Renting DVD’s from the Comfort of Your Home
Renting DVD’s and blue-ray discs by mail is a simple and inexpensive means to keeping a regular flow of entertainment for a household. The customer has easy access to the latest movie titles as well as an abundance of old favorites, cult classics and family videos.
Mail-order DVD rental companies offer a vast selection of titles that would not be available in stores primarily due to size restrictions. Customers can also reserve new releases before even available on DVD or blue-ray when the movies are expected to be in demand.
Signing up for a mail-service DVD rental is fast and, for the movie enthusiast, can prove to be rather cost efficient when planning on renting three to five videos a month. Basic plans normally start around $9.99 and allow unlimited DVD or blue-ray rentals via mail throughout the month. Higher priced plans allow the customer to rent more than one DVD at a time.
Renting DVD’s and blue-ray discs through mail eliminated the late fee - a common nuisance of the video store era. When a customer receives a DVD, he or she may keep it as long as desired. Upon satisfying the time desired with the movie, he or she returns the DVD by using the pre-stamped, pre-addressed package enclosed in the original mailing.
The customer signs up for his or her account online and select the level of membership. Afterwards, the customer can start building a list of movies he or she wants to see called a queue. As one movie is returned, the next one at the top of the queue is sent out. Customers can rearrange their queue as often as they like to control the order in which their movie selection is received.
Faster Than a Speeding Train
Mail-order DVD rentals offer fast service and most customers will receive the next movie on their list within three to five days of returning the previous one. The rental companies alert the customer of their queue status by emailing notifications.
An Understanding Team
Should a DVD or blue-ray not be received in a timely manner, the customer no longer needs to fear harassment and face possible high charges to replace the movie. Although there is often a set number of occurrences, mail-order rental companies are understanding and will send another copy of the movie immediately.
Why Wait for the Mail
For an additional cost, mail-order DVD rental companies now provide an option to stream movies and games directly to a TV, computer or video game console. Most basic plans allow streaming one video per month and more are permitted per household as the customer increases their membership capabilities.
Posted by admin as Baker's Dozen, Better Movies, Consumer Protection at 9:16 PM CST
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There are three vital stages to video production; pre-production (storyboarding, scripting, creating a shot list), production (filming stage) and post production (editing, grading footage and adding VFX). Editing is a vital component in assembling the final video. The editing process takes the various amounts of recorded footage and slims it down (by cutting, slicing, overlaying and trimming) into a masterlyfinal product. On a fundamental level, video editing is the process of readjusting or transformingclips of video to form part of an entire sequence. The object of video editing is the same as in film editing - the removal of unwanted footage, isolation of desired footage and arrangement of that footage in time to create a consistent and continuous final sequence (called the “final cut”).
Until just recently video editing was only achievable with the help of expensive equipment and a considerable amount of training. Through the traditional “non-linear” editing days Quadruplex videotape was edited by visualising the recorded track with Ferro fluid and physically cutting the film with a razor blade or guillotine cutter and joining it with tape. In this day and age, modern non-linear editing systems use video which is digitally captured onto a hard drive from an analogue or digital video source. On the other hand, despite the end of “linear” editing and introduction of these “non linear” editing systems, video editing still works with the same key principles of motion picture film editing.
With advancements in computers and technology, video editing is a frequently changing environment, fedby the quick development of new hardware and software. Computer video editing software, also known as Non Linear Editing (NLE) composedof application software which handles the entire process of editing video sequences. Using software such as Sony Vegas, Apple’s Final Cut Pro and Adobe’s Premiere, footage is first recorded natively into the proper codec and stored on the computer (this stage is known as “capturing”). The footage is then logged, i.E. The editor makes note of the scene, shot number, take number and any additional information. It is then arranged in folders (”bins”), which is where proper clips (if they are part of the same scene) are grouped as one. Once this stage is completed the editor moves on to the actual cutting of the footage.
NLE software is generally based on a timeline interface where clips are dragged onto a video track and laid out in sequence. They carry a range of tools for trimming, splicing, cutting and arranging clips across the timeline. As digital NLE systems have advanced there are now features for colour manipulation, title animation and visual effects, also including tools for mixing audio. After the Clips have been arranged on the timeline, music tracks and titles added and special effects formed, the final sequence is “rendered” into a finished video. The video is then spread in a various number of ways such as DVD, Blue-ray, web streaming (QuickTime h.264, flv) or even mobile
Posted by admin as Better Movies, Music, The Multimedia Way at 8:10 PM CST
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Disney, fresh from its $4 billion (£2.4 billion) acquisition of Marvel Comics, home of Spider-Man and Iron Man, may add to its stable of superheroes this time in the shape of a franchise that traces its inspiration back more than 2,000 years. After the success of the Iron Man Marvel series, Disney is looking to reach new parts fo the world.
The American media group has held talks with Vimanika Comics, an Indian start-up that publishes novels based on ancient Hindu mythology. The discussions could result in the latest effort by a Western media giant to tap the developing world’s appetite for religiously inspired superheroes.
Vimanika, which publishes in English and in Hindi, is run by Karanvir Arora, 27, a Mumbai-based entrepreneur, and is targeting a potentially huge readership. About 80 per cent of India’s 1.2 billion people are Hindu and half are below 25. It has been operating for a year and sells its comics in India and the United States. It will begin distribution in Britain this month.
The talks with Disney are thought to have centred on the possibility of bringing Vimanika’s characters which include Karna, the greatest warrior in the Mahabharata, the ancient Sanskrit epic to television and film.
Disney already has a foothold in India, mainly via the £100 million investment that it made last year in UTV, the Bollywood studio.
Its rivals have found success already with revamped mythology. Cartoon Network, the cable channel owned by Turner Broadcasting, started out in the subcontinent a decade ago by dubbing Western shows in regional languages. It soon turned to local animators for local content, such as Krishna Balarama, which told the story of a Hindu god. Last year Turner invested in its own Indian production facilities.
Posted by admin as Better Movies at 6:19 AM CDT
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Bursting onto the television landscape in Spring 1977, Three’s Company quickly skyrocketed in the ratings - cracking the top 8 every season except its last. Sporting a plethora of quirky characters and fresh writing talent that explored modern day issues, the show held its own as one of the funniest programs on TV. Picking up where All In The Family left off, Three’s Company delved into the social taboos of its day, dealing with subjects such as homosexuality, racism, sexual harassment, and of course, unmarried men and women living together… But the true success of Three’s Company stemmed from the comic talents of John Ritter and Suzanne Somers who became instant stars as a result of their respective roles on the show…
In Three’s Company, John Ritter plays the role of Jack Tripper, a young cooking student in San Diego who wants to move into an apartment with his two female friends - the far more mature Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt) and the blonde and ditsy Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers). But the three friends face the possible wrath of landlord Stanley Roper (Norman Fell), an old-fashioned guy who would never allow such an arrangement. With the aid of Roper’s wife Helen (Audra Lindley), the three manage to convince Stanley that Jack is gay (when he is, in fact, a notorious ladies man). Jack’s friend Larry (Richard Kline) also fashions himself a player on the local singles scene, and he makes regular appearances on the show. Following Season 3, Stanley and Helen left the show in pursuit of their own spin-off titled The Ropers. Don Knotts (of Andy Griffith Show fame) was brought in to play the new landlord, Mr. Furley - a nave, loud-mouthed ditz who tripled the hilarity of every scene in which he appeared…
The Three’s Company (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Double Date” in which Jack makes a date with the beautiful Samantha Evans (Rebecca Clemons), but Mr. Roper overhears and so Jack pretends he has a cold. Later, when Chrissy and Janet walk into the living room, Samantha finds out that they are his roommates (not his Church collector and nurse as he told her), so she leaves in disgust… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “The Love Diary” in which Mr. Roper comes to believe that Chrissy has the hots for him, and “The Harder They Fall” in which Jack ruins Janet’s date when he and his broken leg constantly get in the way…
Below is a list of episodes included on the Three’s Company (Season 3) DVD:
Episode 32 (Double Date) Air Date: 09-12-1978
Episode 33 (Good Old Reliable Janet) Air Date: 09-19-1978
Episode 34 (The Love Diary) Air Date: 09-26-1978
Episode 35 (The Fast) Air Date: 10-03-1978
Episode 36 (Helen’s Rendezvous) Air Date: 10-10-1978
Episode 37 (My Sister’s Keeper) Air Date: 10-17-1978
Episode 38 (Chrissy and the Guru) Air Date: 10-24-1978
Episode 39 (Larry’s Bride) Air Date: 10-31-1978
Episode 40 (Chrissy’s New Boss) Air Date: 11-14-1978
Episode 41 (The Crush) Air Date: 11-21-1978
Episode 42 (The Kleptomaniac) Air Date: 11-28-1978
Episode 43 (The Party’s Over) Air Date: 12-05-1978
Episode 44 (Eleanor’s Return) Air Date: 12-12-1978
Episode 45 (The Older Woman) Air Date: 01-16-1979
Episode 46 (Stanley’s Hotline) Air Date: 01-30-1979
Episode 47 (The Catered Affair) Air Date: 02-06-1979
Episode 48 (The Best Laid Plans) Air Date: 02-13-1979
Episode 49 (The Harder They Fall) Air Date: 02-20-1979
Episode 50 (The Bake-Off) Air Date: 02-27-1979
Episode 51 (An Anniversary Surprise) Air Date: 03-13-1979
Episode 52 (Jack Moves Out) Air Date: 05-08-1979
Episode 53 (Triangle Troubles) Air Date: 05-15-1979
About the Author
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Three’s Company (Season 3) DVD.
Posted by admin as Better Movies at 11:24 AM CDT
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One of the top-rated sitcoms of the 1980s, Cheers founded the “must see” hours of NBC’s prime time lineup. Following the exploits of a group of bar employees and their customers, Cheers became a regular hangout not just for guys like Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin, but for all of America as well. Bartender and Cheers owner Sam Malone is a retired pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, while he’s joined by employees Ernie “Coach” Pantusso, Carla Tortelli, and Diane Chambers. A number of recurring characters seated around the bar appear in each episode. Almost every episode takes place entirely in the bar…
The Cheers (Season 2) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes and ignites Sam and Diane’s long-lasting, on-again/off-again romance. This is also the first season in which Cliff Clavin is an “opening-credits” member of the cast (even though he appeared in most of season one’s episodes). Guest appearances by Fred Dryer (of Hunter fame), Dick Cavett, Harry Anderson (of Night Court fame), and Christopher Lloyd (of Taxi and Back To The Future fame) make for some memorable comic sequences. The season ends with Sam and Diane’s romance on shaky ground…
Below is a list of episodes included on the Cheers (Season 2) DVD:
Episode 23 (Power Play) Air Date: 09-29-1983
Episode 24 (Little Sister Don’t Cha) Air Date: 10-13-1983
Episode 25 (Personal Business) Air Date: 10-20-1983
Episode 26 (Homicidal Ham) Air Date: 10-27-1983
Episode 27 (Sumner’s Return) Air Date: 11-03-1983
Episode 28 (Affairs of the Heart) Air Date: 11-10-1983
Episode 29 (Old Flames) Air Date: 11-17-1983
Episode 30 (Manager Coach) Air Date: 11-24-1983
Episode 31 (They Called Me Mayday) Air Date: 12-01-1983
Episode 32 (How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Call You Back) Air Date: 12-08-1983
Episode 33 (Just Three Friends) Air Date: 12-15-1983
Episode 34 (Where There’s A Will) Air Date: 12-22-1983
Episode 35 (Battle of the Exes) Air Date: 01-05-1984
Episode 36 (No Help Wanted) Air Date: 01-12-1984
Episode 37 (And Coachie Makes Three) Air Date: 01-19-1984
Episode 38 (Cliff’s Rocky Moment) Air Date: 01-26-1984
Episode 39 (Fortune and Men’s Weight) Air Date: 02-02-1984
Episode 40 (Snow Job) Air Date: 02-09-1984
Episode 41 (Coach Buries a Grudge) Air Date: 02-16-1984
Episode 42 (Norman’s Conquest) Air Date: 02-23-1984
Episode 43 (I’ll Be Seeing You: Part 1) Air Date: 05-03-1984
Episode 44 (I’ll Be Seeing You: Part 2) Air Date: 05-10-1984
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Cheers (Season 2) DVD.
Posted by admin as Better Movies at 6:15 PM CDT
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