It's the week before Christmas. You've taken a good look at your extended family, gotten all of the naughty and nice stuff out of the way, and finally arrived at a list of who's deserving of a little holiday cheer. But you're drawing a big blank when it comes to little Susie, big brother Ned, and jolly Uncle Phil.
After 4 years of testy hostility and 2 more years of bare-knuckled conflict, the war between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc came to an abrupt end. Hours before the start of the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Warner Bros. announced that it was abandoning HD DVD. Warner is the largest studio in the home-entertainment market, and its decision tipped the scales.
Like the Rolling Stones, Styx continues to gather no moss. Singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw has been a member of these perennially successful road warriors - perhaps best known for enduring rock hits like "Renegade," "Come Sail Away," and "Too Much Time on My Hands" - for 30 years and counting.
Good is good. It's a simple adage, but one that's especially true when it comes to music. Genre and predetermined preferences should be secondary if you're truly interested in having your ears entertained, challenged, and enriched.
Good is good. It’s a simple adage, but one that’s especially true when it comes to music. Genre and predetermined preferences should be secondary if you’re truly interested in having your ears entertained, challenged, and enriched.
Good is good. It’s a simple adage, but one that’s especially true when it comes to music. Genre and predetermined preferences should be secondary if you’re truly interested in having your ears entertained, challenged, and enriched.
Good is good. It’s a simple adage, but one that’s especially true when it comes to music. Genre and predetermined preferences should be secondary if you’re truly interested in having your ears entertained, challenged, and enriched.
Photos by Ebet Roberts Molotov photo courtesy of Universal Looking through some past Austins: I told you 'bout punk-happy Donnas. You know the place where everything's Norah. . . .
1. Radiohead: In Rainbows (radiohead.com). You get what you pay for - and whatever you decide will be worth every cent, as Thom Yorke and crew continue in their ever-surprising, ever-expansive way. As they say: no static at all. 2.
1. Rome: Season 2 (HBO, 5 discs). Rome in all its gory glory, a miniseries with such high production values that you'll feel like you're watching a movie. First-rate DVD transfers are accompanied by enough extras to keep you happy all winter. 2.
1. I'm happy with DVD. Why should I care about high-definition discs?
While both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc offer a number of improvements over DVD, the most obvious one is picture quality. DVD was a huge leap in both convenience and performance over VHS, but its 480i resolution is well below the 720p, 1080i, and 1080p images both high-def disc formats can produce.