Toshiba Combo Includes Digital TV Tuner
Toshiba has a new Vardia DVD/VHS combo that will hold 250GB of HDD. In addition, it has a digital TV tuner for recording, DLNA with USB HDD Network and SKYPerfectTV support. The D-W255K is available for ¥60,000 (~$669.00.) The D-VDR9K combo is also available for ¥32,000 (~$357.00) without the fancy features.
Via Akihabara News
The Rugged VideoTank HD
Designed with the military in mind, the VideoTank HD is a heavy-duty video recorder that uses flash cards for memory. It will support up to 32GB, about 2 hours of content. At a size of only 3.3 x 3.3 x 1.6", it has a built-in microphone, automatic standards detection, built-in file safe operation and headphone connector. It can be controlled by an LCD panel and used in places where small HD cameras are deployed.
Via Aving
Sony DVDirect More Compact, Less Expensive
Sony's next gen DVD recorder can transfer standard and HD home videos and digital photos without a computer. The DVDirect VRD-MC6 has a 2.7" color LCD screen for preview of up to 6 images or one video and is about 60% smaller than its predecessor. Connect to a Sony hard drive, memory stick or Handycam recorder by USB and play back on Blu-ray players and PC drives, as well as PS3s via Digital Video (i.LINK(R)/FireWire(R)/IEEE-1394.) The recorder can hold up to 6 hours of SD video, 95 minutes of AVCHD video or up to 2,000 digital pictures. Choose between 4 preset menus, add music from your MP3 files and automatic DVD chaptering and you have yourself quite a show. Look for a $229.00 price when it debuts this September.
Via PR Newswire
EZ Dupe With Copy Protection
NVU has developed a way to protect musicians, videographers and others who burn their own media and embed copy-protection onto it. With incorporated SATA technology, the EZ Dupe Disk Lok systems guarantees faster and more accurate transfer. The units can also be used as DVD/CD duplicators and are equipped with an integrated 250 GB hard drive. Contact EZ Dupe for more details.
Via NVU
Moxi Plays Harder
Digeo, trying to keep up with TiVo, has announced that their
Moxi DVR has plenty of new features like PlayOn, a program for streaming video from YouTube, CNN, Netflix, and Hulu, among others, using DLNA. The good news is that for now it is free and will also stream content stored on your computer as well as browse the Net. While the Moxi HD will set you back $799.99, it is a one-time charge as there are no monthly fees.
Via Digeo
Freakin' Friday! Philips Dual Format DVD Player
Philips'
DVP 5140 DVD Player can handle DVD, DVDR/RW, VCD, DiVx, CD, MP3-CD, CD-R/RW, WMA and JPEG file playback. Its progressive scan produces images in 12-bit/108Mhz video DAC and the company promises sharpness, natural colors and flicker free pictures. Connect the 17 3/16 x 1 1/2 x 9 5/16" player to any TV for better viewing and enjoy the extra features of subtitles, resume playback memory, mutiple tracks and menus. At a price of less than $50.00, if you cannot afford Blu-ray yet, this may be the way to go and makes it our Freakin' Friday choice this week.
Via Philips DVP 5140 Player
Apricorn Xpander Holds a Week of Programming
Instead of investing in a more expensive DVR with extra storage, Apricorn has a series of DVR External Hard drives. The Xpander features a dual eSATA/USB 2.0 interface, fan, quiet operation and connects via eSATA port.The 7200 rpm hard drive is compatible with most DVRs including the DISH Network ViP Series and Scientific Atlanta 8300 Series DVRs (Time Warner, Cox Cable, Comcast, Rogers.) Choose between 500GB, 750GB,
1TB or a whopping 1.5TB ($239.00.) We are talking 843 hours of
standard or 187.5 HD programming, equal to about a week's worth of material.
Via Apricorn at Apricorn Expanders
Interview: Todd Juenger Tells US Most Watched Super Bowl 2009 Ads
The folks at TiVo do more than just put out a fine product. For 7 years they have been assessing the watching habits of viewers during the Super Bowl and determine which commercials are most watched, trends, and most popular plays during the game. The analysis is based on data from 20,000 anonymous TiVo users during the event.
We interviewed TiVo Exec. Todd Juenger who gave us the inside scoop. Note that they get these results overnight, so the delay of the telling was only dependent on our slow typing skills. (Pull out your magnifying glass for the fine print.)
So break down the winners for us.
What we are measuring here is the highest, overall audience for each commercial. It's not a popularity contest or a vote. It's not a survey. It's measured by taking anonymous data so the metric is most viewed commercials. The baseline audience comes from anybody who is watching the game on TiVo. But they also do a lot of rewinding and fast forwarding, so when they watch commercials multiple times, that adds up to higher ratings.
Drum roll, please. Here are the top ten.
1. GoDaddy.com: "Enhanced?"
2. Bud Light Lime: "Summer to Winter"
3. Careerbuilder.com: "It May Be Time"
4. Doritos: "Crystal Ball"
5. Transformers: "Revenge of the Fallen"
6. Monster.com: "Moose Head"
7. Bud Light: "Man Thrown out the Window"
8. Pepsi: "MacGruber/Pepsuber"
9. Dennys: "Thugs"
10. Coke Zero: "Mr. Polamalu"
The top 2 spots were the last two spots to run in the game. I think they ran at the 2 minute warning. That was the apex of overall viewership in the game, so clearly they got the most views. It's not that they were re-viewed but just seen more. That was a risky move because if the game is no good or people have tuned out they lose, but it turned out to be a great strategy.
A good contrast is that the other GoDaddy's and Doritos ad ran in the first quarter of the game and didn't make the list. The spikes are made from people watching them over and over again.
The graph is a second by second measure of the number of people watching the game. It can go up or down dependent on fast forwarding and rewinding. The biggest peaks in the first half are the commercials. If you contrast that with the fourth quarter, you see a gradual upslope as the game got more intense and exciting.
The other thing that was really different about this year's Super Bowl, some spikes are not aligned with commercials. They are points of the game, but we have never seen that before. The Super Bowl is all about the commercials.
What about the Harrison play?
It's right before halftime, the second highest in the first half that wasn't a commercial. Then that big drop is because a lot of people were rewinding to watch it again. Which may be the reason that the 3D commercials didn't do so well. They were behind in time, so they just fast forwarded to the Boss.
We really liked the 3D commercials.
Those were much talked about and highly promoted but did not do so well. The 90" ad for "Monsters vs. Aliens" was #49 on our list and the SoBe ad came in at #34. As we looked through the data, a lot of it was explained by their decision to run them at half time. A lot of viewers zapped straight through to Bruce. Or maybe the concept itself wasn't compelling enough for people to keep their fingers off the fast forward button or get their 3D glasses ready.
After those ads came on, we commented that another one should have been in 3D. Soon we were thinking they all should have been.
The thing that really should have been in 3D was during the halftime show when Springsteen slid into the camera and almost fell off the stage. He was coming right at you!
How well did Bruce do?
He had a better showing in our data than most half time performers going back to Janet Jackson. He had a steady audience that was as big as the game. I find it interesting that we can look inside his audience and see which parts were most exciting. He started out strong with "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out." There was a downward slide until he played "Born to Run." When he got to "Workin' on a Dream," the obligatory new cut, the audience dropped significantly, but when "Glory Days" came on, it jumped up to its highest level. You can see it in the graph, which we have made public for the first time.
Do you think overall the ads weren't as good this year?
We gauge peoples' reactions. There is no data to see if they are better or worse. I think it was a strained environment to navigate for a Super Bowl advertiser and that may have resulted in a lot more misses than hits this year. Super Bowl is all about excess ($3 million dollars per spot,) big stars and big productions. It's not a climate now for excess.
On the other hand, the tone of the commercials seemed kind of harsh. Slapstick humor and physical comedy work in the Super Bowl, like the Doritos ad "Crystal Ball" or the Bud Lite ad where the guy gets thrown out of the window. Maybe we are just processing things differently these days. As I said before, the ratings were higher during the game in the second half than the commercials. That is either because the game was spectacularly good, which it was, or the ads weren't that good, or maybe both.
Another thing that stuck out to me this year was that last year one of the E*Trade ads was the winner, the one where the baby spit up. They ran two of the same kind this year. One came in at #52 this year. It may be that the execution was better last year, or that it's a little hard to advertise brokerage services and that Wall St. environment. Some of them (companies) work with the idea that if you have a winning concept, stick with it. Budweiser does that and so did E*Trade, but they weren't as successful.
If you have ever seen the Clydesdales, how can you compare those beautiful horses with a baby that's been altered by computer?
I have seen them and you are right, they are magnificent and I am reminded of that every time I see a Super Bowl commercial with them.
Because of the economy, it seemed that many of the advertisers were spending less on production.
The one that sticks out in my head was the one for Vizio TV (#63.) It looked like a screensaver and could have been made by high school students but they must have gone for that look. I was struck with the opposite feeling with the NBC promos. Those felt more like paid commercials, at least from what we are used to, like the ones with Leno and Conan.
I agree. Thanks for talking to us, Todd.
Thanks. It's been fun.
Via TiVo at TiVo DVR
GE Find-It Remote
How often does your remote get lost? Jasco, a GE distributer, is now carrying the Find-it Remote with a locator on its base. With 2-way RF paging, you simply press the button and the device's alarm goes off if it is within 25 ft. The Find-it is compatible with TVs, Satellite, DVD and DVR players, and VCRs. The low price of $24.99 will keep you from complaining that the dog ate the remote.
Via Jasco
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