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AVS Forum posts

TBS-HD gives the stretching a little break

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Mar 30th 2009 at 8:55PM

TBS-HD pillarboxes
A few sightings of non-stretched 4x3 content has finally showed up on TBS HD today, but the bad news is that so far it has only been during commercials. We can only hope that this is a prelude to no more stretch-o-vision on TBS-HD, but given the track record of TNT and TBS, we aren't holding our breath. As you can see, when it comes to stretching content, we don't see eye to eye with our Time Warner siblings.

[Thanks, Alan]

Can your HDTV even properly display 1080p24?

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Feb 21st 2008 at 5:24PM

3:2 Pulldown
Everyone loves to talk about how 1080p at 24 frames per second is the holy grail of the ultimate HD movie experience. But the truth is that even if you are watching a Blu-ray movie via HDMI with the latest player set to 24p, there's a good chance it's all for naught because your HDTV is just converting the signal to another frame rate. But not all TVs do this, some can actually do it right and instead of using 2:3 pulldown it can do something like a 3:3 conversion and display the signal at 72hz -- for example. The problem of course is how can you tell which TVs do it right and which do it wrong? Well, thankfully a resourceful member of the AVS Forum -- with some help of other members -- has comprised a list to save you the hassle. So if you're in the market for a new HDTV and you just have to watch your movies at the native frame rate, then head on over and pick one from the list of front projectors, rear projectors, LCDs, or plasmas.

30 second skip discovered on Comcast TiVos

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Jan 31st 2008 at 11:06AM

Comcast TiVo remoteIf you love TiVo, then there is no substitute, but at $300 many find HD TiVos too rich for their blood, when compared to the price of their provider's DVR. The Comcast TiVo offers a good compromise of price and experience, but there are some key TiVo features missing. Well it appears now that at least one of the most useful features of a stand-alone TiVo is now available for the Comcast TiVo: 30 second skip. So instead of hitting; select, play, 3, 0, select like you do on a stand-alone, you hit; Rewind, Slow, Fast Forward, Play, 3, 0, Advance and you now have a 30 second skip button.

[Via TVSquad.com]

Is the Netflix backup a conspiracy? Nope

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Jan 16th 2008 at 12:04PM

Netflix Blu-ray
A few Netflix users at AVS have reported that customer service reps are blaming the Netflix HD movie backup on the studios. The story goes on to say that it's a conspiracy devised by the studios as a way to get you to buy rather than rent. We dropped a quick email to a studio exec, and after he got done laughing, he gave us a call and said, "However fans want Blu-ray, we'll deliver it." So there you go Netflix, no more excuses. Just start pumping up the stock of new releases so we don't have to wait as long to enjoy the latest movies in Hi-Def.

AVS Forum reopens Blu-ray / HD DVD boards, new rules abound

by Darren Murph posted Nov 12th 2007 at 4:25PM

Format fanboys (and girls), we sure hope you've taken the time to cool your apparently heated jets, because AVS Forum is putting its foot down from here on out. Just days after the site shut down the HD DVD / Blu-ray boards due to the zaniness that was ensuing, it has reopened the forums for new postings -- but there's a laundry list of rules to go with it. Granted, the site does recommend finding a new home to vent your off-topic frustrations if you aren't down with the new regulations, but overall, we think they're pretty fair. Effectively immediately, users aren't allowed to throw out sales figures, troll others, attack statements or petition for one format or the other. For those who slip up and cross the newly drawn line, you will likely be banned and have your posts removed, so we'd recommend thinking thrice before pulling the trigger on a rage-filled writeup over there.

Format war gets more warlike

by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2007 at 5:41PM


Not since the infamous PS3 crime wave of late 2006 have we seen anything like this. According to a notice posted on the heavily trafficked AVS Forum, the HD DVD and Blu-ray sections are being closed to new posts "for a short time," and the reasoning behind such a severe action may shock you. Apparently, a number of hot-headed posters have not only been dissin' supporters of (insert rival format here), but some have lashed out at other members with "physical threats that have involved police and possible legal action." While it's not exactly clear what pushed these extremists to the edge, there's no denying that the recent price drops on standalone HD DVD players have given the HD community as a whole a lot more to yap about, and we guess some folks just didn't know where to draw the line. The format war just took on a whole new meaning, and it's not one to be proud of.

[Via CNET, image courtesy of Olive-Drab]




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