Nerd Rant: Invasion of the Portable Flat Screens




About a decade ago, I purchased a software suite called DVD Catalyst, which allowed me to shrink DVD content into video files that were small enough to be stored and viewed on my cell phone. I got plenty of usage out of DVD Catalyst, which allowed me to catch up on my volumnous and ever expanding must-see movie list while I commuted via subway to remote work locations.

Fast forward to 2016, and portable, flat screen video isn't just a possibility anymore--it's a way of life. Read on ...

Right now, my Kindle Fire has access to three on-demand video services: Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Verizon Fios. I've been using Netflix for years, and Fios is the newest addition to my portable video viewing options. However, because Verizon is our cable TV and Internet service provider, the Fios application for the Kindle Fire has a few extra goodies that the other services don't--in particular, I can now watch stuff that I record via Fios through my Kindle Fire without having to turn on my TV. I'll say it again: without having to turn on my TV. First it was the Wii U, a console that has the option of playing video games without having to turn on the TV, and now Fios? My mind boggles....

For kids who grow up with this kind of stuff, this is just another digital toy with which to play. However, I grew up with analog video (e.g., cathode ray tube TV sets and VHS tapes) so this kind of development makes me drool like Pavlov's dog. Just being able to record TV content on blank VHS tapes back in the '80s was amazing; now, to be able to remotely access recorded video content through a handheld device emphasizes how primitive VHS recorders really were. At this rate, all I need to do is find a way to work from home and set up a delivery service for my groceries, and my journey to becoming a media-addicted shut-in will be complete. I'm still working on a way to view 3D videos on my Kindle Fire without spending a fortune to do it. As soon as I figure that out, you better believe I'll be blogging about it.

Yet for all of these digital delights, I find it strange that so many video content providers are willing to bypass TVs in order to reach viewers. High-resolution flat screen TVs have been a real boon for the entertainment industry, so much so that movie theaters have had to transition to 3D and IMAX formats in order to compete. Sure, current generations of handheld devices are capable of displaying high-resolution video so it makes sense that content providers go where the audiences are. On the other hand, with content becoming so readily available on screens everywhere, I wonder how much longer movie theaters will remain viable in the years to come and where the flat screen TV market will go if a large number of consumers prefer using portable flat screens for their video entertainment.


If this service is "on demand", then where are the Lucio Fulci and Val Lewton movies?


Another thing I've noticed is how certain content is more available than others. When I was growing up, the content provided at local video rental stores overwhelmingly fell into one of two categories: new movie releases (e.g., summer blockbusters, Academy Award winners, etc.) and lesser-known titles that were distributed at a cheaper price (e.g., low-budget movies, exploitation movies, straight-to-video movies, etc.). While there were a few exceptions to this rule, it frequently meant that many good films which didn't fall into either of these categories rarely showed up on local video store shelves.

After looking at the selections provided by on-demand video providers, not much has changed in terms of content selections. New releases from the major studios are hyped on the provider sites, and cheap, lesser-known titles make up a sizable portion of available and free to watch content. So, despite the transition from analog to digital video, die-hard film fans who are interested in both domestic and foreign films that are neither new, popular releases nor low-budget fare will still need to make an extra effort to see the titles they really want to see. The more things change, the more they stay the same.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Tron: Uprising (Part 1 of 4): Characters

Image
This month marks the one year anniversary of the cancellation of Tron: Uprising , which aired on Disney XD for 19 episodes. Set between the events of Tron and Tron: Legacy , Uprising chronicled the events shortly after Clu’s rise to power within the stand-alone Grid created by Kevin Flynn. Personally, I think that Tron: Uprising got a raw deal from Disney. It’s a fantastic addition to the Tron saga that went on to win both Emmy and Annie Awards , yet Disney clearly had other priorities and was willing to toss Uprising aside without so much as an official cancellation notice. Even to this day, Uprising has yet to be released on DVD or Blu-ray and I’m wondering if it ever will. In honor of this amazing animated series that was cut down in its prime, I have decided to do something that Disney won’t. Since there will never be an official Tron: Uprising art book, I have searched across the Internet to find a selection of art from Uprising that I can share here on my blog with
Read more

The Thing 2: A Sequel Frozen in the Lost Video Game Wasteland

Image
Since I added The Thing prequel to my Blu-ray collection (read my review here ), I've been on a bit of a Thing kick lately. I watched John Carpenter's 1982 movie again, and I've been looking through various Thing fan sites to see if I can learn anything new about this sporadically active franchise. While the poor box office performance of 2011's The Thing precludes another Thing movie any time soon, I was surprised to discover that there was yet another Thing project in the works even before anyone considered a prequel on the silver screen. The project was called The Thing 2 , and it was designed by Computer Artworks as a sequel to their 2002 The Thing video game. From what I've been able to piece together, development of The Thing 2 was discontinued after Computer Artworks shut down in 2004. I've found some conceptual artwork for this game online, which you can see in the picture gallery I've assembled below. Read on....
Read more

The Art of Tron: Uprising (Part 2 of 4): Vehicles and Equipment

Image
In this second of four posts devoted to the art of Tron: Uprising , we'll be taking a look at the vehicles and equipment used by the characters in Uprising . The original Tron movie revealed a selection of vehicles and equipment that became closely associated with the franchise. The Light Cycles, Recognizers, Light Tanks, and Identity Discs of Tron were also featured prominently in the movie's tie-in arcade games and would reappear later with updated designs in Tron 2.0 and Tron: Legacy . Uprising featured these same items as well, along with new vehicles and equipment that are analogous to things in the real world: boats, helicopters, rail transportation, and hand-held tools. Of particular significance is the Recoder tool used by Beck, which gave fans a look at how programs assemble, disassemble and repair the virtual machinery within the Grid. Click below to see the portfolio of vehicles and equipment from Tron: Uprising .
Read more