Amazon Screening Room's Blog

TV Clicks: House Star Heads Home; Prison Break Spinning Off?

11:40 PM PDT, October 26, 2007, updated at 11:51 PM PDT, October 26, 2007

Is Hugh Laurie unhappy with his hit show House? Does he want more money? Is he tired of working so far from the wife and kids back in the UK? Denials abound, but the star took an unexpected break this week that had the Hollywood speculation mill in overdrive. Here's the official statement: "Hugh had family obligations in England to attend to, but production is continuing in his absence. The producers said that he asked for time off, and they were happy to facilitate it."

It's been an eventful but still popular season for the show, which remains a ratings hit and one of the most popular downloads at Amazon Unbox. The good news for fans is that Hugh is scheduled to be back to work on Monday.

It's been an eventful but slightly less popular season for Prison Break, but the show remains popular enough for FOX to be talking spinoff. The plan is to introduce a new character who has suffered at the hands of the conspiracy-fueling Company, then send her to her own show -- set in a women's prison. Hmmmm.

Oh, and Back to You, the new sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton got a full season pickup from FOX. Score one for the old school!

-- Stephanie Reid-Simons, TV Freak

In topics: Video Downloads, TV

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Welcome Back, Pacey Witter!

4:52 PM PDT, October 26, 2007

Admittedly, I have not been that thrilled with season four of Grey's Anatomy thus far (I miss you, Addison-- please leave that nice little Malibu spin-off of yours and come back, and bring Tim Daly with you). But this week Variety reported that Joshua Jackson, who's been mostly incognito since Dawson's Creek went off the air in 2003, will guest on the show as a doctor for five episodes, starting in episode 11.

Pair this with James Van Der Beek's recent guest appearance on Ugly Betty (as a jerk of an ad exec) and ABC's got a reunion going on, even though Creek aired on the WB. We just need Mary Beth Peil (Grams) on Dirty Sexy Money, the actors who played Mitch & Gail Leery on Lost, and Kerr Smith (Jack) competing on Dancing With the Stars! (I'm assuming Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams are too successful to return to TV, and Busy Phillipps, who played Holmes' roommate Audrey the last two seasons, is currently recurring on ER.)

But we digress. Jackson's credits post-Creek have mostly been in smaller movies, the biggest of them being the ensemble movie Bobby. But he was always a TV favorite of mine, and I'm always rooting for familiar faces. (Dana Delany, late of China Beach, recently became the newest Desperate Housewife, and Calista Flockhart has been enjoying a warm reception on Brothers and Sisters since Ally McBeal ended in 2002.)

Who else do you miss from dearly departed shows? And which shows would you place them in? -- Ellen

In topics: News Junkies, TV

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"Battlestar" on the big screen

4:39 PM PDT, October 26, 2007

In serious withdrawal, Battlestar Galactica fans have already programmed their DVRs to record Razor on November 24, and pre-ordered the unrated extended DVD, which is coming out on December 4. If that's not enough, you can attend the advance screening event if you happen to live in one of the lucky regions: Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. It's free as long as you reserve your ticket. Or, if you want to watch Flash Gordon on the Sci-Fi Channel on Friday nights, they're running "Razor flashbacks." If you don't want to record and fast-forward through Flash, you can watch the flashbacks at http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/. --David

In topics: Action, Science Fiction, TV

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HDTV Owners: 56% of You Aren't Getting High Definition

9:13 AM PDT, October 26, 2007

According to an industry survey from earlier this year, only 44% of HDTV owners actually receive HD programming. This means that 56% don't. Are you one of them? If so, there are three ways to get TV content in HD:

Antennas. Don't knock it, today antennas are more than the tinfoil art that you remember from your grandparent's house. They're a great way to get your local HD stations with no monthly fee. If you think an antenna is for you, visit the Consumer Electronics Association's antenna locator website. After entering your address it will show you the signals you should be able to pick up with an antenna and the best direction to point it. Before you invest in an antenna you need to make sure that you have an ATSC tuner to hook it up to. Most recent HDTVs have them built in, but check your TV owners' manual to make sure. Not only are over the air signals free, but they're high quality. (Sometimes cable and satellite companies compress HD signals.)

Satellite. To get high definition via satellite you need to upgrade your receiver to a high definition model. Even with a high-def receiver your satellite company may not broadcast all your local channels in high definition so you may need to add an antenna in addition to your high definition receiver. Contact your satellite carrier for full details on channel availability and pricing.

Cable: There are several ways to get HDTV signals from your cable company. If you want to just get your local channels in high definition and you don't have or want a cable box you need a QAM tuner which allows you to tune unencrypted HD cable channels. Most newer HDTVs have them built in, but check your TV owners manual to make sure. Contact your cable company for a list of channels available with a QAM tuner. If you want more than your local channels you'll need either a high definition cable box or cable card. A cable card doesn't allow you to use On Demand or your cable company's on-screen guide, but you can use some guide programs built into your TV or a HD Tivo box (Series 3).

So now that you know what you need to start getting HDTV what's stopping you? --Adam

In topics: High Definition

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Pre-order the World Series games while you watch them

8:23 PM PDT, October 25, 2007

As I write this, the Boston Red Sox hold a slim 2-1 lead over the Colorado Rockies in game 2 of the 2007 World Series. In the old days of sports TV, you had to watch the game live (or maybe on tape delay!) then maybe you could buy a VHS tape of highlights a few months later. Now in the golden days of media consumption, you have many options, one of which is buying it on DVD now and receiving it a few days after the game ends. For example, Red Sox fans who missed their team's game 1 pasting of the Rockies, or who saw it and want to own a packaged version, can pre-order it. Colorado fans, or people who (like me) became fans during their red-hot late-season and post-season run, will hope that the Rockies can rally tonight and take a 1-1 tie back home. You say you're supremely confident in your team? Pre-order the whole series now. --David

In topics: Sports

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TV Clicks: Kristen Bell, Heroes and the Power of a Great Guest Star

4:21 PM PDT, October 23, 2007

Well, she's not back as Veronica Mars (snif), but Kristen Bell is back on TV as of Monday night's Heroes, which is being roundly hailed as a return to form.

And I'll be honest with you: I've not watched the episode yet. It's waiting for me on my TiVo, where it will be consumed with last week's episode. I'm with my colleague Roy, who says the show is much better as a 90-minute experience (though he confessed today that he couldn't wait to see Bell).

Are we the only ones, or do you find yourself enjoying the "arc" shows (Lost, 24, Heroes, etc.) more when you can do it in chunks?

NBC's gotta be hoping there are a lot of you delayed-viewers out there, as the early returns on ratings aren't so great: ABC won last night, and NBC got its worst Monday results so far this season. The good news is that these delayed views are now part of the official ratings tally.

-- Stephanie Reid-Simons, TV Freak

P.S. Click here to see what Heroes creator Tim Kring has to say about Bell, giving fans answers and why so many former Star Trek cast members keep popping up on his show (it's a coincidence, he insists).

P.P.S. If the voiceover on the new CW show Gossip Girl sounds familiar, Veronica Mars fans, that's because it's Bell narrating the tales of rich teens gone wild.

In topics: Video Downloads, TV

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Trailer Park: 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium,' 'I'm Not There,' 'August Rush,' 'Juno,' 'Charlie Wilson's War'

3:36 PM PDT, October 23, 2007, updated at 3:38 PM PDT, October 23, 2007

First impressions of upcoming movies, based on trailer (Click on the title to watch the trailer: You may need QuickTime for most). Release dates are subject to change.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (dir. Zach Helm) Just in time for the holidays: A fantasy about the world's coolest toy store (everything's alive!) , the wacky old man (Dustin Hoffman) and pixie-cut waif (Natalie Portman) who run it, and the stern accountant (Jason Bateman) who doesn't believe enough to see the store come to life (He thinks it's just another FAO Schwarz). (Nov. 16)

I'm Not There (dir. Todd Haynes) Also known as That Movie Where Cate Blanchett Plays Bob Dylan, but let's back up a minute. From the director of Velvet Goldmine and Far From Heaven comes a portrait of the rock icon, played by six different actors (young, old, white, black, male, female) portraying different stages in his life. Best is the title marquee: "Richard Gere... is Bob Dylan... Heath Ledger... is Bob Dylan... Christian Bale... is Bob Dylan..." (Nov. 21)

August Rush (dir. Kristen Sheridan) Jim Sheridan's daughter Kristen (a co-writer on In America) makes her major feature directing debut with this sentimental drama about an orphan (Finding Neverland's Freddie Highmore) who hopes his gift of music will help him find his parents, a guitarist and cellist who had a brief romance (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Keri Russell, respectively). Along the way, he meets a sideburned, pierced Robin Williams in a cowboy hat. Not sure what that has to do with anything, but the ethereal Russell (Felicity) makes a compelling leading lady (Nov. 21)

Juno (dir. Jason Reitman) And this year's Samuel L. Jackson Award for Most Movies in the Can goes to Jason Bateman, here playing an affluent husband (Jennifer Garner, his co-star from The Kingdom, is the wife) hoping to adopt a baby from teenager Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy, X-Men: The Last Stand). Juno's relationship with her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) and the father of her fetus (Superbad's Michael Cera) are the heart of the story, which looks like a rather kooky coming-of-age comedy. (Dec. 14)

Charlie Wilson's War (dir. Mike Nichols) Moviegoer logic would tell you anything starring Tom Hanks is a must-see, and anything starring Julia Roberts is a pot o' gold. But is this story, based on Congressman Charlie Wilson's private battle to train Afghan resistance fighters against the Soviet Union in the '80s, too heavy for people to digest? Will we care about the umpeenth war movie to come out this year? Since Hanks made us weep over a little government policy that led him to save Private Ryan, we're thinking anything's possible. (Dec. 25)
--Ellen

In topics: Box Office, Drama, In-Production, Time Wasters, Watch this!, Fantasy, Trailer Park, Comedy

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How to Be More Controlling

5:00 PM PDT, October 22, 2007, updated at 7:58 PM PDT, October 22, 2007

Back in 1998 our home theater system was hard to use. (It was so bad we kept two pages of handwritten instructions handy.) To watch a movie you had to power on seven devices! It was to the point where my wife (despite her intelligence and the instructions) would only use it when I was home to turn everything on.

Later that year I read about a new PC programmable remote with an LCD touch screen that let you create and label your own buttons and supported macros--the ability to send multiple commands with just one button push. I purchased one and spent a few hours over the following week programming it before I showed it to my wife, knowing she would ask "how much?" It took some very fast talking and a demonstration to avoid a week on the couch when I told her it was $400. Two weeks later when I asked if she wanted me to send it back she threatened me with a worse fate.

Today there are plenty of universal remotes to choose from and you don't need to spend $400. Some things to consider:

If you want to truly "automate" your home theater gear look for a remote that allows you to program macros. Building macros involves a bit of trial and error, so if you budget allows, I recommend a PC programmable universal remote as it's easier to make changes.

If you want to have your gear out of site, in another room, or just don't want to have to worry about keeping your remote pointed at your equipment, look for a universal remote that has an available RF (radio frequency) base.

Do you prefer "real" buttons or a customizable touch screen? Some remotes have only an LCD screen, some have only buttons, and others have a little of both. Look for a remote that has the button types (or blend) that you prefer.

One or two handed operation? Most universal remotes come in the same shape as a standard remote; others are wider and may require two hands to operate.

If you're building a system and want to use macros, search the "Files" area of Remote Central to see if the models you're considering have discrete power and input codes. It'll make building macros easier if the gear you're buying has discrete codes available.

Make sure all your devices work with a universal remote, or be willing to accept a second remote or manual workaround. A good example of a device that needs special treatment is the PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 3 Blu Wave Remote will give your universal remote the ability to control most of the PlayStation 3 functions except for power.

Now the big question: How much should you spend? That all depends on what your budget is and what type of universal remote you are looking for:

Basic models ($35 and under) can replace multiple remotes; some can have limited macros or RF support. You're also stuck with the buttons provided on the remote. Advantage: Price

More advanced models ($75 and under) provide better support macros and better RF support. Most have LCD screens (in addition to the buttons) that allow you to create custom labels for functions that don't have corresponding buttons. Advantage: Better macro and RF support, one or two models may support PC programming.

Advanced models ($75-$650) allow PC programming, and some have color LCD panels that allow custom graphics. Some models allow programming over the internet.You just tell the website the model numbers of your gear and how you have it hooked up and it does the programming for you. Since they have more options they could take more time to set up. Advantage: Can be set up to just about any way you want, and allow almost unlimited looks and control.

For more information about universal remotes visit Remote Central. They have reviews, forums, and remote files from other users that you can download to your remote. You're also invited--as always--to post your question (as a "comment") below. --Adam

In topics: High Definition

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Captain Jack needs your help!

12:06 PM PDT, October 21, 2007, updated at 12:29 PM PDT, October 21, 2007

Fans of the new Doctor Who series are probably familiar with the character Captain Jack Harkness, who was spun off into his own series called Torchwood (described by one Amazon customer as "C.S.I. with aliens and sex and alien-sex"). Torchwood is coming to DVD in January, and BBC is asking you fans to choose which cover art you want on the DVD set (you can see your two choices on the left, or a larger version here). Go to

www.bbcamerica.com/torchwooddvdvote and cast your vote by October 26. --David

In topics: Action, Science Fiction, TV

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Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour is crossing the country now

7:03 AM PDT, October 20, 2007

I recently attended Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, an event crossing the country to educate people about high-definition, particularly Blu-ray (Disney movies are released on Blu-ray, not on HD DVD). At a local mall I watched a brief pitch about the advantages of Blu-ray, with clips of Disney movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Cars played on a 65" Panasonic plasma TV hooked up to a nine-speaker system (7.1 plus an extra center channel and an extra subwoofer, I think). After that demonstration, I strolled around the display, watched a bit of Ratatouille and other films, and tried some of the interactive games. The games were not much to speak of, really: a dice game against a pirate, and a game from Chicken Little in which I used the remote to control a character running along the bottom of the screen and shooting up at rows of descending spaceships. That's right, the new technology has produced Space Invaders in high-definition! The real value of the exhibit came when I got a chance to talk to one of the reps and ask questions: What's the advantage of HDMI cables? Do plasma TVs still get "burn-in"? As a movie player, how does the PS3 compare to set-top machines? And other stuff like that. Sure, these guys have no choice but to talk up Blu-ray over HD DVD, and because Panasonic is a co-sponsor, they'll talk about those products as well (which they freely admitted). And I'm no Blu-ray fan boy--I see advantages (and disadvantages) to both formats. But I thought it was an interesting demonstration. If you see the exhibit at your local mall, it might be worth your 15 minutes to take a look. The tour is scheduled to run through the end of the year at these locations:

Tyson Corner Center, McLean, VA, Oct. 19-21
Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY, Oct. 26-28
Burlington Mall, Burlington, MA, Nov. 9-11
King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA, Nov. 16-8
Circle Centre, Indianapolis, IN, Nov. 23-25
Lennox Square, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 30-Dec. 2
The Galleria, Houston, TX, Dec. 7-9
Barton Creek Square, Austin, TX, Dec. 14-16
Chandler Fashion Center, Chandler, AZ, Dec. 21-23

--David

In topics: Home Theater, High Definition

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« Older Posts

October 20-26, 2007

TV Clicks: House Star Heads Home; Prison Break Spinning Off?

Welcome Back, Pacey Witter!

"Battlestar" on the big screen

HDTV Owners: 56% of You Aren't Getting High Definition

Pre-order the World Series games while you watch them

TV Clicks: Kristen Bell, Heroes and the Power of a Great Guest Star

Trailer Park: 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium,' 'I'm Not There,' 'August Rush,' 'Juno,' 'Charlie Wilson's War'

How to Be More Controlling

Captain Jack needs your help!

Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour is crossing the country now

Amazon Screening Room's Blog

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