While your head was firmly pressed against a pillow, CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer has been busy on stage in New York talking about their new Windows Phone 7 platform. Included in the announcement was the revealing confirmation of WP7 hardware devices from manufacturing partners.

Update: Steve Ballmer has confirmed there will be 9 WP7 devices available at launch in the US.

Update 2: Long Zheng of iStartedSomething.com has all the details on the Australian range of Windows Phone 7 devices.

The full list of partners and devices is quite length, so here’s a quick overview.

• HTC Mondrian
• HTC Surround
• HTC Mozart
• HTC Trophy
• LG Quantum 
• LG Optimus 7Q
• Samsung Omnia 7
• Samsung Focus
• Dell
• A full list of worldwide devices is available from WMPowerUser

Australian network partners include Telstra, Singtel (Optus) and Vodafone.

Choice is the main game here from Microsoft. While Apple provide consumers with an easy single choice for a phone, WP7 (and Android) runs on a variety of handsets to suit practically any use case. Naturally due to the iPhone’s success, we’re seeing a lot of companies ditching the physical keyboard for a virtual one as consumers become more comfortable with that concept. Now where there’s choice, there’s also complexity, so you’ll need to resort to the old spec sheet to compare the devices to choose the best one for your needs.

Without a doubt the best thing to do is to wait till the dust settles a little bit, before making your decision on a handset. There’ll be plenty of comparison tables over the next couple of days crowning one device ‘THE’ one to have.

Microsoft have made a couple of important announcements during the keynote. It’s now confirmed that EA will be making titles for the WP7 platform. Also based on feedback from early reviewers and developers, copy and paste is coming in 2011.

Watch the replay of Microsoft’s WP7 announcement @ http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/windowsphone/

This post is more of a public services announcement, when an awesome video online emerges that’s worth sharing, it should be shared. So here it is. A great new video from One More Production turns not only a city, but the world into a pixelated goodness. There’s references to a lot of geek history – Donkey Kong, Frogger, Space invaders and more. Bottom line, a lot of work went into this awesome video, so check it out.

More @ http://www.onemoreproduction.com/

Not content with making more than 2.7 billion (with a B) at the box office, Twentieth Century Fox have announced global release details for Avatar Extended Collectors Edition. It comes in two forms, Blu-ray and old school DVD, each containing 3 discs.

The new updated versions with 16 extra minutes and an alternate ending will be available on November 24th, 2010. As someone who already owns Avatar on Blu-ray I really don’t feel compelled to buy the new extended version, is your neck twitching while you wait  ?

AVATAR Extended Collection’s Edition: 3-Disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray:

• Original Theatrical Version
• Special Edition Re-Release
• Collector’s Extended Cuto
      16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening
• “Capturing Avatar“ An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and
  cast and crew
• Deleted Scenes – including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
  Production Materials
• Open “Pandora’s Box” and go deeper into the filmmaker process
• Interactive Scene Deconstruction: Explore the various stages of production through 3 different viewing modes
• Production Shorts: 17 featurettes covering performance capture, Scoring the film, 3D Fusion Camera, Stunts and much more
• Avatar Archives including original scriptment, 300 page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia
• BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials (UK, France, Germany, Japan, Australia & US)

AVATAR Collector’s Edition: 3-Disc Special Edition DVD:

• Original Theatrical Version
• Special Edition Re-release
• Collector’s Extended Cut
      16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening
• “Capturing Avatar“ An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
• Deleted Scenes – including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes

Video-on-demand movies rental services are everywhere these days, but how many people actually use them ? While the promise of having movies streamed instantly, no late fees and no car trips to deal with minimum wage video-store clerks sounds great, it’s often hamstrung by internet download usage caps.

Microsoft has the Zune Video Marketplace on Xbox 360, the Sony have Playstation Movie Store and TiVo has CASPA. Whilst there’s differences of price, resolutions, catalogue and instant-start vs download first, ultimately the only one that’s actually practical to use is CAPSA. Despite being a much smaller company, Hybrid Television Services, licencees of TiVo in Australia, have been able to successfully negotiate deals with key Australian ISPs to allow video downloads to go unmetered.

Sure CASPA only offer SD quality movies (at the moment), but wether its 2-3GB or 6-7GB your downloading, if it counts towards your monthly download cap, it will restrict your ability to use the service. By having an unmetered solution, the real cost of renting a movie is the rental price.

I’m a big fan of the 1080p instant-on streaming (when it works) that Zune offers, but realistically it means I have to then spend $5-$10 for additional data blocks. This means the real price for renting a movie wasn’t $5 or $6 but rather closer to $15. So the inconvenience of going to the video store may be a pain, but its still more economical that paying the real cost of convenience, plus you can rent the highest quality blu-ray version.

Given broadband data caps are a fact of live for most consumers, the real question here is how two of the largest tech companies, Microsoft and Sony, have been unable to achieve the same unmetered deals for all customers. Even ISPs like Westnet that have been able to negotiate unmetered Xbox demo’s, trailers, arcade games and updates have an exception that excludes Zune video.

If your hoping this madness will end with the introduction of the NBN, you’ll be sadly mistaken. The deals announced for the first rollout areas like Tasmania still maintain data caps. So the dream of instant on high definition video from the the comfort of your couch is still about as close as that magical unicorn with a money tree strapped to its back.

Leave a comment and let us know about your experience with VOD services and if you use them or still visit the video store.

Service	PS3 Movie Downloads	Xbox Zune Video Marketplace
Catalogue	Extensive	Growing, but limited.
Image/Sound quality	Excellent	Excellent
HD/SD	Both	Both
Rent / Buy	Both	Rent only
Pricing (A$)	$6.99 (HD) / $5.99 (SD) Older titles are $1 cheaper.	$6.93 (HD) / $5.94 (SD) Older titles are A$4.95 (SD)
Time to watch after initiating playback	48 hours	24 hours
FAQ	PS3 FAQ	Zune FAQ

While both services are similar in specs, the PS3 version is more expensive, however that’s counteracted by the extra time you have to watch the movie. Both options look and sound great and both can run into the occasional buffering even on ADSL2.

Personally I’m lucky enough to have both consoles, so it’s great to now have another option for on-demand digitally distributed movies. The choice of where to rent will likely come down to the library for me, given the experience is very similar. I do like that PS3 uses real dollar amounts rather than the Microsoft Points system on the Xbox 360.

For those who who have either an Xbox 360 or PS3, then your obviously stuck with what you’ve got, but those considering a console purchase, the good news is you now have a viable option regardless of whether you land in the Microsoft or Sony camps.

I don’t think many people will be buying movies on the PS3 Movie Store, cost wise you’d be much better off buying in a retail store – to buy HD movies cost A$32.99, while the SD version costs A$24.99.

One last thing you should be aware of is the data used when downloading / streaming a movie from the PS3 Movie Store. Whilst Microsoft has partnerships with a number of Australian ISPs to deliver the content unmetered, there’s no information about Sony doing the same. So make sure you check with your ISP, before burning through your data cap in an afternoon.

PS3 Movie Downloads are available now from the PlayStation store item on your XMB.

Video Walkthrough

January 26th is approaching fast. Australia Day is the day where we celebrate everything that makes this great country awesome. Apple and more specifically iTunes is having a sale to commemorate the occasion.

“We all know “our land abounds in nature’s gifts but this year it also abounds in music, movies, TV, audiobooks, apps and podcasts. At fair dinkum prices, iTunes has pulled together the best Australia homegrown entertainment to help you celebrate the national holiday and commemorate our local legends. Browse through and make your Australia Day one to remember.”

The reality is your not gunna save much, but hey, if its a couple of dollars that can go towards some drinks or meat for the BBQ, then that’s gotta be a winner.

[iTunes Link]

For quite a while my go to place for movie trailers has been Apple.com/trailers. They offer high quality (up to 1080p) movie trailers and has been a great solution.. until now.

YouTube have launched their own movie trailer portal. Whilst they may not be 1080p, they are HD, which is more than enough for most people. Whilst it’s import for the movie itself to be in the best quality possible, the same can’t be said for a 2 minute trailer.

The YouTube community is already huge, a convenient movie trailer portal is just another reason to hit the site. I think this will be a very big success for YouTube.

I know if I’m ever looking for a movie trailer in the future, I’ll be heading to http://youtube.com/trailers.

More @ TechCrunch

Anyway, check out the Sony Press Release for yourself below.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sony companies celebrate ongoing success of Blu-ray Disc format, as local production commences

NSW-based Sony DADC Blu-ray Disc plant, the only one in the southern hemisphere, set to support the continued growth in Australia’s demand for Blu-ray content

Sydney – 10 June, 2009 – The opening of a new, multi-million dollar Sony DADC Blu-ray Disc plant in Huntingwood, New South Wales, will be collectively celebrated tonight by the Managing Directors of Sony companies; Michael Ephraim, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, Carl Rose, Sony Australia and Kim Overall, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Set to be joined by Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and Peter Colby, Managing Director of Sony DADC Australia, the occasion will mark a significant milestone in the adoption of the storage format, reflecting the continued growth in consumer confidence and demand for Blu-ray content, with disc production beginning in Australia for the very first time.

Launched in Australia in February 2007, Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium that is able to store up to 50GB of data on each disc, the equivalent of six standard DVD movies. This storage capacity allows more information to fit onto a single disc, enabling far greater picture and sound quality to deliver high definition entertainment in the home.

The new Blu-ray Disc plant is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere and includes three Blu-ray lines; one dedicated solely to the production of PLAYSTATION_®3 (PS3™) games and two for movie and other content, with a production capacity between them of 12 million discs per year.

Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand, speaking on behalf of the Sony group of companies, commented, “Australian consumers are already adopting Blu-ray faster than DVD, pushing Australia forward as one of the global leaders of the format growth, with the third highest per capita attachment rate behind the USA and UK. Research shows that as a brand, Sony is by far the most associated with Blu-ray technology, leading the market. The opening of this local production plant should send a clear message to consumers that Blu-ray is now a permanent fixture on the format landscape and that their investment in Blu-ray hardware will be relevant for many years to come.”

Ephraim continued, “From a Sony Computer Entertainment perspective, PLAYSTATION 3 has played a critical part in the success of the format, both locally and globally, and has demonstrated its value in over half a million Australian living rooms as a true entertainment hub offering. Blu-ray games, only available on PS3, have shown consumers what an amazing experience the larger storage format can deliver and to date over 3.5 million have been sold in Australia. In addition, PS3 hardware has enjoyed numerous accolades for its capability as a Blu-ray movie player.”

Kim Overall, Managing Director of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE), said, “From a movie perspective, consumers are continuing to discover the benefits that the Blu-ray format brings to their home entertainment experience. SPHE is the number one distributor in the Blu-ray market, having enjoyed some great successes with recent titles like Twilight. In addition, once consumers understand that a Blu-ray player will not only play their current DVD collection, but will also upscale the picture quality, their investment in Blu-ray technology delivers some clear benefits.”

Carl Rose, Managing Director of Sony Australia, commented, “One in every three households now owns a high definition LCD TV and this growth has really helped drive Blu-ray player uptake.  After investing in a high definition TV, consumers should make the most of this by enjoying the best possible content on their TV.  Blu-ray delivers this rich experience.”

Current on-demand video stores include iTunes and Blockbuster On Demand are both only DVD quality. 1080p with 5.1 surround sound will certainly chew through the bandwidth so look to ISPs (Internode get on this..) to offer downloads unmetered.

The video store will be available later this year. Does this mean we’ll see an Australian ZuneHD launch as well ??

More @ Xbox via Palgn

The first Iron Man is one of my favourite movies, so when news comes around that number 2 is in production, one can’t help but get excited. Especially when it features some ultra-cool semi-transparent futuristic monitors.

The screen above is the first from the new movie (which just started production), the bad news is the movie is still about a year away from hitting the big screen. I guess blu-ray will have to rely on Transformers 2 until then.

More @USA Today via Gizmodo