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SlySoft moving to subscription-based upgrade model

by Darren Murph posted Dec 12th 2008 at 10:32AM

It was nice to purchase SlySoft's AnyDVD HD once and let the gurus in Antigua continually re-break whatever DRM Hollywood chose to throw out, wasn't it? After this year, you can kiss that luxury goodbye -- that is, if you continue to sit on the sidelines. SlySoft has just announced that starting on January 1, 2009, it will "change its update policy from free lifetime updates to an annual subscription fee." The good news? Anyone who buys a SlySoft product before that day will not be affected by the change. In other words, you've still got a few weeks to decide whether or not you want to join the Blu-ray backup crowd, and to make your decision easier, the outfit is offering a 20% discount on all software products (save for upgrades) through December 31st.

AT&T's U-verse HD Premium Tier explained: $5 for three channels

by Darren Murph posted Oct 24th 2008 at 1:28AM


Ugh. This is just downright ugly. For the longest while, AT&T had quite the edge in the pricing department compared to most other HD programming competitors. For just $10 per month, users had access to over 40 high-def channels, but apparently, all that is about to change. Following a ominous postcard sent out to select California-area U-verse users, AT&T has confirmed on its website that the newfangled HD Premium Tier is real. And it's a ripoff. Beginning "soon," subscribers who wish to see Universal HD, MGM HD and / or Smithsonian HD will be forced to pay an additional $5 on top of the $10 HD access fee. We're not sure if this so-called Premium Tier will eventually host even more HD channels for the same low, low price of $5 per month, but until we find that it does, we'd recommend holding off. Seriously, AT&T? $5 per month for three channels?

[Via U-talk forums, thanks Anthony]

Japanese government to levy royalty fees on BD-Rs / Blu-ray recorders

by Darren Murph posted Jun 17th 2008 at 10:32PM


We just can't see this one going over well. Reportedly, Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry have jointly decided to administer royalty fees on all blank Blu-ray Discs (BD-R / BD-RE) and Blu-ray recorders. According to the entities, such a system is necessary to "compensate copyright holders for the increase in copying by individuals due to the development of new digital technologies." It was also noted that there was some disagreement on whether all HDD-based recorders should be taxed (not to mention those oh-so-innocent portable media players), and further "discussions" could make the fees applicable to even more hardware. Tax everyone for the actions of a few -- sounds like a totally infallible plan, no?

Comcast and Big Ten Network still can't come to terms

by Darren Murph posted Feb 10th 2008 at 12:38PM


Don't worry -- that feeling of déjà vu actually isn't just in your head. Going back as far as last June, you'll find disagreements between Comcast and Big Ten Network, and for whatever reason, those conflicts still exist today. Just days after we heard that BTN remained anxious to land a deal with Charter, a new report out of the Chicago Tribune asserts that wheels are still spinning between the network and Comcast. Reportedly, BTN President Mark Silverman was "optimistic" about inking an agreement last month, but here we are a month later without any sort of deal in place. Granted, Mr. Silverman still suggests that talks are continuing, but we're beginning to wonder how long it'll be before these friendly conversations lead to a bona fide business transaction.

Vizio modifies shipping rules in warranty

by Darren Murph posted Aug 5th 2007 at 6:16PM


Vizio may be known for its ultra-low cost LCD TVs and plasmas, but it's not surprising to find that the firm's warranty terms are less than attractive. Interestingly, a recent article has found that Vizio has actually tweaked its warranty so that shipping a faulty set back to the company becomes Vizio's responsibility rather than the users if the display in question is 42-inches or larger. Of course, this process isn't necessary if Vizio can repair the television on-site, but for units less than 42-inches, shipping it back for "a replacement" could cost the customer "hundreds of dollars." Granted, it's not shocking that mailing a heavy, unwieldy object is pricey, but you may want to think twice about snagging that under-42-inch Vizio if you've got a paranoid bone in your body. Check out the read link for the full details of the change.




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