TTL – The Tech Link Blog

Netflix

Netflix, the company that started out as an online over-the-mail DVD renting service, is expanding rapidly towards online streaming and promising high definition (HD) content delivered directly on the Xbox 360.

Netflix has chosen to make the HD service available only on the Xbox 360 at first and then turn to the PC market. The service will be available through a dashboard update scheduled in mid-November.

Subscribers of the Netflix service will also have to be subscribed to Xbox Live! to be able to enjoy over 10,000 standard definition titles along with the new HD content. If you’re a big movie watcher, this offer might be very interesting…

The Boy Genius Report

Videocassette Recorder

It’s been more than 50 years since the first appearance of a videocassette recorder (VCR) in this world and the technology is slowly disappearing in American households.

With the arrival of the recordable DVDs and PVRs, who needs VCRs anymore?

JVC was one of the last companies that was still making standalone VCR recorders/players and now decided to put an end to this line of products. The only products we will now see that still have VCR capabilities will be in combo (DVD + VCR) units.

TechRadar UK

Toshiba HD DVD

Toshiba has thrown the towel many months ago on the format war between their HD DVD system and Sony’s Blue Ray.

Apparently, many stores in the U.S. still have HD DVD players in stock and many movies as well. Because of the tough economic times that darken the lives of many Americans, they turn to discounted HD DVD systems because the prices are so attractive compared to Blue Ray!

Well, I don’t know if that’s a smart move. Paying less for something that is already obsolete is not such a good investment. Best not to buy at all.

CDRInfo

Dell

After Nokia’s “Comes with music” phones, Dell is introducing something similar with their computers.

Shoppers will now be able to add movies to their computer purchases right on the Dell website during checkout. The movies will be pre-loaded on the hard drive with all the extras that would normally come with the DVD version of the same movie.

For now, only “Iron Man” is available but more titles are to come. Count $20 per movie.

TechCrunch