Downhill Skateboarding? Two Guys, Skateboards, a long winding California Road and just enough of an Incline to propel them to over 80 mph. Add an HD camera and You have this absolutely entertaining and amazing HD video. Enjoy!
Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Gears Of War Movie 'I want to write and play it as though it happened today,' Chris Morgan tells MTV News.
"From http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1598150/story.jhtml "
Microsoft's alien-invasion-themed "Gears of War" is already one of the hottest video games to hit the market in recent years, but could it be one of the hottest films to hit theaters too? With the release of the game's sequel days away and "Underworld" director Len Wiseman now behind the camera, MTV spoke to "Gears of War" screenwriter Chris Morgan about the status of the film and the big questions that have gamers buzzing.
While Morgan said the final script for the film has yet to be approved by developer Epic Games, he did say that the rumors that the "Gears of War" film will be a prequel of sorts to the story that unfolds in the game are untrue — or, rather, not entirely true.
"There are elements to it that can be considered a prequel," Morgan teased, "but it's not a prequel as far as I'm concerned."
What he could confirm, however, is the live-action debut of some of the game's most familiar faces — namely, the game's main character, Marcus Fenix, and fellow Delta Force soldier Dominic Santiago. Better yet, Morgan hinted that the current script would bring "Emergence Day," the initial invasion by alien baddies known as the Locust Horde, to the big screen.
"It would be a crying shame not to deal with Marcus and Dom," Morgan told MTV News. "I would not be interested in the movie if we weren't dealing with them. I want to see those guys. I want to see 'Emergence Day.' I want to see this stuff happen."
Exactly how that will happen will involve a delicate mix of computer-generated effects and live-action drama, Morgan said. The writer compared his template for scripting "Gears of War" to the mix of creature effects and live interaction in James Cameron's "Aliens." Bringing that concept to the screen, though, will be Wiseman's job.
The director's plan for "Gears of War" is to stay away from an "all-green-screen, all-CGI movie," Morgan said, only using the computer effects for "the big stuff" and certain scenes featuring the Locust.
"In [Wiseman's] mind, he wants to make it as realistic as possible," Morgan said, "and to blur those lines where your mind says, 'Oh, it's a big CGI film.' "
Morgan confirmed that some of the game's most recognizable creatures would make an appearance in the film (read more about the bad guys who will appear in the "Gears of War" movie, including the terrifying Berserker, on the MTV Movies Blog). He also told us that the game's humor-under-fire vibe would also find its way into the film — in some fashion, at least. An avid gamer, he confessed that even though he wasn't "a comedy guy," the humor of "Gears of War" comes naturally once you spend as much time as he has with the characters in both the script and the game.
"I can't write a joke to save my life, but I can, at the right moment, tap into that human thing that comes in when you're in a foxhole and things are raining down," Morgan said. "I think you will definitely have those fun moments, those fun lines and moments between the two. But by and large, I think it will be gritty and real.
"I want to write and play it as though it happened today," he added. "Look outside at your city and imagine that the Locust started rising — that's how I want it to feel."
For all our gaming coverage of "Gears of War" — the original and the sequel — head to the Multiplayer blog.
Check out everything we've got on "Gears of War."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Microsoft's alien-invasion-themed "Gears of War" is already one of the hottest video games to hit the market in recent years, but could it be one of the hottest films to hit theaters too? With the release of the game's sequel days away and "Underworld" director Len Wiseman now behind the camera, MTV spoke to "Gears of War" screenwriter Chris Morgan about the status of the film and the big questions that have gamers buzzing.
While Morgan said the final script for the film has yet to be approved by developer Epic Games, he did say that the rumors that the "Gears of War" film will be a prequel of sorts to the story that unfolds in the game are untrue — or, rather, not entirely true.
"There are elements to it that can be considered a prequel," Morgan teased, "but it's not a prequel as far as I'm concerned."
What he could confirm, however, is the live-action debut of some of the game's most familiar faces — namely, the game's main character, Marcus Fenix, and fellow Delta Force soldier Dominic Santiago. Better yet, Morgan hinted that the current script would bring "Emergence Day," the initial invasion by alien baddies known as the Locust Horde, to the big screen.
"It would be a crying shame not to deal with Marcus and Dom," Morgan told MTV News. "I would not be interested in the movie if we weren't dealing with them. I want to see those guys. I want to see 'Emergence Day.' I want to see this stuff happen."
Exactly how that will happen will involve a delicate mix of computer-generated effects and live-action drama, Morgan said. The writer compared his template for scripting "Gears of War" to the mix of creature effects and live interaction in James Cameron's "Aliens." Bringing that concept to the screen, though, will be Wiseman's job.
The director's plan for "Gears of War" is to stay away from an "all-green-screen, all-CGI movie," Morgan said, only using the computer effects for "the big stuff" and certain scenes featuring the Locust.
"In [Wiseman's] mind, he wants to make it as realistic as possible," Morgan said, "and to blur those lines where your mind says, 'Oh, it's a big CGI film.' "
Morgan confirmed that some of the game's most recognizable creatures would make an appearance in the film (read more about the bad guys who will appear in the "Gears of War" movie, including the terrifying Berserker, on the MTV Movies Blog). He also told us that the game's humor-under-fire vibe would also find its way into the film — in some fashion, at least. An avid gamer, he confessed that even though he wasn't "a comedy guy," the humor of "Gears of War" comes naturally once you spend as much time as he has with the characters in both the script and the game.
"I can't write a joke to save my life, but I can, at the right moment, tap into that human thing that comes in when you're in a foxhole and things are raining down," Morgan said. "I think you will definitely have those fun moments, those fun lines and moments between the two. But by and large, I think it will be gritty and real.
"I want to write and play it as though it happened today," he added. "Look outside at your city and imagine that the Locust started rising — that's how I want it to feel."
For all our gaming coverage of "Gears of War" — the original and the sequel — head to the Multiplayer blog.
Check out everything we've got on "Gears of War."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Another Reason To Optimize Your PC for HD
I'm always on the hunt for new websites here at World in HD and we have found a very unique layout and HD content site indeed. They call themselves the paperless magazine and that is a good name for it indeed because...well see for yourself.
A public version is here at http://ctngreen.com/mag/ and http://www.ctnluxe.com/mag where real virtual magazine stying and interactive elements testing is happening right now.
( It works on 1280, 1366, 1680 and 1920 screen resolutions ) Requires a mouse, remote control buttons left - right or basically your laptop touchpad. The Remote control arrow keys on some Media Centers turn the page also.
Clicking into a page may offer a click or launch a decent sized video.
It would be really cool if as time progresses the personal computing engine connects to the big screen and the web, and allow for family time in a way that is usually not done on a PC. From what i see the PC is a one-on-one device, we have 3 here and from the outside looking in it would appear that there are rooms full of zombies staring into screens and connecting with people that are not in the room with them. Don't get me wrong I think its good in that everyone's tastes are enough different that they are infact rapidly consuming content in their own channel. Not so good in that you have to call them on their cell or IM them to get their attention. Walking up and standing behind them gets you ignored. There is more going on when everyone is interacting with the same thing on the big screens, be it video games or movies or whatever. That's one of the main reasons why I prefer to use large wide aspect screens with my computers so that we can all get toghether share and put our minds together on specific projects and activities. Just something to think about if you have such Zombies in your home. I know I do.
A public version is here at http://ctngreen.com/mag/ and http://www.ctnluxe.com/mag where real virtual magazine stying and interactive elements testing is happening right now.
( It works on 1280, 1366, 1680 and 1920 screen resolutions ) Requires a mouse, remote control buttons left - right or basically your laptop touchpad. The Remote control arrow keys on some Media Centers turn the page also.
Clicking into a page may offer a click or launch a decent sized video.
It would be really cool if as time progresses the personal computing engine connects to the big screen and the web, and allow for family time in a way that is usually not done on a PC. From what i see the PC is a one-on-one device, we have 3 here and from the outside looking in it would appear that there are rooms full of zombies staring into screens and connecting with people that are not in the room with them. Don't get me wrong I think its good in that everyone's tastes are enough different that they are infact rapidly consuming content in their own channel. Not so good in that you have to call them on their cell or IM them to get their attention. Walking up and standing behind them gets you ignored. There is more going on when everyone is interacting with the same thing on the big screens, be it video games or movies or whatever. That's one of the main reasons why I prefer to use large wide aspect screens with my computers so that we can all get toghether share and put our minds together on specific projects and activities. Just something to think about if you have such Zombies in your home. I know I do.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
2K Sports NBA 2K9 Preview
This years iteration of the current king of the NBA games NBA 2K9 from developer Visual Concepts has made a small appearance at E3 this year so far. Not quite the huge reveal that fans would drool over but quite impressive never the less. From the show floor it can be seen that 2K9 isn’t messing with a tried and true formula, as the game still resembles 2K8, albeit with a huge level of polish being put into the graphics. Last year some gamers felt the graphics had yet to catch up to next gen, well we can positively say that this year 2K has come to the party in that department. No longer set to be the ugly duckling of the basketball games 2K9 should have the graphics to go along with its already top notch gameplay. Also of note to long time fans is that Kenny “The Jet” Smith will no longer be delivering his one liners from the commentary box this year. 
We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief at the announcement that Clark Kellogg of CBS will be filling that spot, hopefully in a slightly more natural fashion than his predecessor. One other aspect that has improved is the atmosphere of the game in-between quarters. In past games end of the quarter usually meant hitting the button as fast as you could to get to the next one. This year perhaps things will be different as there will be an array of stats and for the first time, highlights each quarter. After each quarter, the game will show replays of the biggest plays during the period from many cinematic angles—much like you would see from a television broadcast. Sharp camera cuts and highlight style music give the presentation a more lifelike boost and are certainly in line with upping the games aesthetic appeal. Visual Concepts Mark Thomas, VP of sports development, has gone on record as saying that “this year he wants consumers to be blown away by the NBA 2K experience from start to finish” Big words indeed considering what EA has unveiled in the past few days. Hopefully VC’s renewed focus on presentation this year will be just what the doctor ordered for this series, and combined with their stalwart stellar gameplay will put a tough fight once again to NBA Live. In the coming weeks 2K is said to have a preview event of sorts, hopefully including some hands on gameplay and a more detailed look at things like the revamped Association mode.
Stay tuned, but for now check out the latest screenshots in our gallery below. Update: Head over to our 2K9 features page to see the newly released complete feature set for NBA 2k9. Update - 26 July :2K has added a new clip over on their site of some pre-draft players playing what looks like 2K8, but there is some footage of 2K9 in there also, showing KG pointing at the Lakers and looks like its shaping up incredibly well.
Monday, October 13, 2008
This Gives "Life Size" A Whole New Meaning
In an effort to prove its technological prowess, Panasonic rocked CES 2008 with the world's largest plasma at 150-inches. Previous year's record was at 104-inches with this year's second place winners (yes, there were multiple) coming in at a distant 108-inches. Whew, what a sight!
While impressive, keep in mind that at the moment, it's just a concept design. We better hope it's just a concept design, too. Those of you who have just purchased a new HDTV, can you imagine how little your 42, 50 or even 60-inch looks compared to this behemoth? We would want to wait a couple of years before feeling nauseated with our new purchase. Couple of years is what Panasonic is quoting before "Life Screen" hits production. Naturally, the name signifies the oversized display for life-size images.
150-inches, for reference, translate to 12ft. 6in. in length and 11ft. in width. Be prepared to have a spare wall to mount this TV on. On the other hand, if it makes you feel better, it's only 1in. from the wall. It may take over the entire wall (hey, that's one less wall to worry about for decor), but it won't invade your living room space. How thoughtful of Panasonic! Also, Panasonic reps commented that homeowners would want to have steel support before mounting the TV. We concur.
For $150,000, we are not taking any chances. The price isn't official, but industry sources estimate the price to be somewhere in this range noting the $1,000-per-inch price point for comparison.
The real question is - even if you could afford it, why would you want it from a practicality standpoint? This will definitely help you beat the Jones'. Heck, it'll even help you beat the Gates', Buffett's and everyone else with a "B" in their net worth, until they get one, too, of course. You might as well take the same $150,000, your basement and turn it into a commercial grade home theater with top of the line seating and A/V equipment. Even then, it might just cost you less than $150,000. The Life Screen plasma can't replace the true theater experience.
Note to Panasonic: Let's shoot for a 200-inch TV next year. Ya know, just for kicks. And free press.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
What is High Definition Television?
When does a television become HD? 'When it's ready and enabled to display high definition signals' would be the obvious answer, but this is somewhat non-descript and electronically it goes a lot deeper than that.
A television screen or projector lens that is HD enabled has a higher resolution than that of a standard TV. This means that the lines which go across the screen are able to be closer together whilst still projecting the image. Because they are closer together, the pixels between them are smaller and there is space for a lot more detail in the image. The reason that most HD television sets are Plasma or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is that they can display the greater amount of information sent to the screen with their lines which are closer together.
Regular television screens have a maximum resolution of 480p (NTSC), or 576 (PAL), which means any HDTV is around double the quality of a standard one. There is also ten times the amount of pixels displayed on an HD screen than a standard screen at any time; thus greatly improving the quality of the picture.
The label 'HD ready' that you see on televisions and projectors means that the screen has a resolution of 1080p, 1080i or 720p and comes with an HDMI or DVI cable. The other two products that are needed to make HD work on your TV are up to you to find and these are an HD set top box and an HD service such as Virgin Media or Sky HD. If you're missing one or more of these components then your HDTV set won't work and the image will appear exactly the same as it would on a standard television.
If you're left wondering what the p's and i's stand for then the explanation is quite simple. P stands for 'progressive' and I stands for 'interlaced'. With a progressive scan mode each line is enabled vertically one after the other, whereas interlaced scans the data onto the screen firstly with all the odd lines and secondly with all the even ones. The differences between the two are that the progressive mode is better suited to movement and interlaced mode delivers the data to the screen very quickly.
To summarise, an HDTV is one which delivers a higher density of pixels to your screen and therefore a better quality picture as you watch. There is a lot more room for intricate detail which results in real life images having more natural lighting, smoother movement and a greater sense of depth. Watching your favourite programmes on an HDTV is, on the whole, a much more realistic feast for the eyes.
A television screen or projector lens that is HD enabled has a higher resolution than that of a standard TV. This means that the lines which go across the screen are able to be closer together whilst still projecting the image. Because they are closer together, the pixels between them are smaller and there is space for a lot more detail in the image. The reason that most HD television sets are Plasma or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is that they can display the greater amount of information sent to the screen with their lines which are closer together.
Regular television screens have a maximum resolution of 480p (NTSC), or 576 (PAL), which means any HDTV is around double the quality of a standard one. There is also ten times the amount of pixels displayed on an HD screen than a standard screen at any time; thus greatly improving the quality of the picture.
The label 'HD ready' that you see on televisions and projectors means that the screen has a resolution of 1080p, 1080i or 720p and comes with an HDMI or DVI cable. The other two products that are needed to make HD work on your TV are up to you to find and these are an HD set top box and an HD service such as Virgin Media or Sky HD. If you're missing one or more of these components then your HDTV set won't work and the image will appear exactly the same as it would on a standard television.
If you're left wondering what the p's and i's stand for then the explanation is quite simple. P stands for 'progressive' and I stands for 'interlaced'. With a progressive scan mode each line is enabled vertically one after the other, whereas interlaced scans the data onto the screen firstly with all the odd lines and secondly with all the even ones. The differences between the two are that the progressive mode is better suited to movement and interlaced mode delivers the data to the screen very quickly.
To summarise, an HDTV is one which delivers a higher density of pixels to your screen and therefore a better quality picture as you watch. There is a lot more room for intricate detail which results in real life images having more natural lighting, smoother movement and a greater sense of depth. Watching your favourite programmes on an HDTV is, on the whole, a much more realistic feast for the eyes.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Recording HD from Satellite Or Cable
For some time we have wanted some method for getting HD content out of our satellite or cable DVRs to be recorded on a computer but there has been no equipment available. Well, no more. Hauppauge has come out with its HD PVR Model 1212.
Product Description:
The Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder is the world’s first high-definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i. With the HD-PVR, you can schedule and automatically record your favorite shows in high definition directly from cable TV and satellite set top boxes. As an added feature, the HD-PVR also includes S-Video inputs so you can convert all your old home video tapes into Blu-ray DVD recordings.
High-Definition Quality Recordings on Your Schedule
At long last, a personal video recorder, or PVR, that offers high quality recordings of high-definition television shows. Now you can start building a personal archive of your favorite high definition TV programs without losing the broadcast quality.
At the heart of the HD-PVR is an H.264 high-definition encoder that’s built-in for high-performance, high-quality TV recordings at up to 1080i resolution, 720p or VGA/D1. The box includes a component video input for use with most high-definition cable TV and satellite TV receivers, as well as optical or stereo audio inputs. (Audio is recorded using AAC of Dolby Digital.)
The HD-PVR records in the AVCHD format, which can be used to burn Blu-ray DVD discs. Two hours of high-definition recordings, recorded at 5 Mbits/sec, can be burnt onto a standard 4.7 GB DVD-R or DVD-RW disk for playback on any Blu-ray DVD player. (You have the option of recording at datarates from 1 Mbs to 13.5Mbs, constant and variable bit rate.)
The recorder also includes Hauppage’s WinTV scheduler that lets you schedule your TV recordings, and a built-in IR blaster that automatically changes TV channels for your scheduled recordings. The included remote control lets you change the stations in your set-up box. And for even greater convenience and performance, the HD-PVR features an audio / video component video loop so you can record and watch your television at the same time.
Convert Your Home Videos to Blu-ray DVDs
If you’ve been wondering what to do with all your home videos, the HD-PVR has the answer. Thanks to the included standard definition composite and S-Video inputs, you can plug your VCR directly into the box and record your old home video tapes into an AVCHD format, which you can then burn onto a DVD for playback on your Blu-ray DVD player with the appropriate computer burner.
Also included with the HD-PVR is Arcsoft’s “TotalMedia Theater,” a video player that lets you play back your TV recordings to your PC screen, and “MediaConverter” to convert your H.264 HD recordings onto other formats.
The HD-PVR measures a scant 7.8 x 6.8 x 2.8 inches, so it will fit snugly in your home theater set up.
Product Description:
The Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder is the world’s first high-definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i. With the HD-PVR, you can schedule and automatically record your favorite shows in high definition directly from cable TV and satellite set top boxes. As an added feature, the HD-PVR also includes S-Video inputs so you can convert all your old home video tapes into Blu-ray DVD recordings.
High-Definition Quality Recordings on Your Schedule
At long last, a personal video recorder, or PVR, that offers high quality recordings of high-definition television shows. Now you can start building a personal archive of your favorite high definition TV programs without losing the broadcast quality.
At the heart of the HD-PVR is an H.264 high-definition encoder that’s built-in for high-performance, high-quality TV recordings at up to 1080i resolution, 720p or VGA/D1. The box includes a component video input for use with most high-definition cable TV and satellite TV receivers, as well as optical or stereo audio inputs. (Audio is recorded using AAC of Dolby Digital.)
The HD-PVR records in the AVCHD format, which can be used to burn Blu-ray DVD discs. Two hours of high-definition recordings, recorded at 5 Mbits/sec, can be burnt onto a standard 4.7 GB DVD-R or DVD-RW disk for playback on any Blu-ray DVD player. (You have the option of recording at datarates from 1 Mbs to 13.5Mbs, constant and variable bit rate.)
The recorder also includes Hauppage’s WinTV scheduler that lets you schedule your TV recordings, and a built-in IR blaster that automatically changes TV channels for your scheduled recordings. The included remote control lets you change the stations in your set-up box. And for even greater convenience and performance, the HD-PVR features an audio / video component video loop so you can record and watch your television at the same time.
Convert Your Home Videos to Blu-ray DVDs
If you’ve been wondering what to do with all your home videos, the HD-PVR has the answer. Thanks to the included standard definition composite and S-Video inputs, you can plug your VCR directly into the box and record your old home video tapes into an AVCHD format, which you can then burn onto a DVD for playback on your Blu-ray DVD player with the appropriate computer burner.
Also included with the HD-PVR is Arcsoft’s “TotalMedia Theater,” a video player that lets you play back your TV recordings to your PC screen, and “MediaConverter” to convert your H.264 HD recordings onto other formats.
The HD-PVR measures a scant 7.8 x 6.8 x 2.8 inches, so it will fit snugly in your home theater set up.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
New Gears II Video
Epic details the new baddies you'll be going toe-to-toe with in this installment in the Gears of War 2 documentary series.
Want To Stream HD Videos?
These days there are just dozens of internet sites that like You Tube allow you to upload and stream videos on the web for all to see. Are there any out where you can stream HD video? The answer is yes!
Since the inception of high definition more and more video straming sites at the very least have an HD channel containing videos in High Definition. I have listed a few of those sites below. I will continue to post new site lists weekly. Enjoy!
Apple's Quicktime HD Showcase
Nasa's HD Multimedia Gallery
Microsoft WMVHD Showcase
Hulu HD Gallery
Vimeo HD Gallery
Daily Motion US HD Gallery
Since the inception of high definition more and more video straming sites at the very least have an HD channel containing videos in High Definition. I have listed a few of those sites below. I will continue to post new site lists weekly. Enjoy!
Apple's Quicktime HD Showcase
Nasa's HD Multimedia Gallery
Microsoft WMVHD Showcase
Hulu HD Gallery
Vimeo HD Gallery
Daily Motion US HD Gallery
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Welcome To The World In HD
My purpose for this blog is to provide the HD enthusiast with as much information as possible about internet resources containing legal high quality worthwhile HD content. I will also post information about the ultimate in HD gear and video game technologies.
The High Definition era is here to stay and everyday incredible amounts of content is released on the web and is available for your enjoyment. Finding this content can be quite a daunting task. The internet is now composed of over 58.2 billion pages and counting and with most users narrowing the discovery of websites to a single search engine (such as google or yahoo) it makes it almost impossible for you to see all of the quality content the internet has to offer.
In addition to HD video content I am also a big fan of HDR photography and will post resources on how to create amazing HDR images as well as where you can find the sites of what I believe to be some of the most gifted photographers in the world.
So sit back sip on your coffee and enjoy the goodies listed below. Bookmark the site as it will be updated daily with some of the most awesome content in the world. Enjoy!
Gears Of War 2 Gameplay Trailer
Need For Speed Undercover Gameplay Trailer
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