Info and forum posts by 'batnet'

RE: These rockband/guitar hero type games...(wii)

The RB2 instruments were out in the States when I was over there last November. I was really tempted by the new Fender guitar which looks really good but I was wary about bringing one home in case it decided not to work at some point. I checked with Game yesterday to see if there was any sign of a UK release date in the near future and there was nothing in their release lists. I guess we don`t count in the great scheme of things.

RE: blue ray

A lot do, some don`t. There`s a good listing at:

http://bluray.liesinc.net/

This item was edited on Saturday, 18th August 2007, 22:31

RE: Price comparison site for hd-dvd discs?

It`s also worth checking the "Used & New" prices on Amazon.co.uk for HD-DVD discs as people like Caiman and Thermite provide a lot of discs for around £11 to £12 (plus about £1.25 postage). Delivery may take a little longer but at least the discs are in the thinner cases. Movietyme.com is also worth checking out for their special offers.

RE: Vegas tomorrow.....idea`s

If you can afford it try to see "Love" at the Mirage - a great show, particularly if you like the Beatles. Avoid the more expensive seats as the cheaper ones have better views.

Have fun.

RE: Smokin Aces wont play.

I had problems with the 360 HD-Drive not playing a few music HD-DVDs correctly (locking-up, not getting past menu screens) until I happened to connect to XBox Live with a HD-DVD in the drive and there was an update which solved a lot of the problems. This was at the of March so the HD-DVD update must have been released earlier in the year. I haven`t checked to see if the May update has had any further effect.

RE: 3 pound off any game at game online over the bank holiday weekend only 30 pound spend though?

I thought it was a reasonable deal until I realised that any of the stuff I wanted to buy had been reduced to £29.99 so the discount is not applicable. So basically the prices have come down to normal on-line ones.

RE: Any HD DVD owners here? If so, what do you think. Put your reviews here!

My local HMV and Gamestation seem to have equal sections for both HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs but quite honestly I can`t see either format being succesful in the high street with the exorbitant prices that are being charged.

RE: Where is the best place to buy BluRay discs?

It`s worth checking the "Used and new" prices against both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs at Amazon.co.uk as people like Cayman and Thermite UK tend to sell a lot of the discs at around £12-£13 for the cheaper ones and they are US copies so they take up a lot less shelf space. It`s best to do a search on the title you want as Amazon list the UK and US versions separately.

You need to be wary of Region Coding on Blu-ray discs so it`s best to check the following listing to make sure that the disc will play over here:

http://bluray.lindsite.dk/

Playstation 3 - Blu-ray sound problems

I`m now on my second PS3. Both machines have suffered from snap, crackles and pops when playing Blu-ray discs through my surround system.

The PS3 is connected to my Denon 3802 receiver via the optical cable (the receiver doesn`t have HDMI capability). Due to the restricted number of optical inputs on the receiver this is the same cable that I was using to play HD-DVD discs via an XBox 360 (with no problems).

The problem seems to be something to do with the way the PS3 is treating the surround signal from the Blu-ray discs. LPCM stereo is fine, HDMI stereo is fine when played through the TV, Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 standard DVDs are fine as well as the 5.1 sound from games.

The problem seems to be more prevalent on some discs than others. Mission Impossible 3 has pops and crackles during both the previews and the main movie. Casino Royale has them during the previews but the film seems to be OK from the bits I`ve played (the movie sound seems to be standard Dolby 5.1 so this may be a clue). I`d like to try more but some of the crackles are in danger of over-loading my speakers so it`s a risky exercise.

I`ve contacted Sony but their only suggestion was to use a phono cable (back to stereo anyone?). Apparently this is a problem that they haven`t come across before, although they admitted that the European version is a different "build" to US/Japanese versions so it hasn`t had much of a chance to generate reports of this type.

To add insult to injury, after going through all the information to set set up my Playstation on-line account, I am now unable to access it because the system won`t accept the answer to my security question. Again I`ve checked with Sony and my account is set up correctly so they say the problem must lie with the security settings on my home network and I must adjust to the "DMZ" to provide access to my system. I checked this with the guy who set up my home network and he said that the DMZ shouldn`t be touched as it would leave my network vulnerable to hackers.

I primarily bought the machine for its Blu-ray capability which is ruled out by the sound problem and the on-line problems make it less effective as a games machine so it is now on its way back to the supplier for a refund.

If Sony wanted to do their best to make the X-Box 360 and HD-DVD look good then they`ve suceeded with me. :(

RE: Any HD DVD owners here? If so, what do you think. Put your reviews here!

I would add "Happy Feet" to the list - stunning PQ.

RE: Playstation 3 Blu-ray Movie Query??

If Region Coding has been enabled on a US disc and the Code has been set at "A" then all European viewers should see is a screen saying that the disc is from the wrong region. None of the disc content is usually playable. From the list at the link above it looks as though the packaging on a lot of the discs doesn`t match the coding on the disc so that the discs will play in Region B. Fox and Disney seem to be consistent in implementing Regional Coding so at least we know not to buy the US versions of their discs but Sony seem to go both ways so it`s a bit of a guess whether or not their US discs will work in Europe until some person buys one and finds it doesn`t.

RE: Playstation 3 Blu-ray Movie Query??

The problem seems to be that neither of the Blu-ray threads has provided the answer to the real question of whether it is safe to buy cheaper US Blu-ray discs for use in Europe. The list I pointed out above shows which US discs should be playable here and so can be bought over the web at substantial savings over High Street prices (HMV`s are frankly extortionate - £30 for X-Men 3 they have to be kidding.).

This item was edited on Thursday, 29th March 2007, 16:48

RE: Playstation 3 Blu-ray Movie Query??

There`s a list of Blu-ray discs that you can buy here:

http://bluray.lindsite.dk/

Choices UK and PS3 returns

If like me you bought your PS3 though Choices UK and it proves to be in need of replacement (sound problems playing Blu-ray discs), do NOT phone the Returns Helpline number quoted on the packing slip (0870 400 3845).

This number is not manned as I found out to my cost after two hours of listening to music and the usual "our operators will get round to you" statements. When I finally gave up and phoned their normal customer helpline ( 0870 400 3838 ) the phone was answered promptly and the staff were able to arrange for the faulty machine to be collected next week. They were not aware that there is a separate line being quoted in the delivery information.

Two hours on an 0870 number to no great purpose - what an expensive waste of time. >:(

This item was edited on Saturday, 24th March 2007, 14:39

RE: CD-WOW loses out to BP*

Presumably this ruling will affect any suppier outside the EU so Amazon.com and sellers like Caiman that use its "marketplace" will also be unable to send stuff to us.

Looks like the fat cats have found a way to enforce regional coding on everything.

RE: PS3 problems getting on internet?

I think you need to set up an account to access the Playstation network (and get the free "Casino Royale" Blu-ray disc):

On the PS3 main menu go to "Friends" and then "Sign up for PS Network".

I`d love to tell you more but having set up my account I now find I can`t access it. The logon process keeps asking me for my mother`s maiden name but when I type it in the system tells me it`s incorrect. I`ve tried all sorts of variations but still no joy.

I tried to access the website via my PC but the connection was dreadfully slow and I`ve been unable to get through to the PS3 site since about 11.30 last night so it might just be that Sony`s system has crashed. (I`ve just tried again and at least I got to a screen that says it down for "maintenance".)

I should have known that things seemd to be going too well.......

RE: Blu-ray DVDs are they region coded??

Apparently some are and some aren`t. Have a look here:

http://bluray.lindsite.dk/

It looks like Disney and Fox are the main culprits.

Most Haunted Series 7 - Censorship at Amazon UK

I`ve now tried to place two "reviews" at Amazon UK warning people that this series is letterbox format rather than the anamorphic transfers used for the previous series but neither has got past Amazon`s censors. Beware.

The Closer - Season 1

Does anyone know if the R2 version is anamorphic widescreen as none of the websites I`ve checked provide any details?

This item was edited on Sunday, 4th March 2007, 10:25

RE: DVD-Audio/SACD site recommendations

I`ve never had a problem with region coding on DVD-As or SACDs on any of my multi-region players although the way some DVD-As have been authored can cause problems on a few machines. My old Pioneer machine couldn`t play the DVD-A layer on a couple of DVD-A discs but they work fine on my current Denon 1930. Again http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/ is pretty useful for seeing if a particular problem is machine- or make-specific.

Welcome to the ranks of those who appreciate surround music but I would be wary of assuming that just because it`s on SACD or DVD-A the music will sound better - Silverline produced some really good DVD-As and some really awful ones in the early days. I would check the review at quadraphonicquad.com first and then all you`ve got to do is find a copy somewhere (not necessarily an easy task as a lot of these discs are now out of print and new stuff seems to be becoming limited to mainly jazz and classical SACDs (with the odd exceptions of the Beatles "Love", the Doors, Depeche Mode and the old Moody Blues albums)).

RE: DVD-Audio/SACD site recommendations

Check out http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/ for lists and reviews of surround material available on DVD-A and SACD.

The "Used and New" sellers on Amazon.co.uk can supply a lot of this stuff at very good prices (Caiman.com is one of my regular suppliers).

The Beatles "Love" CD/DVD-A set is a must buy for the DVD-A surround mix.

RE: Need a HDMI Adapter if they exist

I`ve had a similar problem - I finally get a telly with enough Scarts and other standard connectors and now everything seems to need to fit into the single HDMI socket!

Have look at this link:

http://www.tmfsolutions.co.uk/homecinema_video_switching_octava.htm

I haven`t bought one yet but it might be worth giving them a ring.

Import Tax Threat

Interesting report at the BBC showing the UK retailers` attempt to get the current duty free allowance of £18 to be reduced on CDs thereby putting us at the mercy of the high street chains to set prices (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5190044.stm). By asking for this they seem to be providing Gordon Brown with the opportunity to reduce the general rate of the import duty allowance on all items which would include any other stuff such as DVDs which can be bought for less than £18 from outside the UK. Given that the reduction in competition would allow the high street retailers to up their prices Gordon would also benefit from the 17½% VAT payable on the increase. As the £18 limit was set decades ago maybe the off-shore retailers should be arguing that the limit should be raised in line with inflation rather than reduced.

RE: So, whats the verdict on Sky HD?

I totally agree, brilliant picture but a severe lack of choice. Sport on the BBC and Sky Sports HD has been great, the downside being that it`s now difficult to watch the WC games that are broadcast on ITV in SD. Sky One HD is a total misnomer - there`s very little HD content on the channel but it was good to catch the end of 24 and Bones in HD. Maybe things will improve as the new series of Deadwood and Las Vegas start and (eventually) we get the new seasons of SG-1 and Atlantis. The BBC keeps showing tantalising glimpses of non-sport programmes but apart from early showings of Planet Earth and Bleak House it`s either been sport or endless preview clips. It looks as though things will improve later this month with Hannibal, Deep Blue and Pride being shown and the the new series Sorted is coming in HD. It`s a shame Dr Who isn`t being shown (yet).

RE: HDMI on Sky

What HD picture setting are you using on the HD box? The Sky engineer set ours to 1081i which stretches 4:3 to widescreen. Once I changed the "HD Resolution Output" to "Automatic" the box now switches the set between the 576 resolution for standard widescreen/4:3 and 1081i for HD broadcasts.

RE: Sky High Definition - Initial Reaction

I guess I must be getting old or maybe I`ve just been ground down over time but I never expected to get HD without paying extra for it. To me it seems the same as the extra cost that was brought in for a colour TV licence.

What does tick me off about the basic Sky package is that we still have to tolerate some operators (such as Living, Hallmark and most of the nature and science channels) broadcasting in 4:3 or 14:9 formats. The main channels seem to be able to use widescreen formats without causing too many problems with 4:3 viewers so why in the 21st century are the other channels still not following suit (cost methinks). It`s even more galling when stuff like Most Haunted is sold only in 16:9 format. Maybe some plasma owner can sue Sky for causing screen burn round the edges of their screen.

RE: Sky High Definition - Initial Reaction

The Sky HD box has four video output settings: Auto, 576, 720p and 1081i. With the box set on Auto, HD programmes are showing as 1081i and "standard" programmes as 576p. I tried setting the output to 576 but it didn`t seem to have any appreciable effect on the video quality of standard BBC1 etc. The "standard" video quality seems to be about the same as Freeview.

RE: Sky High Definition - Initial Reaction

It`s a direct comparison between the HD picture and the "standard" Sky picture. The standard (576p) resolution for the non-HD channels looks about the same as my previous Sky+ box ( I don`t know enough about the technical side of this to know if this represents a change from the previous output) but the HD picture just makes you more frustrated with the quality of a lot of the stuff that`s transmitted on the other channels. Of course a lot depends on the quality of the source material and a lot of stuff that was filmed in HD (such as "House", "CSI" etc)still looks very good in 576p but after watching something in HD in can be a bit of a shock to realise just how (relatively) poor some of the studio based material is in terms of clarity.

Sky High Definition - Initial Reaction

After a few days of viewing here are some initial thoughts.

Stunning picture. "Planet Earth" is breath-taking and even "24" is clearer and sharper. The cricket and football are a clear improvement over standard broadcasts.

The amount of HD programming is very limited - even dedicated channels such as Sky One HD have very few HD programmes. So far, unless you want to watch re-runs of "Stargate Atlantis" or "Enterprise", "24" seems to be the only continuing major series in HD. "Human Trafficking" in HD starts tonight but it looks a bit grainy from the previews (but this is probably deliberate). One oddity. "Bones" is listed as HD on Sunday but the Thursday showing is merely "widescreen" - maybe this is just a fault in the listings, I`ll need to check.

It`s nice to see that Sky/Thomson have built in a sound adjustment so that surround sound and picture can be synchronised - there`s about a 100ms difference on my system.

One thing that will need to be sorted is rather obtrusive station ids. The Discovery HD logo is quite large and very distracting. It also tends to fade in and out (presumably to stop screen burn on plasmas) but let`s hope that this and the large BBC HD logo are just part of this "demo" phase.

All in all, the picture is beyond my expectations. The real downside is that a lot of the standard broadcasts now seem even worse as far as their picture quality goes.

RE: Sky+ Program Sizes

Thanks for the info. It seems to be down to something Sky is doing although they don`t seem to be getting their stories straight. As I`m away for most of the week when these programmes are on I`m having to transfer them to my DVD recorder to free up some disc space for the next week. However they are being broadcast originally, they aren`t taking up any more disc space on the DVD hard drive.