America's Publishing Companies

VIZ Media, LLC is one company located on San Francisco, California. They do not only focus on publishing but also do animation. They are a licensing company, focused on the publication and distribution of the Japanese manga for English speaking audiences. They are also a licensor of the Japanese manga and animation. They also publish the magazines SHONEN JUMP and Shojo Beat.

VIZ Media makes videos, graphic novels, DVDs, and audio soundtracks. They develop and market all kinds of animated entertainment for initial production, television placement and the distribution. After developing and marketing, they do the merchandise licensing and afterwards the promotions for consumers of all ages.

The main goal of VIZ Media LLC is to develop novels into movies of TV series. Aside from developing projects from the own library of the company, they are planning to apply as liaison of the Japanese creative licensor and the studios and production houses in Hollywood. This would then involve all aspects of development. This will make the company a full pledge production house.

Another reputable company is the Publishing Group of America (PGA). This is located at the Cool Spring Boulevard Suite, Franklin. It acts as a media publishing company. They publish magazines, newspapers and books. They are the publishers of the American Profile, a weekly newspaper that gives information about places, people and things in America.

PGA also has the Relish, a newspaper-distributed magazine coming out monthly. The magazine gives tips for cooking, recipes and the newest kitchen products. They also provide cookbooks. This is also the company that published Spry, a newspaper providing facts and articles about diet, health, recreation, and leisure activities. The Hometown Content magazine is also their publication, released weekly and daily.

The Publishing Group of America Inc launched Spy just this year. This is a health-themed supplementary newspaper. This features tips from celebrities and advices from experts. Another publication, the HealthyStyle, will be celebrating its debut this year. HealthyStyle follows the newest parade spinoffs under new and penetrated ad categories. Lastly, there are editorial-produced sections of single-topics only. This is called the Selects. It has a variety of subjects but is to be sponsored by just a single advertiser.

Larry Flynt Publications (or LFP) Inc is located in Wilshire Boulevard Suite, Beverly Hills, CA. they produce pornographic content like videos and magazines. This is has three divisions - Broadcast, Internet and Video divisions. This includes numerous web sites, Hustler Mobile, Hustler TV and the production/distribution of all Hustler and VCA DVDs.

Carpe Diem is a Wiley Company in Floral Vale Boulevard, Yardley, PA. This operates a controlled circulation publication. It publishes Food Quality, Pharmaceutical Formulation & Quality and Contamination Control. Food Quality is a magazine on food safety and quality in United States of America.

Pharmaceutical Formulation & Quality covers trends and advances for product formulation, development, regulations, quality control, and drug delivery to readers in Europe and North America. Contamination Control covers technology and methods used in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices to prevent contamination while manufacturing. This company has been a subsidiary company of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

There are many more publishing companies in United States that offer substantial reading references. If you are planning to publish something that you have written, choose the one that is known by people for some many publications that they have published.

Satellite TV For PC - Is It A Scam?

I have subscribed to cable TV for many years now which has become quite expensive. I have been searching for an alternative where I can download not only TV shows but DVD quality movies and mp3 music downloads.

I came across Satellite TV for PC which offered everything that I wanted. At first I thought that this was just hype or a scam. I mean there are many sites out there that do not provide the service they claim to. For instance some provide little or no customer support. Or they might have poor quality downloads or charge you extra for channels or event.

Satellite TV for Pc provides you access to over 3000 quality channels which you download instantly from anywhere in the world, so long as you have an internet connection. It does not matter if you are overseas, you can still access it.

They also offer DVD quality movies, action, comedy, romance and foreign movies- they offer just about any genre you like. If you like music your in luck as they offer th hottest and latest music videos which includes over 1500 radio stations from around the world. These stations include kids channels, educational channels and over 120 premium channels.

Once you have your downloaded Satellite TV for PC on your computer you will be able to watch channels from 78 countries from around the world including Australia, Argentina,Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and many more. These services are also offered in different languages as well.

The best part of satellite TV for PC is that you will have nothing else to pay, no monthly or recurring charges ever.

Once downloaded in less than 5 minutes,you will have complete access. Think of the long term savings you could be making.You can save thousands of dollars over many years cable bills. Over 1 million people have signed up to this fantastic service.

What is XBox360?

Xbox 360 is the successor to Xbox video game console from Microsoft. It was referred to in the past as Xbox Next or Xbox 2 or simply Project Xenon. Microsoft has scheduled its launch just before Christmas of 2005, the biggest shopping season although it was unveiled on 12.05.2005 on MTV. Xbox 360 is an answer to Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Revolution game consoles. Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system as it is fully known as would usher a totally new era of high definition digital entertainment which is personalized and connected always.

Who designed the Xbox 360?

Xbox 360 is designed by the very innovative Astro studios, San Francisco, USA in collaboration with Hers Experimental Design Laboratory, Osaka, Japan, resulting in sleek and stylish exterior packed with powerful hardware, software and services.

The Xbox 360 comes with:

Xbox Gamer Guide: An entertainment gateway that connects to your games, movie, friends, music and available downloadable content. The Xbox Guide Button, a one touch interface gives you instant access to content you want, be it the gamer card of the player who just invited you to play, or to new downloadable content for the game you are currently running.

Personalized interface:

Xbox 360 lets you create your own customised system for a unique experience. With changeable facia plates, it is very easy to change the make up of your console. Power on your system and you can customize the look and feel of the System Guide and Gamer Guide with various unique skins. The faces and skins can form a unique combination to reflect your personality.

Ring of Light:

The Xbox 360 console is divided into four glowing quadrants which are also collectively called the Ring of Light. This Ring of Light, along with the Xbox Guide button controls the entire system. The guide button visually connects you to your games. The Guide button apart from connecting and controlling your experience also controls the startup and shutdown of the system.. The Xbox 360 supports both wired and wireless controllers and accessories by the virtue of which all operations can be controlled from the comfort of your couch.

Xbox Live:

Xbox 360's Xbox Live is where games and entertainment come alive. This is a unified interface where you can play with anyone, anytime anywhere. By connecting your Xbox 360 to a broadband internet connection, you can instantly access Xbox Live Silver, to announce your digital identity via your gamer tag or gamer card. You can talk to others using voice chat, and access the Xbox Live Marketplace -- all right out of the box, at no extra cost. When you upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, you get access to the ever exciting world of online multiplayer gaming. By using intelligent matchmaking, and accessing all your achievements and statistics, Xbox Live Gold brings you nearer to your competition at your terms.

Games:

Xbox 360 redefines the whole gaming experience in terms of what they look like, sound like, feel like, and play like in order to engage you like never before. All Xbox 360 titles have resolutions of 1080i and 720p resolution in 16:9 widescreen formats, anti-aliasing support for movie-like graphics and of course, multi-channel surround sound.
Not to mention you can amplify your music, photos, video, and TV. You can watch DVD movies in the comfort of your couch. Xbox 360 also supports progressive-scan DVD's. The Xbox hard drive can be used to rip music and share your latest albums and pictures with friends and family.

Xbox 360 Accessories Fact Sheet

A successor of the Xbox gaming system, Microsoft's new Xbox and its unique line of Xbox system accessories extend your digital entertainment experience beyond the console.

Xbox 360 Faceplates

A never before feature - Xbox is centralized around gamers. As a fully customizable design, Xbox gives you the freedom of changing the look of the console to reflect your tastes and personality. The face plates like most Nokia Cellular phones can be changed with extreme ease to express your moods or your sense of style.

* Interchangeable faceplates allow you to create a unique system.
* Find cool, swappable and changeable cutting-edge designs.
* Faceplates come in a lot of varieties and designs.
* Regardless of chosen faceplates, the system remains fully functional.

Xbox 360 Memory Unit

Xbox comes with a 64MB memory unit to further enhance your gaming experience. This memory unit facilitates you to save the in-game achievements and gamer profiles. These units are portable and enable you to start off from where you left quickly and easily. You can easily carry around the Memory Unit in a carrying case which is extremely portable and can fit on a keychain. This memory unit is absolute plug'n'play. Xbox can hold up to two memory units, thus making it upgradeable.

Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote

The Xbox Universal Media Remote is designed in such a way that it becomes an integrated control center for the entire Xbox system. The Media Remote facilitates your entry into the world of digital entertainment by the touch of a single button. Play DVD's, music, control your TV and your PC with a single integrated controller. This option is to let you kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Accessories Designed for Xbox Live

Xbox Live Camera

The Xbox Live Camera for Xbox 360 lets you video chat and message with your friends and gives up the true gaming and entertainment experience. As an integrated part of Xbox's Xbox Live experience you can connect and communicate with friends while playing, listening to music or watching movies. When you play motion-detection-enabled games online the live camera inserts you into the game and helps you control the characters.

Xbox 360 Headset

The Xbox Headset enlivens the online gaming experience beyond your imagination helping you to talk to friends, your team mates to finalize strategies or trash talk your opponents out of the game through Xbox Live, all this during play time. This equipment also comes with a message service which you can use to leave short vocal messages for your family or friends.

Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter

The Xbox Wireless Networking Adapter takes your Xbox experience way beyond your home, synchronizing with the Xbox main system seamlessly. You can transfer videos and music to your Xbox system from your PC with ease, chat up your colleagues and friends, play games using Xbox Live, and more without wiring it all up.

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Xbox through the optimized wireless technology offers the ultimate in wireless gaming within a 30 ft range for 40 hours with the help of 2 AA batteries. With warning systems in place you can plug & charge with ample notice for uninterrupted playing. The wireless controller also supports the Xbox headset for voice communication. The wireless controller has all the functionality of the standard controller enabling you to use all the gaming and entertainment features from your couch. The wired controller comes with a 9 ft cable.

XBox Modchips will be available shortly after the release of the XBox with a lot of online dealers who guarantee the lowest prices and quickest service on the web! These will allow your XBox to host even more features and the ability to backup games!

Television Technology Reaches Mobile Phones

One trend of television technology these days is to make televisions as small as possible. Many companies; including Sony, Dish Network, Toshiba, Samsung, Apple, and several lesser known companies; have produced portable video devices over the past few years. Generally these devices are designed to download video content from the Internet or a Digital Video Recorder to be stored on their hard drives and viewed when the user gets around to it. These devices are great for when their owners can choose in advance what they want to watch. They're particularly useful for people on the go who don't have a lot of time to sit around and watch TV at home, but may have the time watch on a subway, airplane, or while standing in line waiting for something.

Now, it's possible to get television content in real time thanks to new technology that allows people to watch television on their mobile phones. Like many other television trends this is especially popular in Japan where mobile phones are extremely popular and people use them for a lot of different things. For example, there are a little more than 90 million mobile phone users in Japan who, on average, replace their phones as often as every year and a half. Many Japanese mobile phone users are in the habit of using the devices to surf the Internet, check and send email, and for online shopping. All of these trends make Japan the perfect testing ground for this technology.

Unfortunately there are some serious barriers to this technology taking off. Not enough people use the service overall to really create a market for advertising along with the program content. Right now the program content for mobile phones is free, just like over the air TV broadcasts, but of course since the content has to travel over wireless network, it costs more money to provide. A lot of people in television broadcasting and the wireless phone markets are hoping for a way to somehow combine mobile phone TV service with e-commerce. That way the the service would serve as a gateway to revenues from the tendency of the Japanese to shop on their mobile phones. If this actually works out it could serve as a unique market as more and more people have mobile phones capable of watching TV on. In any case this is a unique example of technology that's emerged and gone public without having any concrete business model of how it's going to be payed for.

Of course, this also begs the question, why not pass on the cost of providing the content on to the mobile phone users who watch? The industry seems to be shying away from that option probably because of a combination of fear that that will alienate users of the service and the widespread agreement that once a business model is agreed upon and implemented, that step will be largely unnecessary.

One other development of this technology that we can expect is to see it included in other devices like GPS's and portable video game units. By extension, we may soon see dedicated mobile television devices or mobile television integrated into some of the portable video devices we see on the market now. In that sense, portable video devices really would be like home entertainment centers in miniature. You could either watch live television or a recording. It would be your choice.

Enjoy Duty Free Shopping in Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City in the Philippines

One of the thrills of visiting the city of Angeles is that you can go duty free shopping in Clark Freeport. Whatever you may fancy, you will likely find it here, and at a price that you will like.

What is Available

The stores here sell an assortment of items and products, from food, furniture, home appliances like stereos, TVs, computers, DVD players and cellphones; there are a wide array of drinks and beverages to choose from; also on sale are shoes, T-Shirts, eyewear, perfumes, colognes, detergents, kitchen utilities and many more. All the products here are imported, mainly from America but also increasingly feature products from other countries like Japan and China.

Unlike other shopping malls, only passengers that have just arrived (local and foreign) may go duty free shopping in Clark Freeport. When you enter the site you need to present your passport to the personnel at the Registration Center, after which you will be handed a card you can use for buying stuff. If you want you can utilize a credit card for purchasing (major brands are accepted).

There are also foreign exchange centers for those who want to use the local currency when shopping. Aside from the US greenback, the Euro is also accepted, as well as the UK Pound, Saudi Riyal, Swiss Franc, and other currencies. The area encompassing the whole economic zone is more than 2,000 hectares, and among the many stores there are Puregold, the Clark Liberty Warehouse, the Balikbayan Shopping Mall, the Oriental Duty Free, Parkson Duty Free, Value City Sales and a lot more.

Location and Cost

If you want to go duty free shopping in Clark Freeport, you simply have to drive over to the Clark Special Eco Zone (or Clark SEZ), and there you will find these stores. The money you need to bring here will depend on what you intend to buy. Even though the prices here are very low due to competition, it is always a good idea to have a list of the items you want to purchase. If you are just looking for gifts, having some idea of how many you need is ideal so you do not overspend.

There are a lot of things that you can do when you are in the beautiful city of Angeles, and with its very competitive prices, duty free shopping in Clark Freeport is definitely one of them.

What Are Hard Style and Soft Style Martial Arts?

Sometimes one would see references to 'hard' style and 'soft' style martial arts. To many non-martial artists, these terms may be puzzling. In North America, these terms are used to classify martial art styles into two main categories. Japanese/Okinawan karate and Korean tae kwon do are generally referred to as hard styles. Movements in both karate and tae kwon do are often linear with their forms (traditional sequence of set moves) performed with crisp movements. Chinese kung fu styles are usually referred to as soft styles. The circular motions of kung fu forms give them a more visually graceful or softer appearance especially when many of the movements flow from one to another. Even Korean kuk sool won which is sometimes referred to as 'Korean kung fu', is often classified as a soft style since its movements are also more flowing than the stop and go of tae kwon do or karate. This is not to say that hard styles such as karate or tae kwon do are more powerful martial arts than kung fu and other soft styles. The term 'soft' is a bit misleading because the power from circular kung fu moves are often hidden. Circular moves can generate just as much power as linear ones.

The terms hard style and soft style came as a result of the evolution of North American martial arts competitions, particularly in forms divisions. For many years, open karate tournaments which allowed all martial arts styles, had competitors from different martial arts backgrounds compete in the same forms divisions. All equivalent level competitors, whether they used a Japanese/Okinawan karate kata, a Korean tae kwon do pattern or a Chinese kung fu form, competed together in the same divisions. This provided a nice martial arts showcase for spectators especially at the bigger tournaments. However, some competitors and judges considered divisions with combined styles to be too complicated. For example, judges who were familiar with only Japanese or Korean styles had a difficult time scoring competitors performing Chinese kung fu forms. Sometimes competitors from different martial art styles felt that judges were being biased against them. Judging a hard style form against a soft style form was often like trying to compare apples to oranges.

To help resolve these issues, many of the larger martial arts tournaments expanded to have separate divisions for hard and soft styles. This was a way to equalize things and add some more fairness to all competitors. The largest tournaments went another step ahead and further separated Japanese karate stylists from Korean tae kwon do stylists by putting them into different divisions too. This still left many kempo stylists up in the air because their particular forms have both hard and soft style elements since their movements are both linear as well as circular. Some promoters of large tournaments decided to accommodate kempo stylists by adding in separate forms divisions just for their style too. Of course many smaller local tournaments have not been able to offer separate hard and soft style divisions for martial arts forms competitors mainly because of financial budget restrictions. The terms hard style and soft style are used only in North America and parts of Europe since these are the only regions of the world that have open martial arts competitions. Martial arts competitions in other parts of the world such as Asia are generally restricted to certain specific styles only.

Never Open An Outhouse Door Without Knocking

I suppose that every hometown of every child holds certain favorite hiding places, or short cuts, or little-known doors or cubbyholes or secret passageways or whatever, and Auburn was no exception.

One of my favorite such places was the train tunnel that ran under Palm Avenue and the Auburn reservoir, and came out just this side of Gasoline Alley, a wide spot on Highway 49 about a mile north of where I lived. Tales of being caught in the tunnel when the train came were standard Auburn lore; one of my older cousins' cousin swore that he got caught one day with the train coming, and had to lie flat on his stomach between the tracks while the train passed over him. I believed him until I was about ten or so, when I started to notice that each time he told the story some of the details were different, such as whether it was night or day, with friends or alone - that sort of thing.

Being somewhat timid by nature, I never would have taken the dare to run through the tunnel if I was alone, but crowd psychology is different than individual psychology, and the herd instinct won out. It was a winter day after school, and several of us 8th graders were out of basketball practice because of teacher conferences. Since we didn't have to practice, we naturally looked around for something else to do, and Ken, our point guard, made the dumbest suggestion of all: "Let's run out to Gasoline Alley & back through the train tunnel."

So off we went, licketty-split down Palm Avenue, past my house, past the yellow bus shed where bus #9 picked us all up every school morning, and up the hill across from Dr. Dunevitz' house, where we dropped down to the tracks and began our run through the train tunnel. The train came twice a day, once early morning and once about 10 PM. It was only about 4 PM then, so we knew there was no danger of a train coming.

What we didn't know was that a group of transients, guys who road the rails from one town to another - we called them "hobos" - had taken residence in the tunnel. They apparently were sitting or lying against one wall of the tunnel, perhaps 50 feet or so from the end of the tunnel we were entering, so they had enough light to function and yet no one looking into the dark tunnel from the bright daylight outside could see them.

We entered the tunnel on the run, making jokes about outrunning the train, and what would happen if the train schedule changed. As we ran past the hobos in the darkness, our eyes fixed upon the small dot of light at the other end of the tunnel, one of the men shouted something that sounded like "Run to hell, boys!" None of us ever knew exactly what he said, but the shock of that shout and the ensuing laughter coming from the darkness was enough to send us into overdrive. We looked back to see the outline of a man in the end of the tunnel where we had entered seconds before. We screamed in unison and absolutely sprinted to the other end of the tunnel some quarter of a mile away. If we had been clocked, I'm sure some of us would have set a new world record. Needless to say, we did not return the way we came, nor did we ever enter that tunnel again.

Another shortcut my cousin Harvey & I used to take was through the wild blackberry vines across Nevada Street from my Uncle's nursery, Eisley's Nursery, on the corner of Nevada Street and Palm Avenue. Well, it wasn't really a short cut; it was more like a long cut. But we liked to take it anyway, and imagined ourselves to be Tarzan finding hidden trails through the jungle of tangled vines and swamp-like foliage. Somewhere, in the acre or so of blackberries, was a small little home housing a Japanese family. We didn't know them, and in 1945 or so, we weren't even sure we wanted to know them. Maybe they were still the enemy. Maybe they would capture us and hold us as prisoners of war. Maybe they even had weapons over there in their little reddish-colored house. Maybe they were Kamikazes! Wouldn't that be exciting? Our excitement grew as we wove our way through the vines, making up stories of how Tarzan defeated the entire Japanese army by swinging through the trees and ambushing them from the hollow of a blackberry bush.

Just then we crawled out of a bog of pussy willows and into a very small clearing with a tiny little house in it, hardly large enough to house a single person, let alone an entire family. Could it be a munitions depot? A secret storage area? Would the US army want to know about it? Could it be connected with spies? Overcome with curiosity, fantasy, and patriotism, it was our duty, Harvey and I, to investigate it. Stealthily we snuck around it, signaling each other to be quiet, until we locate a door. Harvey gingerly opened it, as his wide-eyed little cousin peered in.

Just as my eyes focused on the Japanese woman seated in the outhouse, her shriek of terror told us we had made a terrible mistake. We hastily retreated in great fear and consternation, fearing both reprisal and political consequences.

None ever came, thank goodness. But unlike General Macarthur, we did not return.

Pokemon - Cute and Cool

Pokemon is a phenomenon and kids are going crazy over it. Around the core video game, there is a whole solar system of spinoffs: Pokemon plush toys (Pokemon stuffed toys), pokedolls, Pokemon Zuken and Tomy figures, Pokemon cards and a whole multi-category within that such as legendary Pokemon cards, promo cards, and holofoil cards, not to mention the huge profits being made off the media of Pokemon DVD's, movies, and the TV series. What is it about a computer game that has taken off this big? It even has celestial epochs: we're now in the Age of the Pokemon Black and White. But most of the kids buying these goods aren't even actually playing the video game itself! That seems to be another phenomena altogether (for Nintendo, number two behind Super Mario).

For my middle-aged generation, the attractiveness of Pokemon is a little hard for me to get a grasp on. If Pikachu is cute, then why is he capable of such destructive force? And if he is so lethal, then why is he so cute? But I must retract all that really, for I can't find Pokemon in their animated incarnation to be either cute, or cool. Perhaps for my generation, Pokemon just don't have an appeal to us. We can't figure out what they stand for.

When I was child Japan was obviously not selling video games but they were writing and creating animation as well as drama. And what little of it got to America I as a little girl even loved. First, there was Ultraman. The monsters were grotesque, Ultraman himself was a hero but ugly too, and it was pure good vs. evil. Monsters came from outer space and Ultraman protected humanity from them. I remember one cute monster that was the size of small person and was covered with long strands of weird hair (hard to explain). But even that monster, though likable, was pretty ugly. My generation pretty much figured that monsters should be ugly. Pokemon seem like they lack monster hormones or something. Just to mention it, there was also Speed Racer (great story- who can forget Spridal and Chim Chim- and who was Racer X really?). The Mach 5 was way cool. What little girl wouldn't like that? Ash can't hold a candlewick to Speed!

In any case, Pokemon is cool and times and tastes have changed. It seems we live in an age in which morals, good, evil, and heroism are much more blurred than we 'simpler' kids were. We just wanted to see the bad guy get it- not monsters fight it out in tournaments. Perhaps kids are more sophisticated these days. I do know that as a science fiction fan I do think Pokemon has potential, though by capitalizing on that they'd probably alienate their audience.

Rising Anime Popularity in The Western World

The word Anime is an abbreviation of animation. In English, the dictionary defines it as a style developed in Japan. Since, anime describes all types of animation; Japanimation is applied to differentiate the Japanese work from the rest of the world. In the past few years, anime was recognized as manga in European countries. In Japan manga is considered both comics and animation (though use manga as animation is usually restricted to non- fans).

Anime usually takes influence from light novels, manga and other traditions and culture. Anime can be transmit on TV and is usually distributed through any type of media presentations such as video, DVD and internet. Anime is sometimes considered as Japanimation, but this term is not used now. When it comes to the countries except Japan, this word is referred to the animation that began in Japan.

Anime attract everyone from children to adults and deals with various themes in sports, science fiction, horror and romance. Unlike animation, anime also include few elements of realism like emotions, suffering and death which raises both its pedagogical and content value. Anime popularity is increasing both in terms of range and audience. The children's craze for the Pokémon movies including Pokémon products like different video games shows its wide appeal. One old argument in anime fandom was watching anime movies being redubbed in English.

Today, with the increase in popularity of CDs, most DVD disks include both subtitled and redub track. The rapidly increasing popularity of anime resulted in a large number of clubs, colleges, public libraries and high schools. Different meetings and convention are taking place in many western countries. Anime is taking great fans and sales than ever observed before.

Walt Disney production of Japanese movie "Spirited Away" which even beat "Titanic" in Japan was a great success in the western world. Director of this anime movie Hayao Miyazaki is being praised by the movie fans, for providing attention to the details of minutes relating crafts and arts in the film. Anime programs and movies in the western countries like Fox TV network and Walt Disney added a billion annual profit in the anime film industry. Few years back, there were only few anime series and TV shows, but now every child is associated with Japanese movies and cartoons and is increasing in popularity among teenagers.

A Japanese anime and toy company, Bandai entertainment said that they released 75 different anime movies and TV shows last year in the US, which shows a great increase in demand of anime films as compared to the movies released during the previous years.

Nowadays, anime is the fastest growing industry in DVD and video marketing. A D Vision was the first company developed in US in 1992, now there are more than 20 similar industries. Anime films or movies are comparatively cheap and low cost budget movies. If you think the overall cost of making movie in today's high risk industry then anime is affordable and cheap for example Titanic cost 0 million. Animation success in the west countries is gradual. The first turning point was the facility of internet during 1980's.

Latest Sony DVD Features

Sony is one of the world's largest makers of electronics, video, communications and information technology products for consumers and professionals. With its headquarters in Japan, it has expanded its business in many other parts of the world. It is an undoubted leader in technological arena. Sony has always been delivering the best in terms of quality, performance and appearance. These are no exception. DVD, that stands for digital versatile disc is a replaced version of VCD.

Sony offers various style and types in DVD players. You can get a player according to your requirement and budget. Sony players are slim and highly convenient to carry. You can also get a player with multi-format playback capacity or with super audio player. When you shop online for a Sony player, you get to compare the prices of different Sony players in different portals and choose the one that suits your requirements and budget. There are several online shopping website that offer attractive discounts on different models of these players. In addition, many cash back websites also offer tempting deals that are hard to resist.

The latest Sony offers the feature of Language choice. This particular feature found in the Sony player helps automatic selection of video scenes, audio tracks, subtitle tracks and menus. The special effects playback feature is used for freezing, stepping, to slow down and scanning. There is a Parental lock that prevents your children from using the DVD when you are out. The programmability lets you playback for selected sections.

The latest Sony DVP-NS55P/S is considered a good buy. With its easy set up, straightforward menus, a small footprint and excellent picture quality, as well as support for 5-channel surround sound or Dolby Digital sound, it has been selling like hot cakes. This is an all-round DVD player that serves as the foundation for your system.

King Kong Vs Godzilla - Action Figures and Dual Endings

King Kong vs Godzilla was made in 1962. Around that time, when people realized there were two version of the movie, the myth of two different endings started: Godzilla won in the Japanese version, while Kong won in the Hollywood edition.

Interestingly enough, that is not the main difference between both versions. The biggest difference is the film itself. As it is usual when releasing a Godzilla movie to the US, additional footage is added or deleted to make it more appealing to the US audience. Many times such action leaves behind the essence of the original movie, and that was the case with this movie too. The film was meant to be a mix science fiction and humor, but Hollywood altered it heavily to try to make it a pure science fiction movie. The final product used 75% to 80% of the original Japanese film.

But regarding the end of the movie, the truth is that both versions share the same visual ending. King Kong swims away and Godzilla returns to the sea. It can be said that the end is ambiguous; Kong does not beat Godzilla nor Godzilla wins over Kong. However, there is a difference in the soundtrack, and that difference is used by some fans to explain the myth. The 1963 King Kong vs Godzilla movie in the US theaters had no Godzilla's roar, while in the Japanese version the Godzilla roar is heard after the Kong roar.

According to some Godzilla fans, because in the US version only Kong is heard, the movie goers thought Kong won. It is also possible that US viewers could not believe a Japanese horror film would show an US monster win over a Japanese monster. Adding to this, the rumors of two different movie versions helped cultivate the dual ending myth.

Despite this explanation, things could be much simpler.

At the time King Kong vs Godzilla was created, the huge Gorilla was much more popular than Godzilla; this was quite evident among Japanese children, for example. Besides, Godzilla was evil, as a result of the prior two Godzilla movies. As a result, the right commercial approach was for King Kong to win. The ambiguous end only left a door open for Godzilla to evolve.

What is not understandable, however, is how unfair Japanese were to the Kong character appearance. Its ugly suit could be one of the reasons Godzilla action figures manufacturing companies release so few King Kong toys. For example, Bandai Co. has released only one figure in 1993. Godzilla action figures collectors know King Kong toys are rare and hard to find. However, that is what makes King Kong vs Godzilla action figures so valuable and interesting.

Seeking Opportunities Down Under

I'll have a "Bloomin' Onion," the 12-ounce "Outback Special" - medium rare - with the loaded baked potato and, for dessert, a slice of the Australian economy.

Australia, the world's largest island and smallest continent, is an excellent investment opportunity. Over the past few decades, Australia's economy has benefited greatly from its strong ties to the rapidly developing Pacific region. The country is rich with natural resources and is well positioned to act as a primary supplier to Asia and other developing regions. Such factors clearly create a favorable investment profile, yet Australia is often overshadowed by other emerging economies in the region.

Investment in the Pacific region has increased dramatically over the past decade. Lipper Inc., a global leader in mutual fund research, tracked 25 mutual funds in the Pacific ex-Japan category 10 years ago. Today, that has more than doubled to 52 funds. This category excludes funds investing exclusively in China, which Lipper tracks separately. Ten years ago, Lipper tracked 22 of those funds; today it tracks 79. Together, the Pacific ex-Japan and China categories have almost tripled, from 47 funds to 131 funds.

Looking at a better measurement of growth - assets under management - Lipper's Pacific ex-Japan and China categories increased from .4 billion and Body.6 billion to .3 billion and .1 billion, respectively, from 2000 to 2010. Altogether, that's an increase of 1,435 percent, from billion to .4 billion. These data only include funds tracked by Lipper, not other forms of investment, such as private equity and hedge funds. Asian-focused hedge funds alone account for another .4 billion, according to Hedge Fund Research Inc.

The Pacific's emerging markets received the majority of this increased investment, most notably China and India. Japan once dominated the Pacific investment universe, but after decades of a stagnant economy, the country is no longer the region's growth engine. While China, India and other emerging markets are the new sources of growth for the region, and arguably for the global economy, investors have largely ignored Australia.

The Case For Australia

Australia's economy has prospered in recent decades, sustained by the country's abundant natural resources and supported by its strong trading partnerships. Australia has enjoyed 17 consecutive years of economic prosperity, with average GDP growth of 3.3 percent annually.

During the global financial crisis, Australia's economy fared better than most. GDP growth during the worst of the financial crisis remained positive, at 2.1 percent and 1.2 percent in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In 2010, Australia's GDP reached just over .2 trillion, representing a 3 percent year-over-year growth rate.

Australia avoided the worst of the financial crisis mainly because its banking system is well regulated and has limited exposure to toxic assets. Australia's banks maintained strong lending practices, which helped save the country's real estate market from collapse. But, more important, Australia continues to benefit from its growing trade relationship with Asia. Australia's top four export markets are, in order, China, Japan, Korea and India - the United States is fifth.

Australia is well positioned to be a primary supplier of growth to Asia. According to Morningstar analyst Patricia Oey, "an investment in [Australia] is sometimes viewed as an indirect play on economic growth in China and the Asia region, given [Australia's] 30 percent weighting in export-focused materials and energy companies." Resulting in part from China's rapidly growing need for products such as coal and iron ore, mineral exports have grown from 20 percent of Australia's exports to more than 40 percent in the past 10 years.

Australia is more than just an export economy. The Pacific region's growing middle class, especially in China, will provide new consumers and tourists that Australia is ready to serve. According to a research report from Matthews Asia, a leading Asian-focused mutual fund company, economic ties between Australia and Asia are broadening from the resources sectors to the consumer and financial services sectors. Australian financial companies are forming joint ventures and subsidiaries in emerging Asia, including small and medium-sized businesses looking to expand in the region.

Moreover, Australia is home to some of the world's biggest and best-known companies. Both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, two giant natural resources firms, have headquarters in Australia. Foster's, a beverage maker that produces more than 40 varieties of beer and wine, and National Australia Bank, one of Asia's leading financial services firms, are based in Australia. News Corp., one of the world's largest media conglomerates, was founded in Australia before moving its headquarters to the United States in 2004.

Australia's strong economy is supported by its stable government. Reflecting both British and North American models, Australia's government is founded on liberal democratic traditions based on the values of religious tolerance, freedom of speech, capitalism and the rule of law. Australia's legal system, similar to that of the United States, is based on common law principles, which facilitate a stable business environment by protecting property rights and contracts.

Led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australia's centrist government has kept the country's fiscal policies in check. After years of strong economic growth, Australia eliminated all government debt in 2005-06. Even after the spread of massive government fiscal stimulus worldwide in the wake of the financial crisis, Australia's balance sheet remains strong. Data from the Economist Intelligence Unit estimate Australia's public debt-to-GDP ratio will be 22 percent in 2011 - low compared with the U.S.'s 64 percent and Japan's 198 percent. And according to projections from the International Monetary Fund, if the recovery in Australia proceeds as expected, its budget will be back in surplus by 2012-13.

The monetary position in Australia is also encouraging. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), like the Federal Reserve in the United States, manages the country's money supply by setting interest rates. With the downturn in Australia's economy milder than expected and growth rebounding, the RBA has scaled down its stimulus policies and has started to raise interest rates. This is in contrast to the United States, which continues to push for new stimulus programs and maintains record low interest rates. Australia's target rate is currently 4.75 percent, and inflation is expected to remain within the RBA's desired range of 2 to 3 percent.

Australia has a strong labor market as well. At only 5 percent, Australia's unemployment rate is one of the lowest among developed nations, and is well below its historical average. Australia's unemployment rate has averaged around 7 percent since 1978, reaching a high of almost 11 percent in December 1992 and a record low of 4 percent in February 2008.

Despite Australia's favorable economic position, investors and institutional money managers largely neglect it. Very few mutual funds or exchange-traded funds invest exclusively in Australia. Many of the diversified funds that focus on the broad Pacific region have little or no exposure to the country.

This neglect is not the result of a poor economic environment. Rather, analysts and fund managers typically focus on the region's higher-growth economies, such as China and India, which tend to dominate the financial press and investor interest. Most funds that invest in the Pacific region have growth-style investment mandates, which again lead to large allocations to the fastest-growing emerging economies. Although part of the Pacific region, Australia is not an emerging economy and is therefore largely ignored.

Australia should not replace an investor's allocation to China, India or the rest of the Pacific region; rather, it should be included as a complement. Good investing is about optimizing a portfolio's long-term return while minimizing its overall volatility, or risk. To this end, Australia offers diversification benefits. Australia's exposure to commodities and its lower correlation to the U.S. market relative to the widely held MSCI EAFE Index make it a good diversification tool. Commodities tend to correlate less with traditional asset classes and therefore provide diversification. Commodities also hedge against inflation, which will help protect a portfolio against rising prices. This is a major concern in the current economic environment.

Investors should evaluate their asset allocations and make room for Australia. Although few investment options exist, the iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (ticker symbol: EWA) is a good way to gain broad exposure to Australia's economy.

Over the coming decades, Australia will surely play a major role in the rise of the Pacific region, and thus warrants inclusion in any long-term, diversified portfolio. Don't let your only exposure to Australia be a Saturday night dinner at Outback Steakhouse.

3 Ways to Download Anime Movies

Look no further if you want to know how to download anime movies. As you read on, you would realize that the search for your favorite Japanese cartoons like Bleach and Naruto is over. This is because this article would show you several ways to download anime movies without costing much at all.

What are the ways to get such movies to watch without overpaying?

Here, we reveal 3 ways which quite a number of people are using. Be ready to be glued to the television or computer for hours from now. There are tons of good animations around to entertain you.

1. Free Sites

Have you heard of P2P? No doubt that these places can let you download anime movies for free, this is no free lunch in this world really. When you use their services, there is a way you would have to "pay" them which is to view their sponsored ads. You get them through adware that are secretly installed onto your PC. Beware of other harmful elements like computer viruses and spyware. And not forgetting about the slow file transfer.

2. Fansubs Clubs

Nowadays, you see them more and more. Fansubs are dubbed versions of the original cartoons into other local languages. They are found in private fan clubs for you to download anime movies and read their discussions. Sad to say, many do so against the law. Also, these are hobbyist sites and often low on bandwidth resources. So frequent hangs are a norm.

3. Paid Anime Clubs

There are now several sites or clubs that offer you a membership to download anime movies. Each membership gives you unlimited access to the hundreds of both new and the old cartoon classics. It is normally priced at over. In case you are worried that there are bandwidth restrictions, be assured there are not. You can also burn them onto CDs or DVDs so that you and your family can watch them on the television.

The popularity of paid membership sites is rising faster than the rest. The reason is perhaps due to its affordability for anyone to download anime movies. Join the thousands of fans who are indulging in them at my cartoon blog right now

CD DVD Replication

CDs and DVDs are one of the most commonly used devices to store information. They are commonly referred to as storage devices as they have the ability to save large amounts of information. This information can be conveniently copied or written on with the help of a computerized and automated process. Information is stored on a CD and DVD with the help of a laser lens that electronically saves the information.

CD and DVD replication has become a huge industry in America, Japan, Australia and across the world. There are companies that offer specialized service for those who want CDs and DVDs replicated in small or large quantities. Replication is a process where the information from one disc is transferred onto another with the help of a copying medium and with an approval from the manufacturer. CD and DVD replication is an expensive process, which requires expensive automated equipment. These systems are usually used for large quantities of CDs and DVDs.

There is a difference in duplicating a CD or DVD and replicating it. One of the main differences is that replicating a CD or a DVD requires the authorization of the manufacturer, unlike in duplication. Replication is a standardized process to make large quantities of CDs and DVDs with the help of a glass master of the information. This in turn produces stampers, which are used to mould the information onto a CD or DVD foil. Once done the information is protected by layers of polycarbonate plastic. The layered disc is then usually screened and finally packed. Owing to the various processes involved in replication the entire process is automated. It is fairly cost effective as these units are made in a factory and very affordable to order. Up till now these companies offered their services only for bulk quantities but have begun to do work for small organizations who require only 50 to 100 CDs or DVDs replicated.

CD and DVD replication both have their cost and utility advantages. It is advisable to choose the method to have multiple copies of CDs and DVDs, keeping in mind the cost effectiveness of each.

Hellboy Animated - Sword of Stones and Blood And Iron DVD Reviews

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is due out July 2008, a full 7 months from now. What's a fan to do while waiting for Guillermo Del Toro's sequel to his first movie about the nether region's favorite son with a human heart.

Luckily, Del Toro collaborated with Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy comics), IDT Entertainment and others on two animated films, "Hellboy Sword of Storms" (2006) and "Hellboy Blood & Iron" (2007). Unless you're a reader of Mignola's Hellboy comics, these two films are worth buying or renting to delve into the world as protected by Hellboy, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, and the rest of BPRD (Bureau of Paranormal Research Department), a top secret agency created by the US government to "bump back" against things that bump in the night.

The two films take on very different tones, one of the fantastic, the other of the gothic. The DVDs contain extras where the creators discussed the making the films and the decision-making behind any deviation from the comic books.

Hellboy Sword of StonesIn "Sword of Stones", Hellboy was investigating an assignment in Japan when he magically transported to a demon world of Japanese mythos as he touched an artifact, the Sword of Stones. This sword was used to banish the demon brothers, Thunder and Lightning, who were trying to make a comeback in order to wake up sleeping dragons to help them conquer the world. But before they could do so, the Sword of Stones
must be broken to set them free.

Practically dumbfounded by the teleportation, Hellboy, at the advice of the first creature he met - a mysterious talking fox, travelled eastward as he attempted his way back home. He encountered and fought fascinating creatures such as a group of flying head demons, a harp-playing spider queen, a toad demon, and other ghouls.

Meanwhile, back on earth, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman contended with the precursors to the coming of the demon brothers. Some of the dragons already began stirring and nearby countrysides were terrorized. Abe's and Liz's airplane was downed by a lightning bolt as they flew to Japan in order to investigate Hellboy's sudden disappearance. They fought one of the dragons in an island where they took sanctuary after their plane crashed into the ocean.

Slaying dragons, fighting mystical demons and becoming pawns in a centuries old love affair are the overlying themes of Hellboy Sword of Stones. The demon world is inhabited by fantastic lores of Japanese myths. The movie creators could probably have spent most of the storyline within this world and would have made a memorable film.

Their decision to separate Hellboy from Abe and Liz tho' is workable. For the non-comic book readers, this is the first time we get a feel of Liz's awesome power as a pyro as she was forced to confront the dragon on the island. We also get a macho-er Abe Sapien. In the cartoons, Abe is a frontline fighter, not simply a scout, though he ends up getting beat up quite a bit. Not the Abe Sapien I remember in Hellboy the movie.

Hellboy Blood & Iron

Hellboy and the BPRD were assigned to investigate a haunted house which was recently purchased by an entrepreneuring mogul who planned to use the house for a ghost-chasing TV reality show. It so turned out that the mogul had imported a set of artifacts from a legendary Hungarian countess known to be a vampire in her days but thought to have been vanquished by a young Professor Broom, one of BPRD's ranking officials and Hellboy's boss.

True to many vampire films, "Blood & Iron" took us through an intricate gothic story of vengeance and obsession. There were loose strings between the countess, her servant who was a former village priest, and Professor Broom.

In an artistic decision to weave the backdrop between the countess and Professor Broom with the events at BPRD's mission, the creators chose to show a series of flashbacks as Hellboy and his crew began their investigation. As expected, Professor Broom confronted the countess, but not before the countess was able to send Hellboy to her goddess, Hecates. It was Hecates who transformed the countess into a vampire and she wanted Hellboy to join her or kill him if he refused. Of course, Hellboy refused and as he made his way back to the mansion, Hecates chased him for a final, bonecrushing showdown.

The Rare Collector Transformer Cartoon DVD Set

For years people of all ages have been watching the Transformers cartoon. Many people even have a collection of the transformers toys. Yes the transformers have been in most every household since 1982. They have been all over the world from Japan to the USA and they are still just as popular today as they were back in the day. Now you can enjoy watching the Transformer Cartoon DVD right in your own home.

There are many fans today that are not aware of how the transformers came about and just how long they have really been around. Sure they have seen the television shows and have even bout a toy or two but do they really know about the cartoon? Thankfully there are many DVDs out there that can bring you up to speed on the transformers. Many of the names are still the same when it comes to the characters such as Optimus prime and Megatron but it is still very helpful to have the transformers cartoon DVD collection.

If you are new to the Transformers then you may want to get up to speed on exactly what the story is about. Unfortunately that might be difficult to do if you do, as the series keeps moving on and new episodes are being shown. It can be hard to come into a show mid season, not knowing the story line or who is who. Thankfully there are Transformers Cartoon DVD's that can be bought which will allow you to see the story right from the very beginning. Your whole family will enjoy seeing the whole story and how it all got started.

The Transformers have been around for nearly 23 years and are still going strong. Ask any child you see about transformers and you can bet it won't be power supply that they tell you about. If you have kids then you most likely have had to change their toys from a car into a powerful Autobot and we all know that learning this transformation technique can be a bit challenging if you do not know about the Transformers. It really does help to know who the characters are and what Autobots they change into so you can help your child figure out how to transform his Autobots. Kids can play for hours just watching the cartoon and using their own transformer toys.

Since the cartoon of The Transformers came out in the 1980's, there have been a great deal of spin offs to hit the market along the same lines as the cartoon. Of course there are the toys and then we have comic books, bed sheets, towels, clothes and so much more that you could most likely decorate your entire house with The Transformers if your children could have it their way. The Transformer Cartoon DVD collection is a great addition to any family and will give you and your children hours of entertainment over and over again.

Children never get tired of watching their favorite shows and they use their imagination to take them to worlds that only they can dream up. Just put in the Transformers cartoon DVD and watch your child jump right into the story and become a transformer himself. You can almost see your child come to attention when he hears the ever famous words "Autobots transform and roll out!"

For the best DVD collection, check out the 20th Anniversary Special Edition Transformers DVD Set. You will have the entire collection to watch whenever you want and your children will have the Transformers right at their fingertips.

PS2 Swap Magic - Play PS2 Import And Backup Games With The Swap Magic For PS2

Playing import games on your Playstation 2 or new Slim PSTwo console was virtually impossible, considering that it required you to install a mod chip into your PS2 machine, something that not everyone is able to do, or is willing to do. A PS2 Mod Chip requires you to solder small wires to some pretty small solder points right on the main board (motherboard) of your PS2 Console. Playing import games was really for the hard core gamer, and the gamers that would be willing to do some internal surgery to their ps2 consoles.

The PS2 Swap Magic changed all of that. With the PS2 Swap Magic there is absolutely no need to solder anything or install any type of chip into your PS2 console. In fact, unlike mod chips for the Playstation 2, with the PS2 Swap Magic you'll be ready to play your import game in just seconds. By using the PS2 Swap Magic and a PS2 Cover, you'll instantly be able to play your import and backup Playstation 2 games without any hassles or fuss.

The PS2 Swap Magic Disc acts as a loader for all of your import and personal backup games. You'll first load up the PS2 Swap Magic disc, and when greeted with the main menu, you will select LOAD PROGRAM and press your X button. At which time, you have to remove and take out the PS2 Swap Magic disc and insert the game disc you wish to load. Unlike a mod chip, where once installed, you just put in the game disc you want to play, the latest import or backup game and power up your PS2 console to start playing. You will have to do what's called a single swap with the PS2 Swap Magic discs. What this means is that you'll simply put in the PS2 Swap Magic Disc first, before your game, and then swap it out after the Swap magic for PS2 has loaded.

While heavy mod chip users consider this annoying, for people like myself, who would prefer not to solder and perform electronics surgery, it's a very small price to pay for being able to play those really cool Japanese and European games. With the newest versions, there are also some added benefits over mod chips, such as loading homebrew applications and software directly from your ps2 memory card. Something that mod chips simply do not allow you to do, unless you buy the high end mod chips like the DMS4, etc... which require even more wires to be soldered.

The features of the PS2 Swap Magic speak for themselves, and clearly indicate that the need for a ps2 mod chip is eliminated completely and there is absolutely no modification required to your ps2 console in order to play your import and backup games with ease.

PS2 Swap Magic - Feature List:

There is no warranty to void

Works with original import games

No modchip for the games to detect

No modification to the internal system

No extra stress on the laser lens

No soldering required - plug and play

Swap Magic 3 CD Version For PS2 CD-R backups Included

Swap Magic DVD Version For PS2 DVD-R backups Included

Multi-Language menu: English, Chinese, Spanish, German, Italian, Korea

Compatable with DVDRips (632mb+ CD-R backups) via TOC Refresh feature*

Includes built-in PAL/NTSC region selector

Games start with the single swap method detailed below

What is important to note is that when you buy the PS2 Swap Magic, you'll actually get 2 individual discs. Don't worry, and don't be confused. One is clearly marked as a CD-Rom disc, which the other Swap Magic disc is the DVD Disc. You'll need both discs, depending on what type of game you are trying to load. The PS2 Swap Magic CD Version is needed for CD based games (yes, some PS2 games - even your personal backup games you may have made) actually fit on a CD-Rom disc, in which case, you will need to use the PS2 Swap Magic CD Disc to load the game. Most games, especially newer ones however require the use of the PS2 Swap Magic DVD Disc. It's really not very hard at all to determine which type of game disc you have, simply because you can look at the disc itself and it should have either the CD-Rom or the DVD logo on the game disc, or blank disc media on which you saved your backup copy.

Cartoons For Grown Ups - The Adult Swim Nation

When I was a kid, cartoons were just that, cartoons. They were semi-mindless drivel that served the purpose keeping kids under control for the few hours between school and dinner. Then came along a few enterprising geniuses who changed all that. Matt Groening and Mike Judge are two of the best examples, progenitors of the "adult cartoon". Now, the idea wasn't new at the time. The Flintstones and Jetsons were primetime offerings in their day, but face it, they're kids fare. It was men like Groening and Judge who recognized the flexibility of the medium and the endless potential (reliant only upon voice actor longevity and good writing) of a cartoon sitcom.

These days, the cartoon world is an entirely different place. The kids cartoons from our youth are bigger, badder, and cruder than they ever were. And the market for adult oriented animation has exploded. Not only is The Simpsons still around, but now we've got Family Guy, South Park, Futurama, and the whole Adult Swim phenomenon.

What is it then that creates this rabid demand by increasingly older generations for animated comedy. In part, nostalgia plays a huge role. Growing up in the 80s or 90s, every American youth had a keen eye on the Saturday morning and after school cartoon farms. It was part of life, and not something most enjoyed leaving behind when they grew up. But, the jokes are sophomoric, the plotlines ridiculous, and for the most part cheesy. The cartoons of childhood (and thank you DVD release for allowing us to relive and cringe through them) were a bit too goofy for the adult mentality. No wonder our parents were nowhere to be seen. But, the cathartic joy of hand drawn television still lingers and so the prospect of the more adult, more mature cartoon flourishes.

Of course, let us not forget the influx of yet another cultural force in the last 10 years or so, that of the Japanese cartoon. Japanese animation - anime - never dedicated itself to the notion of children's animation as much as their American counterparts. For the most part, they've been utilizing the medium for years with adult oriented, often times very much so, animation that just now is finding its way into the American consciousness. Films like Akira and the works of Hayao Miyazaki inched into the American marketplace in the 90s and then exploded in the new century, nearly taking over most US channels, including the previously brand loyal WB and Cartoon Networks. The idea that a compelling, serialized story could be told with animation was purely Japanese and the results are often times amazing.
Even now the American counterpart is mostly satire and poop jokes. But, then again, they sure are some poop jokes.

Desire Riviera Maya Resorts - Fulfills Your Sexual Yearn

"He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence" - William Blake

Everyone has certain desires hidden in their heart and they hope to fulfill them at some point of time. Some people have financial and materialistic desires while some have sexual desires. However, now you can fulfill your sexual desires at the exotic locations of Desire Riviera Maya resorts. This swinger resort is specially meant for couples and individuals who wish to explore their sensuality in a sexually liberal environment.

Some people are highly romantic at heart and wish to experiment with their sexual prowess. Hence, they look for an environment that provides them with the liberty to profess their heartfelt sexual desires. The Desire Riviera Maya resort gives them the liberty to indulge into sexual acts with likeminded women, men or couples. These people enjoy various sexual activities like exhibitionism, voyeurism, homosexual activities, group sex, full and soft swap etc. Hence, you can explore different sexual avenues during your stay at the Desire Riviera Maya resorts.

Moreover, you'll be provided with some excellent services like:

King size rooms with neat and clean furniture, TV, DVD, mirrors, cupboards, spacious bathrooms with walk-in showers and Jacuzzis.

Several restaurants with Chinese, Japanese, Italian and continental delicacies. You can also get the meals delivered in your private cabin.

Fitness centers for ladies and men.

A beauty salon where you can pamper your body while indulging into a spa or body massage.

Bars and discotheque which serve you the most aphrodisiac drinks and cocktails.

Internet booth, shopping center etc.

Hence, these excellent facilities and sexually liberal vacation will add on to your swinger vacation at the Desire Riviera Maya Resorts. So, just bring your credit cards and book your ticket to the erotic location of Cancun beaches in order to enjoy an exhilarating vacation with your loved ones.

Anime Comics Has Increased in Popularity in America

Gen-X'ers and older Gen-Y's grew up in the 1980s, when comic book series cartoons like "The X-Men," "Justice League," "Captain America," "Teen Titans," "Spider-Man," "Batman," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "The Transformers." As these kids aged, they became adults in their 20s and 30s, creating comic book movie blockbusters to keep the legacy going. The next generation of younger Gen-Y's would look to Japan and China for their comic book series. They grew up with "Dragonball Z," "Pokemon" and "Sailor Moon." Anime comics came to America with surprising fervor and it's not likely to dissipate anytime soon.

The DC and Marvel Comic fans sometimes view anime fans as the ultimate nerds, the plot lines as "cheesy" and the characters as "daft" or "annoying." Older Americans often scratch their heads and ask, "Why are anime comics so popular among today's youth?" Some could argue it was a massive advertising campaign that came over from Japan, who saw America and Europe as large, untapped markets. The challenge was to rework their material into exportable goods with English sub-titles and over-dubs.

They farmed enthusiasm with several different products, with movies like "Ghost in the Shell" or "Akira" and cartoon series like "Dragonball Z," "Pokemon" and "Sailor Moon." The basic business model was to keep costs low, try a little of everything and see what works. Once their endeavors showed great success, the merchandise, the manga comics and the graphic novels made their way over as well. It was the basic economic edict of supply and demand. Give the fans what they want in every capacity, such as with figurines, costumes, backpacks, t-shirts, manga comics, DVDs, downloads and comic book series.

Moreover, the messages in anime comics reach today's youth at a level that traditional DC or Marvel comic books missed. Anime focuses more on emotions, relationship struggles, introspection, adventurous personal quests and the hero's journey; all in surreal, magical surroundings. Unlike cartoons for kids, anime characters will die and complex relationships are formed. Nothing is off-limits in the anime world, not even sex or violence.

People are confronted with deep concepts and provoked to think about the meaning of life. In a way, it's the softer, psychological side of Marvel, blended with the magical, omniscient qualities of a DC superhero: the best of both worlds. For the male fans, some manga comics are adapted to show sexier heroines -- some in their coy school girl uniforms, others with more Westernized curves and futuristic apparel. Yet for the female fans, plots center on soap opera type stories of love, longing and character development. In fact, women make up half the attendees at the anime comics conventions.

Some of the most-viewed anime comics today include Fullmetal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop, Bleach, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Naruto, Death Note, FLCL, Princess Mononoke (movie), Trigun, Inyuasha and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The most critically acclaimed anime film of 2007 was "Paprika," where researchers developed a device that allowed them to go inside people's dreams for psychotherapeutic treatment purposes. Often the subject matter of anime graphic novels and series looks at science-fiction type materials or include evolved species, monsters and zombies in their series. The adult topics of sex and violence mature and grow with viewers, keeping them life-long fans.

Naruto Spoilers

Naruto Spoilers, you really do either love them or hate them and its the same with any other manga.

The worst thing ever is coming across a spoiler by accident, the day before you read the latest chapter. Actually, the worst thing ever might be for an anime watcher turned manga reader coming across a spoiler when you have only just started reading the manga, and the spoiler happens 400 chapters later! Been there.

On the other hand, it could be the best thing ever, if you're the type of person that cannot wait for the real thing to come out.

Manga spoilers these days are not readily available from a large number of sources. There may only actually be a handful of J-Citizens out there that inform the Western manga community of the ongoings, as the manga is released in stores weekly in Japan of course. When the actual thing is released, the chapter then gets thrown into the otaku production like, scanned by a faithful Japanese citizen and then uploaded to be translated into English by their Western colleagues. During this period, the 'professional' groups have different members assigned to different roles i.e. a scanner, a mopper and translator (or two). Collectively, this is known as a scanliation group, smart eh? The mopper by the way, edits the manga graphically so it appears whiter and cleaner than the original scan did.

Like it or love it, it is yet another fine example how things in this world are evolving with the Internet!

Samsung BD-P1400 Reviews of the Multi-Region Blu-Ray Disc Player Version

Region code Areas

The multi-region version plays all REGION A And B Blu-Ray Disc movies on any TV with HDMI input.

A/1North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.

B/2Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, plus all of Oceania.

C/3India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mainland China, Pakistan, Russia, Central, and South Asia.

Reviews of the BLU-RAY BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player (the is no difference in basic specifications for the
Region A version and the Region A and B Multi-region version so all reviews stand for both versions.):

It's good: Excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies; outstanding soundtrack support with onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD High Resolution and bitstream output for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; relatively low price compared to other standalone Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player s; Ethernet port for updating firmware.
MDOJ,

My BD-P1400 arrived late yesterday! The firmware was updated last night via internet download and burning a CD. First impressions:

Video - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Audio - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

I have tried a regular DVD and one BRD so far and am very pleased. Load
times are very acceptable. No negatives from me on this unit so far. Will
report more later when I get some of the more seemingly problematic BRDs.

The BD-P1400 has classic Samsung style. The front of the unit is all glossy black, with a thin strip of silver along the bottom.

Got my Samsung BD-P1400 last night and boy was I excited!! Before this review, let me start by saying that this is the first and only Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player that I have owned and that I may not make some of the comparisons you are looking for. If I don't, just lemme know! I also want to say that I have NOT upgraded to the latest firmware yet as my modem is not near a TV.

Picture

Excellent, duh...... inky blacks, great contrast, detail, everything you expect from Blu

Design: Wonderful looking BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player , the best yet I think. Face is very open, not cluttered, and the piano gloss finish rocks. Good remote too.
Load Times Wonderful. I have 5 movies so far and they all loaded in approx. 15 seconds. Then there was the new F4 Silver Surfer.... This is a BD+ title from Fox and many have had complaints about its load time. The BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player gave me no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible. Let me say again that this is right out of the box, no firmware update yet!

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.
Sound

I have not played with the sound much as I don't have my Onkyo TX-SR705 yet. I did notice that there is an option to set the speakers from small to large in analog 5.1 out mode. There are other discussions and reports of people getting full DTS-MA bitstream from this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player (after firmware upgrade) on other threads and forums. I'm getting very anxious to try this out!

Others

The rest of the stuff is pretty standard. 128x max forward, unit resumes same position in the movie even after powered off, pretty good response times from remote keys, etc.

All in all, this is a dynamite BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player. With the firmware upgrade, this guy will do just about anything that you can expect from a blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player right now!!

In addition to Blu-ray discs, the Samsung BD-P1400 can play standard-definition DVDs and CDs.

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

The BD-PBD-P1400's high-resolution soundtrack support is excellent. It has onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD High Resolution, which means it can output these soundtracks either in PCM format over the HDMI output or via the analog outputs. For newer receivers, the BD-P1400 also offers bitstream output for high-resolution soundtracks. So if you have a newer receiver with onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, you can set the BD-P1400 to output audio over HDMI in encoded bitstream format--letting your receiver do the decoding, rather than the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

There should be absolutely no sound quality difference whether you let the receiver decode or the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player decode, but some AV fans just love seeing the "Dolby TrueHD" light on their new receiver. If you need a Code free Converting DVD Disc Player for .95 Planet Omni also has that and they come with 2 warranties. So far, I am really happy with this purchase. I was not sure I made the right deal because of the negative reviews I read but bought it anyway.

I really don't know why people get upset when it only takes two minutes to get ready to play. I have used it several times with Blu-Ray disks rented from Netflix with no problems. I am still waiting for the eight free movies.

Connectivity is also solid. There's an HDMI output capable of carrying both 1080p video signals and high-resolution audio.

For high-def analog video, there's a component video output (limited to 1080i), and there's an S-Video output and a composite output for standard-def output. (As with all DVD BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player s, there is no DVD upscaling available via component video). On the audio side, there's the aforementioned HDMI output, along with 5.1-channel analog outputs, both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, and stereo analog outputs.

Rounding out the connectivity is an Ethernet port, which enables you to upgrade the firmware from the Internet--a feature that's been common to HD DVD Players, but very rare among Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Players.

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

The BD-P1400 did a good job of rendering the opening sequence of Star Trek: Insurrection, demonstrating its 2:3 pull-down prowess. Next up was Seabiscuit, and the BD-P1400 did a solid job with the difficult introduction, with few to no jaggies on the black and white photos.

MDOJ,

Just a quick update on the Samy BD-P1400. I have rented some BR's from Netflix and have really been enjoying the BD-P1400 - how about you? All the techno mumbo jumbo aside, as far as I'm concerned this is a great BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

I hope that the head dudes in charge of this forum will make a sticky for the Samsung BD-P1400 - hint - hint! watching home movies here...not saving lives.

The Samsung is a REALLY good unit for the price. The multi-region version is just 9.95 from Planet Omni and considering they use a double motherboard specially imported which must cost a fortune plus the intensive labor it's a real great bargain, IMHO.

I was able to plug my unit directly into my modem with a network cable (as per Samsungs directions in the user manual) and the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player found it's new firmware and loaded it up without the need for me to get on the computer, burn disks...etc. Very cool.

The Samsung has a great image and with the current update I can listen to DTS-HD Master Audio (Sony can't say that for twice the price!).

With the pace at which the technology is moving I think it is very difficult for a manufacturer to manufacture these units, get them to market and have them totally "current" with the new disk technology, (which is changing daily), but Samsung has provided me with a unit that I can just plug into my modem and get an update when they have it available. I think that is AMAZING.

A little patience and understanding can go a long way. After all...it wasn't that long ago that when you bought an electronic component, you couldn't update it at all. I am sure Samsung will come thru with an update soon. I have not run into any disks I could not play as of yet.

Having never seen a 1200 in action, I can't help you - but the BD-P1400 PQ is excellent, but that's what Blu is all about - right?

I have tried several BD's from Netflix as well as a few standard def DVD's. All were great. As far as the handshake issue, I'm not really sure what that is.... and for the off, then play thing... why would you want to do that in a movie anyways?

Great BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player, I couldn't be more happy I got the new BD-P1400 last week. returned the 1200 to get it. (plus 100 price difference in my favor. PROS= the pic quality is by far the best I've seen, even better then the panny I had.

Controls are easy and setup just the same. I don't like it loses the signal at the beginning of the discs.
AUDIO= I am not able to use all the audio features due to my ONKYO being a few years old. I have it setup with a digital optical cable, the sound is really excellent except for the POPS I get every now and then.

As for the BD discs, POTC about 2 minutes, have had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, with any other BD movies. I did notice that after I hit pause and went to hit play, the movie would play for a minute and then stop. I had to hit play again. No big deal.

Used the Ethernet port to download new firmware, can't tell the difference though. I am sorry I am not that technical but this is my blue collar review. any??????s I will answer the best I can

Just finished watching Casino Royale - spectacular!

I have a Playstation 3 that has awesome picture quality for both Blu-Ray and upscaling of Standard DVD's since a software upgrade. We use this for our main HD TV in the family room. I needed another BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player for a second HD TV we just had hung in our bedroom.

I waited for the BD-P1400 to become available since I already committed to the Blu-Ray format and wanted the latest technology available. I cannot say enough about the sound quality that this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player offers, it is unbelievable. The picture quality is excellent and on par with the Playstation 3. I am seriously considering purchasing a second BD-P1400 for our main set because of the outstanding sound. Great BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player especially for the money.

By far the best Blu-ray I ever tested. Never watch cartoons but now I'm spending a lot of time watching with my kids.

This is a great Blue Ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player. DTS HD MA bitstream finally. I have owned this product for about two months and am thrilled with it; it is really a good deal. I only use my Blu Ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player to play Blu Ray movies, since the sound is piped into a Samsung 5-disc receiver. The picture quality is amazing. I own four Blu Ray discs (which I purchased on Amazon at .99 each) and they all play beautifully, with no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, and a crystal clear picture.

I bought this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player in December. I hooked it up with an HDMI cable to a Sony Receiver. The Cable Box from Comcast is also hooked up to the receiver. The receiver is connected to a 42 inch Panasonic 1080P Plasma. Three HDMI cables, that is it.

It has worked flawlessly from the beginning with every Blu-Ray disc we have tried. We get about one a week from Netflix. I can play Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Not sure why the other reviewer could not.

The picture quality is stunning with Planet Earth. I guess I can credit the Panasonic TV mostly for that.

I did the version 1.2 firmware upgrade in December. I just did the version 1.5 firmware upgrade yesterday Feb 5th. I downloaded both and created the ISO CD.

To me it works fast. So you have to wait a few seconds for it to boot up, so what? Go get the DVD while you are waiting.

Most computers nowadays take minutes to boot. I imagine it will never get better, likely probably worse over time since these are in essence computers, and the more technology advances the slower these machines are to turn on and load up.

After doing the firmware upgrade, I checked my settings and noticed they had been reset. If you have a digital receiver, you should make sure that the audio is set to 'bit rate' and not PCM if you want surround sound.

I also had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, playing regular DVDs or CDs either. So when it becomes obsolete, it will replace my other DVD BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player and improve the quality of the regular DVDs with my other older 720P Samsung set.

I don't think anyone should delay buying because of the format war. The minute you buy anything nowadays, it becomes obsolete and is eventually a throw away. So you at least enjoy it while you can, life is too short. At the prices today what the heck, it is cheap, buy now before the dollar becomes worthless! You can get an entire home theatre 1080P HDMI based system with speakers for less than $[...] right now. Thank you China! I got my HDMI cables from Planet Omni, .95 for 2 meter length, superb images and sound!

Before I hooked this up, I updated the firmware via the Ethernet port. Once that was done I have had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, with the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player at all. I debated whether or not to buy this due to some negative reviews, but the deal was just too good to pass up for a stand alone. Those of you that have had problems with this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player have every right to complain about them here, that's what these reviews are for.

However, the people complaining it isn't 1.1 or 2.0 (no BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is 2.0 yet) should stop. Nowhere in the description does it say this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is supposed to be 1.1. If you want to inform people there are updates coming and this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player will not be able to benefit, go ahead, but to say it is horrible and obsolete because of it being 1.0 is misleading. I have a feeling most people want to just watch the movie and would rarely use the features of 1.1 (like picture in picture commentary).

If that's you, this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is perfect. If you need a 1.1 BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player, get the panasonic. For me this one will work fine for the next couple of years while Blu-ray gets its act together and finalizes an emerging product. I hope those of you that have had problems were able to get them resolved and can now enjoy the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player as I do.

I have had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible with the Samsung BD-PBD-P1400. I just plugged it in, connected it to the internet and started the firmware upgrade utility. After about 20 minutes, the firmware upgrade was successful and I played my first movie without a glitch. Every movie I've played since has also played flawlessly. You can also upgrade the firmware by burning a CD or if you don't have internet, Samsung will send it to you.

This product works just fine on blu-ray disks, also on non-European format DVDs, and on music CD-ROMs. I have found no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible with it. It even does a superior job of showing plain DVDs on my 40" TV, where my previous DVD BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player only would take up part of the screen.

One clever and undocumented touch is that it seeks out the right TV input choice once a disk is inserted. It may help that the TV is also a Samsung.
I got this on Nov.30, 2007, and unlike what other reviewers have said, the BD-P1400 does start back where you stopped. Everything else looks and works great.

I'm editing this review on March 13, 2008, to reflect my experience with the machine. It appears to me that whether a DVD will start back where it stopped depends on how the DVD was manufactured, NOT on the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player . Some DVDs, such as "LOST, Season 3", don't even have chapter/scene makers on them, much less the ability to restart after a stop.

Some DVDs, such as "3:10 to Yuma", actually have their own system for marking where you stop or where you may want to go back to, but otherwise require a restart from scratch. But some DVDs do restart where stopped.

My chief complaint with Blu-Ray (not necessarily with this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player in particular) is that it takes FOREVER for a DVD to start up, then if you do have a DVD that won't restart from where it stopped, you have to go through the painfully long start-up again.

I've learned to NEVER PAUSE a DVD, which causes it to shut down the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player after a few minutes. Instead, I keep it going at 1/8 speed, then when I come back, I can easily back up to where I was -- a lot faster than a restart.

If there is a better BR BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player anywhere near this price range, I haven't heard of it. Now that HD DVD has died, I hope that DVD makers will focus their attention on making BR DVDs work more easily and FASTER.

This is a great player. The only issue is the firmware upgrade. I used CD-R/RW burning method...easiest and fastest. Burn *.iso image using nero burning rom software. The instructions are in [...]/support. I have both HD-DVD and blu-ray. so far blu-ray is better. HD looks like upconverted DVD. Read the instructions carefully i.e. the new Blu-ray "Live Free Die Hard" contains a note letting you know the software upgrade may be needed.

Lastly, remember this is HDMI 1.3 compatible...so in order to use 1.3 capabilities, you need a cable and TV which is HDMI 1.3 compatible also....the picture is great. Buy this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player and upgrade the software right away.

I have read and continue to see many complaints about different blu-ray and hd-dvd BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player s not working like people hoped. I can say that with this model I have had absolutely zero issues.

I am sure some people will write that it doesn't load this or doesn't do that, but it hasn't affected me. I have not found a single disc that has not played perfectly. What people have to remember is that in this day and age everything is like a computer, you may have to update, it is part of life now, get over it.

Will the manufacturers eventually get this flawless, probably so but in the mean time I will be enjoying my movies now. If you are an early adopter like I am on technology then any issues you might run into will be no big deal. The BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is easy to setup, easy to play and loads reasonably fast. Glad I bought it and already thinking about a second one for different room.

Complete satisfaction with this product. Greatly enhances my regular dvd's. I was really surprised about this claim, but the Samsung does as advertised. The blu-ray disc audio is very good. Can't wait until hooking this up with my new surround system.

This product is money well spent for the viewing pleasure it gives. I highly recommend this product.

For its price this is a steal. The audio and video quality here is great, the quality and selection of Blu-ray is top notch and you can be fairly confident you'll be getting blu-ray format movies made for you for years to come. One of the better options for a dedicated BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player if you're not interested in the PS3.

Before deciding to purchase my Samsung BD-P1400 I studied many of these customer reviews and they were very useful. I also read a dedicated AV Science forum online concerning this model BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player. First, all of the information and customer reviews highlight the endemic problem that implementation of newer Blu-Ray standards is occurring gradually. Moreover, features are evolving, meaning that we are all taking some chances when we purchase any Blu-Ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player (that is not a PS3).

I personally have no interest whatsoever in owning a game console. Second, many of these reviews describe in conscientious detail the kinds of problems that people are having, as well as whether and how the problems have been overcome. This review adds data to that second category - practical problems.

When my BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player arrived the very first thing I did was install the latest firmware downloaded from the Samsung web site. I suggest the method that uses a cd rather than a direct network connection; in either case the manuals and web site offer complete directions. Be sure to *confirm that the update was successful* by restarting the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player , re-inserting the firmware cd, and comparing the disk version to the installed version.

What problems have I had? In a month of watching Netflix discs I have had not one single hiccup, not a single blue screen, no refusals to play any of the BDs or SD-DVDs that others have had problems with - I have had *nothing but perfect performance*! True, some of the other criticisms like slower controls are inherent to the technology. But my BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player has been flawless and my expectations have been significantly exceeded. Without hesitation, I give my BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player five stars.

Pros: My favorite feature, by far, is the 24 frame per second output mode. Movies display exactly as they were intended - be that good or bad - and 'judder' in slowly-panned scenes is significantly improved compared to 30 FPS. This alone, in my opinion, warrants the relatively modest price tag. [In direct comparisons using my 50" plasma TV, the video quality of movies from the BD-P1400 at 24 FPS is clearly superior to the same discs when played through advanced computer video cards that cost the same!] I also like the features and layout of the remote control, which doubles up to control my Samsung TV. Yes, these are basic features within the realm of Blu-Ray, but they have been very capably implemented.

Cons: My only nit-pick is that I would like a set-up feature that allowed the audio and video outputs to be delayed relative to each other by a selectable increment. This would allow perfect lip-sync when using older (i.e. slower) audio decoders/receivers that are not HDMI 1.3 compliant. However, to my knowledge this feature is not offered on *any* new Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player , since the HDMI 1.3 standard incorporates an automatic synchronization feature if all the components are HDMI 1.3 compatible.

Maybe I've been lucky, but I have not had a single 'playability' issue using the latest build of the latest firmware. Based on this - 5 stars.

Let's hope that Samsung will support this model well into the future by further optimizing the operating firmware, as needed.
In brief: Outstanding picture quality---my wife and I say, even for stills, "Polaroid picture!", breathtaking.

The unit has all the requisite connections. I play it through a Yamaha av-tuner with 7.1 channels, via HDMI, but other connections are available.

There is a simple blue-ringed on-off button, and a tray open-close button; that's it on on-board controls. The remote has several levels of sophistication: It is easy to find and use the power, pause-play-rewind-fast/slow controls, those you will use 99% of the time. The remote also provides movie menu controls (e.g., language), player menu controls, and options for controlling other devices---learn to use them only if/when you need them. There was absolutely no setting up to do---plug and play! Great neuro-ergonomics, i.e., intuitive ease of use.

In over three weeks of regular usage, we have noted some glitches, but it's not clear if it is the player itself or the emerging technology. Several times, the unit went into "Stop" mode as if the button had been pushed; I had to hit "Play" to get the movie started again. Mildly distracting.

What would I also like? Perhaps controls for the av amplifier as well, although that unit has all the buttons needed for TV, player, and amp. Maybe better backlighting on all buttons. This is one heck of a deal, recommended to anyone wanting to get into blu-ray.
Good BluRay DVD. Easy to use. High definition DVD's look great but regular DVD's look better too.

No problems found yet.

the Samsung 1400 is significantly superior to the Toshiba HD-A3. The BD-P1400 supports not only TrueHD, but DTS-HD MA bitstream output over HDMI. The A3 can only extract the DTS 'core' and cannot send bitstream DTS-HD MA out. Only the HD-A35 and the XA2 can do that, but both are significantly costlier than this player. The BD-P1400 can also output full 1080p/24 video, while the A3 can only send out 1080i and does not support 24fps output.

Both are slow to load up, but the A3 is significantly slower, taking almost 2 full minutes to warm up the player and display video on your monitor/screen. The PS3 takes less than 30 seconds btw. The A3 is also very noisy, distractingly so especially because it is a high pitched noise that is hard to ignore.

Overall, the BD-P1400 is a high functioning blu-ray stand alone player, that supports lossless audio output (PCM, TrueHD, and DTS-HD MA) and 1080p/24. I would still recommend a four hundred dollar PS3 over the BD-P1400, but if you really want a standalone player, you can't go wrong with the BD-P1400.
I don't actually own this player, but I have a friend who bought one and he loves it.

This is a excellent blu ray and I am very happy with my purchase, I recommend this player to everyone and the price is great.

It did NOT disappoint in the slightest. I have not had any problems playing any DVD Blu-ray or not. I have not had to download any firm-ware to solve ANY issues. The BD-P1400 worked straight out of the box. The only thing that comes close to a con is that it's slow on start-up and loading.

I am very satisfied with this player and I'm happy. All I can report is that mine works perfectly so far, and I have recommended it to many of my friends when asked for an opinion.

Works wonderfully with my new Samsung plasma... Haven't experienced any issues expressed by other reviewers. Connected with an HDMI to TV and optical audio to Home Theater... Breathtaking PQ and sound.

This Blu-Ray player is first-class. Easy setup. This is my first Hi-Def player, and I am very happy with my purchase. I did the latest firmware update per the instructions in the manual, and it has functioned flawlessly. The player has a modern, slick, glossy appearance. The sounds are incredible, and the images are too beautiful to be described. Very easy to install and use. I never knew the difference that a Blu-ray player can make in the movie watching experience. I am not an expert, just a regular mom that purchased the blu-ray player for family viewing.

I have had this player for about a month now...After updating the firmware, it has been flawless. Amazing picture, quiet unit, looks great in the entertainment rack along with my HD DVD player.

The upconversion is wonderful! Best part is I can use optical and take advantage of the new audio codecs.

I give this player 5 stars!

Not a single problem. I even have it in a tight spot with 2" clearance above top and open back with No overheating problems. None of my movies have locked up or have been unable to play. I have tried Live Free or Die Hard, all the Harry Potters, Planet Earth and others. Firmware 1.5 arrived on Jan 24th and it has seemed to fix all the problems others were having. I would definitely recommend this player to others.

I have a PS3 and a Sony 300 S Blu-ray player, and they are both excellent blu-ray players. However, I love my new Samsung 1400 BD it can decode DTS HD sound, and it makes for a wonderful movie watching experience. The first thing a new owner should do is go to samusung.com and download the latest firmware update (it is a fast simple process). There are also instructions on the owner's manual that explains how to update the player. I have watched the latest Blu-ray releases from Fox, Disney, Sony, etc. and the picture/sound quality is outstanding. Very pleased with the product.