New DMC4 video

DVDs holding gaming back?

What does it mean when PS3 games start appearing on DVD?



by: Chris Stead 13/12/2007




We noticed something a little strange today – we received PS3 preview and review code (provided to journalists only) on DVD format… not Blu-ray. We won’t point fingers or name names, but further research through our piles of discs revealed that this was not an isolated incident and that this phenomenon is restricted to games that are, or had been, released on the Xbox 360 as well. That is, multi-format games’ not all of them, but some of them.


On face value that didn’t seem particularly weird – after all, most multi-format games are indistinguishable across the consoles - but we couldn’t shake the feeling of being sold short. Really, shouldn’t there be some type of PS3 specific optimisation that makes use of this all-powerful Blu-ray format? Given that developers have access to an extra, what, 20-odd gig with Blu-ray, shouldn’t games be stepping up?


Then it hit us: it’s not worth their while. If you build a multi-format game across Xbox 360 and PS3 right now, you have two options: design the game separately for each format or design one game, that maximises the capacity of the smaller format... i.e. DVD. Obviously the second option makes much better business sense, especially given that the PS3’s install base is only just starting to show life, ensuring that any extra costs incurred by redeveloping the game specifically for the system are unlikely to be recovered. So yes, we’ll get our game on a Blu-ray disc but don’t let the label fool you: in many multi-format games it’s still a DVD experience.


And then something else hit us, even harder. The progression of gaming, in general, has been bottlenecked by the bloody DVD!


This looks bad on Microsoft, despite the fact it is Sony’s Blu-ray not been properly utilised. In fact, it is becoming apparent that Microsoft really screwed Sony, and by extension us gamers, over in this generation. In their effort to be first into market they built a next-gen machine on old-gen technology, releasing the Xbox 360 with a standard DVD drive and not an HD-DVD drive.


But by being first, Microsoft gained the better market position, and now has an install base that demands that it is the lead format for developers – or in simpler terms, developers can make more money from a game through the Xbox 360, than the PS3. And the Xbox 360 is restricted to DVD. Worse still, Microsoft didn’t go with a hard-drive as standard, further restricting developer freedom.







At the moment, you could argue that it doesn’t really matter. Call of Duty 4 is just one example of how games can kick serious arse at a maximum of 9GB. But Microsoft’s lack of forethought, or worse still their knowing decision to just run with DVD at the cost of the industry’s long-term future, will bite them on the arse. The PS3 is starting to get games, good games, and it’s becoming more reasonably priced. The install base will grow and sometime, maybe in late 2008 or in 2009, we will reach a tipping point and the PS3 will become big enough to be chosen as the lead format. This will open the doors for developers to wash their hands of DVD limitations and develop primarily for both Blu-ray and a standard hard-drive. It’ll come like an avalanche – if the PS3 catches up on the Xbox 360, it will surge ahead.


What for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 then? Down-sized, compressed and ugly ports? Games on five discs? At the very least we’re talking a new HD-DVD and hard-drive as standard SKU, but most likely we’re talking a new console altogether. We get the impression developers want that freedom of a hard-drive and greater storage space – surely it is harder to have to squish everything in to 9GB. We’re already seeing Xbox 360 games like Blue Dragon appearing on more than one disc, like latter releases in the PS2 catalogue.


But for right now, these PS3 games on DVD are an embarrassment to the industry. Ok, so you’ve got a game that doesn’t need more than 9GB of space – congratulations. But you’re burning to, and consumers are paying for, Blu-ray discs. So fill the bloody thing! Whatever happened to those ‘you’ll get the game, and the movie, and all the bonus features, all on the same disc’ crap we were being sold a few years back? You’ve already made demos and trailers right? Stick ‘em on there too! Make us believe that there is somewhere in this generation for gaming to go.

November NPDs: Microsoft's Reaction

While it was always going to be tough for Sony to put a good spin on the latest NPD figures, for Microsoft, things were a little easier. The 360 kicked the PS3's arse, a 360 release topped the software sales charts and two Microsoft first-party titles (Mass Effect & Halo 3) made the top 10. And aside from a failed attempt to gain "victory" for the month by citing "most dollars spent" (sorry MS, we count numbers sold, not dollars spent), that's exactly what they focused on

Xbox 360 - Consumers voting with their wallets, Xbox 360 winning this holiday
Fueled by the greatest holiday lineup in video game history, consumers spent more holiday dollars on Xbox 360 consoles, games and accessories than any other platform in the month of November according to NPD.

#1 in Game Sales: Four of the Top Ten Titles are on Xbox 360, compared to three on the Wii and two on the PS3.

Xbox 360 holds the #1 title with "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" (Activision), selling nearly 1.5 million units on Xbox 360, compared to 444,000 units on the PS3.

#1 in Total Revenue: Xbox 360 leads in total revenue with $763 million compared to $587 million for Wii and $364 million for PS3 according to NPD.

#1 in Game Quality: Xbox 360 delivers the highest-rated games lineup this generation, with 6 out of the top 10 rated games through the end of November according to Metacritic, the world-wide authority in entertainment reviews.

The Bourne Ultimatum (HD DVD) review

The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take


Until 'The Bourne Identity' hit screens in 2000, the spy genre was in pretty sorry shape on the big screen. The James Bond franchise had long since become a parody of itself with an series of increasingly ridiculous installments, while Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible' series had some cool moments but was still a hit-or-miss affair. It was really 'Identity' that ushered in a new era for the spy thriller -- one that was gritty, realistic and refreshingly free of gadgets and gimmicks.

The rare sequel to actually outgross its predecessor, 2003's 'The Bourne Supremacy' was so well-received that it created an unusual hunger for 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' which enjoyed an even better opening weekend. In terms of world-wide box office receipts, 'Ultimatum' now stands as the most successful of the 'Bourne' trilogy, which is rare cinematic feat indeed. This success is a testament not only to the series' highly-praised action sequences, but also the complexity of its story and the appeal of the Jason Bourne character. Bourne may not exactly be a new generation's James Bond, but he's certainly the closest modern cinema has seen to his heir apparent.

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Viewers who are intimately familiar with the first two films in the series will likely get the most out of 'Ultimatum's convoluted narrative, but the film works well enough as a self-contained thrill ride even if you don't remember every single plot detail of the past two entries. As the movie begins, Bourne is inadvertantly drawn out of hiding by British investigative reporter Simon Ross (Paddy Considine), who has been trying to uncover the secrets of Project Treadstone, now upgraded to new operation called Blackbriar. During the meeting with Ross, Bourne's memories are triggered once again, and he renews his quest to solve the riddle of his mysterious background.

Of course, the CIA has been tracking his correspondence with Ross, and Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) is again back on the case. Only this time, she's got higher-ups (David Straithairn and Scott Glenn) breathing down her neck, and further complicating the government's pursuit is wayward operative Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), who will eventually risk her life and career to help Bourne. While racing across four continents, Bourne will not only have to use every trick in the book to elude capture, but must somehow make his way back to the States and into the inner-most sanctums of the CIA itself if he is to finally uncover the secret of his identity.

As directed by Paul Greengrass (who also helmed 'Bourne Supremacy'), 'Ultimatum' may be the most impressive of the 'Bourne' films in terms of elevating cinematic integration of exposition and action into an art form. This is pure information overload, but because the execution of the suspense sequences is so intense, we are held in a constant state of rapt attention. Watching 'Ultimatum,' the audience literally becomes Jason Bourne, and like him, we are constantly on alert for fear of missing a crucial bit of information integral to our survival. Slyly, Greengrass uses camerawork and editing as co-conspirators in this gleefully shameless manipulation, and the film simply never stops for a second to let us catch our breath. 'Ultimatum' truly relies on the intelligence of its audience, demanding that we pay attention -- even if we're left wrung out and exhausted by the end of the ride.

Admittedly, as fast-paced and consistently engaging as 'Ultimatum' is, there is a certain sense of deja vu that permeates many of the scenarios and setpieces. Case in point is the car chase, which is certainly as adrenaline-fueled as those in the previous 'Bourne' films, but doesn't really offering anything we haven't seen before (it certainly isn't central to the main plot). Likewise, our emotional engagement with the Bourne character can't quite stack up to earlier entries. Although Damon is certainly up to the task, the absence of his great love Marie (Franka Potente, seen here only briefly in flashback) often leaves the character only with cold detachment. The film does try to expand upon the relationship between Bourne and Parsons to add some heat, but the dewey-eyed Stiles doesn't have the same fire as Potente, and though I enjoyed her scenes, there is a distinct feeling of efficiency triumphing over emotion throughout much of 'Ultimatum.'

Still, 'Ultimatum' is quite satisfying because unlike so many other series of its type, it doesn't cheat us of the closure to the story and the character arcs set up in the first two films. Bourne does finally decipher all the clues to his past, and his case with the CIA is closed shut. Of course, the filmmakers have still left themselves just enough wiggle room to bring Bourne back for a series of new adventures some day, but I can't say I blame them. Like the end of the 007 flicks always say, "James Bond will return..." -- so why not Jason Bourne? But regardless of whether there ever are any future 'Bourne' films or not, 'Ultimatum' is a perfectly fitting capper on a truly superlative cinematic trilogy.


The Video: Sizing Up the Picture


If you're familiar with the first two installments in the Jason Bourne series, then you probably already know what to expect from the visual look of 'The Bourne Ultimatum.' Grainy, desaturated and with nary a static shot in film's entire 115-minute runtime, the intentionally rough sheen of 'Ultimatum' certainly doesn't help it in terms of delivering the kind of ultra-clean, super-slick look of the best high-def transfers, but as a representation of the source material this HD DVD is aces.

Universal presents 'The Bourne Ultimatum' in 1080p/VC-1 video, framed accurately at 2.40:1 widescreen. The source is grainy almost throughout, but it's otherwise clean with no blemishes, dirt or other defects. Contrast is appropriately on the hot side, but blacks hold firm and there is little severity to the "crush" on the low end of the scale, leaving shadow details surprisingly supple. Colors are almost uniformly desaturated, and most scenes skew towards blue or green, so don't expect rich orange fleshtones. Still, hues are quite stable and never bleed or fuzz-out, so I was generally impressed with the level of depth and detail, considering the source. Universal has also delivered a top-notch encode -- even with the intense level of fast motion throughout 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' the image never breaks up or suffers from compression artifacts.


The Audio: Rating the Sound


As good as 'Bourne Ultimatum' looks, it sounds even better. This is a reference-quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround track (48kHz/24-bit), and one that is equally powerful in terms of envelopment and impact.

'Ultimatum' is exciting because it understands the value of contrast -- Bourne's moments of quiet introspection are heightened by the loud bursts of action, and vice versa. Like its title character, the sound mix is constantly on the move -- even when the bullets aren't flying fast and furious, the techno-fueled score is always humming along, so there's never a dull moment. Realism and heft to the entire 360-degree soundfield is exceptional, with great clarity to discrete effects and seamless pans between channels. Subtle ambiance is better than I anticipated, with bleed of the score again excellent and the attention paid to fine sonic details fantastic. Director Paul Greengrass often makes clever use of subtle aural cues to inform us of Jason Bourne's state of mind (a ringing telephone, footsteps outside a door, etc.) and it's all rendered here with creativity and great care.

Lest anything think there is no bombast to 'Ultimatum,' think again. Dynamics are fantastic, from the subwoofer-shaking low bass (there is some serious rumble in nearly every one of the film's many action scenes) to the finely-attenuated higher end of the spectrum. Finally, unlike so many other action films, dialogue is actually important to 'Bourne Ultimatum,' and happily the mix is perfectly balanced. I never suffered any volume level problems (a real pet peeve of mine), so feel confident that if you crank this puppy up, you can safely put down your remote for the rest of the flick. A tremendous five-star audio experience.


The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff


'The Bourne Ultimatum' is Universal's biggest hit of 2007, so they've pulled no punches when it comes to producing a full-fledged special edition for the film's video release. Both the HD DVD and the standard-def DVD versions of the film come with a healthy assortment of extras that by themselves would be pretty satisfying, but add to that some great exclusives (see the "HD Extras" section below), and this HD DVD version easily lived up to my expectations.

Audio Commentary - Director Paul Greengrass flies solo here, and as he's proven on his past tracks (particularly 'United 93') he is an articulate and comprehensive narrator. Although he gets a bit bogged down at the beginning of the track with the technical, he quickly opens up the discussion to talk at surprising length about the intricacies of the story, both in comparison to the original novels as well what needed to be restructured in order to make 'Ultimatum' work as a self-contained film. Greengrass also doesn't shy away from some of the controversies that surrounded the shoot, particularly the endless reshoots (which star Matt Damon complained about at length to the press) and working in multiple foreign locations. A great track.


Featurette: "Man on the Move: Jason Bourne"(HD, 24 minutes) - This "on location" travelogue is an often breathless look at the fast-paced shoot, divided by location into five parts: Moscow, Paris, London, Madrid and Tangier. The mix of behind-the-scenes footage and on-set cast & crew interviews (with Greengrass, producer Frank Marshall, star Damon, as well as Joan Allen, Julia Stiles and Brian Cox) doesn't re-invent the wheel, but it's edited in such a deft and entertaining manner that it's superior to most EPKs.


Additional Featurettes (HD, 22 minutes) - These three vignettes further pick apart the film's most exciting action sequences: "New York Chase" (11 minutes), "Planning the Punches" (5 minutes) and the "Rooftop Pursuit" (6 minutes). This is culled from the same batch of making-of material as the main featurette but is again expertly edited, especially "Planning the Punches," which somehow manages to make the staging of a scene with a zillion cuts actually comprehensible.


Deleted Scenes (SD, 12 minutes) - This assemblage of scenes is comprised mostly of extensions, with the majority of new material adding to the scenes at the CIA, as well as a bit more with Damon's character's memories regarding his eventual metamorphosis into Jason Bourne. Though formatted for 16:9 screens, the scenes appear to be upconverts from standard-def.



HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?


Carrying on the tradition it set with the first two 'Bourne' titles on HD DVD, Universal has packed 'The Bourne Ultimatum' with an array of high-def exclusives. But this is by far the most cutting-edge of the bunch, with graphic- and web-based materials to go along with the traditional picture-in-picture commentary, all nicely wrapped up in the studio's "U-Control" interface.

Picture-in-Picture - Easily matching the video commentaries on the first two 'Bourne' discs, this is another fine assemblage of cast & crew interviews (culled from the same materials as the featurettes), with even better behind-the-scenes footage. All three of the 'Bourne' PiP tracks work so well because the producers use the on-screen action as a counterpart to the making-of content. It's the perfect marriage of technology with substance, and does what all good tracks should do -- it greatly enhances our understanding of the filmmaking process.


Interactive Game: "Be Bourne Game" - Activate the game as you watch the film itself, and as you progress through the narrative you'll be prompted to analyze pre-marked 30-second segments. Once the clip is done, you'll be tested on the visual and narrative information you retain. This is kinda fun, although I got a bit tired after a few clips due to the repetition of the exercise. Note that you will receive a score at the end of the game, and you can go online (assuming your player is web-connected) and share your results with others.


Blackbriar Files - This text- and graphic-based overlay delivers real-time statistics on the various gadgets and locations on display throughout the film's runtime. Everything from a cell phone to the CIA building has a digital dossie of info, although personally I found much of it too banal. I think if some sort of game-like function were integrated into something like this, it would make things a bit more interactive and just plain fun.


"Get More Info" - This is certainly least interesting of the exclusives. Essentially paid advertising for the Volkswagen Toureag (Bourne's car in the film), this feature delivers various details on the vehicle (horsepower, etc.), and you can go online (again if you're web-connected) to download even more info. Sorry, I'm just not "buying" this one.


MyScenes - Universal's now-standard custom bookmarking function, allowing you to save your favorite chapters for playback even after you eject the disc. You can also go online and share them with other registered users in the Universal HD DVD community.



Easter Eggs


No easter eggs reported for 'The Bourne Ultimatum' yet. Found an egg? Please use our tips form to let us know, and we'll credit you with the find.


Final Thoughts


'The Bourne Ultimatum' easily holds its own against the first two entries in the Jason Bourne franchise -- no small accomplishment, considering 'The Bourne Identity' and 'The Bourne Supremacy' are two of the best spy thrillers since the era of vintage James Bond. This HD DVD is also a winner -- great video, audio and supplements (complete with high-def exclusives) make this a stellar package in every respect. If you are at all a fan of Jason Bourne, this one's a no-brainer.

Even in japan 360 still holds the highest attach rate

Nintendo
Hardware = 3,945,429 through Dec 2/07 (MC)
Tie Ratio = 2.60

Sony PS3:
Hardware = 1,440,642 Through Nov 25/07
Tie Ratio = 1.95

Microsoft X360:
Hardware = 509,314 through Nov 25/07
Tie Ratio = 3.93

GRAW 3 Coming YES YES!!!!

I was a huge fan of the first GRAW that came along and showed everyone the 360's potential. I became a bigger fan when GRAW 2 released with a new story and polish that made for a much tighter game. Now it looks like we should be expecting GRAW 3 with even more features to launch the franchise into the stratosphere. The third installation in the GRAW series will be built with an entirely new engine but continue the Mexican terrorist story line the first two games established. This story is supposed to wrap up the events in Mexico as well as tie into Tom Clancy's Endwar story line (you can control Ghost and Slinter Cell units in Endwar). Multiplayer and the single player campaign are expected to be built by the same team so there wont be the usuall glaring differences between the two components (maybe there will be a cover system in multiplayer now). The first two GRAW's released a year apart, so if that precedent holds for the third game get ready to step in Captain Mitchell well worn combat boots around March 2008.

Mass Effect Sells One Million in First Three Weeks

The incredibly enjoyable space opera that is Mass Effect is enjoying quite the sales surge in its first three weeks out on store shelves. Microsoft confirms that the game from Bioware has sold over a million copies globally in the short time it has been available. I thought this game had kind of a slow start, but I guess not. The game has managed to triple its expected sales of November that were set at 328,000 copies sold. I guess the planned trilogy was a good idea after all. Could this be the next huge exclusive hit and system seller for the 360 thats breathing down the necks of Halo 3 or Gears of War? Well now that EA owns Bioware and therefore Mass Effect, Microsoft is going to have to start making some deals fast. Either way I am glad that this game has been as successful as it has because it really deserves to sell well and I really hope it stays a 360 exclusive (doubtful when EA is involved). If you haven't gone out and bought Mass Effect, then you need to follow in a million of your fellow 360 gamer's footsteps and head out to your nearest retailer (you wont be disappointed).

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Denon AVR-2808 Receiver it rocks!!

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Three Zone multi source capability including separate remote control and composite video output
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Profigold /Qed hdmi cables

Some of you guys have been asking what hdmai cables i use, Profigold for my 360 & Qed for hd dvd player.Got the Profigold cable from selfridges, Qed from tottenham court rd.

Samsung 52’’ LCD FULL HD TV 100HZ 500,000:1 dynamic contrast!!!

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Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (HD DVD)

The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take


When I first heard that 'Star Trek: The Original Series' would be undergoing a 'Star Wars'-style complete digital makeover, in which all of its 1960s model and miniature special effects would be replaced with modern CGI, frankly I was appalled at the news. I outright despise the tinkering that George Lucas has imposed on 'Star Wars', and refuse to watch those movies in anything other than the original theatrical versions as I first saw them. And now the same was going to happen to 'Star Trek'? Doesn't everyone realize that its datedness is a big part of the charm and appeal of 'The Original Series'? The miniskirts and crazy costumes, the chintzy sets, goofy monster makeup, and hambone theatrical acting, these are all things to cherish. 'Star Trek' is a product of its era, and should remain so.

But then a funny thing happened. Images from the new "Remastered" versions of the episodes were released, and they didn't look so bad. Statements by those implementing the changes (including renowned 'Trek' experts Michael and Denise Okuda, writers of many 'Trek'-related books and the pop-up trivia tracks accompanying earlier DVD releases of the shows and movies) actually made some good, valid points about the work they were doing and the need for it. So now we have it, the complete first season of 'Star Trek', episodes dating from 1966 to 1967, here revamped, refreshed, and revitalized. And you know what, I think it's great. Despite my skepticism, I've officially been won over.

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Here's the difference between the revised versions of 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars': The people updating 'Star Trek' aren't trying to change everything. Although the prints have been cleaned and the visual effects modernized, there are no goofy flying robots buzzing around scenes just to show off, no crappy deleted scenes that should remain on the cutting room floor needlessly reinstated, and no significant alterations made to the plot or the fundamental personalities of the characters. This is still 'Star Trek' as Gene Roddenberry envisioned it in the 1960s. The material has been treated with absolute loving respect and even reverence; it's just been spruced up a little to brush away the cobwebs of age and of the severe production limitations faced at the time.

So what exactly has been done to the show? Most obviously, almost every single space shot involving grainy stock footage of the Enterprise model dangling on wires in front of plastic schoolroom globes has been replaced with a fresh digital rendering that orbits credible-looking planets. It's still the Enterprise we know and love, recreated down to the last detail (even the silly glowing orange tips on the warp nacelles), just cleaner and less obviously toy-like. The shots run the same length and usually retain the same content and composition. The impulse to add stuff to shots or to make everything look sleeker and flashier has been largely resisted, and the restraint is often admirable. Many of the original effects, like the cartoonish phaser blasts and shimmery dissolves, haven't been touched at all, and many that were cleaned up were designed specifically to go unnoticed. The old matte paintings in the background of shots are sometimes tweaked a bit, but they still look like matte paintings. The aliens in ridiculous costumes haven't been digitally wiped out and replaced with complex CGI creatures, even when that might have been for the best; he may now blink, but the Gorn is still just a guy in a bad rubber monster suit. When the Enterprise jumps to warp speed, it cruises through the shots with the same movement it always did; no one has tried to add in the slingshot warp effect used in 'The Next Generation'. The work of the original artists has been respected. The intent isn't to change the show, but rather to restore it. This is what the producers of the series would have wanted it to look like if they'd had the budget and the technology at the time.





That being the case, occasionally some major alterations do creep in. Sometimes they're necessary, such as replacing a matte painting in 'The Menagerie' to correct a continuity error concerning the scene's time of day, but sometimes the digital artists are a little overzealous in wanting to wow a modern audience. On some alien planets, wide establishing shots have been inserted where previously we saw only close-ups and medium shots. This is helpful at times, but unnecessarily distracting at others. In some instances, the new visual effects are too ambitious in scale and detail, and look out of place mixed with the cheapie physical sets and props (the contrast is especially jarring in 'The Galileo Seven', where elaborate shots of the shuttlecraft flying through a beautiful green ion storm cut away to interiors set in a small room with blank gray walls and a handful of plastic chairs). There are also a few cases where the new effects just look a little video game-y, but those are fortunately rare and certainly no cheesier than the originals.

What surprised me the most about the Remastered 'Star Trek' is how well the majority of the new footage blends right into the old. While the differences stand out in a few occasions, in most others the transition is amazingly seamless (a claim that cannot be made about the revamped 'Star Wars'). The new effects serve to pull you into the stories and the universe Gene Roddenberry created, not knock you out of them. I must admit that I'm a lot more impressed than I expected.

As for the show itself, 'Star Trek' remains a nearly ideal blend of campy fun, exciting adventure, and surprising intellectual depth. Really a series of morality plays, psychological character studies, and philosophical treatises set within an outrageous science fiction backdrop, the show may be remembered most for its Technicolor sets and costumes, William Shatner's hammy charisma, and its goofy alien monsters, but the material thrives on the strength of its writing and the chemistry of its cast. There's good reason it has so far inspired five spin-off series, ten feature films, and undoubtedly more on the way.

Although it took a little while to find its footing, this first season is arguably the show's best, and contains many of its most iconic episodes. 'Where No Man Has Gone Before', 'The Naked Time', 'Mudd's Women', 'The Corbomite Maneuver', 'Balance of Terror', 'Space Seed', 'Devil in the Dark', and 'City on the Edge of Forever' are just some of the gems found here. Sure, there are a few clunkers like 'Shore Leave', 'The Galileo Seven', and the finale 'Operation: Annihilate!' that even the best special effects updating in the world can't rescue from their inherent cheesiness. Even these turkeys have been lovingly restored with the same care and attention as the season's finest. They're mercifully few in number, and nowhere near as bad as the way the show would fall apart in its third season.

The film purist in me likes having the old versions of the episodes around, but the 'Trek' fan in me had a blast watching the new ones. It truly felt like discovering something special for the first time all over again. 'Star Trek' is classic television, and these newly Remastered episodes breathe fresh life into a series that had grown a little too comfortable with familiarity over the years.

The HD DVD: Vital Disc Stats

'Star Trek: The Original Series – Season One' comes to HD DVD in a 10-disc box set from Paramount Home Entertainment. The packaging has a funky design vaguely reminiscent of a Transporter deck. It looks interesting on a shelf, but truth be told the plastic shell, the cardboard box sleeve inside, and the plastic disc trays are all rather flimsily constructed. Little plastic pieces of the tray were already rattling around inside the shell by the time I opened my set for the first time, and one disc had popped off its hub and gotten scratched.

Also in the box are five "Data Cards" that list the episode and bonus feature contents of each disc.

All 10 discs are encoded in Combo format, with HD DVD on one side and standard DVD on the other. In a marketing first, the Remastered versions of the episodes are only available in this box set. No comparable release for just Standard-Def DVD is available at this time. The discs contain only the Remastered episodes on both sides, not the original versions with their 1960s special effects (those are already available on DVD, but not on HD DVD).





The episodes are presented in their original broadcast order, which causes a few minor continuity problems, such as Dr. McCoy's presence in the first two episodes 'The Man Trap' and 'Charlie X', followed afterwards by the actual pilot episode 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' with a different Chief Medical Officer (Dr. Piper). To make matters more confusing, the disc menus number the episodes in their production order. Thus, Disc 1 contains episodes 6, 8, and 2. If you wish to watch the episodes in production order, you have to sort that out by reading the "Mission Stardate" trivia notes on the included Data Cards. However, it should be noted that this box set does not contain the first produced pilot episode ('The Cage' starring Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Christopher Pike) that was rejected by NBC. If Paramount follows their DVD release pattern, we can expect that episode at the end of the eventual Season Three box set.


The Video: Sizing Up the Picture


Befitting a television series produced in the 1960s, the 'Star Trek' HD DVD transfer retains the show's original 4:3 aspect ratio, encoded on disc with pillarbox bars at the sides of the 16:9 frame. This includes all of the new visual effects footage, which was technically rendered at a wider 16:9 ratio but is center-cropped to 4:3 here. In fact, in preparing the Remastered episodes, the studio struck three separate High Definition transfers: one at a consistent 4:3 ratio (the version available in this box set), one that varies between 4:3 for live action footage and 16:9 for visual effects (XBox Live users may have downloaded episodes in that format), and one with all of the live action footage cropped and stretched to 16:9 (reportedly, that one will be released on HD DVD in Japan). As far as I'm concerned, the 4:3 version is the most appropriate and the only one worth considering.

It should go without saying that the quality of television broadcast (not to mention the TVs themselves) in the 1960s was nowhere near the standard available today, and even the show's syndicated broadcasts over the decades have rarely captured the vibrancy of its original photography. By the time the series was released on DVD, the episodes there already looked significantly better than anyone had ever seen them before. The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfers in this HD DVD set take things to the next level, revealing a world of detail that viewers in the 1960s could scarcely imagine was available. The High Definition imagery is clear enough to resolve the powder of the actors' makeup, the hairs on Shatner's chest, and the pockmarks of George Takei's bad complexion. Ironically, the seams in many alien costumes and the frayed edges of the Starfleet insignia on Kirk's uniform expose budgetary limitations previously hidden by less-detailed transfers.

With that said, the show's style does at times limit the amount of detail visible. Every single close-up of an actress, for example, was photographed in soft focus. The difference in focus between the male and female actors may not have stood out as much in Standard Definition, but here is almost comically apparent. In addition to its fresh telecine transfer, the show has had much of the dirt and age-related defects from the source elements digitally erased. Not everything was cleaned up, though, and there are quite a few surprising instances of visible dirt and damage. Still, it's much cleaner than we've ever seen it before.





'The Original Series' is famous for its garish costumes and sets, and the purity and almost surreal vibrancy of colors in the new transfer far exceed that of the prior DVD releases. The yellowish tinge of Leonard Nimoy's makeup in the early episodes is much more obvious here than it's ever been before (the thinking at the time was that Spock's green blood would leave his skin with a jaundiced look, an effect that was toned down as the series progressed). Contrast has also been digitally tweaked to enhance black levels and depth, effectively highlighting the show's expressive lighting schemes but also sometimes leading to crushed shadow detail.

On the downside, the show's photography is frequently grainy, sometimes quite a bit so, and the grain is not always adequately digitized or compressed. It appears that noise reduction has also been employed to tame the worst of it, a process that softens detail at times and can cause its own artifacts. Viewers with keen eyes will notice posterization and pixelation problems in a number of episodes, notably on the doors behind Kirk and Spock in 'The Naked Time' around the 40 minute mark. A first instinct may be to blame the AVC compression, however the same artifact is present (though less visible due to the lower resolution) at the same spot on the DVD side of the disc. Whatever the cause of this problem (likely aggressive noise reduction or digital recoloring), is part of the master, not something specific to the HD DVD encoding. For what it's worth, the same scene in the pre-Remastered 2004 DVD set does not show any pixelation.

Nitpicks aside, 'Star Trek' has never looked this good before. It's not perfect, and some episodes look decidedly better than others, but overall the High-Def transfer certainly brings a whole new life to the series.


The Audio: Rating the Sound


The show's soundtrack is offered in either Dolby Digital Plus 2.0 or lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 formats. The TrueHD track is set for a much lower volume by default, and will require significant amplification. If listening through TV or computer speakers in a basic stereo configuration, the 2.0 DD+ track may be better suited. In a proper surround sound listening environment, the TrueHD track has clear advantages.

As with the updated visual effects, the purist in me takes issue with the show's original monaural soundtrack being remixed to stereo or surround. Fortunately, those qualms were put to rest as soon as I heard the results. The mixers have been very careful not to lose the flavor of the original sound. Each episode remains primarily anchored in the front soundstage, with few gimmicky or inappropriate surround effects as have plagued some other 5.1 remixes of previously mono tracks.

The show's theme has been freshly recorded from a new orchestration and sounds wonderful. The Enterprise now whooshes from the front speakers to the back during the opening credits, and in many episodes there may be one or two instances of obvious movement in the rear channels, but generally speaking dialogue and most sound effects remain in the center channel, with the musical score spread out to a mild stereo dimensionality. The audio is clean and clear, if not particularly aggressive in envelopment or dynamic with bass. This may not be an auditory powerhouse like modern feature films, but the soundtrack is appropriate and respectful of the original material. Even so, I find it inexcusable that Paramount didn't find room to include the original mono tracks at least as a supplement.


The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff


The box set contains a mixture of bonus features, some new and some recycled from the 2004 DVD release of the pre-Remastered first season. We'll start with the content carried over from the DVDs, all of which is located on the Side B (the standard DVD side) of each disc.

The Birth of a Timeless Legacy (24 min., SD) – A look at the origins and development of the series, from its two pilot episodes to its many budgetary and production problems. Shatner, Nimoy, and other cast members are interviewed (separately), along with vintage clips of Gene Roddenberry.
Reflections on Spock (12 min., SD) – Leonard Nimoy reminisces about his famous character, and the controversy that surrounded his "I Am Not Spock" memoir.
Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner (11 min., SD) – Recorded in 2003 (prior to his current stint on 'Boston Legal'), this interview finds Shatner discussing his passion for raising horses. There's not much relevant to 'Star Trek', or particularly interesting for that matter, in this piece.
To Boldly Go… Season 1 (19 min., SD) – Nimoy, Shatner, other cast members, guest stars, and show producers look back on key episodes of the first season, including 'The Naked Time', 'Arena', and 'Space Seed'. Production difficulties are once again covered, as well as the actors' approaches to their characters.
Sci Fi Visionaries (17 min., SD) – A tribute to the quality of the show's writing, and the potency of its science fiction concepts.
Preview Trailers (times vary, all SD) – On the DVD side of every disc, each episode contains its original TV trailer. The footage is generally in very poor condition.



HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?


New to the HD DVD are the following:

Starfleet Access – Functioning nearly identically to the U-Control features on selected Universal discs, Starfleet Access is an interactive Picture-in-Picture (or more accurately Picture-outside-Picture) functionality that accompanies episodes 'Where No Man Has Gone Before', 'The Menagerie Part I', 'The Menagerie Part II', 'Balance of Terror', 'The Galileo Seven', 'Space Seed', and 'Errand of Mercy'. Various icons will appear in the black pillarbox bar to the right of the series picture, broken down into categories such as Genesis, Federation Files, Environments, Technology, and Life Forms. When selected, the show will shrink down into a smaller box and shift to the left of the screen, while interviews, VFX comparisons, and trivia are displayed on the right. As with U-Control, the amount of manual interaction required by the viewer becomes quickly frustrating, especially when content from multiple categories overlap at the same time. The Genesis category contains the most useful information, consisting of interview footage from the cast, producers, writers, visual effects artists, and 'Star Trek' experts Michael and Denise Okuda. The stream of material on the first episode 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' is nearly constant, but unfortunately appears more sporadically in the following episodes. Despite some hiccups, this is for the most part an interesting and welcome feature.
Spacelift: Transporting Trek into the 21st Century (20 min., SD) – An overview of the Remastering process, from telecine transfer to digital cleanup, coloring, re-recording of the theme song (clips from this circulated on YouTube earlier this year), and of course the new visual effects. Altogether pretty fascinating.
Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories (14 min., SD) – Supporting actor Blackburn is seen in a great many 'Trek' episodes as the dialogue-less ship navigator Lt. Hadley, as well as numerous other non-speaking roles including crew members, Red Shirts, crowd extras, and costumed aliens (he was the Gorn!). In this interview, the actor shares his remembrances of the production and his 8mm home movies shot on the set.
Kiss 'N Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century (17 min., SD) * – An amusing look at the progression of Capt. Kirk's overactive love life. Shatner jokes around about the hardship of kissing so many beautiful women. Romance storylines for Spock, McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, and Uhura are also highlighted.
Trekker Connections (4 min., SD) * – A pointless trivia game in the vein of "6 Degrees of…" The feature isn't even interactive. Lame.
Star Trek Online Game Preview (3 min., SD) – Equally lame, an extended commercial for the multi-player online role-playing game.
Interactive Enterprise Inspection – Somewhat better, this visual tour of the Starship Enterprise's exterior allows the viewer to select which parts of the ship to visit, presented with or without an audio "data track" explaining the purpose and function of each section. The computer graphics are nicely rendered in High Definition, though there isn't really a whole lot of information here that Trekkers won't already find familiar.
Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (90 min, SD) – This History Channel documentary was originally aired in conjunction with a massive 'Star Trek' memorabilia auction. The piece affords many associated with the franchise an opportunity to reflect on 40 years of 'Trek', though for some reason absolutely no one seems to remember the animated series from the '70s. We also get a close look at many terrific props and models used in the various series and movies. This is an enjoyable feature, but it should be mentioned that it focuses more on the 'Next Generation' years than it does 'The Original Series'.


* Note that technically the "Kiss 'N Tell" and "Trekker Connections" featurettes first appeared on a promotional bonus disc included with purchase of the 2004 'Star Trek' Complete First Season DVD set at Best Buy Stores.

The Cutting Room Floor: What Didn't Make the HD DVD?

Not carried over from the 2004 DVD set are the pop-up trivia text commentaries for episodes 'Where No Man Has Gone Before', 'The Conscience of the King', and both parts of 'The Menagerie'. That content has been largely replaced by the new Starfleet Access features, at least as it pertains to 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' and 'The Menagerie'. However, 'The Conscience of the King' has no comparable coverage in this set.

Also missing is a photo gallery and various easter egg clips about the making of certain episodes (if those are hidden here, I didn't have the patience to locate them).


Easter Eggs


No easter eggs reported for 'Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One' yet. Found an egg? Please use our tips form to let us know, and we'll credit you with the find.


Final Thoughts


Almost all of my concerns about the Remastered episodes of 'Star Trek: The Original Series' were put to rest when I finally saw how tastefully the visual effects changes were implemented. There is a world of difference between the loving care taken to restore this classic TV series and the tacky desecration that George Lucas imposed on his 'Star Wars' movies. I went in with skepticism, and came out a believer.

The High Definition transfer has a couple of faults, but is by and large a joy to behold. The supplements sound more impressive in volume than many of them wind up being in content, but the Starfleet Access feature available on seven of the episodes is pretty nifty. With a list price of nearly $200, the HD DVD box set may unfortunately be priced out of the reach of many fans and casual viewers. For those who love 'Star Trek', it's worth the expense.

Samsung: Dual-Format Blu-ray/HD DVD Player Now Shipping

Despite reports to the contrary, Samsung says its BD-UP5000 dual-format high-def disc player is shipping "as we speak," and will hit stores at a price lower than previously announced.

GTA NEW TRAILER

Codemasters Unveils its EGO Engine

Codemasters has taken the wraps off the enhanced middleware being used to power upcoming titles such as Race Driver: Grid and Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising.
The proprietary tech is actually an enhanced version of Codemasters’ Neon engine, which was put to such good effect when developing Colin McRae: Dirt.



Having been in development for over three years at Codemasters' Central Technology unit, the multiplatform engine has been renamed EGO Game Technology Engine to herald its evolution.



EGO’s development formed part of the £40.5m ($84.3m) Codemasters invested in game design and technical development in the 12 month fiscal period to June 30, 2007, and is now being employed to create a new damage and physics systems for Race Driver: Grid, and large-scale environments that will become battlegrounds in Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising.



"We made significant investments in our own cross-platform, multi-genre development solution in anticipation of the next generation console transition,” said Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens. “Now we are in a position to rev mature middleware technology to get the most from today's leading game systems.”



Codemasters Studios’ chief technology officer Bryan Marshall added, "With the EGO Engine we have technology that is specific to our needs and one that doesn't force us to compromise."

Street Fighter IV new pics

Check Out Forza 2's Upcoming Content in Action

We have all been in the dark about the contents of the downloadable content that Turn 10 will be releasing on the world tomorrow. He make things a little clearer (and to get people excited) they have put out a video of the speedy cars and the track that will be included. The new track is Road America and the December Car Pack includes 11 new cars that you can drive on it (along with the other 300+ cars):


- 1971 Pontiac Firebird
- 1981 Renault 5 Turbo
- 1984 Audi Sport Quattro
- 1986 BMW E30
- 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Street
- 2005 Ferrari FXX
- 2006 Ferrarri 599GTB Fiorano
- 2007 Audi R8
- 2007 Koenigsegg CCGT
- 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

New Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Details Emerge

In an article on Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Official Xbox Magaizine revealed some information on the sequel to the hIt Rainbow Six Vegas. Some details announced for the game include:


Single player
- 11 new weapons
- Enhanced enemy AI
- Female character available
- Greater character customization
- Real-time cutscenes
- Part sequel and part prequel
- Improved framerate


Multiplayer
- 11 new maps
- 2 new modes
- "Search" function that makes it easier to get into matches
- Matches can be joined after they have started


The story being both a prequel and a sequel sounds pretty interesting. Maybe we will see 60 frames per second like in COD4 and be able to use the vision camera to add our faces to the single player characters (or at least make the facial mapping better for multiplayer). On the multiplayer side, being able to get into matches easier with the "Search" function and getting in after games have started will make a lot of R6V fans happy. New maps and weapons are always welcome too. Look for the new and improved Rainbow Six Vegas 2 to be released around March 2008.

What Gears of War 2 Needs

With Halo 3 being out on shelves for a couple of months now, its only natural for 360 gamers to look towards Microsoft's other giant IP and get excited. Although Gears of War 2 hasn't been officially confirmed, saying there will not be a sequel to the game that sold over 5 million units worldwide is like saying the sun will no rise tomorrow. Although the first game was amazing, there are some additions that we hope make it into the sequel:


- An improved matchmaking system. Something that hopefully will resemble something like Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3. The Gears of War multiplayer was a great experience, but it was let down by the matchmaking system that made it difficult to get into games at times and allowed for teams to be stacked (leading to some horribly one sided games). A good party system would allow for play with your friends without it being so unfair in a game like Gears of War.


- Curb quitting in multiplayer matches. Although it has always been an issue, if anyone has played an online match recently then you will know it is a full blown problem. Quitting ruins the experience for everyone and makes the game you've waited so long to get into worthless. I think a strong matchmaking system would do wonders to suppress this problem, but I also think harsher penalties need to be imposed on quitters (losing an experience point in halo 3 is a pretty good punishment).


- Implement media recording and sharing. Recording videos and screenshots of our in-game accomplishments is the future of gaming. I know Halo 3 brought this to the table (and there is some crazy stuff you can do), but I think that the visceral giblet splattering action of Gears of War suits a video sharing utility perfectly. I wish I could record some of the long-distance boomshot kills or some of the head pops I got in that game.


- Allow for user created content. Epic is currently trying to pave the way for user created content on the 360 with Unreal Tournament III. It will be interesting to see how much success they have against Microsoft's stringent certification process. This user created content could spawn millions of new map designs and dramatically increase the online replayability of the online component.


- Four player co-op over Xbox Live. Gears of War had two player co-op, I think Gears of War 2 can squeeze another two players into the mix. I think the more the better rings true here and the campaign could be a lot more fun with four players over two.


- New multiplayer game modes. Although I loved Warzone and Annex, Gears of War did not have the game mode variety that we expected with a game from Epic. Four total game modes will not cut it for Gears of War 2. They can keep the current game modes (although Assassination was the weakest of them) but additions such as capture the flag or some variations on attack and defend would be nice (with respawns). It would be very interesting if some of these games modes allowed for more than eight people. I think that some bigger maps could handle ten or sixteen players if the right game mode was used.


- A longer single player campaign. The short campaign was one of the few complaints that reviewers had about the first game. I am actually a big fan of short and sweet single player components, but I certainly wouldn't complain if I could spend a few more hours with Marcus Fenix by myself (or with three friends). This is one of those things where I would rather take the shorter campaign over dragging the story and gameplay out to long and ultimately hurting the game. I don't think Epic has to worry to much about this seen as they managed to break up the Gears of War campaign into fun and easily consumed pockets of action.


- Fix the glitches. Some people like glitches in their multiplayer content (I even have a feeling that glitches were purposely put into the game, fixed, and then added again as a variations to that glitch) but I certainly do not. It cheapens the experience for everyone and a game loses some of its legitimacy when there are glitches that deeply affect the gameplay. From the sliding weapon pick-ups to the chainsaw glitch, I was annoyed throughout my multiplayer experience by cheaters. Even when patches were released to fix these glitches, gamers would find new ways to do the glitch or find new ones. I know every game has a few glitches, but Gears of War seemed to have an excessive amount. Epic just needs to tighten up the code a little for a stronger multiplayer experience in the sequel.


To be honest, I don't want that much to change from the first game. The pacing was brilliant, the controls were great (although it took them awhile to amend the roadie run), and the game was incredibly satisfying (not to mention the tinkle inducing graphics). I thought four vs. four was great for the game modes included and no respawns (except in Annex) gave a real weight to dying. I believe that Cliffy B. did a lot of confrontational things on purpose because he wanted to pay homage to the games he grew up with and liked. Most of those decision worked very well if not flawlessly, but just a few could have been tweaked to make a better game. I also think that certain aspects of GOW were rushed and that alterations of these few mistakes could make Gears of War 2 a further improvement on a stellar game.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Screenshot