Well, recently we discovered yet another reason to love the service. In some cases, it’s actually better than the real thing.

Let us explain. Take for example, the title Annie: Special Anniversary Edition. The DVD release in 2007 was universally flogged for taking an original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and cropping it to fit in a full frame, 4:3 presentation. We guess Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, which released the DVD, didn’t have much faith in the escalating high definition television sales of their parent company, right? Now imagine the horror experienced by every dad educating their children on the virtue of widescreen presentation, and all of a sudden – gasp - appears something right out of the 1990s! Call the Smithsonian!

Three years later, there still isn’t a widescreen release (in print, anyway) of this seminal broadway-to-hollywood conversion. Thank goodness for Netflix, and their agreement with Starz.

Today, the title is available on the streaming service, and although it doesn’t have the DTS 5.1 audio track from the DVD, nor does it have the special features – and we expect you agree with us that no parent has the time and no child has the patience to watch special features – it does take advantage of that widescreen format television you spent all that time convincing your wife that you absolutely needed to buy it. Kinda like blue balls for the married man.

We took a couple of screenshots from the same scene as a comparison. Here’s the scene from the DVD release:

Now examine the same scene from the Netflix streaming version:

See the extra picture available in the streaming version? Especially on the right-hand side, the entire stairwell railing is in frame. The extra picture available enhances the viewing experience, especially during those elaborate song-and-dance numbers that make this film.

Now, there is a catch. The original theatrical aspect ratio, as mentioned above, was 2.35:1, and this streaming version courtesy of Starz is clearly enhanced for today’s 1.85:1 widescreen HDTVs. So yes, there still is some picture that’s missing. The only way you can catch the movie as it was originally intended is either find a theater screening an actual film print, or buy it from Amazon’s VOD service, which seems to be a direct transfer from the original 2000 DVD release. However, although we love Amazon VOD there isn’t the same support from playback devices as with Netflix, so there may be some difficulty getting to watch it on anything other than your PC. The Roku HD Player does have Amazon VOD support, and even if you already have one for your Netflix streaming access you’re still stuck paying Amazon $9.99 for the privilege to watch the film properly – and that’s on top of the monthly cost you already pay for Netflix, mind you. Hey, we might be aspect-ratio snobs but we’re still parents – we sometimes have to make these tough decisions.

We’ve seen other instances of this across Netflix’s streaming service, so be on the lookout for where streaming your favorite film trumps the physical disc. It’s just another added benefit to an already stellar service which appeals to kids and parents alike.

]]> http://mydadisageek.com/2010/08/netflix-streaming-better-than-physical-disc/feed/ 0 http://mydadisageek.com/2010/06/column-why-we-like-3-d-gaming/ http://mydadisageek.com/2010/06/column-why-we-like-3-d-gaming/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:52:21 +0000 Jeremy Rutz http://www.mydadisageek.com/?p=459 Continue reading →]]> As expected, the news coming out of this year’s E3 is dominated by 3-D gaming – the glasses-wearing, TV-replacing kind of 3-D, that is. Which makes the cost of being an early adopter a mightily expensive one. Fortunately, video game companies are helping us ease the burden of buying all this new hardware with some forward planning and creative design.

But is it all worth it? Do we need 3-D that bad?

The answer, in our opinion, is “yes”.

As parents, let’s think back to the first time we took our kids to a 3-D movie. It could have been one of the recent theatrical blockbusters, it could have been Mickey’s Philharmagic or Muppet*Vision 3-D  at Walt Disney World. Think about that experience. It probably went something like, the kids kept removing their glasses to a comparison between what was real and what their eyes were tricking them into believing what was happening, and the subsequent and ongoing struggle as a parent to have them keep their glasses on.

But then once they did, something magical happened. They started to interact with what was going on in the movie. They would reach out and grab something that seemed to appear dangling in the space before them. Or duck out of the way when something was thrown at them. But they started to give in to the illusion and embrace the experience of being immersed into another world.

And then two things happened. One, their experience was stunted by a lack of reciprocation with the movie. Two, the experience ended all too quickly, and you couldn’t resist your children’s begging and pleading enough to avoid getting back in line for the umpteenth time. Hey, we’re parents – it’s hard for us to say “no”!

So what if there was a way to better that experience, by prolonging the journey and improving the interaction component? Well, that is exactly what 3-D gaming will do.

It is truly a revolution, in the same way 3-D graphics were in the ’90s. It will further bring us into the experience, to truly surround us with a world that is fantastical and wonderful, with challenges we never even dreamed were possible. Critics think 3-D gaming isn’t necessary, that it won’t bring any benefit. But we disagree, if only for the explanation we just gave.

But what will this do for our children? This is where we see the biggest benefit.

3-D will be improved exponentially when partnered with the right tools, and we see those as the Playstation Move and Nintendo 3DS. With the Playstation Move, children won’t just reach out into an empty mirage, but rather an interactive environment that feels as real as any they’ve ever experienced. They can take books off of a shelf and learn a new magic spell, or peek around a bush to spy on an unsuspecting subject. When that item floats in front of their eyes, they’ll be able to grab it and manipulate it. They won’t be fumbling to take their glasses off, because those are the portal to the world in which they are immersed.

It is also important for developers to think of 3-D as more than just an added range of perspective. They need to start designing worlds which live and breathe, and place us in situations where intuition, not repetition, get us out of the tightest jam. And it will be this intuitive gameplay which will remove all barriers to video gaming. Kids won’t have to memorize the latest button combination to execute a certain move; they’ll be able to perform that move just as they would in real life, and have it reproduced exactly as intended.

The 3DS is just as important. It might not have the same level of immersion as the Playstation Move, or the sans-3-D motion capture of the Microsoft Kinect, but it will provide the same opportunity to reinvent video game playing as intuitive rather than repetitive. By manipulating assets within an environment possessing real depth, rather than on a flat plane with a perception of depth which requires suspension of disbelief, players can partake in activities as they would in real life. The stylus, as it had revolutionized gaming back in 2004, will continue to capture realistic and fluid player movements and controls in a way that button presses cannot.

Giving in to such immersion, the argument of whether violent actions in video games beget violent tendencies in real life is invigorated. As we saw with “Avatar depression” in individuals who lost themselves in James Cameron’s fictional world of Pandora, there could be the potential where reality takes on an entirely new meaning for some. However, there are many factors which all need to be addressed as 3-D gaming is propagated to the masses – and, interestingly, all exist for today’s video games. Stability of the individual’s mental state needs to be weighed first and foremost. Parents need to take responsibility for what games their children play. And video game publishers need to take responsibility for the content they peddle to children. Admittedly, we anticipate these three factors to exist going forward in a somewhat amplified state until the shock of introducing 3-D into such interactive entertainment settles into society.

We like the idea of 3-D gaming for our children, and we feel the benefits far outweigh the negatives. It will break down typical barriers and introduce kids to gaming earlier, and hopefully spawn new types of gameplay which teach logical solutions to realistic challenges.

So yes, we do need 3-D.

But the NYCC isn’t just for adults, as there are several kid-friendly events going on throughout the weekend. MDIAG! takes you through our top five:

1. Pixar’s UP – Where else can you watch the first 50 minutes of the new Pixar movie, months before its theatrical release? That’s right, the NYCC. An advisory from the website, though: “Please note seating is EXTREMELY limited and interested attendees are recommended to arrive at 5:30 PM for a security check-in”. Saturday, February 7 at 6:30 PM in the IGN Theater.

2. Star Wars: Clone Wars – Join Lucasfilm’s Steve Sansweet and other surprise special guests to reflect on the last 10 years of the Star Wars franchise. Sounds like all prequel talk to us, but it also sounds like they’ll be talking about the upcoming Star Wars live action series due next year. Also of note, “don’t miss an exclusive sneak peek of something very special from Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. We’re in. Saturday, February 7 from 1-2 PM in the IGN Theater.

3. TMNT Animation: 25 and Going Strong – Can you believe the Turtles have been on TV for over two decades? That also means your child has probably been enjoying your Heroes in a Halfshell hand-me-downs. So throw some in the backpack and listen to the creators of the animation series who are holding the torch for today’s audience. Sunday, February 8 from 12:15 – 1:15 PM outside of the IGN Theater.

4. D.C.: Comics for All Ages – Marvel’s been the most popular of the two comics powerhouses during the past few years, but thanks to The Dark Knight and the strength of its Cartoon Network animated shows, D.C. is having quite a resurgence as of late. See what’s going on with Tiny Titans, Batman: Brave and the Bold and the rest of their pre-teen comics. Sunday, February 8 from 3-4 PM outside of the IGN Theater.

5. Kids Day – We first posted about NYCC’s Kids Day last week, but honestly we had no idea just how jam packed the day was going to be with events and special guests. It’s almost a convention of its own, with highlights including Youngling (read: Jedi) training, Kids Draw where a panel of artists whip up kids’ creations, and an interactive panel with author Mo Willems. Sunday, February 8 starting at 11 AM in the Galleria.

Honestly, MDIAG! had a tough time limiting the list to just five events, which shows just how awesome this year’s NYCC is going to be. Our recommendation is to head to the official NYCC website and peruse the huge list of events. Also be sure to check out the handy online show planner beforehand to schedule when and where to be during the weekend. You’ll be glad you did.

Have fun and be safe!

1. Watch the Superbowl! Short of another Timber-gate wardrobe “malfunction”, the Super Bowl has plenty of family fare, albeit mostly in between whistles. The first peek at The Transformers: Rise of the Fallen and the 3D preview of the upcoming Dreamworks Animation flick Monsters vs. Aliens are just as exciting, if not more, than any play from scrimmage. Other trailers include G. I. Joe, Star Trek, Land of the Lost, Ice Age 3, Disney’s Return to Witch Mountain and Night at the Museum 2.
2. Play Some Videogames. Family-friendly games like Madden NFL 09 All-Play and Backyard Football for the Wii are solid choices for your kids to play with family or friends without suffering a single bruise.  Tecmo’s Tecmo Bowl remake for the Nintendo DS is good for a portable diversion. Or show them how their parents used to play videogames with LED Football for the iPhone.
3. Not Watch the Superbowl. The Disney Channel is showing a Phineas and Ferb marathon all day, while Cartoon Network is airing a Chowder marathon, leading into the CG flick Monster House at 7PM EST. Toon Disney is showing Cinderella III: A Twist In Time, and ABC Family is showing The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, both also at 7 PM EST. As far as direct counter programming, Animal Planet has…Puppy  Bowl V. Geez, remember when In Living Color and Beavis and Butthead had their halftime counter programs? Those were the days…
4. Go Shopping. It’s Sunday, which means there’s some fresh sales to be had (like You’re In The Movies! for the Xbox 360, only $29.99 at Target). And MDIAG! can certainly guarantee light traffic at the local shopping mall. Take out the family, have a nice dinner, and in this economy do a little window shopping, because there won’t be many others doing the same. Just be careful out on the roads.
5. Xbox Live. Microsoft is hosting “Football Fanfare” on the community gaming service, which wil feature “dozens of the hottest football-themed movies, TV shows and more.” In addition, you can also stream Air Bud via Netflix to your Xbox 360 (while picture-in-picture-ing the game on the small window, of course).

So go stock up on those pizza bites and chicken nuggets now before it’s too late!