movies

The 404 125: Where Jeff Bakalar: This is your life!

We're all family on the 404: Jeff's dad and girlfriend both called into the 404 preshow this morning! Today we bring you a handful of insane stories from the Internet: Chinese is the new Black, Zohan + Love Guru = Suck and Blow, a man finally conquers his home printer, and rampant underachievement runs wild on our airwaves. To top you off, we also examine the correlation between hobo love and the rising number of teenage pregnancies. Finally, check out this picture of Kratos, Jeff and Stacie's tortoise and God of all Reptilia: EPISODE 125 Download today's podcast … Read more

DivX returns to Web video with the HD-licious Vreel

When I put together a small comparison test of video services earlier this year, an overwhelming number of people got on me about not including Stage6, a side project of the people behind the popular DivX codec to showcase what their technology was capable of. Shortly thereafter, Stage6 shut its doors in a rather dramatic fashion--giving users mere days to find somewhere else to host their high-resolution videos.

That was in February though, and since then a group of half a dozen developers has put together their own solution, called Vreel. Originally planned to launch back in March, it … Read more

Netflix to eliminate profiles, instigate roommate feuds

For the past two years, my roommate and I have split a Netflix user account, mostly so that I don't have to deal with his trashy action-movie picks mucking up my queue of navel-gazing Wes Anderson knockoffs, and so that we can ensure a clean split in our four-at-a-time subscription. He'd totally hog it otherwise.

But starting on September 1, we're going to have to suck it up. The rental-by-mail service announced on its blog on Thursday that it would be doing away with separate user profiles on the same account.

The reason, the post explained, is … Read more

Watch feature films free of charge at Hulu.com

Many people already recognize video-streaming service Hulu.com as a great destination for watching TV shows (it has every single episode of Arrested Development, people!), but did you know it also offers movies? Over 100 of them, in fact, and some darn good titles, too. Here are my picks for the Five Best Movies to Watch on Hulu:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Ice Age Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Monty Python's Meaning of Life The Usual Suspects

I didn't mention Sideways and The Big Lebowski because I think they're overrated--but they'… Read more

First Look video: JetAudio Basic

iTunes and Windows Media Player rule the roost when it comes to media players, but they're certainly not the only show in town. In addition to media playback, JetAudio Basic features CD burning, audio recording, and conversion to other audio file formats. Special features include effects such as reverb, smooth transitions between songs, and the skinnable interface lets you personalize your player just the way you like it.

Still not convinced? Then check out this First Look video for JetAudio Basic from CNET Download.com's Jason Parker.

Get an upconverting JVC DVD player for $30

If you're still watching movies on your junky old DVD player and wondering why they look so rotten on your big, fancy HDTV, here's the answer: Old DVD players don't produce enough pixels to take advantage of that high-resolution screen. Does that mean you have to junk your movie library and step up to Blu-ray? Not necessarily.

Instead, consider a stop-gap solution like the JVC XV-N650B, an upconverting DVD you can grab for just 30 bucks. Without getting overly technical about it, upconverting means the player scales the low-resolution DVD video so it looks better on HDTVs. … Read more

Disney movies: Coming to a Web browser near you

Disney has begun showing full-length movies online, beginning with Finding Nemo, the studio said Tuesday.

It's the first time Disney has done so, and it's notable as such, but don't confuse the move with a full-on YouTubization of the company. Each movie will only be available for a few days after they air on ABC's Saturday-night TV show Wonderful World of Disney. Finding Nemo, for example, can be watched online through June 13, Disney said.

It's free, but don't expect a full-immersion cinema experience.

The movies are available through a "watch now" … Read more

Take the Blu-ray plunge with $198* Magnavox player

Walmart is currently offering a $100 gift card on Blu-ray players (including the Sony PlayStation 3). That means if you buy the Magnavox NB500MG9 for $298, you're effectively getting it for $198.

The catch is that it's an online-only gift card, meaning you can't use it for, say, groceries. However, you could probably eBay it for cash.

The player itself delivers 1080p output, upconverts regular DVDs, and supports Profile 1.1. It includes both HDMI and component-video outputs as well as a coaxial digital audio output. Curiously, it doesn't appear anywhere on Magnavox's Web … Read more

Gadgettes 93: The Kelly's extravagant baby shower episode

We are gonna miss Kelly around here while she's away on her maternity leave. So guess what? Molly and Jason both chipped in and bought Kelly a bunch of really cool stuff for her time away from the podcast! Yes, we're that rich. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 93

iPhone 2! (Rumor roundup) http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/06/05/new-iphone-rumor-roundup/?mod=googlenews_wsj

Sanyo Xacti HD1000 4MP MPEG4 High Definition 1080i Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-HD1000-Definition-Camcorder-Optical/dp/B000V79G0M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1212700827&sr=8-1 … Read more