The Doctor catches V/Line
Spotted on Saturday after the Doctor Who/Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Spectacular:
Reports from the UK suggest Doctor Who has prompted more people to wear bow ties. I don’t know if that’s rubbed off in Australia, but there were certainly more bow ties and fezzes than I’ve ever seen around Melbourne yesterday, both at the venue (the Plenary at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre) and on the way to and from there.
I was impressed that they sold out such a huge venue — twice. (As far as I can see, in the configuration we saw, the Plenary seats over five thousand people.)
And the fact that it was a balanced demographic (male and female, family groups and individuals — not just nerds) attending shows the programme reaches a much wider audience now than it did when I was growing up.
Indeed, at a barbecue on Saturday night, the laughter that I might have once faced when describing the event I’d been to was instead replaced by envy from some who’d tried and failed to get tickets.
Can I just say the event was excellent, by the way. Some great music, bringing memories from the past few years of the show flooding back, as well as some nods to the “classic” episodes of my youth. Host Mark Sheppard was good, and to my surprise, composer of all of the music (bar the theme tune) Murray Gold was also in attendance. Tony has a good write-up of the concert.
- Doctor Who News: Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular this weekend — includes a publicity shot from the MCG.
- Herald Sun: The Daleks arrive for symphonic showdown
- The Australian: Who fan exterminates boyhood fear and composes himself for the Doc — interview with Murray Gold
- BBC: History in the Making: Music in Melbourne (before the event)
- BBC: Music, Monsters and Magic: The Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (reviews)
Proof that you can get a big-screen TV home by public transport
Proof that you (with the help of a friend, at least) don’t need a car to take a big-screen TV home… at least not since the advent of flatscreens.
Panasonic, 50 inch. Appears to have been bought at JB Hifi (which is nearby). Note the lady with her Metcard ready. They caught a 908 bus.
(No, this is not what they were talking about when it was flagged there’d soon be video ads on buses.)
DVD vs Blu-Ray picture quality
I never quite believed I’d see much of the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray on an 80cm (32 inch) TV. But with brand-name Blu-Ray players now below $100, and releases such as the complete set of Star Wars movies out on Blu-Ray, this past Christmas seemed like the right time to jump in and try it.
One of the presents I got was the Blu-Ray of Tron: Legacy, which also included the original Tron movie. Since I already had the DVD of the former, I’m able to compare the DVD against the Blu-Ray versions.
The scene from Flynn’s arcade had a lot more detail on the Blu-Ray, but you can’t really see it in a photo, so I won’t post it here. Jeremy and I looked carefully at this scene and were able to identify the names on some of the machines, for instance, which is impossible using the DVD.
More stark is the difference in this shot from the lightcycles scene, first on DVD:
(See it bigger)
…and on Blu-Ray:
(See it bigger)
There’s a lot more contrast in this scene on the Blu-Ray version. I think it’s not just a format question, it’s also that they’ve taken a lot more care in remastering the video. But the resolution being better also undoubtedly helps, and this is particularly noticeable (on the TV, perhaps not in the photos) with the grid lines.
Things to keep in mind:
- The DVD was from before the sequel movie was made, and it’s entirely possible that not a great deal of care was taken in the mastering. In comparison it appears they took a lot of care on the Blu-Ray version. It’s entirely possible that the current edition DVD is better.
- These comparisons were snapped off my TV with a camera, with the blinds drawn to reduce light. The snapshots were not taken under ideal conditions. (I don’t currently have any Blu-Ray drives in a computer, so I’m unable to grab a Blu-Ray image directly.) As noted above, it’s difficult to convey the difference seen on the TV in a photo.
- I’ve used the freeze frame, which may impact the picture.
There’s no denying the higher quality of Blu-Ray, even on an 80cm screen.
Question is, which movies or TV would I consider worthy of upgrade, and at what cost? I can’t see myself shelling how lots of money for discs of movies I already own. But for future purchases, I’d certainly lean towards the newer format if the price is not prohibitive.
(I did find The Life Of Brian on Blu-Ray, with lots of extras, for $8 yesterday at K-Mart.)
- MichaelDVD review of Tron DVD
- MichaelDVD review of Tron on Blu-Ray
- MichaelDVD review of Tron:Legacy on Blu-Ray
Tags: Blu-ray, DVDs, films, television
11 comments
Get well soon, Molly
Music industry legend Molly Meldrum has undergone surgery overnight to relieve swelling on his brain after he fell from the roof while putting up Christmas decorations at his Richmond home.
I reckon for most Australian Gen-Xers with an interest in music, Molly Meldrum is just someone who’s always been there, as host of Countdown, then later on Hey Hey.
As a kid I used to regularly watch Countdown on a Sunday afternoon, always keen to see what had made it into the top ten. I can’t claim I liked all the music, but was fascinated by the music videos and live performances.
I remember watching the psychedelic music video to Ashes To Ashes. (Released August 1980, so I must have been about 10.) My mum looked at the TV and made some remark along the lines of how strange it was. I recall getting all self-righteous and saying back “you wouldn’t understand” — as if I had some deep, knowing connection with it.
Despite for a while living a short distance from the ABC’s Ripponlea studios, I never actually went along to a recording of Countdown, though my sister did once. She came home with a freebie LP of Cyndi Lauper.
Molly popped up on the Queen documentary recently aired by the ABC, in archival footage, interviewing Freddie Mercury. I know he’s still active as well, so his influence is still felt in the music industry, and I’m sure many will be wishing him a full and speedy recovery.
Tags: Countdown, Molly Meldrum, music
4 comments
Spotted at Minotaur
I’ve shopped at Minotaur Books for decades. I first found it in the early 80s when it was at the top end of Swanston Street. Then it moved to a multi-level shop in Bourke Street. Then to its current home in Elizabeth Street.
It’s always had way more cool stuff than I could afford to buy, though for some time in the mid-80s I was buying Doctor Who Monthly regularly.
Nowadays my kids love going there. Spotted last week…
Doctor Who “Lego” (compatible bricks):
…and, who would like a Doctor Who Myki holder?
(Sanctuary Base 6, for those who don’t remember it, was the base from the David Tennant story The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit.)
Tags: Doctor Who, Lego, Minotaur Books, Myki
2 comments
“Oh no! Maybe the Genius Bar can fix it.”
Picture from Channel 7′s Sunday Night story about the Suruwaha tribe of Brazil.
Anybody got any better caption ideas?
Tags: Apple, Brazil
7 comments
Pondering 5.1 surround-sound systems
I was looking at what DVD/Blu-Ray 5.1 systems I can get on my credit card points (because this is not something I want to or can afford to spend Real Money on).
Some options include (eg the highest-specced ones I have enough points for):
Samsung HTD5300 5.1CH 3D Blu-Ray Home Theatre System — which gives the impression of looking ugly and perhaps being under-powered, with piddly little speakers, though it does claim to be 1000W. Has an iPod dock. FM-only tuner; I like to listen to AM, but that’s not fatal, as I can use another radio or listen online.
LG HB806TGW 5.1ch 3D Blu-Ray Home Theatre System — 850W. Aesthetically pleasing. Only has FM tuning. Seems to be able to playback off USB. No mention of an iPod dock.
Panasonic Home Theatre System SC-BTT370GNK — Aesthetically pleasing. Appears to only have FM. Includes iPod dock.
I’m pondering three questions:
1. (Most importantly) which might give the best sound? They seem to retail in the $400-700 range, so I know they’re not going to be as high fidelity as $1000+ systems, but that would be out of my budget. Of course it’s become impossible to search the web for reviews of consumer electronics, because Google tells you about eleventy billion web sites which claim to have reviews, but in fact merely announce when you visit that you can “Be the first to review this product!”
All things being equal, I’d probably lean towards the Panasonic.
2. CEC appears to be a technology that allows devices to control one another via HDMI cables. If my Samsung TV has AnyNet(which is their version of CEC), would a Panasonic Blu-Ray receiver with VieraLink (which is their version) or an LG with SimpLink be able to control it?
3. Hmm, I wonder if the two with iPod docks are compatible with my (relatively ancient) fourth-generation iPod, which I got in 2005 and is still going strong? (Panasonic lets you download manuals, but that part of their web site appears not to be working.)
Anybody got any advice for me?
Tags: 5.1, Blu-ray, surround-sound
7 comments
News-junkies’ summary of TV news bulletins
I was thinking that for news junkies like me, it’d be nice to have a quick reference to when it’s possible to tune into a news bulletin on free-to-air television. With ABC News 24, this is easier than ever before, but in fact there are numerous times when other channels air substantial (10+ minutes) bulletins when ABC News 24 is showing other things, such as The Drum.
I’ve included shows like Today, Lateline and Afternoon Live which include a regular news bulletin, even though some of these are probably shorter than 10 minutes long. I’ve excluded non-Australian bulletins, such as the BBC News shown overnight on ABC News 24.
The symbols used below are:
* State-based news (all others are national)
+ Time varies
# Live webcast available
Weekdays:
Saturdays:
Sundays:
See any errors? Let me know.
Tags: ABC News 24, Media, news, television news
3 comments
