1.85:1 and will have a mono soundtrack. The DVD will contain a special announcement newsreel called "Marilyn Starts a New Deal in Hollywood". You can also expect an original theatrical trailer.
Both releases will be in the shops from August 26th and will retail for a very reasonable �12.99. |
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After a very successful first year for DVDBlokes, we've decided to carry out a few much needed changes. Probably the most obvious being the name, from today onward we shall be known only as DVDAnswers! Why did we change the name? Simply because DVDBlokes was too gender-specific and we just didn't think it was as appropriate any longer, given our wide target audience.
So apart from the new name and the nice new blue'ish colour, what else has changed?
Well, if you look to your top left on the bar, you'll see a nice new region selection facility. It replaces the functionality that used to be the job of the tabs. Over to the right - where the tabs used to be - is the search facility. There's nothing new about it, but that's where you'll find it from now on. Personally I think it's much more handy up there, let us know!
Probably the biggest change that has taken place this evening is the new comments system. As of today, you can have your say on any news item, review, article, interview and whatever else you wish simply by clicking on the comments link. The link is located at the top right of each item of content, the only thing you have to do is ensure that you are logged in as a member. Don't worry if you're not a member, sign up - it's free!
Finally, some new sections will appear in coming weeks, so look out for them. As these changes are new to the site, you may run into the odd problem. If you do, please contact us as soon as possible. If you receive an error message please quote the message in full so that we can locate the source of the problem and fix it. We hope you enjoy the new look, and thanks for making the last year such a success! |
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| Hasta la vista, baby? (Region 2) at 22.59 on 30/06/02 |
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No doubt many of you will already have read reports of the region two edition of The Terminator from MGM exhibiting some worrying signs of deterioration. It seems that many people have found �speckles� and/or a film of �condensation� between the two layers of their discs, which in some extreme cases has rendered the discs unplayable. We have also heard unconfirmed reports of a similar fault with the region two special edition of The Silence of the Lambs, also from MGM, and a number of Fox DVDs. We will endeavour to bring you more news as we have it, but for know we strongly urge anyone who owns a copy of the above tiles to check them for signs of possible deterioration. If you�ve experienced a problem why not comment on this article (registered users only), or send us an email stating exactly how bad the problem is.
Many thanks to ThePunisher, who provided us with an image of his affected Terminator discs. |
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| Free Minority Report DVD sampler (Region 2) at 15.28 on 28/06/02 |
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For those of you who don�t know, 20th Century Fox are currently running a promotion that allows purchasers of selected DVDs get their hands on a free Minority Report DVD sampler.
The discs in question are: Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes, X-Men, Alien,
Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Enemy Mine, Alien Nation, The Abyss, Independence Day, Judge Dredd and The Fly 1 & 2. All of the above titles will retail for �15.99.
Although the film isn�t released until July 4th, the free DVD sampler disc gives you an exclusive sneak preview and a unique insight into the world of Minority Report in 2054, including clips and interviews with the 'futurists' involved in the making of the movie. In a world where 'Everybody Runs' you need to be fast to get your hands on this exclusive free DVD Sampler disc! |
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