Movie/film thread: resurrected

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Stil

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Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #195 on: June 30, 2007, 06:42:38 AM »
The other option to converting is to buy a Dvd player that plays avi files. Most of the non-entry players do now. No need for high-end and they are quite common. I just burn them directly as avi files.

I find most any tv series i wuld want in Changsha except for The Wire. C-Dog i't well worth the 5 gigs space. My favourite show.

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moon over parma

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #196 on: June 30, 2007, 08:11:39 AM »
The other option to converting is to buy a Dvd player that plays avi files. Most of the non-entry players do now. No need for high-end and they are quite common. I just burn them directly as avi files.

There are also removeable hard-drive enclosures that feature monitor output, SVHS output, and RCA output. You jack them into your computer, format the drive, put on the software and it's plug-and-play. When you jack it into your computer you drag and drop the files into the folders you make, and then unplug it from your comp and plus it into the AUX on your t. v. They have very small motherboards in them. I have two "Tvisto" models I bought while in Taiwan. Two 500 gig drives and that's a whole lotta watchin'. They can play Xvid, Divx, Avi of any compression, Mpeg 1 and 2, WMA, Mp3s, ISO files of DVDs as if the DVD was in a player, WAV, and slideshows with JPEG, GIF, TIF, BMP, PNG, etc.

There are other external cases like this (it's only slightly bigger than the hard-drive itself) that can handle the 2 inch and 3.5 inch hard drives. I wonder if they have them in China?


Alternately, you could build an HTPC - if you are savvy enough to build your own computer. If i am in China long enough, I'll probably just build an HTPC. It's basically a computer with P3-P4/AMD equivalents, a DVD drive, a solid video card of your choice for output into your TV/monitor, 512-1Gig of ram (or more, if you desire, but if the computer is only sued as a medaia center for playback, then 1ig is fine) and as much HD space as ou want to invest in. I built one for a friend with 1 terabyte of memory. 1000 gigs, baby! qqqqqqqqqq
« Last Edit: June 30, 2007, 08:14:13 AM by moon over parma »

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #197 on: June 30, 2007, 08:37:59 AM »

And after work it's on to a Die Hard marathon. All 4 movies in one go.

You have the fourth?

The first is one of the greatest action films ever made, no doubt about that.  My dad usually hates violent films, and even he liked the first on the basis that it was very clever in how it was all set in one building.  The third is also fantastic, the second less so but still decent.

I agree. The first and third are very good, the second so-so. Well, I am not in China anymore so I find all these great shows on Amazon mostly (the local shops here are worthless).
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde.

"It's all oojah cum spiffy". Bertie Wooster.
"The stars are God's daisy chain" Madeleine Bassett.

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Lotus Eater

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Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #198 on: June 30, 2007, 02:12:19 PM »
I found the Office here - British version.  But would LOVE to find Black Books.  I think you basically just have to keep looking - odd things just turn up.

I have a favourite DVD/CD store in the markets (where they have even given me a discount card!!  A discount card for dodgy DVDs I find really funny!!) and they also now know a bit the sort of stuff I like and will bring them out for me.  But the other day I went to a different shop closer to home and dug around in their 3 for 10Y pile and found some good movies.  There were a lot of horror movies there, but in between them some good ones.

The chase is an exciting part of DVD hunting here.

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #199 on: June 30, 2007, 03:00:10 PM »
There are also removeable hard-drive enclosures that feature monitor output, SVHS output, and RCA output. You jack them into your computer, format the drive, put on the software and it's plug-and-play. When you jack it into your computer you drag and drop the files into the folders you make, and then unplug it from your comp and plus it into the AUX on your t. v. They have very small motherboards in them. I have two "Tvisto" models I bought while in Taiwan. Two 500 gig drives and that's a whole lotta watchin'. They can play Xvid, Divx, Avi of any compression, Mpeg 1 and 2, WMA, Mp3s, ISO files of DVDs as if the DVD was in a player, WAV, and slideshows with JPEG, GIF, TIF, BMP, PNG, etc.

There are other external cases like this (it's only slightly bigger than the hard-drive itself) that can handle the 2 inch and 3.5 inch hard drives. I wonder if they have them in China?

I'll have a look for some of these and let you know. Sounds like a good option. I've thought about building a HTPC. It's on the list, but not yet close enough to the top!
You have to care for it to matter.
http://www.haerbinger.com - All About Harbin

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moon over parma

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #200 on: June 30, 2007, 03:13:33 PM »

I agree. The first and third are very good, the second so-so.

I'm pretty much in agreement with you and C-Dog. The first film was top-notch for its time, and the third film got its groove back, but part 2 was just horrible. Bruce Willis and the great Franco Nero couldn't even save it. I was immensely satisfied that DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE completely ignored that the second film ever happened.

I'm leery of the DIE HARD 4.0/ LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD installment. A.) It's PG-13, which indicates the mayhem will be softer and the language restained - which pretty much takes away DIE HARD's balls. Add in the clear sign of when any t. v. show or movie series has run out of steam - teenaged sidekicks/kids to the mix and there's a recipe for a DIE HARDER redux (and they didn't even have kids in the mix). I was also turned off by the fact that Fox studios sent Bruce Willis out to do damage control months before the film was released becasue they wanted to con people into thinking a PG-13 DIE HARD would not be a stunted, limited DIE HARD. The box office will tell us if it worked, but I've been working in and out of entertainment long enough to know that studio's don't do damage control unless they have no confidence in the product.

The fact Kevin Smith appears in it, in a pivitol role also turns me off to no end.

I'll wait for home video.

However, DIE HARD's first installment is golden, and the third installment brought back its luster.

« Last Edit: July 01, 2007, 03:35:54 PM by moon over parma »

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moon over parma

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #201 on: June 30, 2007, 03:35:18 PM »
I think you basically just have to keep looking - odd things just turn up.

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: in Shanghai I was impressed with the diversity of what I was able to find in the shops.

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I have a favourite DVD/CD store in the markets (where they have even given me a discount card!!  A discount card for dodgy DVDs I find really funny!!) and they also now know a bit the sort of stuff I like and will bring them out for me.

I found the service and return policy at the black market DVD shops' much better than the bookstores that offer the paltry, quasi-legitimate DVDs in China. A few I went to had a return policy for faulty discs, and all fothem were willing to substantially lower their prices  when they saw how many movies I was buying at time. The most surreal part of it all was going into these little sub-bodega sized shops that were basically the size of a bathroom or closet, and being able to find a selection and diversity that dwarfs the floors of many CD and electronics shops where I live.




I'll have a look for some of these and let you know. Sounds like a good option. I've thought about building a HTPC. It's on the list, but not yet close enough to the top!

Here are some links to let you know some of the diferent models I've seen or used:

http://www.atruereview.com/tvisto_mediacenter/index.php
The Tvisto

Media Gate's enclosure:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BPHWF0/ref=pd_cp_e_1/102-0912157-2965745?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_r=0TE78MW2V9NNZP99BN52&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=250314601&pf_rd_i=B000BX7KLI

The MVIX wireless enclosure
http://www.amazon.com/Mvix-MX-760HD-Wireless-Media-Center/dp/B000R4WCU0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-0912157-2965745?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1183166639&sr=1-2


and the NuSlim model

http://www.dv.com.tw/en/products/pro.asp?id=65

There are others but I have forgotten some of their names.

Some of them require very specific Xvid/Divx conversion. For example, if you have a widescreen movie taken from an anamorphic transfer - some of the players act like DVD players and will natrually take the squashed image and present it at its accurate, widescreen, letterboxed aspect ratio. Some will only directly spit out the anamorphic image without any adjustment for typical 4:3 televisions (but a widescreen t. v. would automatically compensate and present the squashed image in its widescren glory).

A home theater PC and be customeized to use software that handles anything (or nearly every format - like the VLC player, or Media Player Classic).

A lot of the plasma and LCD tvs (standard and HDTV) have the same monitor connections a computer woudl use and an HTPC jacked into one of those babies would be an option.

For about $300 U. S. a quite decent HTPC can be built. Sometimes for far less. It simply depends on the demands of the cinema afficianado (my current HTPC was $400, but the one I built for my friend was $900. The lucky cat had money to throw around and serious demands on functionality).

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Vegemite

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #202 on: June 30, 2007, 04:04:46 PM »
Up here we've got the same problem as you ConDog, it's a rare event to find English-language DVDs, so we use the internet a lot. Demonoid was a godsend...we've watched so much stuff on it. Thank you for sending us an invite. agagagagag

And now I have to wait for DieHard 4 to appear - I love the DieHard series, numbers one and three in particular.

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Stil

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Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #203 on: June 30, 2007, 04:13:29 PM »
Of course the quality is not the same but for 300 RMB you can purchase a DVD player that plays AVI files and many movies are available in the 700MB range. this means you can burn them as data to a CD rather than even needing a DVD burner.

I'd like to go Moonies route but alas my salary does not agree. Although I'm expecting Dongguan Kingpin Non-Dave to provide all his summer camp teachers with a Tvisto as a bonus.

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moon over parma

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #204 on: June 30, 2007, 04:43:28 PM »
Of course the quality is not the same but for 300 RMB you can purchase a DVD player that plays AVI files and many movies are available in the 700MB range.


Stil, which local brands/models can you confirm that handle Avi playback? (I'll be taking notes. Just call me geek).


 
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this means you can burn them as data to a CD rather than even needing a DVD burner.

If you have files under 700mb or so, of course. A 2 hour movie encoded at 700+ resolution avi (i. e. literally DVD-standard quality) can be between 1.2-2.2 gb, complete with stand-alone subtitles, or hard coded (i. e. you can't remove them from the picture) subtitles - and in AC3 audio. 

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Kingpin Non-Dave to provide all his summer camp teachers with a Tvisto as a bonus.
ahahahahah
« Last Edit: June 30, 2007, 06:30:52 PM by moon over parma »

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Stil

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Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #205 on: June 30, 2007, 05:07:11 PM »
Stil, which local brands/models can you confirm that handle Avi playback? (I'll be taking notes. Just call me geek).

It's common in most brands now. I like 'bu bu gao'. I've never had any problems with their machines and they seem to play damaged or poor quality discs that many others won't.


GEEK!

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moon over parma

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #206 on: June 30, 2007, 06:14:20 PM »

It's common in most brands now. I like 'bu bu gao'.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #207 on: July 01, 2007, 01:57:17 PM »
Live Free or Die Hard - not as good as part 1 (none of the sequels are) and going with a PG-13 rating really hurt the film, I enjoyed it but it was not memorable.  At least Justin Long was not annoying as the sidekick.  Willis was on the internet (aint-it-cool.com) posting in the talkbacks as WalterB saying it was as good as the first, sorry but it wasn't.

Evan Almighty - was ok, some "cute" stuff in there, Oedekerk destroyed the script and they should have tried harder to make it more funny, this probably is going to hurt Carell's career but I hope it doesn't.  Not nearly as good as Knocked Up but I doubt anything will be until SuperBad comes out in August. 

Ratatouille - Will post back in about 8 hours, seeing a early showing while everyone is in church (re - no talking kids!).

On DVD I did watch Painted Veil with Ed Norton and Naomi Watts, I thought it was great. It felt a little rushed.  It could have been longer with some more scenes of the countryside (ok I biased... sue me!).


The things we touch have no permanence.

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moon over parma

Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #208 on: July 01, 2007, 03:50:51 PM »
At least Justin Long was not annoying as the sidekick.

He's a pretty solid supporting actor. His bit in GALAXY QUEST as the nerdy fan who helps the actors/aliens was handled well. He also put on a good show in the original JEEPERS CREEPERS, as well, so I'm not surprised that he doesn't tank the film, though I wondered.


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Willis was on the internet (aint-it-cool.com) posting in the talkbacks as WalterB saying it was as good as the first, sorry but it wasn't.

That's one of the many bits of damage control the studio demanded since it knew that:

A.) it had a weak film on its hands becasue of:

B.) The studio suits ignored the fact R-rated action films rake in big money, and put a very marginal profit line by trying to appeal to what they thought was a "broader market" by making it teen-firendly PG-13. of course, the PG-13 takes all of DIE HARD's balls away, and when fans of the series - the "built-in-audience" were up in arms, Bruce was sent in to do contractually obligated promotion of the film and that's one way the studio tried to save face.

The box office will reveal if FOX killed the DIE HARD franchise.

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this probably is going to hurt Carell's career but I hope it doesn't.

I won't even bother to see it. Carell participating in an overtlly religious-themed film that desperately tried to play the family amarket in a patronizing way the film's predecessor didn't - coupled with the fact word-of-mouth has killed the film in many circles,  and how the studio realized it's got a pdud on its hands and has since marketed the film heavily to churches - that is not a good sign, especially for a guy who is so close to being a mainstay in comedy.

Carell's come a long way from THE DAILY SHOW, and his work in ANCHORMAN and the U. S. versio nof THE OFFICE brought him up a notch. THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN proved his worth in carrying a film, and his supporting work in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE certainly added cache to what he had built up. His agent clearly was doing a really good job for him and he was living up to his hype.

EVAN ALMIGHTY either indicates his agent's winning streak has collapsed, or he changed agents and is paying the price with their selection of dubious material; or he simply settled for a fat paycheck over something that would bring him to the Tom Hanks level of bankability that he certainly ahs the skills to achieve.

I see a lot of Tom Hanks in Carell. He can handle drama and comedy and is genuinely likeable onscreen adn when he's promoting his work. He's got that everyman thing going on that made Hanks a superstar.

Maybe EVAN ALMIGHTY is to Carell what VOLUNTEERS was to Hanks? it will be itneresting to see where his career goes with his psot EVAN ALMIGHTY decisions (well, his agent's decisions).


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Ratatouille - Will post back in about 8 hours, seeing a early showing while everyone is in church (re - no talking kids!).

Outside of A BUG'S LIFE I haven't been disappointed with a PIXAR film. Even CARS (which felt like a lesser work to me, but by no means a bad work). Because of the kid factor, I'll respect the kids' rights to enjoy the film with enthusiasm in the theater, and respect my sanity to enjoy it in a quiet settting and will wait for DVD.

Just my ops.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2007, 03:55:19 PM by moon over parma »

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Lotus Eater

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Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Reply #209 on: July 01, 2007, 05:22:08 PM »
One of my students downloaded a really fast program for me today that does movie and music in next to no time - sorry, I don't know the name - but ask YOUR students - they will know the best one!!  It's in Chinese, but once he showed me what buttons to press and made me do it a couple of times - it works!