BD/DVD Archives - Tech Guide https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 02:29:48 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0 https://www.techguide.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mrtune-favi-100x100.png BD/DVD Archives - Tech Guide https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/ 32 32 BD/DVD Archives - Tech Guide BD/DVD Archives - Tech Guide podcast BD/DVD Archives - Tech Guide https://www.techguide.com.au/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/ c9c7bad3-4712-514e-9ebd-d1e208fa1b76 Fetch rolls out major update to make finding your content faster and easier https://www.techguide.com.au/news/televisions-news/fetch-tv-rolls-out-major-update-to-make-finding-your-content-faster-and-easier/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 02:22:43 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=127859

Fetch has rolled out a major update to its user interface which is designed to help viewers find new movies and TV shows to watch and pick up where they left off on other programs no matter where that content is located. Tech Guide was given early access to the Fetch 3.30 Acacia update which […]

The post Fetch rolls out major update to make finding your content faster and easier appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Fetch has rolled out a major update to its user interface which is designed to help viewers find new movies and TV shows to watch and pick up where they left off on other programs no matter where that content is located.

Tech Guide was given early access to the Fetch 3.30 Acacia update which will start rolling out to customers with the Fetch Mighty and Fetch Mini 4K from this week.

How can you tell if your Fetch TV box has been updated? You’ll know you’ve had the update when you see the home screen menu at the bottom of the screen.

This update offers a new look and feel to the interface, but it does make it a lot easier to navigate the menus and puts even more content and viewing options at your fingertips.

Fetch not only provides a TV tuner so you can watch free-to-air TV but it’s also a PVR so you can record programs as well.

But Fetch TV also offers so much more.

Users can also purchase channels packs from just $6 a month to watch premium channels like Discovery, ESPN, Nickelodeon, BBC Earth and much, much more.

It’s where you can buy and rent the latest movie and TV shows from the Fetch store as well as access hundreds of free movies from the Movie Box.

Fetch is also a central platform for users to access in one place all their streaming services like Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Paramount+, Prime, BritBox and YouTube.

All these features were available before the 3.30 update, but the new interface brings them all together and makes them even easier to access and aggregate.

It will cut down the time you take to find something to watch as well as reduce the times you need to jump in and out of apps to continue a show or find something new.

The new features and updates make the new Fetch TV interface is even smarter than a smart TV.

The first thing you’ll notice with the 3.30 update is the new home screen which now runs along the bottom of the screen so you can still see the live channel you’re watching.

Along this menu users can get to their own recordings and rented and purchased movies and TV shows in the My Stuff section, access the Guide, browse Shows and Movies, access streaming Apps and see what’s happening in the world of Sports.

MY STUFF

In this section you can continue watching shows and movies you’ve already engaged with and see new episodes and seasons of your favourites.

This also extends to the streaming apps you’ve signed into so you can pick up where you left off or discover news shows from that service.

My Stuff is also where you can find all your recordings.

GUIDE

From here viewers can see what’s on and what’s coming next on the free-to-air channels and the premium channels.

A new feature called On Now is a personalised feature that shows the channels you usually watch at that time of day.

You can also use the Guide to set reminders, plan recordings and record entire series of TV shows.

SHOWS

This is where the Fetch TV box gathers all your TV show options across streaming apps and catch-up apps based on what you’ve watched.

There are also different genres to browse including reality TV, documentaries, news and kids shows.

When you select a show you’re presented with an impressive information page showing all the ways you can watch the show whether it’s free without ads, free with ads or if a subscription or purchase is required.

If the show is available on a service you’re already subscribed to it will prioritise that selection and put higher quality versions (4K above HD) further up the list.

This section will even summarise where you can see the various seasons of that particular program as well.

MOVIES

When it’s movie night, the new Fetch TV 3.30 update will make the task of finding what to watch a whole lot easier.

At first glance you’ll see new movies from channels, streaming services, the Movie Store and Movie Box. It all on one screen.

When you dive into a title there are even more details about the movie including resolution, sound quality and even critics and Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

Like TV Shows, it will also tell you where and how you can watch it across your subscription services, channels and the Movie Store and Movie Box.

It will prioritise where you can watch it for free and the highest quality.

APPS

In this menu you can see at a glance the trending shows on your subscription streaming services along with the highlights on the free-to-air catch up apps.

The apps are ordered based on the ones you watch most so there’s no need to jump in and out of apps and menus.

SPORT

Sports fans will never miss a match with the ability to browse sport content in one place which can then link viewers to the events that are showing live events on channels and streaming apps.

The post Fetch rolls out major update to make finding your content faster and easier appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Movie Frenzy is on again so you can watch the latest blockbusters for as little as $3 https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/movie-frenzy-is-on-again-so-you-watch-the-latest-blockbusters-for-as-little-as-3/ Fri, 10 Feb 2023 02:51:18 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=127066

It’s Movie Frenzy time again and you can rent or buy some of the biggest recent movie releases for as little as $3 and $10 respectively. Movie Frenzy 9.0 runs until February 16 and includes the biggest blockbusters from 2022 including Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, Bullet Train, Ticket to Paradise and Super-Pets. So get the […]

The post Movie Frenzy is on again so you can watch the latest blockbusters for as little as $3 appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

It’s Movie Frenzy time again and you can rent or buy some of the biggest recent movie releases for as little as $3 and $10 respectively.

Movie Frenzy 9.0 runs until February 16 and includes the biggest blockbusters from 2022 including Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, Bullet Train, Ticket to Paradise and Super-Pets.

So get the popcorn ready for a movie marathon or a rewatch of a recent favourite.

And you can either rent the movies for as low as $3 each or pay $10 during this limited period and have these blockbusters in your digital library to enjoy whenever you want.

Movie Frenzy pricing can be accessed by Apple TV, iTunes Store, Fetch, Foxtel Store, Google TV, Google Play, Microsoft, Prime Video, Telstra Box Office and YouTube.

There are plenty of choices for fans of all movie genres including Top Gun: Maverick, Bullet Train, Ticket to Paradise, Elvis, and DC League of Super-Pets.

Tom Cruise gets back in the cockpit in Top Gun: Maverick as he trains a group of elite pilots to prepare for near-impossible mission.

Bullet Train is a claustrophobic action movie about an unlucky assassin determined to complete his latest mission aboard the world’s fastest train.

Julia Roberts and George Clooney star in romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise (filmed entirely in Australia) as the parents who try and stop their daughter from marrying a seaweed farmer.

Biopic Elvis brings the life of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley to the screen and follows his journey as he becomes a showbiz icon.

The kids will love to catch up with the animated kids’ movie, DC League of Super-Pets that follows Super dog Krypto and a group of shelter pets with superpowers voiced by Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart as they try to rescue Superman and his squad.

Here are some of the recent release movies on offer, with hundreds of more movies available:

Movie Frenzy runs until February 16. Title availability and pricing may vary per platform.

www.moviefrenzy.com.au

The post Movie Frenzy is on again so you can watch the latest blockbusters for as little as $3 appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Tech Guide is part of an exciting new lifestyle TV show called Living Proof https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/tech-guide-is-part-of-an-exciting-new-lifestyle-tv-show-called-living-proof/ Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:51:01 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=124867

Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech is part of an exciting new lifestyle TV program called Living Proof which aims to inform and inspire viewers with engaging segments about technology, health and wellbeing, travel and fashion. The show was commissioned by GemLife, one of Australia’s fastest growing over 50s lifestyle resort operators, which has created communities […]

The post Tech Guide is part of an exciting new lifestyle TV show called Living Proof appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech is part of an exciting new lifestyle TV program called Living Proof which aims to inform and inspire viewers with engaging segments about technology, health and wellbeing, travel and fashion.

The show was commissioned by GemLife, one of Australia’s fastest growing over 50s lifestyle resort operators, which has created communities across NSW, Queensland and Victoria with more on the way.

Living Proof episodes will be released monthly on YouTube and are aimed at active Australians aged 50 and over who want to stay on top of life improving innovations, make the most of their leisure time and invest in their personal and financial health.

Episode One of Living Proof is available to view on YouTube right now.

The show is hosted by Leigh Muirhead and Michael Croaker and is filmed on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Each episode of Living Proof has a team of experts including Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech who presents useful information in the Tech Savvy section of the show covering subjects like internet security, smart TVs, digital wallets, smart home devices and getting the most out of your smartphone and smartphone plan.

The Hidden Gems segment is presented by Graham Moore, an actor and performer and passionate traveller, who helps you discover incredible travel destinations and special events.

In the Health Check segment, dietitian Carly Barlow tackles everything to help keep you fit and healthy and eating right.

Express Yourself is all about fashion and Tasha Homan, a personal stylist, takes you through the accessories, cosmetics, shoes and clothes that can help you give yourself a personal makeover.

Episodes of Living Proof will be released monthly on the GemLife channel.

The post Tech Guide is part of an exciting new lifestyle TV show called Living Proof appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Top Gun: Maverick blasts into homes on digital on August 24 https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/top-gun-maverick-blasts-into-homes-on-digital-on-august-24/ Tue, 16 Aug 2022 23:42:13 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=124330

Top Gun: Maverick has broken records around the world, including here in Australia, and has even joined the billion-dollar box office club but now you’ll get a chance to watch it in the comfort of your own home with its digital release on August 24. The long-awaited sequel to the original film released in 1986, […]

The post Top Gun: Maverick blasts into homes on digital on August 24 appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Top Gun: Maverick has broken records around the world, including here in Australia, and has even joined the billion-dollar box office club but now you’ll get a chance to watch it in the comfort of your own home with its digital release on August 24.

The long-awaited sequel to the original film released in 1986, Top Gun: Maverick overtook Avengers: Endgame to become the third biggest film in Australia which has been watched by more than 4.6 million since its release in cinemas 68 days ago.

It is also Paramount’s most successful release ever globally.

From August 24, Australian movie lovers will be able to purchase Top Gun: Maverick in 4K and HD digital from stores including Apple TV, Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office and YouTube.

The film will be available for digital rental from September 14 and will be released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray Disc on November 2.

Tom Cruise reprises his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell who we first met in the 1986 blockbuster that established him as a superstar.

Maverick is now a teacher at the Top Gun academy and must train a group of hot-shot young pilots for a dangerous mission in enemy territory.

The Top Gun: Maverick digital release will come with a range of bonus content including:
– Cleared For Take Off: Witness the most intense film training program as the cast

prepare themselves for filming while pulling multiple G’s in a fighter plane.

– Breaking New Ground: Filming Top Gun: Maverick—Prepare to take flight as you go behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew of Top Gun: Maverick on a journey to capture the most spectacular aerial sequences ever.

– A Love Letter To Aviation: Tom Cruise shares his passion for aviation as he pilots his own aircraft, a vintage World War II P-51 Mustang, which would have been the Top Gun aircraft of its day.

– Forging The Darkstar: Pushing the limits beyond Mach-10, the future of aviation is unveiled through an impressive experimental aircraft specially designed for the movie.

– Masterclass with Tom Cruise: Cannes Film Festival—Tom Cruise discusses his incredible career at the flagship event of the 75th Cannes Film Festival.

– “Hold My Hand” – Lady Gaga Music Video: Watch Lady Gaga’s music video for her standout lead single hit on the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack.

– “I Ain’t Worried” – OneRepublic Music Video: Check out the music video to the original new song from OneRepublic.

– Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Teaser Trailer: We all share the same fate. Watch the official teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One starring Tom Cruise. Coming to theatres 2023.

Digital rentals for Top Gun: Maverick will commence from September 14 and if you want to buy the film on 4K, Blu-Ray Disc or DVD you’ll have to wait until November 2, 2022.

The 4K Ultra HD will include Dolby Vision HDR (high dynamic range) and will include a Dolby Atmos soundtrack so you’ll be hearing sounds coming from all around you and above you.

If there was one movie you want to hear in Dolby Atmos – it is Top Gun: Maverick.

The post Top Gun: Maverick blasts into homes on digital on August 24 appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Why Gen Z likes to read subtitles when they’re watching TV shows and movies https://www.techguide.com.au/news/internet-news/why-gen-z-likes-to-read-subtitles-when-theyre-watching-tv-shows-and-movies/ Wed, 03 Aug 2022 04:11:02 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=124149

Subtitles used to be for understanding a foreign film, but it’s been embraced by younger viewers who want to read what’s being said on their favourite programs. Research from preply.com shows 70 per cent of Gen Z respondents (people aged between 10 and 25) prefer subtitles either sometimes or all the time when watching TV […]

The post Why Gen Z likes to read subtitles when they’re watching TV shows and movies appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Subtitles used to be for understanding a foreign film, but it’s been embraced by younger viewers who want to read what’s being said on their favourite programs.

Research from preply.com shows 70 per cent of Gen Z respondents (people aged between 10 and 25) prefer subtitles either sometimes or all the time when watching TV shows and movies.

And Millennials (people aged 26-41) ranked second with 53 per cent followed by Gen X (38 per cent) and Baby Boomers (35 per cent).

But the next question is why they prefer subtitles and the responses varied between wanting to understand accents and slang, watching on a mobile device, wanting to learn a new language and simply not wanting to miss a thing.

Many US respondents had a problem with accents with actors like Tom Hardy topping the list of actors and his show Peaky Blinders topping the list of the hardest shows to understand.

Other actors identified as being difficult to understand included Sofia Vergara, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sean Connery, Johnny Depp and Jackie Chan.

Game of Thrones, Outlander and Downton Abbey were the shows that topped the list as hardest to understand.

The Gen Z viewers are also watching their content on a device (74 per cent) and often in public and rely on the subtitles to keep them focused and to make it easier to follow when they sometimes can’t hear the original audio.

The survey also showed that viewers watching foreign language movies preferred to hear the show’s native language and read the English subtitles rather than hearing the dubbed English soundtrack.

The post Why Gen Z likes to read subtitles when they’re watching TV shows and movies appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Escape the cold with Movie Frenzy and rent or buy the latest films from less than $3 https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/escape-the-cold-with-movie-frenzy-and-rent-or-buy-the-latest-films-from-less-than-3/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 22:46:49 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=123554

Movie Frenzy kicks off again today so you can enjoy the latest blockbusters and old favourites for less than $3 to rent or purchase for as little as $10 to build up your digital collection. Films like Ghostbusters Afterlife, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Belfast and Marry Me are among more than 100 titles that […]

The post Escape the cold with Movie Frenzy and rent or buy the latest films from less than $3 appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Movie Frenzy kicks off again today so you can enjoy the latest blockbusters and old favourites for less than $3 to rent or purchase for as little as $10 to build up your digital collection.

Films like Ghostbusters Afterlife, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Belfast and Marry Me are among more than 100 titles that have been discounted.

There are movies to suit the whole family and across a number of genres like thrillers, action, horror and drama.

They are available on several digital platforms including Apple TV, iTunes, Dendy Home Cinema, Fetch, Foxtel store, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office and YouTube.

There are no subscriptions required so you can escape the cold and get warm on the couch for a weekend of endless entertainment.

Movie Frenzy runs from Friday, June 24 till Thursday, June 30. Title availability and pricing may vary between platforms.

Here is a selection of the list of more than 100 titles that have been discounted for movie frenzy:

Ghostbusters Afterlife

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Sing 2

Moonfall

Blacklight

Jackass Forever

Clifford The Red Dog

Marry Me

The Boss Baby: Family Business

Belfast

C’mon C’mon

Wyrmwood Apocalypse

The 355

The Many Saints of Newark

– Cry Macho

The Hating Game

Off the Rails

Panama

Day to Die

The post Escape the cold with Movie Frenzy and rent or buy the latest films from less than $3 appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
The Best and Worst Video Game Movie Adaptations https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/the-best-and-worst-video-game-movie-adaptations/ Tue, 17 May 2022 14:47:42 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=122977

By David Michael Brown With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 preparing to speed its way onto every home format known to man, what better time to look back at the finest video game adaptations that have hit the big screen. And some of the worst. The classic films that turned frantic 16-bit console classics into masterful […]

The post The Best and Worst Video Game Movie Adaptations appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

By David Michael Brown

With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 preparing to speed its way onto every home format known to man, what better time to look back at the finest video game adaptations that have hit the big screen.

And some of the worst.

The classic films that turned frantic 16-bit console classics into masterful reels of celluloid. And the flicks that made us scream game over! And while you’re reading, we’re still waiting for a big-budget Pong movie!

Werewolves Within (2021)

A lupine whodunnit set in the icy climbs of a small Vermont town, a snowstorm traps residents together inside the local inn. When a mauled dead body is discovered hidden in the snow, it’s up to newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Veep’s Richard Splett himself, the brilliant Sam Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub) to point the finger at the killer who is hairy on the inside. Full of delightfully observed quirky characters and a tongue-in-bloody-cheek approach to horror, this adaptation of the multiplayer VR game plays with genre, playing like An American Werewolf in London mixed with the Amicus ‘70s werewolf break movie The Beast Must Die and an Agatha Christie murder mystery and is all the better for it.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

The road to the silver screen for Sega’s high-speed talisman has been a long and bumpy one. When a less than satisfactory trailer campaign featured an unrealistic “realistic” version of the world’s favourite interplanetary spikey speedster, Sonic fans were in uproar. But when director Jeff Fowler announced on Twitter that Sonic’s design was going to be altered to make the character “the best he can be,” he was right. He also made one of the best video game adaptations. Ever. With Sonic voiced by Parks and Recreation star Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey going for improvisational gold as Dr. Robotnik, the latte with steamed Austrian goat milk addicted psychotic who is hunting down Sonic, this is high sped entertainment of the highest order. James Marsden plays the benevolent donut-chomping cop who takes Sonic under his wing after he crash lands on earth. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and the breakneck action is exhilarating, especially when Sonic winds up a spin-dash. If you feel the need for speed, Sonic is your guy.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Headlined by a wise-cracking Ryan Reynolds who voices Pikachu, the diminutive yellow Pokémon with the big heart, this often hilarious eye-popping deep dive into the world of the Pokémon made full use of modern-day whizz bang FX to bring everyone’s favourite battling pocket pets to life. The Get-Down star Justice Smith plays Tim, a young man who arrives in Ryme City to look for his detective father who has gone missing. Aided by his dad’s former Pokémon partner, the wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth Detective Pikachu, Tim begins to realise that this is far more than a missing person case. All your favourites are there: the explosive Psyduck, cute-as-a-button Jigglypuff, the hilarious Mr. Mime and the terrifying Mewtwo. Gotta Catch ‘Em All!

Resident Evil

Resident Evil (2002)

The 1996 Playstation game took the world by storm. The gruesome third-person shooter was often credited with kick-starting the survival horror genre and helped gut-munching zombies chew their way back into popular culture. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the intense actioner starred Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez as two leaders of a crack commando team who must break into a vast underground genetics laboratory known as “the hive” operated by the powerful Umbrella Corporation. There, a deadly virus has been unleashed, killing the lab’s personnel, and resurrecting them as the evil Un-dead. An action-packed smash that managed to recreate the thrill of the game, inspiring five sequels, Apocalypse (2004), Extinction (2007), Afterlife (2010), Retribution (2012) and The Final Chapter (2016) and a prequel Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021).

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider (2018)

Starting life on PC and the PlayStation and Sega Saturn consoles, the latex-clad, sunglasses-wearing tomb raider Lara Croft was an obvious choice for a cinematic adaptation. Alas, two lacklustre entries in the ‘90s starring Angelina Jolie failed to uncover the truth so it was left to Oscar winner Alicia Vikander to give the catacomb pilfering heroine a film worthy of the game’s huge success. A rebooted origin story with a grittier approach that ditched the fantasy elements of the previous films, Lara Croft (Vikander), is the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer who discovers the island where her father, Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West) disappeared. Playing Croft as a human being rather than an Amazonian goddess gives the action a far more human edge than its pixelated counterpart.

Mortal Kombat (2021)    

The ultimate blood-thirsty fighting game with the bone-crunching, eye-gouging, spine-pulling killer moves, Mortal Kombat has hit the cinema screen twice. The first adaptation, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson in 1995 pulled too many punches but the recent rip-roaring gorefest certainly doesn’t skimp on the fake blood. Shot in Australia, local comedian Josh Lawson has a ball as the brash heart-ripping Antipodean meat head Kano and by casting martial arts experts like Hiroyuki Sanada, this modern retelling features fight scenes that look like they hurt. Much like the game that was one of the first arcade machines to feature graphic displays of violence. The plot? Oh, that’s just an excuse for a royal rumble. Finish him!

Warcraft

Warcraft (2016)

Having made his name making the brilliant Sci-fi mind-bender Moon and the twisty Jake Gyllenhaal actioner Source Code, a lot was riding on David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones’s big-budget adaptation of the long-running Blizzard game Warcraft. The film is set in the era of the First War and follows Anduin Lothar of Stormwind (Travis Fimmel) and Durotan of the Frostwolf clan (Toby Kebbell) as the leaders of two warring factions. With a cast that also boasts Ruth Negga, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Clancy Brown, and Daniel Wu and some impressive mo-cap FX bringing life to the Orcs, Warcraft is an epic-undertaking that certainly overreaches but still manages to entertain and exhilarate.

Silent Hill (2006)

Written by Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994) co-scribe Roger Avary, directed by Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) helmer Christopher Gans and starring Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Deborah Kara Unger and Alice Krige; this scary adaptation of Silent Hill tries hard to replicate the scares from one of the scariest video games ever made. Inspired by Adrian Lynne’s Jacob’s Ladder (1990) and the work of Clive Barker, H. P. Lovecraft, David Cronenberg and Michael Mann, Gans terrifying adaptation follows the gameplay of the survivalist chiller but switches gender as Rose (Mitchell) searches for her missing adopted daughter who has been troubled by disturbing nightmares in the eponymous fictional American town of Silent Hill.

Rampage (2018)

The video game Rampage saw players control a trio of humans transformed into gigantic animalistic monsters including a King Kong-like gorilla, a radioactive reptile and a giant bipedal wolf. The film throws The Rock into the mix, teams the muscle man up with a super-powered gorilla and sees them wage war with a giant crocodile and a huge wolf. While it’s definitely more enjoyable punching buildings and colossal beasts in the game than watching the over-abundant CGI FX that has become the blight of the modern-day blockbuster but any film that rides on the charisma of Mr. Dwayne Johnson and boasts Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in its cast, is off to a winning start. Even if the result is a brainless actioner, you can’t make a monkey out of The Rock.

Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed (2016)

Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of Ubisoft’s open-world action-adventure stealth video game franchise had everything going for it. Despite the presence of the visionary Aussie director behind Snowtown (2011) and a stunning ensemble including Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling and the late great Michael Kenneth Williams, the movie version of the historical actioner that first appeared on the PS3 and the X-Box, was a critical and box office bomb. The action, while handsomely mounted, lacks any emotional resonance and the overstuffed dystopian plotting is a confusing mess as Fassbender’s lost soul Cal Lynch leaps back in time to 15th-century Spain for some perilous parkour!

Uncharted

Uncharted (2021)

How not to make a smash hit video game adaptation! Take a globe-conquering console colossus about a “deep-sea salvage expert and action-pro” called Nathan Drake that followed his treasure hunting exploits across four finger-numbing instalments, cast Spidey himself, Tom Holland, and affable action hero Mark Wahlberg and send them on a Goonies-esque adventure. Simple! Alas no. While there is no denying the charm of the young lead, ditching his red and blue spandex for Drake’s trademark white henley shirt and cargo pants, the young actor tries hard but despite his best efforts, Uncharted quickly descends into a CGI mess of flying boats, ridiculous gravity-defying action and Wahlberg-ian eye-rolling. With such winning source material it’s a shame the filmmakers didn’t have faith in what they already had and instead made a lacklustre cliché blockbuster.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

There was a lot riding on the cinematic adaptation of Hironobu Sakaguchi’s much-loved RPG console ground-breaker. Not only did Final Fantasy bridge the PC console divide giving Nintendo another smash hit but the animated feature was the first to seriously attempt to portray photorealistic CGI humans and blur the lines between reality and computer animation. Co-directed by the games creator and Motonori Sakakibara, Final Fantasy certainly delivers the eye-candy but it lacks any real heart or spirit, simplifying the complexities of the gameplay with an alien invasion storyline that pits earth against mysterious aliens intent on stealing the energy from all living things on the planet. Despite Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, James Woods and Donald Sutherland lending their voices to the action-packed proceedings, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within suffers from being too close to its source material.

Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

With Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the world’s most beloved moustachioed plumbers Mario and Luigi, Dennis Hopper as King Koopa and Samantha Mathis as Daisy, Super Mario Bros. aimed high with its cast, but it was game over for the Nintendo heroes when the film was first released. Looking back, with rose tinted glasses firmly intact, there is a lot of fun to be had from this ramshackle adaptation. With a daft as a brush plot and shoddy FX, especially Koopa’s hybrid dinosaur henchmen and a, then de rigueur, crazed performance from Hollywood legend Hopper who had rejuvenated his career with a non-stop cavalcade of bad guy turns since his cloth-sniffing Frank Booth in David Lynch’s masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986). Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto went on record stating the film tried too hard to replicate the games instead of being a good film. They didn’t trust the fungus.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2: available now to BUY OR RENT NOW ON DIGITAL

The post The Best and Worst Video Game Movie Adaptations appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Epson releases stunning 4K projector to enjoy movies and games like never before https://www.techguide.com.au/news/televisions-news/epson-releases-stunning-4k-projector-to-enjoy-movies-and-games-like-never-before/ Fri, 08 Apr 2022 01:17:00 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=122405

Epson has launched a stunning 4K home theatre projector – the EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD – which offers a cinema quality picture to create a remarkable home entertainment experience. The Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD incorporates a laser array light source which provides higher brightness and impressive contrast and colour. Tech Guide took a look […]

The post Epson releases stunning 4K projector to enjoy movies and games like never before appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Epson has launched a stunning 4K home theatre projector – the EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD – which offers a cinema quality picture to create a remarkable home entertainment experience.

The Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD incorporates a laser array light source which provides higher brightness and impressive contrast and colour.

Tech Guide took a look at the new Epson projector for ourselves at Epson’s Sydney office.

The projector can support HDR10+ and HDMI 2.1 so you can not only enjoy movies in 4K but also immerse yourself in the latest games as well.

The Epson projector uses pixel-shifting technology to produce the 4K image in parallel with three individual high-definition LCD chips.

When producing 4K a projector has two options – either true 4K or pixel shifting high-definition so your eye is seeing the same number of pixels as true 4K.

For true 4K the image is coming through a grid of 3840 x 2160 pixels where light can be pushed out through each of these pixel spaces.

Epson’s decision to go with pixel shifting from a high-definition chip means the light is going a grid of 1920 x 1080 which means larger pixels and more room for the light to travel through the lens so you have a noticeably brighter picture.

The pixel shifting is a mechanical process at the lens where a panel moves in two directions to make up the four pixels for every single pixel coming from the LCD chips.

3D rendering of a home theater interior

So what a viewer sees on the screen is 8.3 million pixels and the 3840 x 2160 resolution.

Customers who opt for true 4K do so because they want to see every pixel precisely where it is meant to be from the source.

Sharpness and clarity might be slightly better with true 4K, but brightness does take a slight hit.

In the case of the Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD, the increased brightness was noticeable but there was still remarkable detail that looked even clearer and sharper because of that added brightness.

Epson’s HDR10+

We were watching the 4K version of Kong v Godzilla and you could see individual strands of Kong’s fur and other detailed textures beside bright colours and other darker sections of the screen.

That’s where the HDR10+ came into play – the range of contrast and brightness was impressive as was the amount of detail and colour gradations without banding.

What also helps keep the quality high is the Epson 32-bit video processing technology which does the heavy lifting when sorting colour, contrast and the frame interpolation for a smoother image.

The 3LCD technology can display 100 per cent of the RGB colour signal while still retaining that remarkable brightness.

Gamers will also appreciate the quality – and the performance

You can enjoy 4K games at up to 120 frames per second and with input lag times below 20ms so users can take advantage of the features of the latest consoles.

Setting up the Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD is also pretty easy thanks to the lens shifting technology which means projector doesn’t have to be in the centre of screen. You can shift the lens up or down 96 per cent and left or right 47 per cent without any loss of picture quality and without distortion.

The laser array light source has a lifespan of up 20,000 hours which is the equivalent of watching a three-hour movie every day for 18 years.

The Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD projector is available now and is priced at $8,999.

Key features of the Epson EH-LS12000B

– 4K PRO-UHD1 Advanced pixel-shifting technology works in parallel with three individual high-definition LCD chips to produce an exceptionally sharp 4K picture achieving 8.3 million pixels and displaying a resolution of 3840 x 2160 on screen without sacrificing picture brightness

– Laser array light source – provides up to 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance free operation, with the added benefits of higher image contrast and instant ON/OFF

– Epson picture processor – Epson’s most advanced video processing technology to date, the proprietary 32-bit Epson Picture Processor handles real-time colour, contrast, HDR, frame interpolation and resolution enhancement to faithfully reproduce the source material the way it was intended to be shown

– High picture brightness – Impressive 2,700 lumens of colour and 2,700 lumens of white brightness3 for an exceptional picture in virtually any home theatre environment – even in rooms with ambient light

– Lens shift – With this innovative technology, the projector does not need to be placed directly in front of the screen. This comes in handy when there might be light fixtures or ceiling fans which cannot be moved

– True 3-chip 3LCD projector engine – Advanced 3LCD technology uses three individual LCD chips to continuously display 100 percent of the RGB colour signal for every frame; this allows for outstanding colour gamut while maintaining excellent brightness without any rainbowing or colour brightness issues seen with other projection technologies

– Impressive HDR – Full 10-bit HDR colour processing accepting 100 percent of the HDR source information to faithfully reproduce HDR, HDR10+ and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) content for an exceptional visual performance; real-time HDR curve adjustment allows for 16 steps of control to fine-tune the HDR performance regardless of the content

– Great for gaming – Gaming up to 4K at 120 frames per second, along with input lag times below 20 ms, allow for serious gamers to take full advantage of the latest generation of gaming consoles and even higher-end gaming PCs

The post Epson releases stunning 4K projector to enjoy movies and games like never before appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
How The Godfather was painstakingly restored for its 50th Anniversary https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/how-the-godfather-was-painstakingly-restored-for-its-50th-anniversary/ Tue, 22 Mar 2022 00:02:41 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=122103

The epic film The Godfather – considered by many to be the greatest movie of all time – is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this week with the trilogy of films restored and re-released in glorious 4K. The Godfather was released on March 24, 1972, and went on to become one of the most beloved films […]

The post How The Godfather was painstakingly restored for its 50th Anniversary appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

The epic film The Godfather – considered by many to be the greatest movie of all time – is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this week with the trilogy of films restored and re-released in glorious 4K.

The Godfather was released on March 24, 1972, and went on to become one of the most beloved films in movie history.

Tech Guide spoke with the leaders of the restoration team – Andrea Kalas, Senior Vice President of Paramount Archives and James Mockowski, film archivist and restoration supervisor for Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope.

It was a monumental task with the idea for the restoration and re-release for the 50th anniversary conceived several years ago.

“We knew that this major milestone for one of the world’s most important films was around the corner and so really it was almost five years ago where I started talking to people internally to Paramount,” Kalas told Tech Guide.

Before and after restoration

“We’ve got to give this one plenty of time, so we have to start working on it now.

“That’s what really makes a restoration of this calibre great – the time to do it.”

LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE AUDIO INTERVIEW IN TECH GUIDE EPISODE 494 – CLICK PLAY ON THE PLAYER BELOW

And director Francis Ford Coppola was also involved.

“It was actually very fortuitous because Andrea was cooking this up with the 50th back five years ago and Francis was also thinking that he had more to say with Godfather III (which was re-edited and re-released as The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone),” Mockowski says.

“Once he knew that Andrea and the team was going to plan this 50th anniversary then he said I’m onboard. I need to be part of that.”

They scoured more than 300 cartons of film to find the best possible frames and spent more than 4,000 hours repairing film stains and tears.

Next was more than 1,000 hours of scanning and colour correction to apply high dynamic range tools that would improve the image but stay respectful of the original vision of director Francis Ford Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.

“A film like Godfather and many great films carried the same curse in that they were loved too much,” Kalas says.

“They’re printed too much, or in this case, bits of Godfather I were used for II and used for III and used for the Epic and used for the Saga – so that meant that the original material wasn’t necessarily all frame for frame in one long strip.

“It was in this box and that box in this box in that box – that was one of our massive efforts was to make sure we had combed through every possible box to find every original frame.”

The latest technologies also helped the restoration process.

“Scanning technologies are just better, it’s easier to capture more information. You want to capture 16 bits rather than 10 because you’re going on to High Dynamic Range,” Kalas said.

“It’s gentler on the film than it was back in 2007 (when it was touched up for the first Blu-ray release) so we’re not going to damage the film by scanning it which is great.

“That starts the process and then beyond that the tools that James used to do this frame by frame clean up which is much more nuanced.

 “You can really get in there and make those small changes without having knock on effect and then of course the display technology from people watching at home has changed.

“Doing high dynamic range was you know we wanted to make sure when an audience for this movie with this new technology would see it in the best way possible.

“Maybe they’d be seeing it for the first time we didn’t want to see them to see a bad representation.”

The Godfather trilogy will be released on 4K Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first on March 23.

The Godfather trilogy will be available in 4K Ultra HD 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition.

There is also a 4K Limited Edition Godfather collection which includes three illustrated portraits, a hardcover book with extensive photography and an introduction by Francis Ford Coppola and all packed inside a foil-embossed box.

NEWLY RESTORED AND REMASTERED VERSIONS OF THE GODFATHER TRILOGY ARE AVAILABLE ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY AND 4K DIGITAL FROM MARCH 23

The post How The Godfather was painstakingly restored for its 50th Anniversary appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Disney+ releases teaser trailer for Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/disney-releases-teaser-trailer-for-star-wars-series-obi-wan-kenobi/ Thu, 10 Mar 2022 06:02:08 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=121957

Disney+ has released the first tantalising glimpse of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series starring Ewan McGregor with an amazing teaser trailer. The series is set 10 years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith which saw the Jedi Order decimated by the newly formed Galactic Empire. Kenobi (played by […]

The post Disney+ releases teaser trailer for Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Disney+ has released the first tantalising glimpse of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series starring Ewan McGregor with an amazing teaser trailer.

The series is set 10 years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith which saw the Jedi Order decimated by the newly formed Galactic Empire.

Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor who reprises his role from the Star Wars prequels) is in hiding on Tatooine after delivering an infant Luke Skywalker to the Lars family – Luke’s uncle and aunt.

But the trailer reveals Kenobi is still being hunted by the Empire who is trying to flush out the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy.

In one scene of the trailer, Obi Wan Kenobi can be seen looking through electronic binoculars down at the Lars homestead (seen in the original Star Wars film – Episode IV: A New Hope) where we see a young Luke Skywalker.

We also see Luke Skywalker’s uncle/guardian Owen Lars (played by Australian actor Joel Edgerton – also reprising his role from Episode II and III) – as he stands in a crowd on Tatooine listening to the Imperial Jedi hunters.

The series will also mark the return of Hayden Christensen who played Anakin Skywalker as he turned to the Dark Side of the Force and became Darth Vader.

In fact, if you listen carefully at the very end of the teaser trailer, you’ll heard Darth Vader breathing.

There will be six one-hour episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi – when you add that up that’s the same length as the of the original trilogy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi launched on Disney+ on May 25 – which happens to the 45th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars in 1977.

The post Disney+ releases teaser trailer for Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
The Godfather to be released in 4K for 50th anniversary – an offer you can’t refuse https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/the-godfather-to-be-released-in-4k-for-50th-anniversary-an-offer-you-cant-refuse/ Mon, 17 Jan 2022 05:21:48 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=121107

The Godfather, which many consider to be the greatest movie of all time, will be celebrating its 50thanniversary with a remastered re-released in cinemas before the classic trilogy is offered in 4K Ultra HD for the first time. Paramount pictures announced the film will have a limited released in theatres in Dolby Vision from February […]

The post The Godfather to be released in 4K for 50th anniversary – an offer you can’t refuse appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

The Godfather, which many consider to be the greatest movie of all time, will be celebrating its 50thanniversary with a remastered re-released in cinemas before the classic trilogy is offered in 4K Ultra HD for the first time.

Paramount pictures announced the film will have a limited released in theatres in Dolby Vision from February 25, 2022.

Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola personally oversaw the meticulous restoration of his Academy Award winning masterpiece.

“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Francis Ford Coppola.

“With this 50th anniversary tribute, I’m especially proud Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is included, as it captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.

“It’s also gratifying to celebrate this milestone with Paramount alongside the wonderful fans who’ve loved it for decades, younger generations who still find it relevant today, and those who will discover it for the first time.”

The Godfather was released on March 24, 1972 and went on to become one of the greatest films in cinematic history.

Paramount and Francis Ford Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope have spent the last three years restoring all three films in the iconic trilogy.

“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives.

“We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts.

“It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”

RESTORATION DETAILS

  • Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
  • Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives.
  • Over 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous color correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
  • In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks on The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored.
  • All work was overseen by Coppola.

On March 23, 2022, all three Godfather films will be released together on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray including The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and the recently released and re-edited The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.

A 4K Ultra HD Limited Collector’s Edition will also be released in deluxe packaging with a hardcover coffee table book of stunning images along with portrait art prints on archival paper.

The 4K Ultra HD sets also include new additional bonus features including an introduction to The Godfather by Coppola, a featurette about the preservation process, photos by acclaimed photographer Steve Schapiro, home movie footage, and comparisons of the new restoration to earlier versions of the films.

NEW BONUS CONTENT:

  • Introduction to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola 
  • Full Circle: Preserving The Godfather—Paramount Pictures archivists detail the incredible restoration process with archival footage showing the evolution of the film through various home entertainment incarnations as picture and audio technologies make quantum leaps over the decades.
  • Capturing the Corleones: Through the Lens of Photographer Steve Schapiro— In this reflective and frank discussion, special photographer Steve Schapiro shares his unique perspective and cherished memories as a witness to the making of this seminal film. Commentary on curated archival images makes for a fascinating, never-before-seen addition to the production’s history.
  • The Godfather: Home Movies— An assortment of 8mm home movie footage shot in 1971 offers a candid glimpse into the production of The Godfather.  Shot on location at the Norton family estate on Staten Island’s Emerson Hill, this is the first time it’s been made available to the public.
  • Restoration Comparisons— Before and after highlights showcase extensive picture quality improvements to The Godfather.

LEGACY BONUS CONTENT:

  • The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t
  • Godfather World
  • Emulsional Rescue—Revealing The Godfather
  • …when the shooting stopped
  • The Godfather on the Red Carpet
  • Four Short Films on The Godfather
  • The Godfather The Godfather: Part II
  • Cannoli
  • Riffing on the Riffing
  • Clemenza
  • The Family Tree
  • Crime Organization Chart
  • Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album
  • 2008 Credits
  • Behind the Scenes
    • A Look Inside
    • On Location
    • Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook
    • Music of The Godfather
      • Nino Rota
      • Carmine Coppola
    • Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
    • Gordon Willis on Cinematography
    • Storyboards – The Godfather: Part II
    • Storyboards – The Godfather: Part III
    • The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971
    • Additional Scenes
    • Galleries
    • Trailers
    • Acclaim & Response
    • Additional Material
    • The Filmmakers
    • The Godfather: Part III—newly remastered and restored versions of the original theatrical cut and Coppola’s 1991 cut (note: these are exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD Collections).

The post The Godfather to be released in 4K for 50th anniversary – an offer you can’t refuse appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Tech Guide’s 2021 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas – Day 10: TVs/Blu-ray/4K https://www.techguide.com.au/news/televisions-news/tech-guides-2021-12-days-of-christmas-gift-ideas-day-10-tvs-blu-ray-4k/ Thu, 09 Dec 2021 23:07:52 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=120524

We’re up to Day 10 in Tech Guide’s popular 2020 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas to help you find the perfect gifts for your loved ones . Today we’re looking at TVs and related products like soundbars and projectors plus the movies you can watch on them. Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of […]

The post Tech Guide’s 2021 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas – Day 10: TVs/Blu-ray/4K appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

We’re up to Day 10 in Tech Guide’s popular 2020 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas to help you find the perfect gifts for your loved ones .

Today we’re looking at TVs and related products like soundbars and projectors plus the movies you can watch on them.

Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas:

Day 1: Cameras

Day 2: Smartphones

Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches

Day 4: Headphones/speakers

DAY 5: Gaming

DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers

DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets

DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices

DAY 9: In-car gadgets

DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K

DAY 11: Appliances

DAY 12: Computers

DAY 10: TVs/Blu-ray/4K

LG C1 OLED TV – $2,576 (48-inch), $2,877 (55-inch), $4,076 (65-inch), $7,076 (77-inch) and $9,076 (83-inch)

When it comes to OLED, LG is the undisputed king and the new C1 OLED TV continues that tradition with incredible picture quality and impressive performance whether you’re watching movies, sport or playing games.

OLED is still unrivalled when it comes to achieving superior black levels and stunning natural colour.

With OLED (organic light emitting diode), each pixel – which is self-illuminating and is either on or off – acts like a back light.

That means each of the more than 8 million pixels can be an individual dimming zone.

Other TVs, like LG’s very own QNED range include Mini LED back lighting with microscopic LED lights that can form multiple dimming zones.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW

SAMSUNG QN85A 75-inch NEO QLED TV [2021] – $4495

Samsung’s Neo QLED TV have set a new benchmark for picture quality thanks to remarkable technology that provides enhanced colour, contrast, brightness and black levels.

Samsung’s QN85A 75-inch 4K Neo QLED TV is up there with the best picture you’ll see on a TV.

The Samsung Neo QLED TV has a slick, attractive design with super thin barely-there bezels on the appropriately named Infinity Screen which allow viewers to see nothing but the picture.

The TV itself is also quite thin with speakers placed around the left, right and top edges which facilitates OTS (Object Tracking Sound) so viewers can appreciate some directional sound.

It can also be mounted virtually flush to the wall which looks really smart.

READ TECH GUIDE’S SAMSUNG 8K NEO QLED REVIEW

APPLE TV 4K (2021) – $249 (32GB) and $279 (64GB)

The new Apple TV 4K is a huge leap ahead from the previous generation with a better remote, higher frame rate HDR and a new Colour Balance feature that puts a world of content at your fingertips in the best quality.

TVs are getting bigger and picture quality is getting better and there is no shortage of content that will showcase their remarkable features.

Apple TV 4K is a product that turns your television into an entertainment hub to view your favourite TV shows, movies, sport, as well as access your music, play your favourite games and access your favourite apps.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW

HISENSE 4K LASER TV – $6,999

The new Hisense premium 4K Laser TV range with TriChroma technology is now available in Australia to provide a high-quality big screen home entertainment experience.

The short-throw projector has three primary colour lasers which can produce stunning images on its included 100-inch screen which can easily be mounted on your wall.

The Hisense Laser TV unit can sit just 30 centimetres away from the screen which makes it easy to set up in your home unlike a regular projector which requires a ceiling mount and running long cables to your sources.

The Hisense 100L9GSET TriChroma Laser TV has 3000 lumens brightness as well as the built-in TV tuner and all your favourite streaming services to bring you the experience you’d come to expect from any high-end TV in your living room or home theatre space but on a grander scale.

Under the hood is Hisense’s proprietary X-Fusion Laser Light Engine which uses three independent lasers to achieve an impressive 107 per cent of the BT.2020 colour space.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REPORT

SONOS BEAM GEN 2 – $699

The Sonos brand is quite well known in wireless audio and its new Beam Gen 2 brings that sound quality and connectivity to your TV viewing experience.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is both a wireless speaker and a sound bar in one.

You can listen to your favourite songs when you’re not watching TV but then enjoy the audio quality and Dolby Atmos when you are engrossed in a movie or TV show.

The new Beam sound bar has more processing power on board and has a new phased speaker array which can steer sound around the room.

This is now compatible with more than 100 streaming services which can be found in the Sonos app, so you do notice a massive audio improvement.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW

TCL X925 MINI LED 8K TV – $5,999

If you’re shopping for a new TV right now there’s a lot of new features to learn about including 8K resolution, mini-LED backlighting, HDR10+ and variable refresh rates – and one product where you will find all of these is the TCL 75-inch X925 Mini LED 8K Google TV.

The X925 is an 8K TV with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 – that’s four times the resolution of 4K Ultra HD so you’ll see a whole new level of clarity.

And the TCL TV has got you covered not only on the picture quality side, it also sounds amazing as well thanks to the onboard Onkyo audio system which makes this one of the best sounding TVs on the market.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REPORT

AMAZON FIRE STICK TV 4K MAX – $99

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is 40 per cent more powerful than Fire TV Stick 4K and features a new quad-core 1.8GHz processer and 2GB of RAM, so your apps start faster, and navigation is more fluid.

It is also the first Fire TV streaming device to offer Wi-Fi 6 support for smoother streaming in 4K when multiple Wi-Fi 6-connected devices are streaming.

Fire TV 4K Max supports 4K UHD, HDR, and HDR10+ streaming, as well as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

It comes with the latest Alexa Voice Remote so you can easily use your voice to search for the content you want to watch, manage your smart home devices, and more. Four pre-set buttons get you to your favourite apps quickly.

You can also control power and volume on your compatible TV and soundbar without needing another remote.

Available from JB Hi-Fi and www.amazon.com.au

HISENSE U7G 75-INCH 4K ULED TV [2021] – $1,999

Hisense’s new TVs support Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos which together produce a stunning experience.

Also onboard is Quantum Dot Colour, Full Array Local Dimming and Smooth Picture Rate to create impressive picture quality.

The new Hisense range of televisions also include Hi-View Engine Pro for fast graphic processing to optimise picture quality and enhance the overall viewing experience.

The screen itself can also reduce reflections and glare by absorbing 98.5 per cent of incoming light.

That means 66.7 per cent less glare than conventional TV screens.

Gamers will also level up their experience with Game Mode which includes Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).

VRR allows the TV to match its refresh rate to the frame rate of the game output by the console which results in a much smoother game play without tearing.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REPORT

LG QNED MINI LED TV 4K Range – From $4,679 

LG QNED MiniLED TV models are a must-have for enhanced entertainment experiences this festive season.

As the pinnacle of LG LED/LCD TV viewing experiences at home, the LG QNED MiniLED TV range includes large screen sizes that help bring to life the atmosphere and excitement of sporting events and family Christmas movie viewing this festive season.

Combining the best of both Quantum Dot and NanoCell colour technologies with the advantages of MiniLED backlights, the QNED MiniLED TVs deliver improved blacks, more accurate colour reproduction and greater contrast.

Available in 8K, the QNED MiniLED TV delivers high picture quality and definition.

SAMSUNG 65-INCH SERIF TV – $2,699

There are televisions and then there are lifestyle televisions, and Samsung’s The Serif TV is well and truly in the lifestyle category.

The Serif is the polar opposite of a regular flatscreen TV, it merges both style in design and stunning picture quality.

A regular TV is fine if you want it to blend into the background or mount it on a wall.

But The Serif TV is designed to be noticed.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REPORT

INDIANA JONES 4K UHD BOX SET – $119

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark all four films in the series have been released on 4K Ultra HD this week and offer not only stunning visual quality but remarkable audio quality as well.

The five-disc set brings action movie fans all four Indiana Jones films in 4K Ultra High Definition for the first time.

These include Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

LG SP9 SOUND BAR – $1,319 

Completing your TV setup and keeping up the music and home entertainment this Christmas, the LG SP9 sound bar combines high-quality audio, simple connectivity, smart functionality and stylish aesthetics with a modern look.

The 5.1.2 channel sound allows you to hear your favourite movies, TV shows and matches clearly.

It has Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support combined with Meridian delivers immersive, multi-dimensional sound.

It’s compatibile with Google, Amazon Alexa, Siri and Apple AirPlay 2 and allows for convenient voice control.

PHILIPS PICOPIX MAX TV – $899

The new PicoPix Max TV is a handy little nugget you’ll wonder how you ever did without. With Android TV, your projector is the key to entering a full interactive entertainment universe.

Thanks to the super bright 4 channel LEDs, you can project an image up to 120” (304.8cm) in Full HD 1080p! If you don’t have time to finish your episode or find yourself on the move, the good news is that you can rely on a battery that lasts for up to 4 hours.

With Google Cast you can go big and wirelessly cast your screen directly from any Android, iOS, Windows or MacOS device.

Rated to last 30,000 hours, the PicoPix Max TV light source will display amazing, vivid graphics for years to come.

PicoPix Max TV comes with an incredible 2×12 watts stereo speakers, built-in to the device for a truly immersive cinematic experience with a strong, precise sound.

You can even use it as a Bluetooth speaker to listen your favourite tunes even if the projector is off!

Available from JB Hi-Fi.

STAR TREK ORIGINAL CAST MOVIES 4K UHD BOPX SET – $99

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the original Star Trek franchise, the films featuring the original cast have been released on glorious 4K Ultra HD disc.

It was on September 8, 1966 when the first episode of Star Trek went to air. And it went on to become one of the most popular TV shows and franchises of all time before hitting the big screen with Star Trek: The Motion Picture and spawning other TV and movies series.

Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS Home entertainment will debut remastered versions of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home on 4K UHD for the first time.

The post Tech Guide’s 2021 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas – Day 10: TVs/Blu-ray/4K appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Grab the popcorn – Movie Frenzy is back for a week with rentals for just $3 or less https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/grab-the-popcorn-movie-frenzy-is-back-for-a-week-with-rentals-for-just-3-or-less/ Tue, 28 Sep 2021 06:05:43 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=119244

Get the popcorn ready – Movie Frenzy is back again with hundreds of the latest blockbuster movies and classic titles available to rent for $3 or less. Films including A Quiet Place Part II, Peter Rabbit 2, The Dry, The Little Things and Penguin Bloom will be part of Movie Frenzy when it kicks off […]

The post Grab the popcorn – Movie Frenzy is back for a week with rentals for just $3 or less appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Get the popcorn ready – Movie Frenzy is back again with hundreds of the latest blockbuster movies and classic titles available to rent for $3 or less.

Films including A Quiet Place Part II, Peter Rabbit 2, The Dry, The Little Things and Penguin Bloom will be part of Movie Frenzy when it kicks off on Friday, October 1, 2021.

And based on the success of previous Movie Frenzy campaigns, this one will last a week and run until Thursday, October 7.

All titles will be accessible from a number of digital platforms including the Apple TV app, Google Play, Fetch, Foxtel Store, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office, YouTube, and Microsoft Store.

There is a wide variety of movies to choose from across several different genres including new release movies which are fresh off the back of their cinema run.

“Over the last few months many Australians have been forced to spend more time at home and with subscription costs quickly adding up, more and more are realising the benefit of buying or renting only the movies they want, from the widest possible range,” says Jim Batchelor, Chairman, Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA).

“With such incredible deals for this week only, Movie Frenzy is the perfect opportunity for all Aussie movie lovers to head to their favourite digital platforms to buy or rent the latest blockbusters fresh from cinemas.

“There is a huge range of titles from Hollywood and our own Australian Film Industry with something for everyone.”

Here’s just a selection of what’s on offer, with hundreds of titles available:

– A Quiet Place Part II

– Godzilla vs Kong

– Greenland

– Infinite

– June Again

– Monster Hunter

– Nobody

– Penguin Bloom

– Peter Rabbit 2

– Spiral

– The Croods: A New Age

– The Dry

– The Little Things

– Tom & Jerry

– Vanquish

– War With Grandpa

– Wrath Of Man

Movie Frenzy is on between Friday October 1 and Thursday October 7. Title availability and pricing may vary per platform.

Head to www.moviefrenzy.com.au for more information.

The post Grab the popcorn – Movie Frenzy is back for a week with rentals for just $3 or less appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Live long and prosper! First four Star Trek films have been released on 4K UHD https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/live-long-and-prosper-first-four-star-trek-films-have-been-released-on-4k-uhd/ Tue, 31 Aug 2021 08:28:18 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=118593

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the original Star Trek franchise, the films featuring the original cast have been released on glorious 4K Ultra HD disc. It was on September 8, 1966 when the first episode of Star Trek went to air. And it went on to become one of the most popular TV shows […]

The post Live long and prosper! First four Star Trek films have been released on 4K UHD appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the original Star Trek franchise, the films featuring the original cast have been released on glorious 4K Ultra HD disc.

It was on September 8, 1966 when the first episode of Star Trek went to air. And it went on to become one of the most popular TV shows and franchises of all time before hitting the big screen with Star Trek: The Motion Picture and spawning other TV and movies series.

Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS Home entertainment will debut remastered versions of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home on 4K UHD for the first time.

Each of the films are presented in Dolby Vision and HDR10.

The discs will also feature director and cast commentaries of all four of the films.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn will also include both the theatrical and director’s cuts of the film.

The four original Star Trek films will also be available in 4K on select digital platforms from September 8, 2021.

Here is a detailed list of the disc contents:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture 4K Ultra HD

  • Isolated score in Dolby 2.0—NEW!
  • Commentary by Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Daren Dochterman

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Ultra HD

  • Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer (Director’s Cut and Theatrical Version)
  • Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (Theatrical Version)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 4K Ultra HD

  • Commentary by director Leonard Nimoy, writer/producer Harve Bennett, director of photography Charles Correll and Robin Curtis
  • Commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Ultra HD

  • Commentary by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy
  • Commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE Synopsis

The U.S.S. Enterprise boldly debuted on the big screen with the cast of the original Star Trek series, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and James Doohan. When an unidentified alien intruder destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the helm of a newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command. This is the original theatrical cut of the acclaimed adventure and features Jerry Goldsmith’s rousing iconic overture.

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN Synopsis

Including both the original theatrical and director’s cuts, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is one of the most celebrated and essential chapters in Star Trek lore. On routine training maneuvers, Admiral James T. Kirk seems resigned that this may be the last space mission of his career. But an adversary from the past has returned with a vengeance. Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan (Ricardo Montalbán)—brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth—has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen the top-secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation starship, and now schemes to set a most deadly trap for his old enemy Kirk… with the threat of a universal Armageddon.

STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK Synopsis

Admiral Kirk’s defeat of Khan and the creation of the Genesis planet are empty victories. Spock is dead and McCoy is inexplicably being driven insane. Then a surprise visit by Spock’s father provides a startling revelation: McCoy is harboring Spock’s living essence. Kirk attempts to steal the U.S.S. Enterprise and defy Starfleet’s Genesis planet quarantine to search for his friend, but the Klingons are planning a deadly rendezvous.

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME Synopsis

When a mysterious alien power threatens the atmosphere of Earth in the 23rd century, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco to save mankind. Exploring this strange new world, they encounter punk rock, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything in the far reaches of the galaxy.

The post Live long and prosper! First four Star Trek films have been released on 4K UHD appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
There’s been a lot of movies based on toys – including Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/theres-been-a-lot-of-movies-based-on-toys-including-snake-eyes-gi-joe-origins/ Mon, 23 Aug 2021 02:00:42 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=118387

The toy boxes’ favourite action man is back in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. The G.I. Joe spin-off stars rom-com heartthrob turned martial arts master Henry Golding as the titular masked loner. Inspired by Hasbro’s heavily armed plaything, we look at the best and worst movies based on toys… Mars Attacks! (1996) The evil Martians […]

The post There’s been a lot of movies based on toys – including Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

The toy boxes’ favourite action man is back in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. The G.I. Joe spin-off stars rom-com heartthrob turned martial arts master Henry Golding as the titular masked loner.

Inspired by Hasbro’s heavily armed plaything, we look at the best and worst movies based on toys…

Mars Attacks! (1996)

The evil Martians with oversized craniums first appeared in the garish violent 1962 Topps Mars Attacks trading cards set. In the ‘80s the cards were reissued followed by a model kit series.

Then director Tim Burton along with an all-star cast including Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan and blaxploitation stars Jim Brown and Pam Grier brought the invading aliens to vivid life.

Any film that starts with a stampede of flaming cows is going to be different and Burton’s irreverent style, a gleefully warped sense of humour, stunning CGI effects and delightfully askew performances ensure that this alien invasion is delirious fun.

Bumblebee (2018)

The transforming robots in disguise were given the explosive blockbuster treatment by the master of Bayhem himself, Michael Bay, but it was Bumblebee that proved there was more than meets the eye with the adrenalin-fuelled metallic actioners.

With the yellow Autobot front and centre and Hailee Steinfeld giving a delightful performance as Charlie, the young girl who discovers her new Volkswagen Beetle is actually a robot, Bumblebee mixes typically bravura set-pieces with a big heart and a fine line in ‘80s earworms.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Brick by brick, The Lego Movie is an insanely brilliant high-concept explosion in a toy store. Directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the visionaries behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the film is a frenetic eye-popping delight.

Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt voices Emmett, a LEGO construction worker, who discovers he may be the “special” and finds himself inadvertently on a quest to stop an evil tyrant and his dastardly scheme planned for Taco Tuesday.

The rapid-fire creation scenes are non-stop, the humour spot on and the animation state of the art. Everything is Awesome.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Starting life in comics, the heroes in a half shell became plastic action figures in 1986. Then in 1987, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael appeared in their own, hugely popular, animated series.

By the time the Turtles appeared in their own live-action flick, the subterranean pizza chomping anti-heroes were big news.

Compared to the slick Michael Bay produced 2014 reboot, the rubber suits may be a bit clunky but it oozes charm, boasts Sam Rockwell and Corey Feldman in its cast and has a song from MC Hammer. Cowabunga!

Clue (1985)

With an all-star cast including Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, and Lesley Ann Warren, based on a story by John Landis (The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London) and three different endings so you never knew which version of the film you were going to see, Clue is the best fun you’ll ever have getting murdered.

In the Kitchen. With a lead pipe. The film plays out like the board game, called Cluedo in Australia, as strangers arrive at a mansion, are given pseudonyms by their host – Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet – and are slowly killed off.

The ever-dwindling survivors have to figure out whodunnit.

Trolls (2016)

 

A huge surprise! The small plastic troll figures with the big colourful hair inspired one of the most feel-good kids films EVER!

A candy-rainbow explosion of eye-melting proportions, the all-singing, all-dancing trolls, led by the always happy Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and happy-to-be-miserable Branch (Justin Timberlake) are on a mission to save their friends from the evil, and very hungry Bergens, who plan to eat them.

With Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and James Corden also lending their voices to the animated fun, you won’t be able to stop that feeling.

Battleship (2012)

One of the strangest toy-to-film adaptations, Battleship is one of the few attempts to transform a game into an action film.

The stationary game of strategy somehow inspires a big-budget action-packed slice of blockbuster nonsense starring Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and a much-publicised Rihanna.

The plot involves a water-logged alien invasion, the US Navy, a boat load of actual World War II veterans and a delightfully daft way of recreating the gameplay of the original Hasbro toy. You sunk my battleship!

Masters of the Universe (1987)

By the power of Grayskull! Mattel’s hugely popular “Masters of the Universe” toy line first hit shelves in 1982. Since then, He-Man has featured in comics, been animated in the Filmation series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and played by muscleman Dolph Lundgrun courtesy of Cannon Films.

With Frank Langella as Skeletor and the dodgiest special FX this side of Eternia, it’s a low-rent kitsch camp classic and a total hoot.

Now Clerks director Kevin Smith is the creator behind the Masters of the Universe: Revelation featuring the vocal talents of Chris Wood as He-Man along with Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela, Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn and Mark Hamill as the skull faced bad guy.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

The sequel to G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra kills off most of the cast of the first film, injects some of The Rock’s tried and trusted franchise Viagra, adds a gun-toting Bruce Willis and a stunning mountainside wuxia style set piece.

The plot still revolves around futuristic nanotechnology and the evil Zartan (again played by Arnold Vosloo) trying to take over the planet.

This time by using the high tech to impersonate U.S. President (Jonathan Pryce). Adrianne Palicki as Jaye is a welcome addition to the new team but it’s Lee Byung-hun and Ray Park who steal the show again as Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes.

Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

While D&D, as aficionados call it, featured heavily in Stranger Things, that wasn’t the first time the role-playing game has appeared on screen.

In E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Elliott’s older brother and his friends are seen playing at the beginning of the Steven Spielberg classic. Watching these kids play was better than watching the big screen adaptation unfortunately.

Despite having Jeremy Irons, Thora Birch and Marlon Wayans in the cast the film is a charisma free zone with a lazy script and lacklustre spectacle. It lacks something fundamental when playing any role-player. Imagination!

Here’s a bonus preview…

Barbie (2022)

The world’s most famous doll will come to vivid life played by Margot Robbie in a new film written by hipster indie darlings Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig and directed by the Little Women helmer.

The Harley Quinn actress plays the live-action embodiment of Mattel’s leading lady as Barbie is expelled from “Barbieland” for not being perfect enough.

Looking for adventure she heads out into the real world. No news yet who will be donning the Ascot to play Ken.

Samara Weaving plays Scarlett and Henry Golding plays Snake Eyes in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins from Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Skydance.

BUY OR RENT SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS NOW ON DIGITAL.

Article written by David Michael Brown

The post There’s been a lot of movies based on toys – including Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Embracing the silence to escape the terrors of A Quiet Place Part II https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/embracing-the-silence-to-escape-the-terrors-of-a-quiet-place-ii/ Mon, 09 Aug 2021 06:41:40 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=118053

Quiet Please! There is nothing scarier than silence. Something filmmakers know all too well. By removing one of our senses, the terror of a scene can be stretched to breaking point. In genre films, especially thrillers and horror films, we are conditioned to dread silence. Silence is the calm before the storm. An aural signpost and […]

The post Embracing the silence to escape the terrors of A Quiet Place Part II appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Quiet Please! There is nothing scarier than silence. Something filmmakers know all too well. By removing one of our senses, the terror of a scene can be stretched to breaking point.

In genre films, especially thrillers and horror films, we are conditioned to dread silence. Silence is the calm before the storm. An aural signpost and a pause before the screams, the stabbing violins and scenes of abject terror. Our emotions are trained to brace themselves for the onslaught ahead.

Watching the A Quiet Place films it is the opposite. We crave silence. It is a respite from the terrors at large. With earth under attack from blind extra-terrestrial creatures with supersonic hearing and an alarming rate of speed when they are on the offensive not a sound can be made.

The human race is on trepidatious tiptoe as they try and stay alive in the devasted world they now call home. The only way the Abbott family – played by John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe – can survive is in silence.

Every floorboard creek is a deafening clarion call for the aliens to bloodily slash their way through a poor unfortunate soul. Watching this film within the dark confines of a hushed cinema is a unique experience. Every seat shuffle or popcorn crunch accentuated against the absolute silence on screen. Viewers are even afraid to breathe.

Tapping a similar bloody vein as A Quiet Place was the tense 2016 home invasion thriller with a difference Don’t Breathe. Evil Dead remake director Fede Álvarez plays with silence and darkness as a blind man’s home is broken into by a young group of criminals.

Image credit: Paramount

The blind man (Stephen Lang), a twisted war veteran, levels the playing field by turning off the lights. Now the invaders, our protagonists, are living in his world. He uses his acute sense of hearing to track down the hapless robbers who have bitten off far more than they can chew. While not used to the same extent as in A Quiet Place, when Álvarez does use silence to build tension, it’s terrifying.

Another film that plays with the loss of senses is Wait Until Dark starring Audrey Hepburn. There is often far more to horror movies than pure terror. Some are allegories of a far bigger picture, and some just remind us how thankful we should be to have all of our senses.

A Quiet Place does exactly this so by thrusting a deaf character, played by Millicent Simmonds as Regan Abbott, into its post-apocalyptic world where sound is the enemy.

Terrence Young’s 1967 thriller Wait Until Dark covers similar ground as a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn) protects herself from a gang of hardened criminals who have broken into her home searching for a doll full of heroin they believe has been stashed in her apartment. Ahead of its time, Wait Until Dark is still a tense watch, largely thanks to committed performances from Hepburn and Alan Arkin as the head con man.

Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock, played it slightly differently by taking away sight, or at least a willingness to look.

Everyone is now afraid to look after realising that anyone who even glimpses at the horrific inter-dimensional beings are driven to suicide.

With a blindfolded cast, the audience’s connection with the character’s eyes is removed, thus our point of empathy and understanding is less tangible. To quote Barry Convex in David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, “the eye is the window of the soul” and that has been taken away.

The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock knew the importance of silence. Who can forget those excruciating seconds in Psycho before the devasting murder scene that left Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) lying bloodied and brutalised on her shower floor? There is no score. Just the sound of a toilet flushing, the shower curtain being closed, an un-oiled tap turning and the water cascading over the soon-to-be-victims naked flesh. And then we witnessed the shadowy figure silently advancing until the curtain is whipped back and the silence is broken by Bernard Hermann’s staccato strings and Janet Leigh’s deafening scream.

In North by Northwest’s brilliant crop duster scene, all you can hear is the plane in the distance as Cary Grant’s unease builds. Hitchcock started making films towards the tail end of the silent era and you can tell he is comfortable shooting extensive long scenes without dialogue.

In his 1958 masterpiece Vertigo, there are long passages with no dialogue, as the obsessive detective “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) spies on Kim Novak’s ingénue. Brian De Palma paid homage to Hitch’s virtuoso sequence in his own Dressed to Kill. Especially when the director’s prowling camera follows Angie Dickinson’s character when she visits an art gallery with only Pino Donaggio’s lush sweeping score for company.

The unease and dread that silence can induce in an awkward shuffling audience is exactly why the brilliantly made A Quiet Place films are so effective proving that an effective and immersive sound design is just as important as a thrilling action scene, a big-budget explosion or any amount of fake blood.

Like other hushed horrors like Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers, the recent Netflix chiller Hush, Neil Marshall’s The Descent and Ridley Scott’s Alien; A Quiet Place reminds us that silence is golden. Remember, in space… and in the movies, no one can hear you scream.

Article by David Michael Brown

A Quiet Place II on 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL from August 11

The post Embracing the silence to escape the terrors of A Quiet Place Part II appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Exploring the sounds of Raiders of the Lost Ark which is now available on 4K UHD https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/exploring-the-sounds-of-raiders-of-the-lost-ark-which-is-now-available-on-4k-uhd/ Thu, 17 Jun 2021 01:43:49 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=116979

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark all four films in the series have been released on 4K Ultra HD this week and offer not only stunning visual quality but remarkable audio quality as well. Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt and John Roesch, one of the original Foley artists […]

The post Exploring the sounds of Raiders of the Lost Ark which is now available on 4K UHD appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark all four films in the series have been released on 4K Ultra HD this week and offer not only stunning visual quality but remarkable audio quality as well.

Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt and John Roesch, one of the original Foley artists who worked on the film, have revealed how they came up with the iconic sounds that helped make Raiders of the Lost Ark a true cinematic classic.

The five-disc set brings action movie fans all four Indiana Jones films in 4K Ultra High Definition for the first time.

These include Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

To mark the 40th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark,  Burtt and Roesch came together on the Foley stage at Skywalker Sound in Northern California and used some of the original props to demonstrate how they developed the distinctive face punches, sword swishes and snake slithers.

Called “the father of Skywalker Sound” by Steven Spielberg, Ben Burtt is an Academy Award-winning sound designer, as well as an accomplished filmmaker who has written, directed and served as film editor on a vast array of projects.

Burtt was the sound pioneer who came up with the library of sounds for the original Star Wars trilogy.

John Roesch is a professional Foley artist who has worked in the film business for over 40 years.  With nearly 600 credits, Roesch has lent his skills to many of the biggest blockbusters of all time including Back to the Future, Schindler’s List, Interstellar, Independence Day, The Matrix and Fight Club.

So how did they come up with the sounds?

PUNCHES

There are no shortage of punches and body blows in Raiders of the Lost Ark and that sound the audience hears as fists landing are actually croquet balls in socks so they can be swung even faster into a bag of plant mix.

Also used to recreate the sound of a face punch is a wet chamois wrapped around celery.

When struck with a piece of wood you have the sound texture of impact from the chamois and the crack of the celery,

SWORDSMAN

In the famous scene where Indiana Jones is confronted by the swordsman in Cairo, the swooshing sounds of the sword were created by swinging around a thin rod.

That scene was supposed to include a long fight scene but with star Harrison Ford and the crew sick with dysentery they changed the script so Indiana Jones disposes of the swordsman with a single gunshot.

SNAKES

Snakes are featured often in the film – especially after Indiana Jones reveals how much he hates snakes.

One scene in particular – in the Well of Souls – there are thousands of snakes involved.

Burtt recreated the sound of snakes hissing and slithering while his wife Peggy was cooking  and serving macaroni and cheese.

HIT IN THE FACE WITH THE MIRROR

The scene where Marion and Indy are aboard the tramp steamer she hits him by mistake with the mirror.

That sound was actually created by hitting the lid of a trash can with a bass drum stick.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

At the of the film the Ark of the Covenant is opened in a special ceremony. The prop itself was made of plastic but it needed to sound like it had some weight.

“I wanted something that was solid so I was sitting there one day thinking and I came up with this sound which was right at hand which was my toilet tank bowl cover,” Burtt said.

“It’s a little blasphemous to admit this but this is the lid of the Ark of the Covenant.”

He recorded the toilet tank lid scraping against a rock to come up with the sound of the Ark of the Covenant lid being removed in the climax of the film.

The Indiana Jones 4K movie collection is packed with special features. These include:

Indiana Jones 4K Box Set Bonus Features:

On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark

  • From Jungle to Desert
  • From Adventure to Legend

Making the Films

  • The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 documentary)
  • The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • The Making of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
  • The Making of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  • The Making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (HD)

Behind the Scenes

  • The Stunts of Indiana Jones
  • The Sound of Indiana Jones
  • The Music of Indiana Jones
  • The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones
  • Raiders: The Melting Face!
  • Indiana Jones and the Creepy Crawlies (with optional pop-ups)
  • Travel with Indiana Jones: Locations (with optional pop-ups)
  • Indy’s Women: The American Film Institute Tribute
  • Indy’s Friends and Enemies
  • Iconic Props (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
  • The Effects of Indy (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
  • Adventures in Post Production (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark by experiencing the 4 -movie collection for the first time in 4K Ultra HD.

The post Exploring the sounds of Raiders of the Lost Ark which is now available on 4K UHD appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Facts behind hit series Yellowstone which is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/facts-behind-hit-series-yellowstone-which-is-now-available-on-digital-dvd-and-blu-ray/ Fri, 28 May 2021 07:33:20 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=116546

Yellowstone has been a hit in Australia on the Stan streaming service and it is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Starring Kevin Costner, Yellowstone has been described as “The Godfather on a ranch”. From the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water and Sicario) and starring Academy Award Winner […]

The post Facts behind hit series Yellowstone which is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Yellowstone has been a hit in Australia on the Stan streaming service and it is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Starring Kevin Costner, Yellowstone has been described as “The Godfather on a ranch”.

From the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water and Sicario) and starring Academy Award Winner Kevin Costner, Yellowstone revolves around the Dutton family, led by John Dutton (Costner) who controls the largest ranch in the U.S. that is under constant attack by those it borders: land developers, an Indian reservation and America’s first National Park.

Win 1 Of 2 Blaupunkt Smart Android LED TVs To Celebrate The Release Of Yellowstone On Digital, DVD And Blu-Ray

This is a world where land grabs make developers billions, and politicians are bought and sold by the world’s largest oil and lumber corporations. It is the best and worst of America seen through the eyes of a family that represents both. The impressive cast also includes Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Danny Huston, Gil Birmingham, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, and many more.

But how much do we really know about the smash series after three seasons?

Here are the facts behind Yellowstone:

  • In the United States, Yellowstone is the biggest first-year cable drama—in any season—since American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson in 2016.
  • The show was shot in Utah and Montana.

  • The filming location for the Dutton family’s Yellowstone Ranch is the 150-acre Chief Joseph Ranch, located in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. When not acting as the home of Kevin Costner et al, the ranch is a guesthouse and family home. If you want to stay there, bad luck, Chief Joseph Ranch is booked up for 2021.
  • Taylor Sheridan was inspired by story about the gentrification of the American west. Yellowstone tackled the complicated issues of land use politics, substance abuse and the challenges of life on modern Native American reservations.
  • The Yellowstone script that Sheridan originally sent Costner was for a movie but everyone loved the world that the writer-director had created so much that a television series was the only way to fully explore the lives of the Dutton’s.
  • Writer, director and executive producer Taylor Sheridan started his career as an actor with small part on Veronica Mars and a recurring role as Deputy Chief of Police David Hale on Sons of Anarchy. Sheridan also has a small role in Yellowstone as horse trader Travis Wheatley.
  • Taylor Sheridan wrote Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, was nominated for an Oscar for his script for Hell or High Water and recently directed Angelina Jolie in Those Who Wish Me Dead.
  • Texas native Taylor Sheridan brought in his own personal horses from Wyoming for the cast to ride during filming and put all the actors through horse training.
  • Despite being worried about not knowing his character’s story arc, Costner chose Yellowstone for his first long-running TV series (not counting the limited miniseries Hatfields & McCoys in 2012).

  • Costner is no stranger to the western genre having starred in Silverado, Wyatt Earp, Open Range, and his Best Picture-winning Western epic Dances With Wolves.
  • Yellowstone actors Kelsey Asbille, Gil Birmingham, Martin Sensmeier, Tokala Black Elk, Ian Bohen, Hugh Dillon, James Jordan, Gabe Casdorph and Mason D. Davis had worked with Sheridan on his Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner starring 2017 crime mystery Wind River.
  • Yellowstone marked a Wyatt Earp (1999) reunion for Costner and Ian Bohen who plays Ryan, a ranch hand at Yellowstone and a livestock agent.

  • Danny Huston and Wes Bentley both previously collaborated on the fourth season of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story.
  • Danny Huston and Kevin Costner have both appeared in films in the DC Cinematic universe, Huston in Wonder Woman (2017) and Costner as Jonathan Kent in Man Of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2020).

  • Maynard James Keenan, frontman of alternative rockers Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer has multiple songs on the first season’s soundtrack.

Yellowstone Season 3: New to Blu-ray, DVD & Digital

Facts compiled by David Michael Brown

The post Facts behind hit series Yellowstone which is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Burn DVD: How to Create or Burn Video Files to a Playable DVD https://www.techguide.com.au/news/computers-news/burn-dvd-how-to-create-or-burn-video-files-to-a-playable-dvd/ Sat, 22 May 2021 01:11:26 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=116421

Want to burn your video files onto a playable DVD for creating a backup of your files? A DVD burner will help you out. This article will discuss the best solutions to burn videos to DVD

The post Burn DVD: How to Create or Burn Video Files to a Playable DVD appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Looking for a convenient and efficient way to burn all kinds of videos to DVD for further management? A video to DVD burning tool will simplify our task of burning video to DVD.

You may have ripped your DVD movies to common video files for easy playback, but sometimes, you might want to play your videos on the DVD player for enjoying an excellent watching experience. For this, you need to burn videos to DVD and this article will explainhow to burn a copy of your videos or movies to a playable DVD on your computer.

To create your own DVD, you’ll need a few things to get started including:

  • A DVD burner drive:Usually, many computers come with optical drive that can play and burn DVDs. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to buy an external DVD drive.
  • A blank DVD: You’ll need a blank DVD disc to burn your videos to. There are two types of blank discs: VD+R and DVD-R.Almost every drive sold today supports these two formats. If your video files are large, you can buy dual-layer discs. No matter which one you buy, you need to make sure whetheryour DVD drive supports or not.
  • A video to burn:You’ll need to prepare your video files that you’d like to burn to your disc.
  • DVD burning software:DVD burning software such as Vidmore DVD Creator will perform this burning process and create a DVD from any video files that will be playable in a home DVD player.
  • Computer (Windows): You need to make use of a Windows PC to perform the video to DVD burning task.

Before burning your movies to a DVD disc, make sure that you have installed the DVD burning software called Vidmore DVD Creator on your Windows PC. Itis a decent video to DVD &Blu-ray burner which can burn multiple HD videos likeMP4, VOB, TS, MTS, M2TS, AVCHD, etc. into one DVD disc or copy them into a digital file. And a DVD menu is creatable and customizable. This video to DVD burning software is darn easy to use.It has the following features:

  1. Burn videos into DVD discs/ISO files/folders.
  2. Convert and burn all kinds of videos, like YouTube videos, HD camcorder videos, to DVDs.
  3. Make your video DVD more stylish by customizing DVD menu, chapter menu, background music and pictures.
  4. Well compatible with all types of DVDs, burner devices and 16:9 widescreen TV.
  5. User-friendly and easy to use.

Now, let’s dive down to the detail.

Step 1. Install the Vidmore DVD Creator application

Free download the installation package of Vidmore DVD Creatorfrom Vidmoreofficial website and install it on your Windows computer. Then, insert a blank DVD discinto your optical drive.

Step 2. Launch the DVD burning software and select disc type.

Run the application by double clicking the shortcut icon or search for Vidmore DVD Creator from the Start Menu. You will be greeted by a screen like below. To burn a video to DVD disc, select DVD Disc type to proceed.

Step 3. Add your video files

Load the video you want to burn to DVD via the Add Media File(s) button on the main interface.

After adding your files, click Next to continue.

Step 4. Edit and customize your video file

Now you can customize your own DVD.You can select a DVD menu with various template support, to choose the audio tracks and subtitles you want (you can add external subtitles), add background music, change the background picture, and more. You can click the Preview button to have a check in advance. If you’re satisfied with the result, click the Burn button to move on.

Step 5. Start to burn video to DVD

Then, you will be taken to a new window where you need to configure some settings about DVD creation. Move to the top of the window to tick the box of Burn to disc and then select your optical drive as the directory from the Folder path field. Or you can choose to save the file as ISO or Folder. You can also adjust the burn engine, volume label, TV standard, playback mode, and other settings if you need. Finally, click the Start button to start the process of converting your videos to a DVD.

That’s all for creating DVDs from video files. We hope this article helped you to understand how to make DVD movies on your computer using Vidmore DVD Creator. If you need to burn VOB videos to DVDs, read on How to Burn VOB Files to Play on DVD Player to learn more.

The post Burn DVD: How to Create or Burn Video Files to a Playable DVD appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>
Movie Frenzy is on again to rent or buy the latest hit movies at a discounted price https://www.techguide.com.au/news/bddvd-news/movie-frenzy-is-on-again-to-rent-or-buy-the-latest-hit-movies-at-a-discounted-price/ Tue, 02 Mar 2021 06:14:37 +0000 https://www.techguide.com.au/?p=114562

Movie Frenzy is back again this weekend with hundreds of the latest blockbuster movies and classic hits available to rent or buy at heavily discounted prices. The latest Movie Frenzy will run from Friday March 5 until Thursday March 11 and will include recently released movies and other award-winning titles. The titles will be available […]

The post Movie Frenzy is on again to rent or buy the latest hit movies at a discounted price appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>

Movie Frenzy is back again this weekend with hundreds of the latest blockbuster movies and classic hits available to rent or buy at heavily discounted prices.

The latest Movie Frenzy will run from Friday March 5 until Thursday March 11 and will include recently released movies and other award-winning titles.

The titles will be available to buy or rent with no subscription required from these services: Apple TV, Google Play Store, Fetch, Foxtel Store, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office, YouTube, Microsoft Store and the PlayStation Store.

The films available during the Movie Frenzy will include Tenet – the time-bending thriller from acclaimed writer/director Christopher Nolan, family favourite Trolls World Tour and The Secret Garden and Australian-made films Rams and Tim Winton adaptation Dirt Music.

Also available during Movie Frenzy is the terrifying Russell Crowe thriller Unhinged.

“As Australians spend more time at home and with subscription costs quickly adding up, more and more are realising the benefit of buying or renting only the movies they want, from the widest possible range,” says Jim Batchelor, Chairman, Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA).

“With such incredible deals for this week only, Movie Frenzy is the perfect opportunity for all Aussie movie lovers to head to their favourite digital platforms to buy or rent the latest blockbusters fresh from cinemas, or fill collections with all-time classics to watch again and again.”

Here’s just a selection of what’s on offer, with hundreds of titles available: 

– After We Collided

– Astro Kid

– Bloodshot

– Dirt Music

– Honest Thief

– Jiu Jitsu

– Jungleland

– Knives Out

– Outpost

– Rams

– Skylines

– Sonic the Hedgehog

– Tenet

– The High Note

– The King of Staten Island

– The Secret Garden

– Trolls World Tour

– Unhinged

Movie Frenzy runs from Friday 5th March – Thursday 11th March. Title availability and pricing may vary per platform. Visit www.moviefrenzy.com.au for more information.

The post Movie Frenzy is on again to rent or buy the latest hit movies at a discounted price appeared first on Tech Guide.

]]>