So, a poll of NHL players was conducted, courtesy The Hockey News. On newstands now, or you can buy it online and read it on your computer...see, that's what I'm talking about, Big Business, the internet is your friend! You can even get single issues...like iTunes for magazines.
Anyways, for some insightful analysis of this survey, check out this entry on Mike Chen's Hockey Blog, where I first read about the poll. For some irreverent analysis, however, stay right here.
Just want to highlight a couple of the funnier answers...particularly those given by only 1 player. The fun is trying to guess who said what.
"What’s the worst thing about your job?"...At least one player answered each of these:
"Protein shakes, watching video, late nights, filling out forms, fighting, autographs, missed childhood, girls, money, Cam Janssen, getting yelled at, pre-game skate, coaches and being booed"
"Cam Janssen"...I can just see Tomas Kaberle hunched over his stall in the dressing room, madly scribbling in his answer. Or perhaps Janssen himself wrote it, after all the Dr. Phil he watched during his 3 game suspension?
"Filling out forms"...yeah, can't the NHLPA just hack our email and read the relevant ones to us? Why do I gotta put in my name and password every time?!
"missed childhood"...well, couldn't be Sidney Crosby, it's too soon. Chris Chelios? Likely didn't miss it at all, just forgot...it's been a lot of years since then.
"getting yelled at"...well, nobody likes that. However, I'll say Bryan McCabe...I know I'm constantly cursing his name after each turnover, giveaway, or blown chance...sigh.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Hockey Rights in Canada, plus streaming!
Well, I wouldn't have thought it possible, but the word has come down today, CBC will keep Hockey Night in Canada coming on Canadian TV sets Saturday nights for six more years. More coverage here.
To be honest, I was kinda in Bell Globemedia's corner (CTV, TSN) for the past couple years, ever since I found out the rights were up for renewal. I've grown exhausted of the overall quality (or lackluster) of CBC's production. Don't get me wrong, I love Bob Cole and Harry Neale, may they live to be 1000 years old. And Ron MacLean and Don Cherry are Canadian staples, although if I never have to watch Ron interview Colin Campbell again, I'd be alright. But, I'm talking about PRODUCTION...sound (mixing, levels, quality and creative use of), music beds, graphics, stats, interactivity, etc. On these fronts, CBC is about 15 years behind TSN, 30 years behind NBC. But that's just me.
On the other hand. CBC recently, maybe 6 weeks ago, updated all their graphics (except the GIANT in-game time clock, the most needed upgrade), some newer music here and there, and new voice overs for their production. Most of it is crap, but hey, it's newer. Here's hoping they have even newer stuff planned for next year, and keep it fresh for another 6 years. Basically, if you watch a game on NBC, and then watch CBC (or vice versa), you'll know what I'm talking about. NBC takes full advantage of the 'new NHL', including much better access to the players during games. There's an on-ice interview at the end of each period, generally you can hear the mics that the refs wear to announce penalties, and every period or so they do the "Verizon Sounds of the Game", where we get to hear what Sidney Crosby talks about on the bench. Full marks NBC!
Here's another highlight from the NHL.com article, from league commissioner Gary Bettman:
"...this coming Saturday, when Hockey Night in Canada will begin a new tradition which will only enhance the viewing pleasure for hockey fans in this country: Both games of the double-header will be provided in high definition."
Sweet, it's been low-def Oilers, Flames and Canucks for too long! Well done! Hopefully this doesn't mean they've stolen some HD cameras from the Leafs and will continue to offer 'fake HD', where the main camera is HD, but any side or opposite angles are decidedly standard definition. Anyways, you take what you can get in this country.
The article mentions that the CBC's beloved "Hockey Day in Canada" (the annual triple header featuring all six Canadian teams) will continue...hmmm, last I heard, the NHL was committed to its current ridiculous schedule, which doesn't even have each Canadian team meet next year!
But wait there's more. And this is the biggest news, if you ask me (from the CBC article):
"Also, a multimedia package including live and on-demand video streaming of all CBC's hockey broadcasts will be available online at CBC.ca in the near future. That means fans in Canada will be able to watch any Hockey Night in Canada broadcast on CBC.ca, regardless of what game is being broadcast in their area of the country."
Hallejujah!!!! I streamed a game off Comcast's site Friday night, and it was awesome. The game wasn't on anywhere locally, but since I was able to stream it, it DOESN'T MATTER WHERE I LIVE (unlike LEAFSTV)! I get the feeling I'm gonna be watching a lot more hockey now that I can just go to CBC.ca and click on the feed I want. Damn, I think I'm drooling. Here's hoping for a decent resolution, 30 fps, and Quicktime (Please Lord, don't let them fall into the Windows Media trap that NHL.com lives in). CBC currently uses Quicktime and Real Media (yikes...but I think that's just for the older Linux crowd).
Ok, well that's about all I have to say on this at the moment. Gotta let it sink in. I think I'm fine with CBC having the rights (not that I can do anything anyways), as long as they step up and prove that they deserve it, instead of winning it just cause they're the incumbent and "Canada's Network", despite what the numbers say. Richard Stursburg is the newly minted head of CBC Sports, so hopefully he's watched a few other broadcasts in his day (he used to run the show over at TSN, so there's hope!). Let's see some more HD cameras and much much better production. Truth be told, I didn't want to pony up to the extra tiers from my cable company just to get TSN HD (your area may vary). I'd rather cancel the cable outright, and live off the 'tubes, which as of today, has become a lot more realistic.
No, the main victory from today is the streaming games. Looking forward to it...I wonder when it takes effect, probably not until 2008? I was hoping this week, the most exciting playoff race (in the Eastern Conference) in years! Go Leafs Go!
To be honest, I was kinda in Bell Globemedia's corner (CTV, TSN) for the past couple years, ever since I found out the rights were up for renewal. I've grown exhausted of the overall quality (or lackluster) of CBC's production. Don't get me wrong, I love Bob Cole and Harry Neale, may they live to be 1000 years old. And Ron MacLean and Don Cherry are Canadian staples, although if I never have to watch Ron interview Colin Campbell again, I'd be alright. But, I'm talking about PRODUCTION...sound (mixing, levels, quality and creative use of), music beds, graphics, stats, interactivity, etc. On these fronts, CBC is about 15 years behind TSN, 30 years behind NBC. But that's just me.
On the other hand. CBC recently, maybe 6 weeks ago, updated all their graphics (except the GIANT in-game time clock, the most needed upgrade), some newer music here and there, and new voice overs for their production. Most of it is crap, but hey, it's newer. Here's hoping they have even newer stuff planned for next year, and keep it fresh for another 6 years. Basically, if you watch a game on NBC, and then watch CBC (or vice versa), you'll know what I'm talking about. NBC takes full advantage of the 'new NHL', including much better access to the players during games. There's an on-ice interview at the end of each period, generally you can hear the mics that the refs wear to announce penalties, and every period or so they do the "Verizon Sounds of the Game", where we get to hear what Sidney Crosby talks about on the bench. Full marks NBC!
Here's another highlight from the NHL.com article, from league commissioner Gary Bettman:
"...this coming Saturday, when Hockey Night in Canada will begin a new tradition which will only enhance the viewing pleasure for hockey fans in this country: Both games of the double-header will be provided in high definition."
Sweet, it's been low-def Oilers, Flames and Canucks for too long! Well done! Hopefully this doesn't mean they've stolen some HD cameras from the Leafs and will continue to offer 'fake HD', where the main camera is HD, but any side or opposite angles are decidedly standard definition. Anyways, you take what you can get in this country.
The article mentions that the CBC's beloved "Hockey Day in Canada" (the annual triple header featuring all six Canadian teams) will continue...hmmm, last I heard, the NHL was committed to its current ridiculous schedule, which doesn't even have each Canadian team meet next year!
But wait there's more. And this is the biggest news, if you ask me (from the CBC article):
"Also, a multimedia package including live and on-demand video streaming of all CBC's hockey broadcasts will be available online at CBC.ca in the near future. That means fans in Canada will be able to watch any Hockey Night in Canada broadcast on CBC.ca, regardless of what game is being broadcast in their area of the country."
Hallejujah!!!! I streamed a game off Comcast's site Friday night, and it was awesome. The game wasn't on anywhere locally, but since I was able to stream it, it DOESN'T MATTER WHERE I LIVE (unlike LEAFSTV)! I get the feeling I'm gonna be watching a lot more hockey now that I can just go to CBC.ca and click on the feed I want. Damn, I think I'm drooling. Here's hoping for a decent resolution, 30 fps, and Quicktime (Please Lord, don't let them fall into the Windows Media trap that NHL.com lives in). CBC currently uses Quicktime and Real Media (yikes...but I think that's just for the older Linux crowd).
Ok, well that's about all I have to say on this at the moment. Gotta let it sink in. I think I'm fine with CBC having the rights (not that I can do anything anyways), as long as they step up and prove that they deserve it, instead of winning it just cause they're the incumbent and "Canada's Network", despite what the numbers say. Richard Stursburg is the newly minted head of CBC Sports, so hopefully he's watched a few other broadcasts in his day (he used to run the show over at TSN, so there's hope!). Let's see some more HD cameras and much much better production. Truth be told, I didn't want to pony up to the extra tiers from my cable company just to get TSN HD (your area may vary). I'd rather cancel the cable outright, and live off the 'tubes, which as of today, has become a lot more realistic.
No, the main victory from today is the streaming games. Looking forward to it...I wonder when it takes effect, probably not until 2008? I was hoping this week, the most exciting playoff race (in the Eastern Conference) in years! Go Leafs Go!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
TV Listings Web Site That Actually Doesn't Suck
While this may be old news to any of my fellow TV junkies out there, gotta spread the word...Allow me to introduce the hands-down best site for TV listings that I've ever come across, Snapstream's Couchville.com!
Just cruise over to their page, enter your postal code, choose your TV provider, (de)select any channels you want shown in the grid, and voila. Now you have a grid you can drag, with a little red line that moves as time passes, and you can click on any show you want and it actually gives you decent information (repeats, cast, etc). Much beyond what even my set top box shows.
Seems to only work in Firefox, but that's no shocker. Anyways, just share the happiness, for all of us who've long suffered the set top guide, or worse, the Channel 13 scroll listings...
Just cruise over to their page, enter your postal code, choose your TV provider, (de)select any channels you want shown in the grid, and voila. Now you have a grid you can drag, with a little red line that moves as time passes, and you can click on any show you want and it actually gives you decent information (repeats, cast, etc). Much beyond what even my set top box shows.
Seems to only work in Firefox, but that's no shocker. Anyways, just share the happiness, for all of us who've long suffered the set top guide, or worse, the Channel 13 scroll listings...
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
O Canada, We Sit and Wait for AppleTV...
Ok, I just read this interesting blog entry regarding the new AppleTV device, specifically the current lack of Canadian content for the thing.
So, I felt inclined to add my two cents...which grew into about $10 worth of analysis of the CRTC, Canadian Networks, the future of broadcasting, and of course, Canadian content (the quality, the lack, the marketing, etc). My comment is #7 on that page, but I'll post it here as well, just cause it took so long to write, but please check out the link above to get the whole context:
While there's nothing I like better than ripping into the CRTC (except maybe ripping into the CBC), I feel Canadian content creators/owners/distributors themselves are also to blame. They need to be ones pushing the CRTC (and maybe they're trying, who knows?) to be better and more competitive. Our system in this country just flat out does not work.
Take this evening for example. CBS is running Survivor tonight (Wednesday) instead of the regular Thursday slot, due to basketball or something. But wait a minute, Global runs Survivor on Thursdays...Bones and Prison Break are on Wednesdays...what's Global gonna do?! Survivor is no good a day later, due to co-worker induced spoilers, but if they bump their regular programming to match CBS tonight, then they'll lose viewers for tomorrow nights' regular shows, people who tune in tomorrow, expecting Survior, and those expecting a day-late Bones or House or whatever else Global bought up at the big conventions down south. Also, they likely won't have prepared any promos this past week telling people when to find their shows, since we don't seem to produce episode specific promos in Canada. Blah, makes my skin crawl.
If there was any thinking, internet-savvy people in higher up positions, then I'd be able to launch iTunes, browse to the CTV section of the Canadian iTunes Store, and buy, download and watch Degrassi, Corner Gas and Robson Arms (If I wanted to, just for example). Also, I could browse to the Movie section and choose from a wide variety of Canadian films, most of which people have never heard of, because people here also do not understand marketing. They think if they open a film on 25 screens across Canada, then that's a huge widespread success?! And most never even come out on DVD...rediculous! They spend their entire marketing budget on a few bus boards in downtown Toronto, useless.
Internet Baby! iTunes, and online distribution methods like it, are the way to go, it's painfully obvious. But I'll give credit where it's due, CTV does manage to stream (Windows Media...yuck) shows on their site, and I visit TSN Broadband every day during the hockey season (especially since I don't get TSN on my cable box, cause I'd HAVE TO subscribe to the analog tier in order to get the HD feed...the main reason I hate the CRTC).
Where was I...blinded by my own rage here. Oh yes, the CRTC. As luck would have it, they are up for a review this year, and I'm praying the Conservatives will blow them up but good. This is the only way to save Canadian content providers: not by propping them up with 'blood money' made from second-rate simulcasting of US shows and running the same Tim Horton's and Subway ad every single break, sometimes the same ad back to back. No, but to challenge them to find new avenues to get their content to the people who want it the most.
I also prefer to watch the US feed of 24. Global's feed removes not only the US HD ads, which I prefer over the Canadian low-def poorly lit slap-stick (even though I mostly fast forward everything anyways), but they also remove the pre-show promos voiced by Big Voice Guy, Don LaFontaine...plus, they also shove their cheap looking 'Viewer Discretion' warnings into every commerical break. Bah, who needs it, I'll just watch it on the West Coast feed, which thankfully is not simulcrapsted.
But wait, if we Canadians watch all our favourite US shows on US networks, won't that kill Canadian advertising, which Canadian networks use to fund new Canadian shows? Well, no, I don't really think so. The fact is, a good show is a good show...I don't care where it comes from (My favourite show is the British "The Office", for example). Let's look at Corner Gas. They've been averaging 1.6 million viewers, making it one of the highest rated Canadian shows. You think people are watching it for the Subway ads?!!??! Nope.
Advertising during a TV show is an outdated model. It's also expensive, that's why so few do it well. I know I would jump at the chance to sell my show direct (via iTunes, or other online method) to my fans! That's the pool of opportunity Canadian content providers need to dive headfirst into. You think Avril Lavigne gives a damn if her songs are played on Canadian radio?! No, but I'll bet she's interested in seeing those iTunes sales numbers!!! Hence all the bonus content you're finding on iTunes music these days...free music videos, alternate mixes, PDFs of lyrics and art, and concert tickets, etc.
Everything is a marketing opportunity, if people use their heads.
I think my point a minute ago was supposed to be, if Canadian broadcasters would quit spending all their money on licencing US content, and instead develop their own shows, we would start to see higher quality Canadian content, and more of it. People don't care where content comes from, they'll watch it if it's good and they like it. We're so protective in Canada, but at some point you have to just worry about playing your own game, not worry what the other team is doing...sorry, watching the Leafs trying to get into the playoffs these past weeks is wearing me down. ;)
The government already has the Canadian Television Fund, which all the cable companies pay into to fund home grown programming. But then when the show is made, they bury it against Hockey Night in Canada, instead of running them in decent timeslots against, dare I say it, American shows. America churns out the same percentage of crap as we do, don't worry. I say it's time to rise to the challenge. But bottom line, nothing will get watched if you don't market it...put out the pilot on iTunes (or the show's own web site), stuff like that.
Anyway, broadcasting may not be completely dead just yet (live sports for example), and ads will always be around. Either we buy the shows outright (TV on DVD, iTunes), or get them free, but with ads. I would love to see more Canadians take advantage of the freedom of the Internet. Cut out the middle man, in this case, the dinosaurs at the CRTC and cable companies, and sell direct to your audience.
The Apple TV will hopefully provide the missing link for many people to send digital content to their living room. I think it's pretty cool, although I have a lot content not in iTunes which may not play, and I already have my iMac hooked to my HDTV with a 20ft DVI cable anyways.
Thanks for your time, I didn't intend to write this much, but my blood just boils when I think of all the content we're "not allowed" to get in this country. And when I think of all the content we should be making on our own, but we're too worried about CSI and Law & Order. On the other hand, there's plenty of hockey to watch! Course, hockey has it's own regional ridiculousness, try being a Leafs fan outside of "Leafs Nation"...
Bottom line, Canadians should be all over iTunes...buyers and sellers alike. Here's hoping those screenshots from the new iTunes are indeed signs of things to come, sooner the better!
Also, I read an article earlier today about how all the best Canadian writers go South to write for US shows. Maybe if we produced more shows here, some of them might stay? We have plenty of talent, just look at our roster of world famous comic actors.
All this being said, I myself have not yet sent a letter to the CRTC, which is pretty lame of me, I just haven't made the time, but I will. Here's some decent contact info, looks like they have fancy new forms and everything:
http://support.crtc.gc.ca/CRTCSubmissionMU/forms/main.aspx?lang=e
Might I recommend the "Complaints and Inquiries" button? :) I'm gonna tell them I really don't approve of simulcasting...let me watch American shows the American way, and I'll watch Canadian shows the Canadian way, whatever that ends up being. I'm paying the Canadian cable company to get the US networks, I fail to see where it says I don't get to watch them in their entirety!
The CRTC site says your complaint will be responded to within 10 business days, so they do read them. I did send an email to TSN last week thanking them for TSN Broadband, but I also asked them why doesn't it work in Safari yet, etc. Somebody will read it, and that's enough to make it worth it. It feels better to get it off your chest.
One more thing, a good site for more information on all things Canadian Production-related: playbackmag.com
So, I felt inclined to add my two cents...which grew into about $10 worth of analysis of the CRTC, Canadian Networks, the future of broadcasting, and of course, Canadian content (the quality, the lack, the marketing, etc). My comment is #7 on that page, but I'll post it here as well, just cause it took so long to write, but please check out the link above to get the whole context:
While there's nothing I like better than ripping into the CRTC (except maybe ripping into the CBC), I feel Canadian content creators/owners/distributors themselves are also to blame. They need to be ones pushing the CRTC (and maybe they're trying, who knows?) to be better and more competitive. Our system in this country just flat out does not work.
Take this evening for example. CBS is running Survivor tonight (Wednesday) instead of the regular Thursday slot, due to basketball or something. But wait a minute, Global runs Survivor on Thursdays...Bones and Prison Break are on Wednesdays...what's Global gonna do?! Survivor is no good a day later, due to co-worker induced spoilers, but if they bump their regular programming to match CBS tonight, then they'll lose viewers for tomorrow nights' regular shows, people who tune in tomorrow, expecting Survior, and those expecting a day-late Bones or House or whatever else Global bought up at the big conventions down south. Also, they likely won't have prepared any promos this past week telling people when to find their shows, since we don't seem to produce episode specific promos in Canada. Blah, makes my skin crawl.
If there was any thinking, internet-savvy people in higher up positions, then I'd be able to launch iTunes, browse to the CTV section of the Canadian iTunes Store, and buy, download and watch Degrassi, Corner Gas and Robson Arms (If I wanted to, just for example). Also, I could browse to the Movie section and choose from a wide variety of Canadian films, most of which people have never heard of, because people here also do not understand marketing. They think if they open a film on 25 screens across Canada, then that's a huge widespread success?! And most never even come out on DVD...rediculous! They spend their entire marketing budget on a few bus boards in downtown Toronto, useless.
Internet Baby! iTunes, and online distribution methods like it, are the way to go, it's painfully obvious. But I'll give credit where it's due, CTV does manage to stream (Windows Media...yuck) shows on their site, and I visit TSN Broadband every day during the hockey season (especially since I don't get TSN on my cable box, cause I'd HAVE TO subscribe to the analog tier in order to get the HD feed...the main reason I hate the CRTC).
Where was I...blinded by my own rage here. Oh yes, the CRTC. As luck would have it, they are up for a review this year, and I'm praying the Conservatives will blow them up but good. This is the only way to save Canadian content providers: not by propping them up with 'blood money' made from second-rate simulcasting of US shows and running the same Tim Horton's and Subway ad every single break, sometimes the same ad back to back. No, but to challenge them to find new avenues to get their content to the people who want it the most.
I also prefer to watch the US feed of 24. Global's feed removes not only the US HD ads, which I prefer over the Canadian low-def poorly lit slap-stick (even though I mostly fast forward everything anyways), but they also remove the pre-show promos voiced by Big Voice Guy, Don LaFontaine...plus, they also shove their cheap looking 'Viewer Discretion' warnings into every commerical break. Bah, who needs it, I'll just watch it on the West Coast feed, which thankfully is not simulcrapsted.
But wait, if we Canadians watch all our favourite US shows on US networks, won't that kill Canadian advertising, which Canadian networks use to fund new Canadian shows? Well, no, I don't really think so. The fact is, a good show is a good show...I don't care where it comes from (My favourite show is the British "The Office", for example). Let's look at Corner Gas. They've been averaging 1.6 million viewers, making it one of the highest rated Canadian shows. You think people are watching it for the Subway ads?!!??! Nope.
Advertising during a TV show is an outdated model. It's also expensive, that's why so few do it well. I know I would jump at the chance to sell my show direct (via iTunes, or other online method) to my fans! That's the pool of opportunity Canadian content providers need to dive headfirst into. You think Avril Lavigne gives a damn if her songs are played on Canadian radio?! No, but I'll bet she's interested in seeing those iTunes sales numbers!!! Hence all the bonus content you're finding on iTunes music these days...free music videos, alternate mixes, PDFs of lyrics and art, and concert tickets, etc.
Everything is a marketing opportunity, if people use their heads.
I think my point a minute ago was supposed to be, if Canadian broadcasters would quit spending all their money on licencing US content, and instead develop their own shows, we would start to see higher quality Canadian content, and more of it. People don't care where content comes from, they'll watch it if it's good and they like it. We're so protective in Canada, but at some point you have to just worry about playing your own game, not worry what the other team is doing...sorry, watching the Leafs trying to get into the playoffs these past weeks is wearing me down. ;)
The government already has the Canadian Television Fund, which all the cable companies pay into to fund home grown programming. But then when the show is made, they bury it against Hockey Night in Canada, instead of running them in decent timeslots against, dare I say it, American shows. America churns out the same percentage of crap as we do, don't worry. I say it's time to rise to the challenge. But bottom line, nothing will get watched if you don't market it...put out the pilot on iTunes (or the show's own web site), stuff like that.
Anyway, broadcasting may not be completely dead just yet (live sports for example), and ads will always be around. Either we buy the shows outright (TV on DVD, iTunes), or get them free, but with ads. I would love to see more Canadians take advantage of the freedom of the Internet. Cut out the middle man, in this case, the dinosaurs at the CRTC and cable companies, and sell direct to your audience.
The Apple TV will hopefully provide the missing link for many people to send digital content to their living room. I think it's pretty cool, although I have a lot content not in iTunes which may not play, and I already have my iMac hooked to my HDTV with a 20ft DVI cable anyways.
Thanks for your time, I didn't intend to write this much, but my blood just boils when I think of all the content we're "not allowed" to get in this country. And when I think of all the content we should be making on our own, but we're too worried about CSI and Law & Order. On the other hand, there's plenty of hockey to watch! Course, hockey has it's own regional ridiculousness, try being a Leafs fan outside of "Leafs Nation"...
Bottom line, Canadians should be all over iTunes...buyers and sellers alike. Here's hoping those screenshots from the new iTunes are indeed signs of things to come, sooner the better!
Also, I read an article earlier today about how all the best Canadian writers go South to write for US shows. Maybe if we produced more shows here, some of them might stay? We have plenty of talent, just look at our roster of world famous comic actors.
All this being said, I myself have not yet sent a letter to the CRTC, which is pretty lame of me, I just haven't made the time, but I will. Here's some decent contact info, looks like they have fancy new forms and everything:
http://support.crtc.gc.ca/CRTCSubmissionMU/forms/main.aspx?lang=e
Might I recommend the "Complaints and Inquiries" button? :) I'm gonna tell them I really don't approve of simulcasting...let me watch American shows the American way, and I'll watch Canadian shows the Canadian way, whatever that ends up being. I'm paying the Canadian cable company to get the US networks, I fail to see where it says I don't get to watch them in their entirety!
The CRTC site says your complaint will be responded to within 10 business days, so they do read them. I did send an email to TSN last week thanking them for TSN Broadband, but I also asked them why doesn't it work in Safari yet, etc. Somebody will read it, and that's enough to make it worth it. It feels better to get it off your chest.
One more thing, a good site for more information on all things Canadian Production-related: playbackmag.com
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Ah, streaming games...oh wait...
http://mapleleafs.insinc.com/
Now you too can sign up to beta test (for $4) LeafsTV's first streaming regular season game, Tuesday vs Washington. Excited? Yeah, so was I, until I looked closer. Don't get too excited, cause once again for the usual insane reasons, you have to LIVE IN THE MAPLE LEAFS REGION in order to stream the game....sigh.
The 'beta test' is limited to 5000 people anyway, but it would have been nice to at least have a shot at it. Well, maybe if the Oilers or Calgary ever stream games I can qualify for that, since they're in my 'region'. Course, with Ryan Smyth gone to the Island, there's not much point in watching the Oilers.
Nice try fellas, guess I'm saving $4 next week. Amazingly that's actually a decent price if the stream is high quality, compatible with Macs, etc. Looks like you can choose your own camera angles, etc...reminds me of the promises made back when the Information Superhighway was first being paved.
Ok, gotta go Google how to spoof my IP, make it look like I live on the corner of Bay St and the Gardiner Express Way...dunno why they don't want my money, I guess non-Leafs Region money is worth less once it gets to the GTA? Is there a provincial exchange rate I haven't been made aware of? Do I love the Leafs less than my regional-rivals?
In the future what would be cool is to go to nhl.com, and there's a huge menu there of every game, regular season and playoffs, for every team. Pick your team, pick your game, add to cart, and boom, streaming Leafs delivered to your digital door. What'd be even cooler is if they use Quicktime...Windows Media and the NHL need to get a divorce, but I feel like I've harped on that before.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Does Jim Lang Really Love NASCAR?
OK, so I was perusing my usually aggregation of headlines courtesy Google Reader, and when I got to Sportsnet's Jim Lang's blog, I couldn't help but notice it doesn't appear to be written by the Jim himself (see screenshot). Who the heck is Rob MacNeil, and why is he putting his name on Jim's entries?! Cause when you go to the actual blog, Rob's name isn't there.
I don't subscribe to the other Sportnet blogs, just the "Hockey Hearsay" feed, and that one appears to be written by "ryanjohnston". So maybe it's just the name of the guy posting it. Pretty weird though, I mean, why wouldn't they just put "Sportsnet" in the name field.
Anyway, just thought it was worth mentioning, but not worth spending more than 5 minutes on. Just kinda shattered my illusions for a minute there.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Pretty Dead Things...
OK, here's the quick version, since Blogger has once again kindly reminded me to keep these things short and sweet...seems once I get rolling on an entry, the browser crashes. Guess we don't share the same sense of humour...? Actually, I'm gonna type this up in NeoOffice, which auto-saves every minute, then add the links later, let's see them try to stop me now!
I was in the process of telling the story about how my Maxtor One Touch II external 200GB drive died this weekend. I had been using it flawlessly for the past week at my work to provide some extra room for my projects. On Friday when I was done, I re-saved everything back to the internal drives so our server could back it up, and so I could bring my drive home.
However, once I got it home and plugged it in, the two blue LEDs on its face would just blink in unison. The drive still sounded like it was still spinning up, and a Google search suggested that the enclosure itself is probably dead, but most people pop the drive out into another enclosure with good success.
Fortunately, I already had such an enclosure. So I popped the Maxtor case open, removed the drive, and stuck it in the Ultra. Attaching it to my Mac in the usual fashion (via Firewire)...nothing. Ok, try the other FW port...nothing. Hmm. Try the USB port. Nope. The drive inside wasn't spinning up, similar to how it was in the Maxtor. But it wasn't my ports.
Yes, the Ultra enclosure turned out to have died also. Yes, extremely weird timing.
So, a quick perusal of the usual online hardware retailers (NCIX, FutureShop, Best Buy, Staples) and I found the AcomData 590 USB at Staples for $43. So far, it's working great. It's kind of a hassle to get the drive in there, the instructions are actually missing a couple steps (such as “screw the stand to the actual drive, don't just leave it hanging loose like sleeve of wizard”) but once it is, it ain't movin'! And it's fanless, which is required for me, I can't tolerate fan noise, hence the iMac.
Also, I picked up a Digital Research Technologies 500GB drive for $200 at Best Buy on Friday. Now my iMac has it's 500GB safely mirrored externally, and it can be booted from in case of emergency, thanks to SuperDuper, the ultimate drive mirroring software for not a lot of money.
So, I didn't lose any data, but it was quite a couple of days. Anyway, better post this before Blogger gets angry again. I was using FireFox, but that's two strikes, so I'm back to Safari. Safari integration is pretty sad though, it doesn't let you do any sort of formatting, check spelling, add pictues, or even links. Stupid. But it's free.
I was in the process of telling the story about how my Maxtor One Touch II external 200GB drive died this weekend. I had been using it flawlessly for the past week at my work to provide some extra room for my projects. On Friday when I was done, I re-saved everything back to the internal drives so our server could back it up, and so I could bring my drive home.
However, once I got it home and plugged it in, the two blue LEDs on its face would just blink in unison. The drive still sounded like it was still spinning up, and a Google search suggested that the enclosure itself is probably dead, but most people pop the drive out into another enclosure with good success.
Fortunately, I already had such an enclosure. So I popped the Maxtor case open, removed the drive, and stuck it in the Ultra. Attaching it to my Mac in the usual fashion (via Firewire)...nothing. Ok, try the other FW port...nothing. Hmm. Try the USB port. Nope. The drive inside wasn't spinning up, similar to how it was in the Maxtor. But it wasn't my ports.
Yes, the Ultra enclosure turned out to have died also. Yes, extremely weird timing.
So, a quick perusal of the usual online hardware retailers (NCIX, FutureShop, Best Buy, Staples) and I found the AcomData 590 USB at Staples for $43. So far, it's working great. It's kind of a hassle to get the drive in there, the instructions are actually missing a couple steps (such as “screw the stand to the actual drive, don't just leave it hanging loose like sleeve of wizard”) but once it is, it ain't movin'! And it's fanless, which is required for me, I can't tolerate fan noise, hence the iMac.
Also, I picked up a Digital Research Technologies 500GB drive for $200 at Best Buy on Friday. Now my iMac has it's 500GB safely mirrored externally, and it can be booted from in case of emergency, thanks to SuperDuper, the ultimate drive mirroring software for not a lot of money.
So, I didn't lose any data, but it was quite a couple of days. Anyway, better post this before Blogger gets angry again. I was using FireFox, but that's two strikes, so I'm back to Safari. Safari integration is pretty sad though, it doesn't let you do any sort of formatting, check spelling, add pictues, or even links. Stupid. But it's free.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Marlies Losing Money
Just a quick one today. According to Richard Peddie, distinguished President of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, moving the AHL Marlies to Toronto from St. John's, isn't quite the money making scheme they hoped it would be. Basically they're just having a little trouble filling the arena, getting about half the crowds they expected.
And all this time I thought the point was to save on flights when calling up players to fill in for injured Maple Leafs...surely they've made up the difference this year alone!
And one more thing...Apple announced the iPhone yesterday. Here's a more fun link, all the fake mockups and speculated images people were putting together ahead of yesterday's keynote. See if you can pick out the real one...
There, I didn't want to be the only blog in the world to not mention it. Might be a while 'fore it shows up in Canada of course...but that's nothing new.
And all this time I thought the point was to save on flights when calling up players to fill in for injured Maple Leafs...surely they've made up the difference this year alone!
And one more thing...Apple announced the iPhone yesterday. Here's a more fun link, all the fake mockups and speculated images people were putting together ahead of yesterday's keynote. See if you can pick out the real one...
There, I didn't want to be the only blog in the world to not mention it. Might be a while 'fore it shows up in Canada of course...but that's nothing new.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
New Jersey New Arena aka My Blog Ate My Homework
Ok, well, up until three minutes ago I had a witty little post written up about the Devil's new name for their new arena...alas Blogger.com (with help from Firefox via the Devil's web site and a Flash blocking plugin) decided to unceremoniously trash it. Guess I'll be hitting that "save as draft" button down there a little more often!
Anyway, "The Prudential Center" is the new name. I had looked up "prudence" on m-w.com (since that's what sportswriters do when they're stuck for a hook) and found this:
1 : the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason
2 : sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs
3 : skill and good judgment in the use of resources
4 : caution or circumspection as to danger or risk
Then I believe I said something about how numbers 2 and 3 actually fit the New Jersey Devils and their management very well. Blah blah blah Lou Lamoriello's magic wand had removed Malakhov and Mogilny's salaries from this year's books, thus tucking the team safely under the cap, with room to re-sign Scott Gomez, etc. Also fits the team's mastery of the defensive "trap" system, which fueled their way to three Stanley Cup championships in the '90's and '00's, and some of the most boring hockey you've ever seen.
And that's where it died on me.
Anyway, I don't think I even mind the corporate names so much (who else can pony up $100 million for a hockey rink?), maybe it's mostly just the last word in the name, in this case "center". Course they use that word cause it'll also house rock concerts, wrestling, bake sales and car washes, anything that more than one person will pay money to get into. I just miss the old days I guess, with Arenas, Forums and Gardens. But, whatever, it's not the name that matters, it's the caliber of hockey being played under it.
Anyway, "The Prudential Center" is the new name. I had looked up "prudence" on m-w.com (since that's what sportswriters do when they're stuck for a hook) and found this:
1 : the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason
2 : sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs
3 : skill and good judgment in the use of resources
4 : caution or circumspection as to danger or risk
Then I believe I said something about how numbers 2 and 3 actually fit the New Jersey Devils and their management very well. Blah blah blah Lou Lamoriello's magic wand had removed Malakhov and Mogilny's salaries from this year's books, thus tucking the team safely under the cap, with room to re-sign Scott Gomez, etc. Also fits the team's mastery of the defensive "trap" system, which fueled their way to three Stanley Cup championships in the '90's and '00's, and some of the most boring hockey you've ever seen.
And that's where it died on me.
Anyway, I don't think I even mind the corporate names so much (who else can pony up $100 million for a hockey rink?), maybe it's mostly just the last word in the name, in this case "center". Course they use that word cause it'll also house rock concerts, wrestling, bake sales and car washes, anything that more than one person will pay money to get into. I just miss the old days I guess, with Arenas, Forums and Gardens. But, whatever, it's not the name that matters, it's the caliber of hockey being played under it.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Stupid Arena Names for $1000 Alex!
Ok, so maybe you thought, like I did, that it wouldn't get worse than the "Gaylord Entertainment Centre" in Nashville. Well, yeah, so maybe that one is still the king, but here's the latest groan-tastic act of greed disguised as an attempt to repell feelings of inadequacy masquerading as corporate showboating (from the Toronto Star):
"NICE HANDLE: Jobing.com has acquired the naming rights to Glendale Arena, home of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. The arena, which now will be known as Jobing.com Arena, had been without a corporate sponsor since it opened in December 2003. Jobing.com, a Phoenix-based online employment service, will pay $2.5 million (U.S.) per year in the 10-year agreement, the team announced yesterday."
R.I.P. Montreal Forum...you too, Maple Leaf Gardens, we'll all be joining you soon.
Reminds me of when The Mosaic Company bought the rights to Taylor Field in Regina this summer. Except everyone still calls it Taylor Field, or at worst it's Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field...you don't get rid of Taylor that easily! To say nothing of the fact that the annual multicultural festival in Regina is also called Mosaic. How on Earth did the
festival raise enough money to buy the rights to the stadium? Oh, you mean the Potash company is named after the festival? Hmm, well, no time to argue now, we'll miss the game at Taylor Field!
Oh well. I'm not against naming things after corporations, if it pumps some money into the coffers of the city or surrounding area, paves some streets or whatever. But couldn't we all just be a little more choosy when it comes to naming our companies?
And anyway, shouldn't it be "jobbing"? Or is it really "jobing", like in:
"Hey Bob, how's that job hunt coming?"
"Fine Bill, just fine. I hate to do it, but I got a family to feed, right?"
"Yup, you sure do. Must take a lot of patience right?"
"Sure it does Bill, I'm 'Jobing' it up over here!"
Ok, I'll leave you with that to ponder.
"NICE HANDLE: Jobing.com has acquired the naming rights to Glendale Arena, home of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. The arena, which now will be known as Jobing.com Arena, had been without a corporate sponsor since it opened in December 2003. Jobing.com, a Phoenix-based online employment service, will pay $2.5 million (U.S.) per year in the 10-year agreement, the team announced yesterday."
R.I.P. Montreal Forum...you too, Maple Leaf Gardens, we'll all be joining you soon.
Reminds me of when The Mosaic Company bought the rights to Taylor Field in Regina this summer. Except everyone still calls it Taylor Field, or at worst it's Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field...you don't get rid of Taylor that easily! To say nothing of the fact that the annual multicultural festival in Regina is also called Mosaic. How on Earth did the
festival raise enough money to buy the rights to the stadium? Oh, you mean the Potash company is named after the festival? Hmm, well, no time to argue now, we'll miss the game at Taylor Field!
Oh well. I'm not against naming things after corporations, if it pumps some money into the coffers of the city or surrounding area, paves some streets or whatever. But couldn't we all just be a little more choosy when it comes to naming our companies?
And anyway, shouldn't it be "jobbing"? Or is it really "jobing", like in:
"Hey Bob, how's that job hunt coming?"
"Fine Bill, just fine. I hate to do it, but I got a family to feed, right?"
"Yup, you sure do. Must take a lot of patience right?"
"Sure it does Bill, I'm 'Jobing' it up over here!"
Ok, I'll leave you with that to ponder.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Ah, finger on the pulse...
Ok, take a deep breath, and meet Canadian television's newest mascot, "Global Water Cooler Guy". I wish I was kidding. Read the description too, I love the part about "...he'll be expecting you to gather and discuss...". Yeah, he can expect all he wants, but I don't think we'll be doing that any time soon...I'll might just eat my own blog before that happens.
Yup, pretty sad. This idea is not clever, funny, interesting, or worth-while. Some suit's idea of getting in touch with viewers. "Well Johnson, how can we create buzz this season?" If that's the idea that stuck, I'd like to see the ones that fell to the floor:
"Meet Global-G!" (We see a man-sized Red Letter "G" costume, with a turntable strapped to his chest, and the requisite 'bling'). "Global-G is a real playa playa...he gots all the 411's on Global's supersized off-the-hook Fall lineup...count on Global-G...he'll hook you up witz entertainment, fo' shizzle!"
These are the kind of ideas that happen in top-level executive-style meetings, where out of touch people with nice suits and bad ideas come together to vibrate at the same frequency, or at least close enough to create harmonic distortion. If anything, why isn't he just a big TV?! Perhaps CTV already rented that costume?
I get that they want to promote their shows, as they should...but, let's look closer. First of all, FOX's "Family Guy" is hardly a Global production. Pretty much Canada's entire broadcast business model relies on rebroadcasting, or "simulcasting" shows from the USA, but disguising them to look like local productions. Like I've harped on previously, just open up the iTunes TV Store floodgates in Canada, simulcasting makes no sense in today's world, except for people with dialup and rabbit ears.
If we'd stop the simulcasting and start producing our own shows, then maybe Global Water Cooler Guy would be a little cooler, perhaps even relevant...however, it is what it is. The point is to advertise the shows.
Perhaps another point to quickly touch on is the "guy in big costume" approach to marketing. From the "Fruit of the Loom" guys, to the "Listerine" Hero guy, to chickens selling chicken wings...there's plenty of examples of this tired approach. On the other hand, they're basically the same as those Apple vs PC ads that I like, just that Apple wisely chose to fore go the giant costumes and just use humans in normal clothes...or maybe nobody's thin enough to fit in an iMac costume? No, it was probably rented out already, Halloween's in just a couple weeks after all.
Anyways, I don't wanna get into a big thing here, I just thought I'd share the laugh(s), if there were any to be had.
Yup, pretty sad. This idea is not clever, funny, interesting, or worth-while. Some suit's idea of getting in touch with viewers. "Well Johnson, how can we create buzz this season?" If that's the idea that stuck, I'd like to see the ones that fell to the floor:
"Meet Global-G!" (We see a man-sized Red Letter "G" costume, with a turntable strapped to his chest, and the requisite 'bling'). "Global-G is a real playa playa...he gots all the 411's on Global's supersized off-the-hook Fall lineup...count on Global-G...he'll hook you up witz entertainment, fo' shizzle!"
These are the kind of ideas that happen in top-level executive-style meetings, where out of touch people with nice suits and bad ideas come together to vibrate at the same frequency, or at least close enough to create harmonic distortion. If anything, why isn't he just a big TV?! Perhaps CTV already rented that costume?
I get that they want to promote their shows, as they should...but, let's look closer. First of all, FOX's "Family Guy" is hardly a Global production. Pretty much Canada's entire broadcast business model relies on rebroadcasting, or "simulcasting" shows from the USA, but disguising them to look like local productions. Like I've harped on previously, just open up the iTunes TV Store floodgates in Canada, simulcasting makes no sense in today's world, except for people with dialup and rabbit ears.
If we'd stop the simulcasting and start producing our own shows, then maybe Global Water Cooler Guy would be a little cooler, perhaps even relevant...however, it is what it is. The point is to advertise the shows.
Perhaps another point to quickly touch on is the "guy in big costume" approach to marketing. From the "Fruit of the Loom" guys, to the "Listerine" Hero guy, to chickens selling chicken wings...there's plenty of examples of this tired approach. On the other hand, they're basically the same as those Apple vs PC ads that I like, just that Apple wisely chose to fore go the giant costumes and just use humans in normal clothes...or maybe nobody's thin enough to fit in an iMac costume? No, it was probably rented out already, Halloween's in just a couple weeks after all.
Anyways, I don't wanna get into a big thing here, I just thought I'd share the laugh(s), if there were any to be had.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
NHL 07 for PS2 review
Got around to renting EA Sports' NHL 07 for Playstation2 this past weekend. I haven't played it a ton yet, probably 10 hours, but as with most EA NHL games, that's just about long enough to find every single bug and gripe and problem with it (and wail my annual cries of "How did they miss that?!" and "Don't they test this?!").
However, I'm pleased to say that I'm actually enjoying it a lot so far. For the video hockey obsessed like me who rent or buy every yearly NHL game, I'd describe it as the good parts of NHL 2004 (Dynasty Mode), the graphics of NHL 2005 and 2006 (not much has changed there, course this is not "next-gen" we're talking about, although Sundin no longer appears as a giant fat man (I didn't see Lindros, since I released his virtual-ass to free agency but quick.) If you've never seen NHL 2006, Lindros and Sundin are very very wide men for some reason. Yeah, screenshot would be nice I guess. Picture the fattest hockey player ever to lace 'em up...then double it.
So, let's get to the details. The menus are good again, no longer have that f'ing horrible tenth-of-a-second delay when you move up or down (since 2005, there was always a slight delay on any button press in every menu), unless it's loading a player's stats or whatever. Plus if you hold up and down, you can scroll quickly through your team's roster...this makes a huge difference for us hardcore "Dynasty Mode" fans, since we probably spend more time in the menus than on the ice.
GRAPHICS: Improved all around, the menus are nicer looking than before, easier to read and quicker to get through. There's more in-game cut-scenes, but honestly, I end up skipping a lot of those. The goalie's seem to have better animations this year. Still too big of reflections on the ice...video game companies doesn't seem to think hockey is played on ice so much as it is white coloured glass. Although it does get marked up with skate cuts, etc, on my aging current-gen machine I'd much rather have a higher frame rate. I mean don't waste precious triangles on reflections.
All the old-skool jerseys are here and looking good, and the real coaches are once again behind the bench.
Widescreen...no support this again year in current-gen systems. I don't really expect it, since they want me to buy an XBox360, but the fact that all the player photos are anamorphic (why the long face?) just adds salt to the wound. Last year in 2K6, you could flip into widescreen progressive on the PS2, but the gameplay was still 4:3 (albeit stretched). Oh well, another year or two, we'll get there.
SOUND: This game sounds great, once you turn down the (personal judgement) awful garage rock box set that comes built-in. I apprieciate EA not wasting a ton of money on "big name" songs, and there's a lot of songs (Betcha can't hate just one!)...like last year, off goes the Menu Music slider. Ahh, that's better, now I can focus on my line combinations...Steen, Peca, Stajan...but who will play with Sundin? The best option would be to add your own music (or podcasts...?), but PS2 don't play that way.
Actually, one of the better features this year, although it's not new, just improved, is the "On-Ice" sound. This is where you turn off the recycled Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson commentary, in favour of hearing actual yells and chatter from the players on the ice. I really like this feature, it just adds a big piece of realism that was always missing, if you ask me. I think what's new about this year, and is really cool, is now you can hear the refs and linesmen! It's actually helpful, if you're playing with delayed-offsides, and you dump the puck in when you have a guy trapped, you'll hear the linesman yell "Offside, Offside!". If you clear the zone, then he yells "Go!" or "You're clear!". Good show, EA. Like a character in an aging Archie comic would remark, I dig it the Most.
Other audio goodies include the player's whining for penalties when they get tripped or highsticked, etc. "Come on, ref", "There's two teams out here!", stuff like that. I'm sure there's lots more too, I just haven't played enough yet, looking forward to hearing more, but I really like hearing the officials...maybe it's my hockey-nerdiness shining, but don't knock it til you're heard it. Again, this isn't a new feature, it's a few years old at least, but it's been perfected this year.
GAMEPLAY: EA's marketing this year, understandably, has been focused around the next-gen XBox360 version. So it's hard to find PS2 specific information and reviews...when I did, they were mostly pissed at all the stuff that's missing compared to the 360 version (like what did you think would happen!). Anyway, now that I have the game on-hand, I was pleased to find that some of the much-hyped "analogue skill stick" stuff is available on the PS2, but it's been improved 200% over last year's garbage-stick.
Basically, you skate your player around with the left stick, and use the right stick to make passes. This is a really cool feature once you get the hang of it, and it totally transforms the game from one of constant button mashing, to one of constant stick-flicking, which is much more fun, and is more satisfying when you score a one-timer.
I read a review saying one-timers are all but extinct this year. Couldn't disagree more, that's how I get 80% of my goals, it's both fun and endlessly satisfying, like any good video hockey game should be. I'm playing on Medium, since the computer just cheats on Difficult...same as previous years. LOL. I also like using the stick to win faceoffs, feels more real vs mashing buttons. The CPU seems to always score on his first or second shot, which is suspicious, but I'll reserve judgement on that until I actually learn how to defend. :)
Shooting is R1 and R2 shoulder buttons, which takes time to get used to, since R1 used to be Speed Skate...I'm often shooting the puck when I meant to turn on the jets.
The Dynasty or Franchise Mode seems to be about the same as it always is, which is fine: If it ain't broke, don't break it. New this year is the long awaited salary cap, which actually makes Dynasty Mode worth playing, since you can no longer have $6 million dollar guys at every position, you actually have to think. Not sure what happens when you go over, in real life you're not allowed to play until you get back under (I'm looking at you, New Jersey). I'm $10 million under after blowing out Lindros, Allison and Belfour, so I probably won't find out soon...not until my rookies mature and want more money!
You still earn points you can trade for unlockables by winning games, this year it's called "Trust Level"...something to do with how much the owner trusts you to run his team...I dunno about trust, but it's pretty funny to see the word "Faithless" on the screen, just struck me as weird.
Your players can lose their sticks and then go pick them up. That's a neat little thing to have, and mercifully it doesn't happen too often, so far so good. Dunno if sticks break yet, wouldn't mind seeing that sometime. Oh, and I've only seen the glass break once so far, another too-often event in previous years.
ODDS N' ENDS: As with all EA games, there's a few graphical/AI glitches here and there...like I said, I've only played about 10 hours so far, but I've already seen Tellvqist stop the puck on the goal line, then turn immediately around 180 degrees so not only is the crossbar now reamed through his chest, but he deposits the puck in his own net! I've only seen that once so far, but I know what I saw, and it sucked (I was holding my own in the game until that point...then all bets were off!)
Another odd thing is that when the computer wins a faceoff in his defensive zone back to the D-man, this dude immediately spins around and charges directly towards his own net!! I mean, directly! WTF?! Only by the grace of God does the puck not go in, even when it looks like the puck is firmly planted between the goalie's legs. This happens a lot! It is my belief that EA saw this bug, and instead of being able to fix the AI, instead threw some code in to magically keep the puck out. As dumb as it is, I am glad they seem to have addressed it, cause own-goals might happen in soccer, but I've maybe seen two in my life of hockey watching. And never from the D rushing his own goalie.
SUMMARY: I'll go out on a limb here and give EA's NHL 07 for PS2 an 8 out of 10. Feels weird to rank it so highly after the previous two years of hyper-active, padstacking action, but with the new skill stick moves, Dynasty improvements and enhanced audio, "07" seems like a good bet for my video game hockey needs this season. Bottom line, it looks good, sounds good, and above all, it's fun. Course, I haven't played 2KSports' NHL 2k7 yet, so we'll see. Til then, this is a good purchase, way to go EA, may your anti-competitive monopoly never cease...err, something like that.
However, I'm pleased to say that I'm actually enjoying it a lot so far. For the video hockey obsessed like me who rent or buy every yearly NHL game, I'd describe it as the good parts of NHL 2004 (Dynasty Mode), the graphics of NHL 2005 and 2006 (not much has changed there, course this is not "next-gen" we're talking about, although Sundin no longer appears as a giant fat man (I didn't see Lindros, since I released his virtual-ass to free agency but quick.) If you've never seen NHL 2006, Lindros and Sundin are very very wide men for some reason. Yeah, screenshot would be nice I guess. Picture the fattest hockey player ever to lace 'em up...then double it.
So, let's get to the details. The menus are good again, no longer have that f'ing horrible tenth-of-a-second delay when you move up or down (since 2005, there was always a slight delay on any button press in every menu), unless it's loading a player's stats or whatever. Plus if you hold up and down, you can scroll quickly through your team's roster...this makes a huge difference for us hardcore "Dynasty Mode" fans, since we probably spend more time in the menus than on the ice.
GRAPHICS: Improved all around, the menus are nicer looking than before, easier to read and quicker to get through. There's more in-game cut-scenes, but honestly, I end up skipping a lot of those. The goalie's seem to have better animations this year. Still too big of reflections on the ice...video game companies doesn't seem to think hockey is played on ice so much as it is white coloured glass. Although it does get marked up with skate cuts, etc, on my aging current-gen machine I'd much rather have a higher frame rate. I mean don't waste precious triangles on reflections.
All the old-skool jerseys are here and looking good, and the real coaches are once again behind the bench.
Widescreen...no support this again year in current-gen systems. I don't really expect it, since they want me to buy an XBox360, but the fact that all the player photos are anamorphic (why the long face?) just adds salt to the wound. Last year in 2K6, you could flip into widescreen progressive on the PS2, but the gameplay was still 4:3 (albeit stretched). Oh well, another year or two, we'll get there.
SOUND: This game sounds great, once you turn down the (personal judgement) awful garage rock box set that comes built-in. I apprieciate EA not wasting a ton of money on "big name" songs, and there's a lot of songs (Betcha can't hate just one!)...like last year, off goes the Menu Music slider. Ahh, that's better, now I can focus on my line combinations...Steen, Peca, Stajan...but who will play with Sundin? The best option would be to add your own music (or podcasts...?), but PS2 don't play that way.
Actually, one of the better features this year, although it's not new, just improved, is the "On-Ice" sound. This is where you turn off the recycled Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson commentary, in favour of hearing actual yells and chatter from the players on the ice. I really like this feature, it just adds a big piece of realism that was always missing, if you ask me. I think what's new about this year, and is really cool, is now you can hear the refs and linesmen! It's actually helpful, if you're playing with delayed-offsides, and you dump the puck in when you have a guy trapped, you'll hear the linesman yell "Offside, Offside!". If you clear the zone, then he yells "Go!" or "You're clear!". Good show, EA. Like a character in an aging Archie comic would remark, I dig it the Most.
Other audio goodies include the player's whining for penalties when they get tripped or highsticked, etc. "Come on, ref", "There's two teams out here!", stuff like that. I'm sure there's lots more too, I just haven't played enough yet, looking forward to hearing more, but I really like hearing the officials...maybe it's my hockey-nerdiness shining, but don't knock it til you're heard it. Again, this isn't a new feature, it's a few years old at least, but it's been perfected this year.
GAMEPLAY: EA's marketing this year, understandably, has been focused around the next-gen XBox360 version. So it's hard to find PS2 specific information and reviews...when I did, they were mostly pissed at all the stuff that's missing compared to the 360 version (like what did you think would happen!). Anyway, now that I have the game on-hand, I was pleased to find that some of the much-hyped "analogue skill stick" stuff is available on the PS2, but it's been improved 200% over last year's garbage-stick.
Basically, you skate your player around with the left stick, and use the right stick to make passes. This is a really cool feature once you get the hang of it, and it totally transforms the game from one of constant button mashing, to one of constant stick-flicking, which is much more fun, and is more satisfying when you score a one-timer.
I read a review saying one-timers are all but extinct this year. Couldn't disagree more, that's how I get 80% of my goals, it's both fun and endlessly satisfying, like any good video hockey game should be. I'm playing on Medium, since the computer just cheats on Difficult...same as previous years. LOL. I also like using the stick to win faceoffs, feels more real vs mashing buttons. The CPU seems to always score on his first or second shot, which is suspicious, but I'll reserve judgement on that until I actually learn how to defend. :)
Shooting is R1 and R2 shoulder buttons, which takes time to get used to, since R1 used to be Speed Skate...I'm often shooting the puck when I meant to turn on the jets.
The Dynasty or Franchise Mode seems to be about the same as it always is, which is fine: If it ain't broke, don't break it. New this year is the long awaited salary cap, which actually makes Dynasty Mode worth playing, since you can no longer have $6 million dollar guys at every position, you actually have to think. Not sure what happens when you go over, in real life you're not allowed to play until you get back under (I'm looking at you, New Jersey). I'm $10 million under after blowing out Lindros, Allison and Belfour, so I probably won't find out soon...not until my rookies mature and want more money!
You still earn points you can trade for unlockables by winning games, this year it's called "Trust Level"...something to do with how much the owner trusts you to run his team...I dunno about trust, but it's pretty funny to see the word "Faithless" on the screen, just struck me as weird.
Your players can lose their sticks and then go pick them up. That's a neat little thing to have, and mercifully it doesn't happen too often, so far so good. Dunno if sticks break yet, wouldn't mind seeing that sometime. Oh, and I've only seen the glass break once so far, another too-often event in previous years.
ODDS N' ENDS: As with all EA games, there's a few graphical/AI glitches here and there...like I said, I've only played about 10 hours so far, but I've already seen Tellvqist stop the puck on the goal line, then turn immediately around 180 degrees so not only is the crossbar now reamed through his chest, but he deposits the puck in his own net! I've only seen that once so far, but I know what I saw, and it sucked (I was holding my own in the game until that point...then all bets were off!)
Another odd thing is that when the computer wins a faceoff in his defensive zone back to the D-man, this dude immediately spins around and charges directly towards his own net!! I mean, directly! WTF?! Only by the grace of God does the puck not go in, even when it looks like the puck is firmly planted between the goalie's legs. This happens a lot! It is my belief that EA saw this bug, and instead of being able to fix the AI, instead threw some code in to magically keep the puck out. As dumb as it is, I am glad they seem to have addressed it, cause own-goals might happen in soccer, but I've maybe seen two in my life of hockey watching. And never from the D rushing his own goalie.
SUMMARY: I'll go out on a limb here and give EA's NHL 07 for PS2 an 8 out of 10. Feels weird to rank it so highly after the previous two years of hyper-active, padstacking action, but with the new skill stick moves, Dynasty improvements and enhanced audio, "07" seems like a good bet for my video game hockey needs this season. Bottom line, it looks good, sounds good, and above all, it's fun. Course, I haven't played 2KSports' NHL 2k7 yet, so we'll see. Til then, this is a good purchase, way to go EA, may your anti-competitive monopoly never cease...err, something like that.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
LOL - HD-DVD DOA
You know, there's nothing like a little comeuppance. A little "Next-Gen Justice", if you will. Surfing the tech headlines today found this delightful article, which lays out the path for the coming demise of the so-called "Next-Gen" home video formats, HD-DVD and BluRay.
Now, before we get too far into this, I will say that just because one article says they aren't selling well, doesn't mean the whole thing is collapsing...but, at the very least, things are looking up (or down, if you're a member of the HD-DVD or BluRay camps). I'm very passionate about seeing the format war end, so we can all get on with it (it being enjoying HD content), so thought I'd help spread the word.
Basically, these players aren't selling well...at all. Not at all. Very poorly. Bad. No interest. Nope. Sorry. Better luck next time.
Wonder why...oh wait, it couldn't be the lack of titles maybe? Maybe the high costs? The players are about $600 to $1200 CDN. The movies are $40 to $50. And the selection is not good..."RV" for $45?! "Into the Blue" for $38?! Nah, couldn't be the problem.
Why am I so interested in the failure of these Next-Gen formats? Well, I guess for starters, it's the fact that there is even a format war at all. A couple years ago, and even up until earlier this year, they (the companies responsible for this mess) had their chance to make nice, and create a unified standard where everybody wins and consumers come to the till with their wallets raging, and hearts full of joy for the chance to experience HD content on their new HD-TVs (another not-so-hidden cost of Next-Gen).
Nope, they blew it. Couldn't agree...we all can't share a pie, they each said, cause then my piece will be smaller, and I don't like small pie, I only like big pie. That is not a direct quote.
And so there was no unitedness, and thus two competing formats emerged. Confusing, yes. Each format boasts similar specs, couple differences here and there. I never really paid much attention, cause I figured I won't be making the Next-Gen leap until the better format wins.
Now, if I thought that to myself, and I did...then, well, surely the big companies, with their millions of dollars and hours of carefully thought out research and market analysis, and just plain ol' savvy when it comes to reading the consumer...surely they thought that as well? Hmm, guess not. What I'm saying is, not only did I choose to wait n see, but so have 99% of the home video consumers.
And then came the players...I mean the actual hardware disc players. So, what do you get for all that money spent? Well, they're slow. I'm talking turn-it-on, wait a couple minutes, put the disc in, wait 3 to 5 minutes, and by then you're maybe at the forced-trailers (the trailers for other titles you don't want to know about and cannot skip...oh, these are on DVDs too, nothing Next-Gen about that little gem). Now, that's just what I've read, but there's new firmware, and new models of players, etc...so maybe it'll be an acceptable experience someday, maybe it already is...dunno, don't care. Fun fact: Apparently these players run Linux...which slays me, because wasn't it a Linux user who cracked the DVD copy protection?
And what of connectivity? Business tip to all the young "suits" out there, you cannot launch a new format of entertainment without a new form of connector: Behold...HDMI! This baby is basically DVI (the digital out you've likely seen on your computers video card)...but, with the added "benefits" of also carrying digital audio down the cable...and, wait for it...Digital Rights Management (read: copy protection). Yeah, DRM, that thing that the Norwegian teens love to hack to death. So, you'll also need a new HDMI cable...and if your TV doesn't have an HDMI port (and if your HDTV is about a year and a half old due to your "early adoption", it may not), then you'll need an HDMI-DVI adapter, which are about $100 themselves! Just for the right to carry DRM...nah, no thanks.
Side note, I'm not sure why we should care that HDMI carries the audio with the video. Home theatre buffs don't listen to movies through their TV speakers, they listen on their home theatre, through their amp! They want us to think it simplifies connections...but...if I come out of the DVD Player into the TV, where's my 5.1 surround sound go? Maybe you can go from the DVD player to the amplifier, and then the video goes to the TV...but then I'd need TWO HDMI cables?! I dunno, I don't have first hand experience with this.
One more word about available titles: Perhaps studios are holding back their good movies for a couple reasons: Spending the extra time to make sure our favourite movies are remastered/transferred in the best possible methods, with all new extra features (which I never watch)? Or, like the rest of us, are they just waiting for one standard to claim to crown before they ship more product? The Circle of Life, Simba.
Anyway, the point of all of this is that these companies thought they could browbeat us into another format war (the first being VHS vs Beta), and we'd all just chase like rabid dogs into the Wal-Marts and home electronics stores to hand over our first-borns for just a taste of higher resolution and less compressed soundtracks.
Well, the problem, as I see it, is the HD/BluRay experience is not at all the quantum leap over DVD that DVD was over VHS. Think about it: DVD gave us discs...with discs comes chapter skipping, menus, extra features, no rewinding, no tape degradation, digital video and digital sound, all in a convenient disc-sized disc. Now...Next-Gen gives us the same things, with higher resolution pictures and audio, but at the price of the numerous problems, as I've outlined just a few of. Oh, and the HD players "phone-home", using their Ethernet ports...so help yourself to some conspiracy theories.
To sum up:
DVD over VHS = Obvious improvement...sound, video, random access, extra content and more.
Next-Gen over DVD = Hmm, nah, don't think so.
So, the question becomes, where do we go from here? Well, lots of us have HDTVs, screaming for content, especially in Canada. Fortunately, there is an emerging solution: Online distribution.
Last week, Apple announced it will be selling movies online through it's iTunes Store. Now, these movies aren't HD...yet. But, since Apple's Quicktime website is the home of HD Movie Trailers, it's not a stretch that once demand and bandwidth catch up, HD movies should be offered. Just a matter of getting studios on board...but since their Next-Gen discs are all but dead, is there any other option? Not if they want to make money...trust me, they want to make money.
And there you have it. Outside of the PlayStation 3, which is also expected to be a gigantic flop anyway, BluRay will likely go the hell away...plus it's a stupid name. HD-DVD could maybe stick around, since there is a legitimate need for a Next-Gen format, just as a ROM/-R format for video games, computers, that sort of thing.
But movies are going online...and DVDs will stay around in stores for a while yet. People have huge DVD collections, they can be had for less than the price of med school tuition, and the discs just work. There's also "up converting"DVD players...haven't tried them, but supposedly they can process the video information on your current DVD and, make them look Hi-Def? Sounds good anyways.
I used to subscribe to Movie Central HD, but at the end of the day, they have a poor selection, and even poorer scheduling, and too much Canadian garbage, to put it nicely. There's too much regulation in Canada, but that's another blog. I crave Hi-Def content for the big TVs, but for now that'll have to be sports. And with NHL just a few weeks away, I think I'm all set!
Anyway, there's tons of analysis and anecdotes on all of these topics on the web. Check out thedigitalbits.com for Bill Hunt's "My Two Cents" for first-hand looks and the Next-Gen players.
The best HD content is still broadcast. Go Apple Go.
Now, before we get too far into this, I will say that just because one article says they aren't selling well, doesn't mean the whole thing is collapsing...but, at the very least, things are looking up (or down, if you're a member of the HD-DVD or BluRay camps). I'm very passionate about seeing the format war end, so we can all get on with it (it being enjoying HD content), so thought I'd help spread the word.
Basically, these players aren't selling well...at all. Not at all. Very poorly. Bad. No interest. Nope. Sorry. Better luck next time.
Wonder why...oh wait, it couldn't be the lack of titles maybe? Maybe the high costs? The players are about $600 to $1200 CDN. The movies are $40 to $50. And the selection is not good..."RV" for $45?! "Into the Blue" for $38?! Nah, couldn't be the problem.
Why am I so interested in the failure of these Next-Gen formats? Well, I guess for starters, it's the fact that there is even a format war at all. A couple years ago, and even up until earlier this year, they (the companies responsible for this mess) had their chance to make nice, and create a unified standard where everybody wins and consumers come to the till with their wallets raging, and hearts full of joy for the chance to experience HD content on their new HD-TVs (another not-so-hidden cost of Next-Gen).
Nope, they blew it. Couldn't agree...we all can't share a pie, they each said, cause then my piece will be smaller, and I don't like small pie, I only like big pie. That is not a direct quote.
And so there was no unitedness, and thus two competing formats emerged. Confusing, yes. Each format boasts similar specs, couple differences here and there. I never really paid much attention, cause I figured I won't be making the Next-Gen leap until the better format wins.
Now, if I thought that to myself, and I did...then, well, surely the big companies, with their millions of dollars and hours of carefully thought out research and market analysis, and just plain ol' savvy when it comes to reading the consumer...surely they thought that as well? Hmm, guess not. What I'm saying is, not only did I choose to wait n see, but so have 99% of the home video consumers.
And then came the players...I mean the actual hardware disc players. So, what do you get for all that money spent? Well, they're slow. I'm talking turn-it-on, wait a couple minutes, put the disc in, wait 3 to 5 minutes, and by then you're maybe at the forced-trailers (the trailers for other titles you don't want to know about and cannot skip...oh, these are on DVDs too, nothing Next-Gen about that little gem). Now, that's just what I've read, but there's new firmware, and new models of players, etc...so maybe it'll be an acceptable experience someday, maybe it already is...dunno, don't care. Fun fact: Apparently these players run Linux...which slays me, because wasn't it a Linux user who cracked the DVD copy protection?
And what of connectivity? Business tip to all the young "suits" out there, you cannot launch a new format of entertainment without a new form of connector: Behold...HDMI! This baby is basically DVI (the digital out you've likely seen on your computers video card)...but, with the added "benefits" of also carrying digital audio down the cable...and, wait for it...Digital Rights Management (read: copy protection). Yeah, DRM, that thing that the Norwegian teens love to hack to death. So, you'll also need a new HDMI cable...and if your TV doesn't have an HDMI port (and if your HDTV is about a year and a half old due to your "early adoption", it may not), then you'll need an HDMI-DVI adapter, which are about $100 themselves! Just for the right to carry DRM...nah, no thanks.
Side note, I'm not sure why we should care that HDMI carries the audio with the video. Home theatre buffs don't listen to movies through their TV speakers, they listen on their home theatre, through their amp! They want us to think it simplifies connections...but...if I come out of the DVD Player into the TV, where's my 5.1 surround sound go? Maybe you can go from the DVD player to the amplifier, and then the video goes to the TV...but then I'd need TWO HDMI cables?! I dunno, I don't have first hand experience with this.
One more word about available titles: Perhaps studios are holding back their good movies for a couple reasons: Spending the extra time to make sure our favourite movies are remastered/transferred in the best possible methods, with all new extra features (which I never watch)? Or, like the rest of us, are they just waiting for one standard to claim to crown before they ship more product? The Circle of Life, Simba.
Anyway, the point of all of this is that these companies thought they could browbeat us into another format war (the first being VHS vs Beta), and we'd all just chase like rabid dogs into the Wal-Marts and home electronics stores to hand over our first-borns for just a taste of higher resolution and less compressed soundtracks.
Well, the problem, as I see it, is the HD/BluRay experience is not at all the quantum leap over DVD that DVD was over VHS. Think about it: DVD gave us discs...with discs comes chapter skipping, menus, extra features, no rewinding, no tape degradation, digital video and digital sound, all in a convenient disc-sized disc. Now...Next-Gen gives us the same things, with higher resolution pictures and audio, but at the price of the numerous problems, as I've outlined just a few of. Oh, and the HD players "phone-home", using their Ethernet ports...so help yourself to some conspiracy theories.
To sum up:
DVD over VHS = Obvious improvement...sound, video, random access, extra content and more.
Next-Gen over DVD = Hmm, nah, don't think so.
So, the question becomes, where do we go from here? Well, lots of us have HDTVs, screaming for content, especially in Canada. Fortunately, there is an emerging solution: Online distribution.
Last week, Apple announced it will be selling movies online through it's iTunes Store. Now, these movies aren't HD...yet. But, since Apple's Quicktime website is the home of HD Movie Trailers, it's not a stretch that once demand and bandwidth catch up, HD movies should be offered. Just a matter of getting studios on board...but since their Next-Gen discs are all but dead, is there any other option? Not if they want to make money...trust me, they want to make money.
And there you have it. Outside of the PlayStation 3, which is also expected to be a gigantic flop anyway, BluRay will likely go the hell away...plus it's a stupid name. HD-DVD could maybe stick around, since there is a legitimate need for a Next-Gen format, just as a ROM/-R format for video games, computers, that sort of thing.
But movies are going online...and DVDs will stay around in stores for a while yet. People have huge DVD collections, they can be had for less than the price of med school tuition, and the discs just work. There's also "up converting"DVD players...haven't tried them, but supposedly they can process the video information on your current DVD and, make them look Hi-Def? Sounds good anyways.
I used to subscribe to Movie Central HD, but at the end of the day, they have a poor selection, and even poorer scheduling, and too much Canadian garbage, to put it nicely. There's too much regulation in Canada, but that's another blog. I crave Hi-Def content for the big TVs, but for now that'll have to be sports. And with NHL just a few weeks away, I think I'm all set!
Anyway, there's tons of analysis and anecdotes on all of these topics on the web. Check out thedigitalbits.com for Bill Hunt's "My Two Cents" for first-hand looks and the Next-Gen players.
The best HD content is still broadcast. Go Apple Go.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
No iTunes TV shows in Canada make Homer something something
With the launch of an iTunes Movie Store now all but announced this Tuesday, I've been doing a little research into why the Canadian iTunes store is lacking in the TV show department...or bone dry, to be frank.
Found an article from February of this year, suggesting that CBC and NFB (That's "National Film Board", yes, proud providers of the Canadian classic "Log Driver's Waltz") are currently at the table with Apple and Google to negotiate bringing content online. Hope that's true, hope it's soon!
Further to that, it's likely that Canada just has to wait it's turn to cut a deal with Apple, since they are currently working out options with every interested country...could be a while!
Anyway, that's what I've found so far, thought I'd mention it, as online distribution is something I'm very interested in, and cable TV is such crap. Props to CBC for going after it...although I don't expect to be downloading Hockey Night in Canada anytime soon.
It'll be interesting to see the specs on Apple's movie store. One thing is for sure, it won't use Windows Media streams like Amazon's new Movie/TV store that just launched this past Thursday (also USA only). It'll use Quicktime, which actually streams properly (my personal opinion). Quicktime allows you to rewind and fast forward, which I've never seen Windows Media do properly.
The real question is how will it compete with DVD? It's one thing to watch $2 TV shows in 320x240, stereo for 20 or 40 minutes. But it's another thing to expect people to plop down $10 or $15 for 90 or 120 minutes in the same quality. I don't know what the Amazon store quality is like.
I'd be impressed if 5.1 surround sound (which Quicktime supports) and HD resolutions (like on the Quicktime Movie Trailers site) are included. There's nothing sweeeter than those 1080p trailers! But do most people have their Macs sending to their TVs? And a surround sound system hooked up? Oh, and do most people have the bandwidth to download a 2 GB (or bigger!) movie? That new 24" iMac is an HD monitor, with a resolution of 1920x1200!
Steve Jobs claimed 2005 as the "Year of HD"...then launched an underpowered Mac Mini with an integrated video card incapable of playing HD. But with the new Core Duo and Core 2 Duo iMacs selling like hotcakes (I don't have the numbers, I just want one bad!), maybe 2007 is what he meant to say?
The other question is, rental or purchase? Personally I don't see "renting" a 2GB file for 24 hours...isn't that a colossal waste of bandwidth? Perhaps it'll be a combination of streaming and downloading. For example, you pick your movie rental from Apple's new "Front Row Movies" menu, let it buffer a minute or so, like the movie trailers, and then being watching. When the movie is done, you can save it for whatever the purchase price is, or delete it. Will you be able to burn it to a disc to play in your DVD player, like the way you can burn audio files to audio CDs for your CD player? Or do you have to redownload it everytime you want to watch it (again, huge waste).
Anyways, it's exciting times. The big entertainment companies are finally figuring out that it's in their best interest to pay attention to what consumers want, and how they want it, by watching indie content producers and copying them.
The 'tubes are alive, with the sound of movies...
Found an article from February of this year, suggesting that CBC and NFB (That's "National Film Board", yes, proud providers of the Canadian classic "Log Driver's Waltz") are currently at the table with Apple and Google to negotiate bringing content online. Hope that's true, hope it's soon!
Further to that, it's likely that Canada just has to wait it's turn to cut a deal with Apple, since they are currently working out options with every interested country...could be a while!
Anyway, that's what I've found so far, thought I'd mention it, as online distribution is something I'm very interested in, and cable TV is such crap. Props to CBC for going after it...although I don't expect to be downloading Hockey Night in Canada anytime soon.
It'll be interesting to see the specs on Apple's movie store. One thing is for sure, it won't use Windows Media streams like Amazon's new Movie/TV store that just launched this past Thursday (also USA only). It'll use Quicktime, which actually streams properly (my personal opinion). Quicktime allows you to rewind and fast forward, which I've never seen Windows Media do properly.
The real question is how will it compete with DVD? It's one thing to watch $2 TV shows in 320x240, stereo for 20 or 40 minutes. But it's another thing to expect people to plop down $10 or $15 for 90 or 120 minutes in the same quality. I don't know what the Amazon store quality is like.
I'd be impressed if 5.1 surround sound (which Quicktime supports) and HD resolutions (like on the Quicktime Movie Trailers site) are included. There's nothing sweeeter than those 1080p trailers! But do most people have their Macs sending to their TVs? And a surround sound system hooked up? Oh, and do most people have the bandwidth to download a 2 GB (or bigger!) movie? That new 24" iMac is an HD monitor, with a resolution of 1920x1200!
Steve Jobs claimed 2005 as the "Year of HD"...then launched an underpowered Mac Mini with an integrated video card incapable of playing HD. But with the new Core Duo and Core 2 Duo iMacs selling like hotcakes (I don't have the numbers, I just want one bad!), maybe 2007 is what he meant to say?
The other question is, rental or purchase? Personally I don't see "renting" a 2GB file for 24 hours...isn't that a colossal waste of bandwidth? Perhaps it'll be a combination of streaming and downloading. For example, you pick your movie rental from Apple's new "Front Row Movies" menu, let it buffer a minute or so, like the movie trailers, and then being watching. When the movie is done, you can save it for whatever the purchase price is, or delete it. Will you be able to burn it to a disc to play in your DVD player, like the way you can burn audio files to audio CDs for your CD player? Or do you have to redownload it everytime you want to watch it (again, huge waste).
Anyways, it's exciting times. The big entertainment companies are finally figuring out that it's in their best interest to pay attention to what consumers want, and how they want it, by watching indie content producers and copying them.
The 'tubes are alive, with the sound of movies...
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Hello, I'm a Mac VS PC parody...
Well, an idea for one anyway, although I'd love to see somebody produce this. I'll just post the script first, and see if it's funny without any background information. Explanation and links to follow, if you haven't seen these ads for Apple, check out this page first. Enjoy!
Spot Title: "Stack". Familiar Music-box-esque music in background.
MAC: "Hello, I'm a Mac."
PC: "And I'm a PC." (PC is making one of those really tall sandwiches).
MAC: "What's up?"
PC: "Oh, I'm rebuilding my network stack...fresh from the ground up." (continues to add toppings and layers) "It's all part of the next version of my software, coming next year, sometime."
MAC: "Cool. So, that'll make it more secure, less prone to security holes?"
PC: "Yup. Well, that's the theory anyway."
MAC: "I see. Must be tough, starting from scratch. It'll be vulnerable to exploits from like ten years ago."
(pause)
PC: "Well, you can't expect people to eat a sandwich with ten year old toppings...that's just gross." (PC begins to take a bite)
(pause)
MAC: (in sarcastic agreement) "Uh huh." (PC takes another bite, chews)
PC: (mouth full) "Mmm, needs more mustard. Want some?"
(cut to Mac logo)
MAC: "Uh, no thanks I'm good."
THE END
(alternate last lines)
MAC: "Sure you can chew all that?"
MAC: "Thanks I just ate" (or "I'm full")
MAC: "Bon Appetit."
MAC: "Is that white bread?"
Inspired by ideas from "Security Now" podcast with Steve Gibson, Episode 51, "Vista's Virgin Stack." In this episode, Steve outlines numerous reasons why Windows Vista will be the least secure version of Windows yet. Microsoft is creating a new "network stack" from the ground up. While it's understandable why they'd need to do that, claiming "the most secure ever" is bogus, since it's impossible to claim security until it's been throughoughly tested and patched.
Anyways, check out that link for all the info. I was listening to it last night, and the idea for the script just appeared in my head, waiting to be blogged. Ahh Vista, everyday it's something.
Spot Title: "Stack". Familiar Music-box-esque music in background.
MAC: "Hello, I'm a Mac."
PC: "And I'm a PC." (PC is making one of those really tall sandwiches).
MAC: "What's up?"
PC: "Oh, I'm rebuilding my network stack...fresh from the ground up." (continues to add toppings and layers) "It's all part of the next version of my software, coming next year, sometime."
MAC: "Cool. So, that'll make it more secure, less prone to security holes?"
PC: "Yup. Well, that's the theory anyway."
MAC: "I see. Must be tough, starting from scratch. It'll be vulnerable to exploits from like ten years ago."
(pause)
PC: "Well, you can't expect people to eat a sandwich with ten year old toppings...that's just gross." (PC begins to take a bite)
(pause)
MAC: (in sarcastic agreement) "Uh huh." (PC takes another bite, chews)
PC: (mouth full) "Mmm, needs more mustard. Want some?"
(cut to Mac logo)
MAC: "Uh, no thanks I'm good."
THE END
(alternate last lines)
MAC: "Sure you can chew all that?"
MAC: "Thanks I just ate" (or "I'm full")
MAC: "Bon Appetit."
MAC: "Is that white bread?"
Inspired by ideas from "Security Now" podcast with Steve Gibson, Episode 51, "Vista's Virgin Stack." In this episode, Steve outlines numerous reasons why Windows Vista will be the least secure version of Windows yet. Microsoft is creating a new "network stack" from the ground up. While it's understandable why they'd need to do that, claiming "the most secure ever" is bogus, since it's impossible to claim security until it's been throughoughly tested and patched.
Anyways, check out that link for all the info. I was listening to it last night, and the idea for the script just appeared in my head, waiting to be blogged. Ahh Vista, everyday it's something.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Easy come, easy go.
So, I'm packing up my gear for a long weekend getaway (GP2X, iPod, etc) and I grab my new earphones...oh yes, the ones I raved about in the previous post.
Well, I pop them on my ears one more time and if the left ear hook doesn't completely snap! Useless. I then examined the right earphone, and it's got (what dr's refer to as) a hairline fracture as well. So much for that. At least they were cheap.
Thus ends my career as headphone reviewer (although I'll be letting you know what else I get, since I gotta get something else now). Perhaps something in a similar design, but made out of rubber or some non-breakable material.
In other news, check out the trailer for the new Teengage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Yeah, you read that right! Cool trailer anyway, let the action speak for itself (that's a lot of foley!)
And finally, can't go without some NHL news, TV schedules were released today. NHL.com has the goods. No mention of which TSN games are in HD yet, but hopefully a ton of 'em (gotta justify re-subscribing to TSN HD). NBC added 3 more games or something...yup, still way below beach volleyball and monster trucks for one more year at least. :)
Later.
Well, I pop them on my ears one more time and if the left ear hook doesn't completely snap! Useless. I then examined the right earphone, and it's got (what dr's refer to as) a hairline fracture as well. So much for that. At least they were cheap.
Thus ends my career as headphone reviewer (although I'll be letting you know what else I get, since I gotta get something else now). Perhaps something in a similar design, but made out of rubber or some non-breakable material.
In other news, check out the trailer for the new Teengage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Yeah, you read that right! Cool trailer anyway, let the action speak for itself (that's a lot of foley!)
And finally, can't go without some NHL news, TV schedules were released today. NHL.com has the goods. No mention of which TSN games are in HD yet, but hopefully a ton of 'em (gotta justify re-subscribing to TSN HD). NBC added 3 more games or something...yup, still way below beach volleyball and monster trucks for one more year at least. :)
Later.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Ha. Earphones.
So a while ago I mentioned I was in the market for some new earphones. Well yesterday I finally found some I like. I headed off to my local Wal-Mart, assuming they'd have about one pair to choose from, however, there were about 15 different kinds. I probably took about 20 minutes checking them all out, but finally settled on a pair of Excel International Electronics HS812's.
Yeah, it's one of those "no name" brands that copy the bigger names for cheap (a similar pair from Panasonic was $40). That's actually a link to the 816 model, but my 812's are almost the same, white with a silver circle in the middle. They clip onto my ears comfortably (wore them for an hour yesterday), and I can wear them while lying down. I took them out for a spin on my bike for about 40 minutes and they were actually pretty good at blocking the wind noise. Don't wanna block out all the ambient noise of course, but just cut out enough so I can hear my podcasts without cranking them to stupid volumes. They also fit under my helmet.
So, they don't meet all the original criteria I had written up: no in-line volume control and the cord is anything but tangle-free. However, they're amazingly comfortable, sound much better than I'd expected, and can be had for a grand total of $6.51! Considering that extremely low price, I'm very happy with them...I may even go back and pick up a few more pairs, just in case.
Yeah, it's one of those "no name" brands that copy the bigger names for cheap (a similar pair from Panasonic was $40). That's actually a link to the 816 model, but my 812's are almost the same, white with a silver circle in the middle. They clip onto my ears comfortably (wore them for an hour yesterday), and I can wear them while lying down. I took them out for a spin on my bike for about 40 minutes and they were actually pretty good at blocking the wind noise. Don't wanna block out all the ambient noise of course, but just cut out enough so I can hear my podcasts without cranking them to stupid volumes. They also fit under my helmet.
So, they don't meet all the original criteria I had written up: no in-line volume control and the cord is anything but tangle-free. However, they're amazingly comfortable, sound much better than I'd expected, and can be had for a grand total of $6.51! Considering that extremely low price, I'm very happy with them...I may even go back and pick up a few more pairs, just in case.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Fugly Jerseys.
Ok, scanning the hockey headlines this morning, seems that Buffalo Sabres fans are outraged at the new potential jerseys their team owners have come up with. Hmm...Very Nashville -Meets-Boston's-Taxi-Cab-Jersey:
The new logo also resembles Barney Rubble's haircut, credit USCanuck on the Sportsnet forums for that link. :)
Hmm, what else is new? Leafs signed Michael Peca to a one year deal. That's probably a good move, Peca was a big part of the Oilers run, not so much in points, but he's a strong two-way player, as they say. I'm more just happy that Jason Allison and Eric Lindros have been shown the door.
EA's NHL 07 is supposed to come out in September. They say it's a return to the glory days of video game hockey (ie. NHL 94 for SEGA). Perhaps they'll just put out '94, with updated rosters, and all the GM Dynasty stuff from NHL 2004, within the confines of the new CBA...I'd pre-order that no question! This will be the first EA NHL sporting the new ESPN license they strongarmed away from 2KSports, so that may be cool I guess. Looks like Jim "The Ref Gets Ready To Drop The Puck" Hughson has been dropped as play by play announcer in favour of the ESPN guys. Whatever, I usually turn that off after a couple games anyway. Check out EA's NHL 07 website for more info.
Oh, and this October, the NHL will unveil some pink jerseys for women. Maybe EA can include those in the game?
Ok, well, I'll be back when something else irks me (shouldn't be too long).
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Leafs Update - These Buds For You
Sweet, the Leafs have finally gotten around to resigning my favourite young Leaf, Kyle Wellwood. This guy has more creativity on his stick than a lot of the Leafs we're used to watching, and it was awesome to watch him show his stuff last season. Also resigned are Brendan Bell, Jay Harrison and Carlo Colaiacovo.
I've been waiting for Wellwood to resign this summer, and after all the talk about Eric Lindros , Jason Allison, Gary Roberts and Tie Domi, I was worried the 2006/2007 Leafs would return to their "get older at any cost" strategy that worked so horribly this past season. They've got two new defencemen, Hall Gill and Pavel Kubina, and to me, defence is a position where experience is more immediately obvious and beneficial...also goaltending. But up front, I'd go with speed and creativity.
The "New NHL" ain't goin' away, so their best bet is to get with the program, and in the words of new head coach Paul Maurice, "we're gonna get younger and faster." This is pretty much a direct contrast to the Pat Quinn era, and I'm excited about it. Nothing worse than blowing a perfectly good Saturday night watching a bunch of slow, oft-injured and unskilled seniors make their way around the ice for 2 hours. I seem to recall yelling at my TV that they should just call up the entire Marlies squad! Or maybe I should be watching CHL games, if it wasn't just fights.
Not that you can build a champion team with rookies alone (outside of the video games), but it sure makes the games a helluva lot more exciting to watch, and that's probably more important to me. After suffering through Allison's turtle-esque approach in the shootout night after night this past year, hopefully the Leafs have learned what kind of team they actually need to put on the ice.
I've been waiting for Wellwood to resign this summer, and after all the talk about Eric Lindros , Jason Allison, Gary Roberts and Tie Domi, I was worried the 2006/2007 Leafs would return to their "get older at any cost" strategy that worked so horribly this past season. They've got two new defencemen, Hall Gill and Pavel Kubina, and to me, defence is a position where experience is more immediately obvious and beneficial...also goaltending. But up front, I'd go with speed and creativity.
The "New NHL" ain't goin' away, so their best bet is to get with the program, and in the words of new head coach Paul Maurice, "we're gonna get younger and faster." This is pretty much a direct contrast to the Pat Quinn era, and I'm excited about it. Nothing worse than blowing a perfectly good Saturday night watching a bunch of slow, oft-injured and unskilled seniors make their way around the ice for 2 hours. I seem to recall yelling at my TV that they should just call up the entire Marlies squad! Or maybe I should be watching CHL games, if it wasn't just fights.
Not that you can build a champion team with rookies alone (outside of the video games), but it sure makes the games a helluva lot more exciting to watch, and that's probably more important to me. After suffering through Allison's turtle-esque approach in the shootout night after night this past year, hopefully the Leafs have learned what kind of team they actually need to put on the ice.
Monday, July 17, 2006
And we're back...
Ahh, first post in a couple weeks. I had a week off and wasn't near a high speed internet connection, so it wasn't worth trying to post anything...plus I was just enjoying the time off. Still developing my blogging reflexes too I think, too much thinking, gotta just write! However, my "What I Did..." summer vacation story should be coming up soon. Probably should get a digital camera one of these days, but til then, have to rely on my word pictures.
Currently in the market for some new headphones. My Sony street style "behind the head" ones recently shed the last of their foam, and the iPod ones make you a target for muggers. Found these...a little pricey, but kinda neat:
SkullCandy LINK headphones
This "Link" product is basically headphones, but with two jacks. So you plug your iPod (or what-mp3-player-have-you) into one and the other jack goes to your cell phone headset plug. Then when somebody calls, you can switch to your phone with one button. Skullcandy also make a $220 backpack with built-in amp and speakers. :)
Seems neat in theory, but I don't think it will actually pause the iPod, just mutes it. So if you're listening to podcasts, kinda annoying, you'd miss a chunk of your show. Or, you can just lower the music while you're on the call...not sure how annoying that'd be, but I'm guessing PLENTY!
Not only that, but if cell phones are distracting enough while driving a car, would that make cell phones on bikes worse...or better? At least a bike is probably easier to pull over and stop.
Anyway, I just want behind-the-head style, in line volume control, decent durability and retractable cords. I kinda like the ear clipping ones that are seperate, so you could lie down with them, for example. My Sony's had a pretty decent bar at the back that kept me even sitting back on a couch. I wear glasses, so the ear clips will need to accomodate my frames. Also should fit under my bike helmet. I'd prefer to buy them locally, ideally trying them on first, but my area ain't the best for retail experiences...probably be it's own entry. I'll let you know.
Currently in the market for some new headphones. My Sony street style "behind the head" ones recently shed the last of their foam, and the iPod ones make you a target for muggers. Found these...a little pricey, but kinda neat:
SkullCandy LINK headphones
This "Link" product is basically headphones, but with two jacks. So you plug your iPod (or what-mp3-player-have-you) into one and the other jack goes to your cell phone headset plug. Then when somebody calls, you can switch to your phone with one button. Skullcandy also make a $220 backpack with built-in amp and speakers. :)
Seems neat in theory, but I don't think it will actually pause the iPod, just mutes it. So if you're listening to podcasts, kinda annoying, you'd miss a chunk of your show. Or, you can just lower the music while you're on the call...not sure how annoying that'd be, but I'm guessing PLENTY!
Not only that, but if cell phones are distracting enough while driving a car, would that make cell phones on bikes worse...or better? At least a bike is probably easier to pull over and stop.
Anyway, I just want behind-the-head style, in line volume control, decent durability and retractable cords. I kinda like the ear clipping ones that are seperate, so you could lie down with them, for example. My Sony's had a pretty decent bar at the back that kept me even sitting back on a couch. I wear glasses, so the ear clips will need to accomodate my frames. Also should fit under my bike helmet. I'd prefer to buy them locally, ideally trying them on first, but my area ain't the best for retail experiences...probably be it's own entry. I'll let you know.
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