Selling DVDs

So, we just sold almost 300 DVDs for about $300. This was years of collecting them and the truth is, we simply don’t need them anymore. We kept the ones we like the best – our favorite classics, Christmas, and multi-disk collections. But even using the best analytic tools, we couldn’t find any good reason to keep the rest. They won’t really be missed.

I learned the hard way a couple weeks ago that my old computer won’t play DVDs anymore. I’m not sure why, but I tried several, including one I’d rented, and none would play. I couldn’t even find the files to open it manually and play it. So, why keep 300 DVDs around, collecting dust, if I can’t even watch any of them?

Technorati Tags: movies,dvd

ALIEN ORIGIN

I watched this whole movie, but it barely held my interest. Mainly because it was filmed in the same manner as Blair Witch Project, with much skipping, glitches, and camera shaking. It is called a “found footage” film because supposedly, someone came across all these film shots and grouped them together. Still, the story itself was pretty interesting.

Alien Origin (2012; NR) takes us on a trek into the jungles of Belize, with a reporter and a small band of Army guys. The reporter is supposed to be filming a documentary about what the soldiers are doing to protect the country when they are all unwittingly drawn into a battle for life against an enemy that we, the audience, only catches brief glimpses of.

By the time the alien, or whatever it was, was finished with people, they looked like they had just finished using hayward tigershark pool cleaner, and the tigersharks were still in the pool!

Technorati Tags: movies,Alien Origin

Cable entertainment vs internet entertainment

Do you know how hard it is to live without an actual television in the house? Not hard at all.

I've had people say things to me like "Wow! I wish I could get my family to give up TV!" or "You must have so much more free time without the boob-tube taking up your time!" or "How can you stand it??"

Well, we can't get good TV reception where we live anyway. One channel. That's it. And even that one doesn't come in very well. So, I sold my big screen HDTV last year and haven't even thought about it since. It was pretty much a dust catcher for me anyway. Yes, I have a DVD player and did play movies on it. But, the truth is, I can watch DVDs on my laptop, or I can watch them on Netflix on my laptop. It's personal. It's convenient. It's ok.

I was sharing all this with my sister last week. I told her how I watch entertainment and news at home and what a low price is associated with it. She insisted that even though she pays a hefty monthly bill for her cable service, and it includes her phone and internet, so she had no intention of switching. That's alright. I wasn't trying to get her to make any changes. I was just sharing what I do. Geez. What's the big deal?

I'll continue with what I'm doing, and she'll continue with what she's doing and we'll both be happy, right?

Technorati Tags: television,cable,internet,entertainment

Buy dot com

With all the shopping I do for movies, techie gadgets, and home entertainment, you must know by now that I always shop for a bargain. And bargains are exactly why buy.com rocks! See, any time I can get a great deal on the things I love to buy and get free shipping, I figure it's all good.

Besides, I know I can read reviews from other buyers, and those will let me know if the product I'm looking at is worth the effort and money to purchase it or not. Since my sister is currently in the market for a laptop, so she can do her journaling when she's on trips, this would be a great place to point her to!

So go ahead. Shop around at the place where they advertise "Always Low Prices" or at the local office store. Even shop at the local store that tells you their geeks are the best squad around. I'll wait here. Then you'll know exactly why buy.com rocks!

That just takes the Blu-Ray cake

Apparently, the fine HD DVD player I have now has just gone the way of the dinosaur before I even got to use it! See, I have an analog television, so the HD player won't show on it. I have been hoping to get an HD TV soon, and the prices are coming down pretty nicely.

But guess what? Before I get it, I'll probably have to update my whole system again because HD is on the way out and Blu-Ray is exclusively on the way in....at least as far as Walmart and Toshiba are concerned.

What do you think? Take my poll in the sidebar!

Intermission - More about iPod software

As I posted earlier, there is software designed to convert video for you iPod. However, some of you may have questions about this kind of software and whether it's worth the cost or really works. You may also have questions about what kind of hardware to buy - MP4 or iPod. Blurtit.com has answers for you. As you can see in the ClipMark below, it's a question that's already been asked.

Blurtit is a go-to site for questions you may have about a variety of subjects, and where you can find answers that are given by folks like yourself. They are arranged in easy-to-use categories so searching is simple.

You can also ask a question about those things in which you may have some doubts or just don't understand. You can find information about everything from Arts & Literature to Home & Gardening to Travel, and dozens of areas in between.

Of course, here I'm mainly interested in anything that has to do with the Music & Entertainment category, which has a plethora of questions and answers. I'm bookmarking this site!

clipped from www.blurtit.com Should I buy a proper mp4 player or an ipod with mp4? Whats the difference between the two? Which brand should i look for?

Intermission - iPod software

This is pretty neat stuff as far as technology goes. Now you can obtain software that will quickly convert DVD to iPod movies. The software is easy to download and they offer a free trial so you can take it for a test drive before purchasing it.

My daughter's boyfriend has an iPod he uses frequently and he hates to miss some of his favorite TV shows when he's doing yard work. This would be a great way for him to be able to view them later after he's set his recorder to record the shows. Then, he could convert the videos using this software and download them to his iPod for viewing at his leisure.

This suite combines two features - iPod Movie Video Converter and DVD to iPod Converter - into one software package for a single low price. After your trial period is over, this can be purchased for only $39.95, a savings of $19.95.

Sorry, Mac users. This isn't compatible for your OS yet. It's available only for Microsoft Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP right now.

clipped from www.pqdvd.com PQ DVD to iPod Video Converter Suite

Intermission - One for me and one for you contest

Online friend Christine has posted a contest on her blog that she has dubbed One For Me, One For You Part One. The rules are simple but the prize is neat if you win. You blog about which prize you want to win, giving her a link, then comment about it on her blog. She's doing this to help her decide which prize she wants for herself. You can read the rules on her site. If you blog, take a look and see what you'd like to win.

I'd love to have The Odd Couple: The Complete First Season. I used to watch that show faithfully and I've seen the movie. Since I'm a big fan of watching DVDs anyway, that would fit right in here! Who doesn't love Oscar and Felix sometimes bickering over what constitutes a mess and what doesn't?

Jack Klugman played the slob Oscar and Tony Randall played the fastidious Felix, two men separated from their wives and thrown together in a single dwelling - driving each other crazy in the course of it all. I think I could be compared to the "Oscar" of the duo. :)

Intermission - Projector rentals

This is a really neat idea for either businesses or for consumers. Rent a projector for whatever needs you have and get FedEx delivery to your location. These are digital projectors and they can be shipped to anyplace in the continental US as well as Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. You can even get same day delivery, although the shipping is appreciably lower if you give them at least 3 days' notice. Returning the projector is simple enough, too. Just put a preprinted label back on the box it arrived in, and let FedEx deliver it back.

The fact that all this company does is projector rentals means that you, the consumer, can know they aren't being side-tracked by other concerns. They stand behind the LCD projectors they rent and they offer a full support system if anything goes wrong either with the shipment or the device itself. Of course, if you do something that destroys the projector, you get to buy it. After all, while it's in your hands it's your responsibility.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Intermission - MP3 Player

If you're in the market for a new MP3 player, then you may want to consider some of the new ones that also have video and photo capabilities. They are thin, yet substantial in feel and provide you with more options than just listening to music. For instance, the Sansa e280 8GB mp3 player is a flash-based player that provides all these options in one neat and stylish package.



Take this neat unit with you everywhere. Share photos and video clips with friends and family. You can also get memory cards for it to expand the amount of data you can save, use, and share.



At only 1/2 inch thick, this little MP3 player will fit right into your pocket or purse so that you can enjoy music during those times when you might be stuck in a waiting room or in traffic. Take it with you to the gym or while walking or jogging. It even has an FM receiver so you can listen to your favorite radio station.

For about the same price as an iPod Nano, you get more features including voice recording and a larger screen. See what $190.99 will get you! That's a $59 savings, too.