The Top DVDs of All Time!

Finally . . . a DVD book for everyone! Heres your personal handbook to DVD . . . the ultimate guide to enjoying every last bit of fun this exciting format has to offer

Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan have been reporting on DVD at The Digital Bits website since the format first appeared in 1997. And over the years, theyve noticed that there are few places viewers can go to have the various aspects of DVD and home theatre explained, in simple language -- plain talk anyone can understand. So they’ve written The Digital Bits Insiders Guide to DVD to fill this void. In it they:



* Take a comprehensive look at over 100 of the top DVDs of all time

* Explain DVD and all its features -- what it is and how it works

* Offer expert advice on how to put together a great home theatre at an affordable cost

* Explain the latest technology, such as DVD recorders and the new SACD and DVD-Audio high-resolution music formats

* Provide an eye-opening glimpse of the future of DVD -- which promises your favorite films in high-definition video

NOT FOR NEWBIES ONLY!


Theres plenty here for long-time, experienced Bits readers too! Bill and Todd have included a comprehensive review of over 100 discs, in a whole variety of genres, that everyone should have in their private movie collection -- they even tell you what makes each one so great. Youll also get a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest releases of 2003: Twentieth Century Fox’s nine-disc Alien Quadrilogy! The authors provide a revealing insider’s view of the making of this elaborate, special-edition box set.

Here’s everything you need to know about DVDs -- for less than the cost of a single disc!

The second edition has been updated with all the key developments of the past three years, and includes new and expanded sections on digital video interfaces, DSP, DVD, video servers, automation systems, HDTV, 8-VSB modulation and the ATSC system.
Richard Brice has worked as a senior design engineer in several of Europe's top broadcast equipment companies and has his own music production company.
* A uniquely concise and readable guide to the technology of digital television
* New edition includes more information on HDTV (high definition) and ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) - the body that drew up the standards for Digital Television in the U.S.
* Written by an engineer for engineers, technicians and technical staff

Who needs the movies? Now, you can achieve stunning audio and top quality video results through your PC. This book shows you how to build your own home entertainment center using an ordinary PC. Watch and record TV shows and movies, put your entire CD collection on hard drive, and listen to radio stations from around the world.

This up-to-date reference is the most complete dictionary covering this fast-paced field. It contains virtually all the terminology commonly used in modern global video and television technology, with thorough definitions aimed at the engineering level. It covers all international video standards, digital and analog video signals, data compression, video conferencing, encoding/decoding--indeed, every term associated with video/television technology. Compiled by two internationally recognized video/television experts, this dictionary promises to become a standard reference.
*Provides comprehensive and up-to-date information, including coverage of test and measurement procedures
*Electronic version of the book accompanies text
*Authors are both heavily experienced engineers and authors whose previous works are respected world wide

Love movies? Heres a new way to enjoy them! Easter Eggs are the insider gems tucked into the digital landscape of many DVDs -- deleted scenes, making of features, alternate endings, conversations between directors and actors -- plus, special inside jokes made just for DVD viewers. Movies featured include The Godfather, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Shrek, Moulin Rouge, The Terminator, Tomb Raider, The Blair Witch Project, Cast Away, Citizen Kane, Die Hard, Magnolia, The Wizard of Oz, X-Men, and more.

JOIN THE DIGITAL PRODUCTION REVOLUTION!

Not very long ago, there was television, film, video, and other forms of moving imagery. Now, in the Digital Era, all of this is content, a stream of bits providing superior picture and audio quality and options for HDTV, interactivity, e-commerce, and new ways to create and consume the worlds favorite forms of visual entertainment and information. The digital content creation revolution is ushering in an exciting -- and a confusing time in TV, motion-picture, and video production. A new generation of affordable digital cameras and video-recording systems is democratizing the production industry with new opportunities for talented film- and video-makers. At the same time, cable, satellite, and Internet distribution are multiplying program-distribution options. Creating Digital Content presents a series of chapters written by industry-leading experts and journalists to help you understand this exciting new era, which is impacting everyone from corporate video professionals and major movie studios to local TV stations and talented digital filmmakers.Edited by two industry experts at the forefront of the content revolution, Creating Digital Content includes chapters on:

* Digital Cinema
* High Definition (24P) Production
* Streaming Media
* Datacasting
* Webcasting
* Interactive television
* Asset Management
* DVD
* Interviews with George Lucas and James Cameron
*And much more

Along with outstanding post-production tutorials, the authors also provide in-depth explanations of the new business models, revealing must-know information on surviving and profiting in a digital content creation environment.

At a time when clear and accurate introductory information on the technology transitions sweeping the worlds of TV, motion-pictures, and the Web is hard to find, this is THE guidebook for surviving--and thriving--in the digital content-creation age.

FROM THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD HANDBOOK OF VIDEO AND TELEVISION ENGINEERING THE ALL-MEDIA GUIDE TO PROFESSIONAL VIDEO PRODUCTION

You dont need an engineering degree to succeed in video production. In this book, video expert Jerry Whitaker shows you production from the inside out, from studio lighting to creating post-production special effects.

The Art of Video Production

Perfect for anyone who wants to build skills in the fast-growing field of digital video production, and produce video for TV, HDTV, movies, the Internet, or any other application, Master Handbook of Video Production shows you how to--

* Select, install, and work with digital equipment

* Understand MPEG video compression

* Design video production centers

* Master standard-definition and high-definition production

* Assess bandwidth, scanning, and resolution issues

* Optimize use of video computer graphics, time code, and archiving

* Master video switching, timing, and distribution

* Achieve the highest production values in video and high-definition video

John Logie Baird, Britain's foremost television pioneer, experimented with video recording onto gramophone discs in the late 1920s. Though unsuccessful at the time, his experiments resulted in several videodiscs, some 25 years before the videotape recorder became practical. These videodiscs - called Phonovision - remained neglected over the decades, considered by experts as unplayable. In the early 1980s, the author sought out and restored the surviving Phonovision discs. Using computer-based techniques in an investigation reminiscent of an archaeological dig, the author has not only revealed the images on the discs but also uncovered details of how the recordings were made. The Phonovision discs have now become recognised as one of Baird's most important legacies. In 1996 and 1998, amateur 'off-air' recordings of the BBC's 30-line Television Service (1932-35) were found, giving us our first view of what viewers were then watching. The author's restoration overturns established views on mechanically scanned television, providing us today with a true measure of Britain's heritage of television programme-making before electronic television. As well as helping to explain a poorly understood and complex period in television's history, this unique book, heavily illustrated with previously unpublished or rarely-seen historic photographs restored by the author, sheds light on the achievements of Baird, the development of video recording and the definition and invention of television itself.

Plain-talking intro to televisions newest technology. Digital Television Fundamentals, Second Edition, by Michael Robin and Michel Poulin, is the ideal guide for everyone who deals with digital video production or equipment design - or who just wants to know how this new phenomenon works. Fully detailed and heavily illustrated, this easy-reading reference covers it all--from video and audio fundamentals...to bit-serial distribution and ancillary data multiplexing...to digital signal compression and distribution methods of coding and decoding. In this edition youll find: multimedia television treatment covering technologies, hardware, systems, workstations, A/V signal processing, disk storage, servers, cameras, VCRs, CD-ROM, DVI--plus interconnections, multimedia software, systems, and applications and standardization activities; late-breaking information on the DTV standard and how it affects broadcasting equipment and operations; a focus on the importance of relevant SMPTE and CCIR-ITU standards; details on digital/analog equipment compatibility issues; much more!

HDTV - digital, high-definition television - is an invention so far-reaching that most people cannot yet grasp its full significance. But the new sets are arriving in stores, and we are in the midst of a revolution in television. In Defining Vision, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Joel Brinkley takes us inside the creation of HDTV, into a titanic competition between some of the world's most important high-tech corporations battling for a prize worth billions of dollars. Brinkley tells the story from deep inside the laboratories and boardrooms where the race was run. There, scheming contestants employed duplicity, extortion, and, occasionally, creative genius. At the same time, government leaders manipulated the race to their own ends, promoting it one moment and betraying it the next.

The labor costs of even a minor VCR repair are very high, and warranties typically only cover the first 90 days of ownership. The first four chapters of this practical guide allow do-it-yourselfers to take charge of maintaining and repairing their own VCRs for optimum performance. Basic VCR and recording principles are explained so you can gain a better understanding of how your machine operates.
Advanced troubleshooting techniques covered in the later chapters allow technicians and advanced hobbyists to make more complex repairs and adjustments. Basic troubleshooting guidelines and flow charts aid in diagnosis, including chassis and mechanical failures.
VCR Troubleshooting & Repair, focuses on preventative maintenance. Basic electronics principles are presented as they relate to VCR performance.
THE AUTHORS
Gregory R. Capelo is the owner of a VCR and VTR repair facility in El Cajon, California. He has serviced broadcast, consumer, and industrial video equipment for more than 14 years. He has taught numerous technical courses to private, government, and industrial technicians on the theory and maintenance of video and television equipment. Currently a trainer for Panasonic, he has been an expert witness in VCR patent infringement cases.
Robert C. Brenner is an engineer and lecturer with extensive experience in microcomputers and system repair. He has written several successful books, including earlier editions of VCR Troubleshooting and Repair.

Revised with technical input from major VCR manufacturers
Step-by-step details to maximize performance
How to avoid breakdowns

From the first notions of 'seeing by electricity' in 1878, through the period of the first demonstration of rudimentary television in 1926 and up to 1940, when war brought the advance of the technology to a temporary halt, the development of television gathered about it a tremendous history. Following the discovery of the photo-conductive effect, numerous schemes for television were suggested but it was in the wake of Baird's early demonstrations that real industrial interest developed and the pace of progress increased. Much research and development work was undertaken in the UK, the US, Germany and France. By 1936 television technology had advanced to the point where high definition broadcasting was realistic. This meticulous and deeply researched book presents a balanced and thorough international history of television from 1878 to 1940, considering the factors - technical, commercial and social - that influenced and led to the establishment of public services in many countries. Highly illustrated throughout, this is a major book in the study of history of science, technology and media.

This unique volume examines the process of cableviewing, the nature of cableviewers, and especially the viewing choice process. The concept of viewing style is introduced and individual differences in viewing style are examined. The research presented here represents the change from media effects studies to studies of users and user behavior.

During the years of the Polish People's Republic, Poles were cut off from the western world. Travel was restricted, as was access to outside culture and goods. This unique situation led to a period of great ingenuity in the realm of new media. Not only were media adapted to suit Poles' needs, but new technology was fashioned to gain access to western television, film and video games. Bringing people together, VCRs, computers and satellite television were thus a window to the outside world and contemporary to the mobilisation of Solidarity and the end of communism. As such, their diffusion is an important but largely overlooked aspect of Poland's history. Acutely aware of this, the authors of this book recount new media behind the Iron Curtain in a way that will appeal to scholars and non-academic readers alike. Coupling archival research with in depth interviews, they bring to life the talent and determination of the PPR's new media pioneers, compelling others to dig further.

The information age came with the promise of transparency greater than anything witnessed heretofore by humanity. Of course, transparency is the essence of foresight and knowledge. The hope was for a greater accountability that would follow increased transparency, compelling policy makers to depend on knowledge and foresight rather than disinformation and hidden agendas. Recent events of the new millennium indicate that the increase has been in opacity and disinformation. The information age, often dubbed as the knowledge era', has become the antithesis of knowledge, however; even its most ardent proponents admit that. Despite globalization, the information age has failed to generate knowledge-based decision-making tools.

Das traditionelle Fernsehen ist unter Druck. Herausgefordert wird es durch das Internet, das mit 40 Millionen Nutzern in Deutschland langst zu einem Massenmedium geworden ist. Stetig steigende Bandbreiten und immer gunstigere Flatrate-Zugange steigern die Attraktivitat des Mediums fur Anbieter und Nachfrager weiter. Einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Steigerung der Breitenwirkung des Internets leisten dabei audiovisuelle Inhalte. Angebote wie IPTV, Web-TV oder Videoportale treten zunehmend in Konkurrenz zum herkommlichen Fernsehen.
Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Entwicklungen stellt sich die Frage nach der Zukunft des Fernsehens in einer digitalen Medienwelt. Ist das traditionelle Fernsehen ein Auslaufmodell im Wettbewerb mit Online-Angeboten oder bieten sich neue Perspektiven? Diese Frage diskutieren renommierte Praktiker und Wissenschaftler in dem vorliegenden Band."

How streaming services and internet distribution have transformed global television culture. Television, once a broadcast medium, now also travels through our telephone lines, fiber optic cables, and wireless networks. It is delivered to viewers via apps, screens large and small, and media players of all kinds. In this unfamiliar environment, new global giants of television distribution are emerging-including Netflix, the world's largest subscription video-on-demand service. Combining media industry analysis with cultural theory, Ramon Lobato explores the political and policy tensions at the heart of the digital distribution revolution, tracing their longer history through our evolving understanding of media globalization. Netflix Nations considers the ways that subscription video-on-demand services, but most of all Netflix, have irrevocably changed the circulation of media content. It tells the story of how a global video portal interacts with national audiences, markets, and institutions, and what this means for how we understand global media in the internet age. Netflix Nations addresses a fundamental tension in the digital media landscape - the clash between the internet's capacity for global distribution and the territorial nature of media trade, taste, and regulation. The book also explores the failures and frictions of video-on-demand as experienced by audiences. The actual experience of using video platforms is full of subtle reminders of market boundaries and exclusions: platforms are geo-blocked for out-of-region users ("this video is not available in your region"); catalogs shrink and expand from country to country; prices appear in different currencies; and subtitles and captions are not available in local languages. These conditions offer rich insight for understanding the actual geographies of digital media distribution. Contrary to popular belief, the story of Netflix is not just an American one. From Argentina to Australia, Netflix's ascension from a Silicon Valley start-up to an international television service has transformed media consumption on a global scale. Netflix Nations will help readers make sense of a complex, ever-shifting streaming media environment.

Algorithmic Culture: How Big Data and Artificial Intelligence are Transforming Everyday Life explores the complex ways in which algorithms and big data, or algorithmic culture, are simultaneously reshaping everyday culture while perpetuating inequality and intersectional discrimination. Contributors situate issues of humanity, identity, and culture in relation to free will, surveillance, capitalism, neoliberalism, consumerism, solipsism, and creativity, offering a critique of the myriad constraints enacted by algorithms. This book argues that consumers are undergoing an ontological overhaul due to the enhanced manipulability and increasingly mandatory nature of algorithms in the market, while also positing that algorithms may help navigate through chaos that is intrinsically present in the market democracy. Ultimately, Algorithmic Culture calls attention to the present-day cultural landscape as a whole as it has been reconfigured and re-presented by algorithms.

Virtual Reality in Higher Education: Instruction for the Digital Age brings to the foreground how Virtual Reality, using headsets in educational and training programs, is already beginning to be used in higher education. The book is the result of research to determine where and how virtual reality is being used in higher education, recruitment, and athletics. The book cites specific examples and methods used in teaching, training, and recruitment that would be of interest to faculty and administrators in community colleges and universities. The book is written to help faculty to understand the potential of VR for education, administrators to see possibilities for student recruitment, and athletic directors and sports program coaches to determine the advantage of new avenues for successful training. It is critical that faculty and administrators investigate the potential of VR for teaching, learning, recruitment, and athletics. This technology provides an immersive method that could create serious changes in how faculty teach, students learn, institutions recruit, and athletic programs train.

Aereo and FilmOn X stream television programming over the Internet for a monthly subscription fee. Aereo and FilmOn's technology permits subscribers to watch both live broadcast television in addition to already-aired programming. Their use of this development in technology has triggered multiple lawsuits from broadcasting companies alleging copyright violations. These cases reveal not only multiple interpretations of copyright law and its application to new and developing technologies but also a possible "loophole" in the law, which some have accused Aereo and FilmOn of exploiting. This book discusses internet television streaming and copyright laws. It then discusses remote-storage digital video recorders and the copyright laws that go along with it.