Never enough time…

• The “Academy” hinders modern movie distribution. (Pan and Scan)
• $200 three-way HDMI switch. (HD Blog)
• Movielink for sale? (Hacking Netflix)
• PSP firmware update supports game demo downloads. (jkOnTheRun)
• Another Mac Mini as theater hub experiment. (MacWorld)

I’m surprised it took nearly a year for some clever company to offer SlingStream recording, a frequently requested feature, but now it’s arrived in the form of Applian’s Replay SlingCorder. Why hasn’t Sling Media integrated this functionality into the SlingPlayer? As with limiting SlingBox connections to one person at a time, I believe this decision was made to minimize exposure to legal issues.

I’ve spent some time with the SlingCorder and it does exactly what it advertises — it records to hard disk whatever your SlingPlayer is broadcasting. Additionally, simple time and channel scheduling is offered. With this initial release, your computer needs to be powered on with your SlingPlayer running for the SlingCorder to function. Output files are 320×240 ASF, which can be easily viewed within Windows Media Player and on portable devices. Folks without a DVR attached to their Slingbox or without an easy method of archiving DVR recordings should find SlingCorder useful.

UPDATES:

• 7/2/06, SlingCorder Gets New Name, Features
• 7/13/06, SlingPlayer 1.3 Beta Doesn’t Support SlingCorder

If you recall, MovieBeam is the movie rental device and service spun off from Disney and backed by Cisco. Unlike Akimbo’s internet downloads, MovieBeam contracts local broadcasters to distribute films over the air. The box supposedly holds 100 movie rentals at any given time, including several offered in HD.

A few weeks ago, MovieBeam lowered the hardware fee to $200, soon followed by a $50 blogosphere deal. At $200, I felt the device was still too expensive given per movie rental expenses ($1.99 - $4.99). However, $50 seemed reasonable and I decided to join in (though they ultimately gave me the box). I figured in the worst case scenario I could cannibalize MovieBeam for the 160GB hard drive.

Overall, I’ve been relatively pleased with MovieBeam. While I have no control over the movies in the library, the selection is quite broad covering a variety of genres with both recent and classic films. Movies do not appear on the box until they’ve been downloaded; therefore, rental playback is immediate. Rented flicks remain available for 24 hours and typical in-movie VCR controls are offered. I found standard definition films upscaled from 480p (using a HDMI cable) to look and sound very good. Those without a cable/satellite box offering PPV or not conveniently located near a Blockbuster will appreciate MovieBeam for spontaneous movie rentals.

So how does MovieBeam perform with true HD? I have no idea — my box only has a few HD films in stock, the most recent being Bubble followed by Kill Bill, Volume 2. Because of a poor selection and being connected to a 30″ HDTV (not large enough to perform a reasonable analysis of HD picture quality), I chose to pass. Though others whom I respect have chimed in… Ben feels HD quality is poor and Jeremy opined while it isn’t Comcast HD, it is better than DVD-quality. The good news is that MovieBeam can most likely improve HD quality in the future by simply using less compression.

Two minor annoyances to consider before purchase: 1. MovieBeam needs a landline to periodically dial in for billing purposes. I have it working through my Vonage box, which is inconveniently located in another room. 2. Service is not offered in all regions. Even in my supported area, the flat antenna needed to be precisely placed on a window sill with good visibility for download reception.

And now for something entirely different (and hopefully useful) on ZNF… I present a MovieBeam video overview.

Never enough time…

• The DVD war against consumers. (Business Week)
• Verizon adds interactive services to Fios TV. (CNET)
• Sirius on WiFi-enabled portable Zing player. (Orbitcast)
• Mac Mini mounted on wall with plasma TV. (TUAW)

Guess what showed up at my door yesterday… another pair of Altec Lansing AHP612 wireless headphones! These puppies retail for $150, but I’m giving them away to one of my loyal readers. To enter, leave one comment linking to and justifying your favorite ZNF post. If you win and would like to be contacted, you should probably use a valid email address. I’ll pick a random winner 6/5. US mailing addresses only, please.

Wireless headphones For the biggest range of wireless headphones visit iHeadphones, the largest headphones store in the world, specialists in wireless headphones.

The Dell XPS M2010 and I have something in common - we both need to shed about 15 pounds. That hasn’t stopped Dell from brandishing terms like compact, mobile, and portable to describe their new, 20lb. high-end offering. PC Mag has branded the M2010 a “lifestyle notebook,” and indeed, a substance-abusing lifestyle may be neccessary to lift this thing by its handle. In reality, what we have here is a sleek desktop PC with integrated, hinged LCD. Neither the folding concept nor the handle will see regular usage. So what exactly does a $3500 “media center” PC get you? Apparently not a TV tuner — that’s extra. Maybe I’m being too harsh… the gyroscopic remote with LCD is appealing and the 20″ screen is nothing to sneeze at. Just don’t call it portable.

How’s this for strange bed fellows… Online movie distributor CinemaNow has added both pornography and Disney film downloads to their library this month.

CinemaNow has always offered more obscure independent and foreign flicks compared to Movielink, so the new porn offerings aren’t so surprising. Unlike the major studios overpriced burn-to-DVD features, porn coinsurers may appreciate the relative discretion of creating discs at home for later, uh, reuse.

Scoring Disney is unexpected and could be a major coup for CinemaNow. Apparently their ability to transfer flicks to Windows Portable Media Players ahead of Movielink was a major factor in the deal. I can’t image the relationship is exclusive (no, I’m not talking about those porn plots), so it’s highly likely Disney will offer their movies to other download services in the future. Remember, Steve Jobs is on the Disney board and has had success selling Disney’s ABC television shows via iTunes…

Forbes says: Beginning today, CinemaNow users will be able to choose from 30 Disney titles, including National Treasure, The Pirates of the Caribbean and Chicken Little; the studio will also begin selling online downloads “day and date” with their DVD releases, beginning with the June 6 release of Glory Road. CinemaNow President Bruce Eisen said his company had been in talks with Disney for months, but “it just took a while to turn the ship around.”

Washington Post says: Hollywood has been tiptoeing its way toward letting consumers buy a movie online, burn it onto a DVD and watch it on a living-room TV. While the studios hesitate, the adult film industry is taking the leap. Vivid Entertainment says it will sell its adult films through the online movie service CinemaNow, allowing buyers to burn DVDs that will play on any screen, not just a computer.

Disney tickets at huge discounts! Purchase them from Tickets 2 You. They will match any competitors discount Disney ticket prices.