LATEST ADDITIONS

Mark Fleischmann | Jan 31, 2007

Google-owned YouTube flunked its first test as a copyright-compliant media company. The Financial Times reported a month ago that a "content identification system" promised for the end of 2006 has failed to materialize. GooTube had been promising the tool to large copyright owners as a first step in converting its often dubious legal status into something sustainable. Instead, Google will be forced to go on making piecemeal deals with whoever threatens to sue. Is GooTube intentionally dragging its feet to prevent a catastrophic exodus from its user base? With hungry and well-funded players like AOL Video charging into the arena, GooTube may be playing for time. For my own part, I spend an impressive chunk of downtime with my armchair pulled up in front of the PC, watching amazing concert videos on YouTube that aren't available on DVD. The future belongs to whoever can deliver that experience while staying on the right side of the law, hitting the sweet spot between legality and comprehensiveness.

Ears On

Shuffle Goes Over the Rainbow

Mark Fleischmann | Jan 30, 2007

Somewhere over the rainbow there's an iPod color we haven't seen before. It's orange. And it's one of four new Apple iPod shuffle color options. The others are already familiar to second-generation nano enthusiasts. They include pink, lime, sky blue, and "silver." Cue Jerry Seinfeld voice: Have you ever noticed that manufacturers say silver when they really mean aluminum or grey? What's up with that? If I can't melt it down and make jewelry out of it, it's not really silver, is it? Noticeably absent is the red used for special-edition nanos. And if you've been holding out for yellow or, ah, "gold," keep dreaming. Capacity remains one gigabyte, price is still $79, and earbuds have been upgraded to the new and supposedly better-sounding ones. Me, I've still got a first-generation nano that's in good health, thank you. But if you're a completist, don't let that stop you from grabbing that new orange shuffle. Mind if I borrow it for a day or two?

Ears On

Merlin Conjures Indie Marketing Power

Mark Fleischmann | Jan 29, 2007

Independent music labels are banding together to increase their marketing power in the dawning download era. Say hello to Merlin, a licensing authority that bills itself as a "virtual fifth major" label. It will serve as a single point of contact for download services like iTunes and Rhapsody, giving indies a better shot at getting into the most heavily trafficked online distribution channels. Under a deal with SNOCAP, Shawn Fanning's post-Napster venture, Merlin will also enable artists to sell no-DRM MP3s on MySpace or through their own virtual stores. Members include numerous indies from the United States, Latin America, United Kingdom, Europe, and the far east. Look out Universal, Sony BMG, EMI, and Warner. You've got some real competition now.

A/V Veteran

Getting Set for the Big Day

Thomas J. Norton | Jan 28, 2007 | First Published: Jan 29, 2007

I have no statistics to back it up, but the week before the Super Bowl must be pretty hectic in your friendly neighborhood video store. Oh, sure, the end of year holidays are big, and tax refund season brings out the mad money that Uncle Sam has been keeping safe for you all year. But it's the annual rush to watch the Big Game on a Big Screen television that starts sports fans hearts aflutter.

Music Reviews

MUSIC REVIEW: Lily Allen

Ken Richardson | Jan 28, 2007

Music Reviews

MUSIC REVIEW: John Mellencamp

Mike Mettler | Jan 28, 2007

Music Reviews

MUSIC REVIEW: The Shins

Rob O'Connor | Jan 28, 2007

Wincing the Night Away Sub Pop

Music •••^½ Sound ••••

The Shins graduated quickly to ultra-hip status after Natalie P

Fred Manteghian Blog

On Buying the White Album, Again

Fred Manteghian | Jan 28, 2007

My sister gave me a Border's gift certificate for Christmas, and rather than do the conventional thing and buy some books that I would then be obligated to read, I bought some CDs instead. Among them are a remaster of Genesis's 1973 epic, "Selling England by the Pound" and Pink Floyd's last, and sorely unappreciated, "Division Bell." Now, I have both these on vinyl already, and although I'm in the process of thinking about the possibility of getting restarted on the vinyl-to-digital project, I felt it safer and most expedient to just buy the damn things and get them into my iPod post haste.

Projector Reviews

Mitsubishi HC5000 Three-chip LCD projector

| Jan 28, 2007

CEDIA 2006 was something of a riches to rags story. We saw many three-chip 1080p DLP projectors announced at prices that were ridiculous and embarrassing, stretching into the many tens of thousands of dollars. And they were introduced with straight faces. Granted, these are high light output designs that can drive enormous screens. But I didn't find these many of these designs particularly interesting. Too many recently announced projectors appear to be aimed at the ultra-wealthy sliver of the market, and don't back up their high prices by offering technical innovation that can't be found in more reasonably priced models. About the only things these announcements did was to make the $15-20K single-chip DLPs seem like they aren't quite as hideously over priced!

Audio Video News

Internet TV, Sony Style

| Jan 28, 2007

One of the stories of CES 2007 that didn't make it into <A HREF="http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/"><I>UAV's</I> Blogs</A> is Sony's Internet TV, which is a two-part concept that includes an add-on module for its BRAVIA TVs and streaming broadband content provided by Sony's music and movie arms and partners like AOL, Yahoo, and Grouper. The BRAVIA Internet Video Link requires an Ethernet connection and is compact enough that the BRAVIA LCD flat panels can still be wall-mounted with the module in place.

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