Macgirl's Media Pick of the Week: Pixar in HD! Now on iTunes

I was perusing iTunes for something new to buy (always gets me in trouble with the Mr...), and I came across the banner "Pixar in HD", which of course piqued my interest.  I then discovered that Wall-E is available for download in HD from iTunes.  I have to marvel- it was only a tiny bit ago that I could only buy such things in a store, and it was not available to me at a moment's notice---now, I can watch Wall-E anytime, from anywhere!  

Pixar also released HD versions of Monsters, Inc., Ratatouille, and A Bugs Life (of which a DVD shipped with my iMac DVSE, ah, those were the days...).   It couldn't be easier to find and watch, and without the mess and waste of plastic and stickers and such.  If you are a collector, you'll still want to own the blue-ray or DVD.  But for most, a trash-free HD version straight to your computer is a beautiful thing.  Yay for less waste!

Zune Tries a Smart Marketing Angle

You probably have an iPod (iPhone). Your friends probably have iPods. So who doesn't have an iPod? (hey, keep it clean!) I'll tell you who: people who primarily listen to the radio. Microsoft has found a way to cleverly reach that audience without alienating radio stations.

The Zune HD touts as one of its features the fact that it receives HD radio signals. Perfect! Now you can hear all the bad stuff* on radio in higher quality! By working with radio rather than against it, Microsoft can reach those people who aren't already plugged into their white earbuds.

Coincidentally, I was listening to the Kidd Kraddick show yesterday, driving in another town. (probably first and last time listening) The host and his sidekicks started wondering aloud whether Apple had lost its coolness, and was getting too big. This was about 20 minutes after an ad for the Zune HD on the same show. Coincidence? Quite honestly, it probably was, but Microsoft might have just found the right cheerleaders in commercial radio to get those who haven't bought an iPod to choose the Zune.

*Full disclosure: Once upon a time, I worked as a radio DJ (or on-air personality as many prefer). And of course when I say "all radio is bad" that's a generalization. Also, while I didn't enjoy his show, props to Kidd Kraddick who secretly kept the zanies coming on stations with his Bit Board service, that delivered 75% of those cool ideas your morning DJ would "come up with."

iTunes' Grey Screen of Death

On the assignment board here at TDL, it looked like a good way to spend an hour: I planned on watching Southland on iTunes, and write about it being available on iTunes ahead of its TV debut (tonight). But that's when it happened: The iTunes Grey Screen of Death: iGSOD. The computer I chose to watch the new release on is an original MacPro attached to a DVI monitor. And guess what? along with reports of issues playing content on dvi monitors on new Macs with DisplayPorts, It turns out a firmware upgrade from two years ago could be the culprit keeping MacPro users from watching HD movies/TV (interestingly, clips downloaded pre 8.1 play fine.)

Oh well, I guess I'll just watch it on TV. You know, that big screen in the living room that digital downloads could make obsolete if it wasn't for silly issues like this.

HomeDock HD Product Review

DLO's HomeDock HD promises to bring your iPod content to your HDTV in HD quality. Two small problems though: First, it only ships with an RCA component cable, and second the content on your iPod is well below HD quality to begin with.

The dock does offer a simple, intuitive interface, and great audio quality through both its optical and HDMI outputs. Also I'm always a sucker for a an iPod accessory with robust backwards capability. We tested the unit with an iPod Mini, iPhone, and 5th gen iPod. All three were able to be controlled remotely via the dock.

Still, the $199 price point is hard to swallow. After all, for just a bit more, you could buy an Apple TV and at least have an opportunity to rent "true" HD content. (In fairness, the Apple TV doesn't include an HDMI cable either)

For $40 or $50, it would be a steal, especially for those of us with multiple iPods sitting around the house.  At $199, though, and since Apple currently doesn't have HD content on any iPod, you might want to pass. Full video review below: (Click here to buy from Amazon.)