Here's a bit of a shocker for you, I know it for a fact that a lot of people have been wondering why hasn't the Orson Welles classic Citizen Kane been release on DVD yet. I mean, it's a classic, what are they waiting for? It appears that whatever reason the U.S. studios are waiting for, didn't stop the European distributers from releasing it as a Region 2 DVD. BlackStar has been selling it since the 20th of September 1999. That's closing on a year now. So... If you're tired of waiting for the Region 1 release, you can try clicking the picture on the right, it's being sold for £17.99, and BlackStar shipping is free world wide. BTW, Disney pulled the same trick with several of it's animated titles and the movie Rockteer about a year ago.

As promised, here is Kelly Garvey's In-Depth review of the ATI 4.0 DVD Player.

The review is really detailed and compares the ATI Player to the CineMaster 2000 player, both of which are based on the CineMaster engine.

Are you still here? go read it now.

Continuing with the TV-Tide, another kick-ass Sci-Fi series (can you tell I like Sci-fi?) is Stargate-SG1.

Continuing where the movie left off, the series vastly expands the story-arc and provides some great visual-effects.

Once again, this has only been released in Europe, but with the help of BlackStar, shipping is free world-wide. There have been quite a few discs released in the series, and here they are:


The discs are usually 4 episodes each, so they're not as cheesy as some of the discs sold in the U.S.

Here are some of the Region 2 movie Pre-Orders at BlackStar.co.uk : DVD Name: Date: Price: Discount: Plan 9 From Outer Space Jul 10th £10.39 (20%) Jaws (25th Anniversary Edition) Jul 24th £15.99 (20%) Ferris Bueller's Day Off Jul 31st £15.99 (20%) The Prisoner (Box Set) Aug 14th £47.99 (20%) Dawson's Creek Sep 4th £15.99 (20%) Men In Black (Special Limited Edition) Sep 4th £19.99 (20%) Jurassic Park Oct 9th £15.99 (20%) Jurassic Park: The Lost World Oct 9th £15.99 (20%) Thunderbirds (Box Set) Nov 13th £99.99 (20%)

I would like to comment a bit about the above,

First thing first, "Dawson's Creek on DVD", oh my god!  What will they come up with next! It's not that the series is bad, it's a bit far-fetched, I have yet to see a teenager spew so much witty lines in real life, but I guess this is what's popular now, 16 year olds talking like they're 40.

As always, this only comes out in Europe, the U.S. TV-DVD market basically comes down to old Star Trek, Some Mini-Series and South Park. Beside the surprising Dawson's Creek, they are finally releasing Thunderbirds on DVD. Most of you are probably too young to even know what it is. Basically, it's a masterpiece sci-fi puppeteer show, something you never quite seen elsewhere.

And then there's "The Prisoner". This series was great when it first launched, it provided suspense, drama, intrigue, and then the writers/producers/directors entered their LSD days, the show became surreal, weird, funky and all around wacky. It was so strange you would think you were on drugs imagining the show. I somehow don't think this boxed set actually included these freaky episodes, but it would be funny if it had.

And finally, check out some of the Box-office smash releases... I mean considering BlackStar is doing world-wide free shipping, these prices are quite good! Not to mention the higher resolution PAL transfers. Should be interesting to see if the extra-features on these are the same as the U.S. release. For one thing they have quite a lot mores sub-title and language tracks.

In yet another great movie release, Disney has announced the release of Toy Story 1 and 2 in a double-disc combo.

There are two variants of this package, the Standard-Fare release retailing at $23.99 at Amazon.com and The Ultimate Toy Box special edition (3 discs) retailing for $41.99.

Now, I can understand the special edition going for $41.99, but the regular double-feature going for only $21.99? even though it's a 40% off pre-order discount pricing, that means around $12 per movie. And knowing Disney's usual "grab-the-wallet" pricing schemes, this is out of the ordinary for them.

Better get it quick before the CEO changes his mind.

Se7h informs me that ELSA released an update to their CineMaster based DVD Player "ELSAMovie". This new version dubbed "ELSAMovie E-99" is based on the CineMaster 2000 engine v2.0.37.6382 and comes in different langauges.

If you are an ELSA owner, get it here.

After a bit of a delay, we are proud to preset you with an In-Depth review of CineMaster 2000. This review was written by our in-house reviewer Kelly Garvey, and is quite a good read.

While Ravisent claims this isn't the final version, this version is widely distributed so it merits a review. Once the full version is released the review will be updated.

Look forward for the next ATI Player review which is based on this engine in the following days.

June seems to be the month when big movies get announced for a DVD release.

Following Braveheart, a double Steven Spielberg announcement. Both Jurassic Park movies are being released on October 10th.

While these are two of the most grossing movies of all time, they never had a strong story to begin with. It just shows you that in Hollywood, movies with no script, and lots of CGI and chases can still make a buck.

The one thing these moves excel at is the visual effects, which broke new ground. Shame they couldn't hire those people to design the cover art, I mean, what the heck is this??? Couldn't they design something better for such a blockbuster. I guess all their efforts are aimed toward the third title, "Jurassic Park: The search for a script".

Jurassic Park Collector's Edition, $16.19 (40% off). The Lost World: Jurassic Park Collector's Edition, $16.19 (40% off).

I would like to thank all the people who've sent in their Windows 2000 region key. With your help, the next version of DVD Genie will add support for identifying these keys, which can then be erased and exported through DVD Genie.

The next version of DVD Genie is currently delayed due to technical issues with the site at large, but I will be releasing it as soon as these issues are cleared.

In the meantime, It would be very helpful to me and the site if you could please answer our survey. The survey is designed to show advertisers which people frequent this site, and with it, the site can be kept afloat. So please take the time and fill this Survey.

Here's a weird one, the Larry Sanders show is out on DVD. This show is an HBO spoof of the talk-show arena, with all the hollywood back-stabbing and ass-kissing that goes on backstage on a Talk Show. All of which can be both cruel and funny. I wouldn't have figured this for a DVD release, but I guess someone else have. BlackStar is retailing this at £15.99, and remember, BlackStar ships world-wide for free, so this price includes shipping.

As you may or may not heard, Reel.com is closing it's gate.

One of the biggest Movie eTailer sites have closed. It's a sad day when such pioneers are closing their shops and turning into information portals. We all knew it was bound to happen, the day where the weak were cut off and only the strong well based shops would make it through.

I suspect other retail sites may follow suit and close down within the next six to twelve month, and only the cream of the crop would remain. Sites that had a bit more oomph, cared a bit more about the client, and had a good financial plan to begin with.

Due to this fact, I have removed all the reel links from this page, and decided to look out for a new and interesting retailer to replace it. What I found is probably the best European site, one that delivers with free-shipping anywhere in the world, one with actual discounts on pre-orders (very rare in Europe).

This site I mention is BlackStar.co.uk. One of the leading sites in innovation and customer services. I have modified the search engine code above to support BlackStar, so give it a go next time you wish to buy a Region 2 disc.

With that in mind, I would like to mention a kickass Sci-Fi TV Series which doesn't quite have the reach of Star Trek (Yet!), but sure has better character development, and original content (check out the kick-ass pilot episode).

This series is Farscape, and as many other TV series, it is only being released on DVD as Region 2 (go figure, silly Hollywood). So far they have released two discs (9 episodes between them) and a third disc is being released on July 10th.

Episodes 1-4 Episodes 5-9 Episodes 10-14

For research purposes, I need people running Windows 2000 to find their internal windows region key, then export and send it to me. You can find the key by loading REGEDIT (from your windows directory), and looking up "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft". Inside that tree directory, you will find several keys, one of which should be a short jumble of letters. Something along the line of "jll", perhaps longer. I will need you to export this key, and mail it to me. If you have several weird letter keys, with no apparent usage within this tree directory, send them all.

Please compress all attachments using ZIP or RAR and send them here.

The Italian DVD Genie language files have been updated to v3.50.

I'm not sure how many Mac owners view this site as it is mainly PC oriented, but if some of you are peeking in, here's a link to the Mac version of DivX.

The Link.

A true movie classic has been announced on DVD. The two-disc set contains over six hours of trailers, interviews and other material, even karaoke (ack!). Here's a short Synopsis from Amazon.com: Maria, a winsome postulant at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzberg, is having trouble adjusting to convent life. So her Mother Superior convinces her to accept a position as governess for Captain Von Trapp's seven children. Von Trapp, a lonely widower, realizes how badly his children need mothering and how much he longs for companionship. Eager to solve his domestic dilemma, he proposes to the Baroness (a haughty woman who dislikes children). But it isn't long before he realizes he that it's Maria he really loves. Once awakened to his true feelings, Captain Von Trapp breaks his engagement and marries Maria instead. All is blissful for the moment, but a cloud looms over the beautiful Salzburg horizon: Hitler is ascending to power, forcing Von Trapp to decide whether to become a Nazi...or leave his home forever. Amazon is currently retailing this at $17.99 (40% off) with an August 29th release date. The music starts here.

Don't pop out of your kilt, but one of the most awaited movies has been released on DVD. Mel Gibson's braveheart has been one of the most eagerly awaited movies to hit the digital format. It's been rumored to be ready for several months now, and the only holdback being a commentary track from the man himself. The disc has a widescreen anamorphic encoding, 5.1 Dolby Digital sound track and a newly recorded commentary track from Mel Gibson. Amazon is currently retailing this at $17.99 (40% off) with an August 29th release date. The fun starts here.

Some good news.

With the help of a DVD Genie user, I have found a way to recreate the Windows 98 Second Edition key from scratch. That means, that if for some reason the Windows key becomes locked, erased or otherwise screwed, you will be able to recreate and reset the change counter.

This will be supported on the next version of DVD Genie (whenever that may be).

In a move that will make a lot of Linux users happy, InterVideo is about to release a Linux compatible DVD Player named "LinDVD" (Not a really snappy name, though could have used a snappier name).
Read all about it.

The French and Hungarian DVD Genie language files have been updated to v3.50.

Here are some of the DVD Movies being released this month at Amazon.com: DVD Name: Date: Price: Discount: Dreamscape 6th $17.49 (30%) Fight Club 6th $20.99 (40%) Freejack 6th $16.98 (32%) Girl, Interrupted 6th $17.47 (30%) Interview With the Vampire - DTS 6th $16.98 (32%) Pocahontas 6th $17.99 (40%) Shaft 6th $16.98 (32%) Bicentennial Man 12th $23.09 (30%) Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection 12th $20.99 (36%) The Green Mile 13th $14.98 (40%) Bad Boys / Blue Streak (2 in 1) 27th $33.95 (32%) Independence Day: Special Edition 27th $20.99 (40%) The Talented Mr. Ripley 27th $18.99 (37%)

Welcome to the month of june, It has begun.

VS.

Never since the release of The Matrix has there been a DVD filled with so many packed goodness. You thought the matrix disc was good? Take a look at the specifications on Terminator 2: Judgement Day - The Ultimate DVD Edition:

And that's not even the all of it! The entire script is on the disc, 700 pages of story-board images. And get this, Three versions of the film. It has the original Theatrical release, the Special Edition with the extra footage, and the Only-on-this-DVD five more minutes of extra-footage.

This is Artisan's Premiere title, and you can be sure they will go all out on the encoding and audio remastering. If you are a DVD-o-Phile and this title isn't on your shelf hugging The Matrix, you shouldn't be looking at yourself in the mirror.
Amazon hasn't supplied graphics for the T2:Ultimate disc yet, so the image you see above was taken from the special-edition.

The Swedish and Spanish DVD Genie language files have been updated to v3.50.

Announcing the release of DVD Genie v3.50.

Took a while to find the opportunity to release this version, and it is a complex one to boot, so you will have to read the history file in order to see all the changes.

For the complete history list go here.
To download DVD Genie v3.50, click here.

Someone asked me if he could play PAL DVDs on his computer. The answer is yes, as long as your DVD Drive is region free, and your playback software is the same. In-fact, PAL DVDs are look better as they have a higher resolution (720x576 compared to 720x480 used in PAL DVDs).

This however, doesn't apply to TV Output. Some hardware decoders will allow for PAL to NTSC conversion, and display adaptors shouldn't really care much as they are just displaying the windows desktop, regardless of what is being played on it (I've been watching NTSC DVDs on my PAL TV for ages without any issues).

Here are some nice specials at Amazon.co.uk (R2 - PAL): DVD Name: Date: Price: Discount: A Bug's Life Now £13.99 £6.00 Point Break Now £13.99 £6.00 Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels Now £12.99 £5.00 The Faculty Now £10.99 £5.00 Cruel Intentions Now £13.99 £6.00 Disturbing Behavior Now £13.99 £6.00 Soldier Now £10.99 £5.00 The Corruptor Now £13.99 £6.00 The X-Files Movie Now £13.99 £6.00

While I usually don't tend to post the eMails I receive here at the site (and trust me, I get a lot of them), I had to post this one, as it was just too funny. I left the text as-is, but removed the author's name for privacy.

"Dear Any person incharge,
My name is (withheld for privacy) from Bangkok. I currently owning a Pioneer DVD Rom player which is installed in my PC. My problem is that it can't play DVD which is ZONE1(REGION1) but it can play ZONE3(REGION3). I called to the Pioneer company and they told me to ask help from you. Please help me to solve this problem. Is there any program that will help me. Please reply me soon.".

Now, what's funny is not that the guy is asking a this question, but that Pioneer is referring him to me for the answer. Talk about passing the hot potato around. Shame on you pioneer.

And if you're wondering, I pointed him to the FAQ.

In an ever more futile effort to lessen my eMail load, I have updated the PC-DVD FAQ with even more answers and elaborated more on some of the previous questions.

Finally, after many hard working hours, the PowerDVD v2.55.0202 in-depth review is finally up. I would like to welcome Kelly Garvey to the Inmatrix reviewer staff. Are you still here? Go read the review!

Amazon.com has posted a $4.95 off $70 coupon, so if you plan to buy something big such as the James Bond Giftset Volume 2 or the X-Files Season One: Gift Pack, it's useful.

The code is "AMZNCATSAVER", and you enter it on the payment selection screen when placing an order.

I have been getting a lot of emails regarding Cinemaster 2000. For one thing I can tell you it uses the Windows internal region setting and thus setting the region with DVD Genie will have no real effect.

So in order to change the region, you will have to manually adjust the windows region code. This can be done with DVD Genie and I recommend using the export option to first backup your current setting prior to modification.

The new version of DVD Genie will automatically detect the newer Cinemaster engine and will notify you of this change. I hope to release the next version around Friday or so (conditions willing).

There is a new RPC1 firmware patch for people using the Pioneer 10x drives with the newer 2.02 firmware, get it on the Firmware page.

I have written a new AVI modification tool, a very simple one. It allows you to change the AVI FourCC code without modifying anything else in the file. It's useful for MPEG-4 -> DivX switching (and back again). Any FourCC code can be entered manually and presets for MPEG-4 and DivX are built right in.

You can get this new tool here.

It is good to see that some of the motion picture studios are finally getting their act together and releasing some of their older classics. While some of you may consider Gone with the Wind as a movie classics, for me, classics are movies from my youth that make me feel young again. While a lot of these movies are still gathering dust awaiting Digital ReMastering, a gem of a movie was recently announced for a July 18th release. The movie is of course The Princess Bride (in case you missed the picture on the right). And not only that, it can be preordered for only $12, very cool! The movie itself is a feast of story telling, swordplay, and love, featuring a rather young Mandy Patinkin (who does an excellent job in this movie), and of course, Andr‚ the Giant, the real giant of wrestling, who sadly is no longer among us. If you are a fantasy fan, this movie is a must. I already ordered mine. Now if they would only release the Indiana Jones and Back to the Future Trilogies.

Arzeno Fabrice informs me that there are new patched firmwares for the Panasonic SR-8585 and Creative DVD-8400E. You can get them at his page.

Here are some of the DVD Movies being released this month at Amazon.com: DVD Name: Date: Price: Discount: The 10th Kingdom 9th $20.99 (30%) X-Files Season One: Gift Pack 9th $89.99 (40%) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Special Edition 16th $18.98 (37%) James Bond Giftset Volume 2 16th $89.99 (40%) The World Is Not Enough 16th $20.99 (40%) Little Shop of Horrors 23rd $16.98 (32%) Mortal Kombat 23rd $17.98 (28%) Neon Genesis Evangelion - Genesis 0-1 23rd $19.99 (33%) Sex and the City - The Complete First Season 23rd $24.98 (38%) Sleepy Hollow 23rd $19.99 (33%) The Firm 23rd $19.99 (33%) Conan the Barbarian - Collector's Edition 30th $20.99 (30%) Man on the Moon 30th $16.98 (32%)

To bring in the new month, I have written an In-Depth review of WinDVD v2.1. It's very comprehensive and should be a good read, check it out here.

I have added the Danish DVD Genie language file.