Avatar : A Movie Revolution?

[Flashlight Aficionado]

They still are keeping an optimistic blog going here.

Linky not worky. Maybe they gave up after all.

 

[LuxLuthor]

It's working. Maybe they had an onslaught of traffic from my post that overwhelmed their server? LOL!

They have a multitude of other stories and links other sites to continue their fantasy like this one: http://aromajet.com that shows some dude wearing a "Pinoke" while gaming. ROFL!

 

[MojaveMoon07]

new interview with Cameron:

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/08/james-cameron-talks-about-avatar-re-release-sequels/

Still, the definitive version will be released on Blu-ray in November with three cuts of the film — the original theatrical release, the nine minute extended version hitting theaters Friday, and a cut with 16 minutes of additional footage. "Before I go to make another Avatar movie, I don't want to have to go back. When we close this box, it stays closed, which is why the one in November is the definitive version," Cameron said.

 

[LuxLuthor]

This seems pretty silly to try filming Avatar-2 at 7 miles down in the Mariana Trench.

Cameron himself has had a passion for diving for years and if all goes well, he will be starting the mission into the deep sea this year. If they are successful in their mission, Cameron's team will be the second group to travel the Mariana Trench.

The last mission, led by a scientist and a navy lieutenant back in 1960, took five hours to reach the ocean floor and only allowed for them to spend 20 minutes before resurfacing.

 

[TwinBlade]

Breathing a little life into this thread here, I saw Avatar 4 times in 3D in the theaters. I didn't even see any of the Star Wars, Transformers or Lord of the Rings movies that many times in theaters.

I am still blown away at the attention to detail and imagination that brought that entire movie together. The musical score was one of the best I have heard in a movie as well.

 

[LuxLuthor]

I'm still waiting for a quality 3D Television before buying Avatar in 3D. The technology is still actively being developed, promoted, and sold--all as an outcome from this one movie. I have not gone to a 3D/IMAX theater since seeing Avatar so many times, and look forward to Avatar-2 projected to release in 2015.

 

[StarHalo]

And I'm still not buying a 3D TV, though I do look forward to seeing Avatar 2 in IMAX-3D-Dolby-Atmos and whatever other theater gimmicks they can throw in a couple years from now..

Speaking of TV gimmicks, the concave OLED screen is so much cooler to me than the 3D; that's the useless feature I can get behind..

 

[cerbie]

TV, you say? Is it behind the booth babe somewhere? :thinking:

Actually, that is pretty cool.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Yeah, the OLED screens are impressive. I wonder how far away holographic movies are--not just 360° like they have at Disneyworld, but a true 3D holographic movie experience.

I would only be interested in 3D TV when that effect is as well done as it was in Avatar--enhancing immersion rather than being a distraction.

 

[flashy bazook]

Yeah, the OLED screens are impressive. I wonder how far away holographic movies are--not just 360° like they have at Disneyworld, but a true 3D holographic movie experience.

I would only be interested in 3D TV when that effect is as well done as it was in Avatar--enhancing immersion rather than being a distraction.

The latest LED tech that at least I saw (in the U.S.) was the new 4K Hdef 3D from Sony. I read that 8K are also prototyped.

4K means twice the def of our (U.S.) current Hi Def, and 8K twice the def of the 4K.

It was impressive to see, but of course there is no content for it yet here. The demo was using an Avengers movie to showcase the 4K set. Also, it cost $5K or so.

All in all, you are wise to delay. I briefly considered 3D computer monitors, but in the end preferred a high end billion color and very high resolution monitor instead.

 

[LuxLuthor]

I briefly considered 3D computer monitors, but in the end preferred a high end billion color and very high resolution monitor instead.

Which make/model did you get?

 

[BVH]

I recently got the DELL ULTRASHARP U2713H,27INCH monitor. Using a Dual Link DVI card to drive it in full resolution. You gotta look close at the Dell 27's to be sure you are getting the billion colors, 10 bit (not 8 bit, IIRC) monitor. There are 3 models, I think. Very happy with it.

 

[flashy bazook]

The best computer monitor tech is usually reserved for the 30" models.

Above 30" it actually becomes a kind of TV (some users use what is in effect a TV as a computer monitor) and is no longer a high-res monitor. The TV's have larger sizes but maxed out resolutions at one of the Hi-Def resolutions. Exception is the 4K and 8K types I mentioned that will at some point come to our shores.

I got the HP 30" monitor, easy to track the actual model by checking the # colors in the specs.

 

[LuxLuthor]

The best computer monitor tech is usually reserved for the 30" models.

Above 30" it actually becomes a kind of TV (some users use what is in effect a TV as a computer monitor) and is no longer a high-res monitor. The TV's have larger sizes but maxed out resolutions at one of the Hi-Def resolutions. Exception is the 4K and 8K types I mentioned that will at some point come to our shores.

I got the HP 30" monitor, easy to track the actual model by checking the # colors in the specs.

I'm guessing the HP ZR30w model? Interesting to see in the current Maximum PC "Best of the Best" listing that after 2-3 years they now think the Dell Ultrasharp U3011 is giving it a run for the money. Amazing that HP came out in 2010.

 

[flashy bazook]

I'm guessing the HP ZR30w model? Interesting to see in the current Maximum PC "Best of the Best" listing that after 2-3 years they now think the Dell Ultrasharp U3011 is giving it a run for the money. Amazing that HP came out in 2010.

Yes, that is the correct model designation.

It was expensive, but at least it falls under the HP "business" type of warranty, in theory if something goes wrong they promise to come on site to fix the problem, or replace the monitor if necessary.

At the time I researched this I don't remember Dell having an equivalent, the HP seemed the best choice among the few available then.

Actually, as I look around I tend (now, having learned from bitter experience!) to buy "best" brand names in monitors. I have in addition to the HP, a Dell, a Lenovo (a very hard to find HD-aspect ratio and max-HD-def at the time model), a Mitsubishi, and a Panasonic.

So far, knock on wood, these brands have kept working under tough conditions and have not missed a beat. Plus in a way the monitor is what you interact with the most, given a decent computer and internet connection speed, a monitor is what can make or break your computing experience, so that would be a bad place to try to save money by going cheap.

I have given up on the Viewsonics, Hanns-Gs, NECs, and BenQs, all of which have failed catastrophically earlier than I would have wanted or expected, and some more than once--including both fixed and new/second/different models.

I am guessing that at some point I will try out a Samsung, based on excellent performance of a set of speakers I got from them, plus their very successful recent performance in electronics sales and advanced cell phones in general. You've got to be good to be eating Apple's lunch, no?

One final word probably should be addressed to Sony, which is a historic brand with many achievements. I still have one of their flat screen cathod-ray tube type of monitors (a big technological improvement at the time) and it continues to work great, on and on. And around the house I can probably find a whole set of their products. But I think you have to be careful now with them, and make a model-by-model evaluation. They have mixed performance now both on products and as a company regarding the sales, management, and support of their products. They like to think of themselves as the big competitor to Apple, but Samsung has eaten their lunch, too. Maybe now with the yen weakening they will pick it up and again become a top world company.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Many wise words. As far as I can tell, the best bet is to look at objective reviews (i.e. the Maximum PC list), as the quality goes up and down within a brand's variety of models, and with the brands over time. I have been using the same 23" Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 every day, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for almost 4 years. Works perfect.

 

[StarHalo]

Now we're getting somewhere: Sony 55" and 65" 4K TVs available for pre-order now, $5,000 and $7,000 respectively. Dynamic edge LED backlighting, built-in wireless LAN, 65 watt speakers, wireless smartphone/tablet mirroring and control, four pairs 3D glasses included, SimulView (two glasses can view two different full-screen images at the same time, for previously split-screen two-player video games), and onboard manual (the entire manual is built into the TV menu system). A Sony 4K Media Player will be available at the same time, which comes pre-loaded with ten 4K movies, and a Sony 4K Network is forthcoming later in the year, with both movie and TV titles.

 

[LuxLuthor]

That is cool, but too many Benjamins for the "99%" !!! I was wondering how long before High Def BR was rendered as obsolete as VHS is now. On the other hand, I really don't need to see inside skin pores.

 

[StarHalo]

That is cool, but too many Benjamins for the "99%" !!!

Too rich for my blood, but a nice price drop from the CES earlier in the year when the 84-inch model was $25,000..

I'd top out around $2,500 for a Sony XBR (paid that much for one ~15 years ago), so one that has twice as many lines costing twice as much is a reasonable compromise - for now. But then that begs the question, what will the price be for the Christmas season? With a new 4K media player and an entire network, Sony will have to start moving these TVs quickly..

 

[StarHalo]

SEIKI 50-inch 4K TV, $1,300. I haven't heard of this brand either, but will the guests at your Super Bowl party care?