Cranberry’s disks are supposed to be so durable and long-lasting because they “contain no dye layers, adhesive layers or reflective materials that could deteriorate.” Supposedly data is etched far more deeply into the disks than with traditional DVDs (using Cranberry’s special burners, of course). You can either buy one of those burners for five grand or upload your data to the company’s website and let them do the hard work for you. Either way, the longevity of these disks seems a little bit too good to be true. [Computer World via Slashdot]

Lots of gear still that’s still kicking around only has an analogue connection with digital video recorders (DVRs): like TiVos and Slingboxes made before 2004. And what about your TV? You’d likely be forced to upgrade to gear with digital ports (like HDMI) to watch movies protected with Selectable Output Control (SOC).

The studios are desperate to show on-demand movies over cable prior to their DVD release, but claim they can’t without so without SOC. They say the tech protects their revenue by blocking easy analogue copying — the so called “analogue hole“. Problem is, DVDs (a supposed secure format) get ripped and shared online anyway.

Not only that, but it’s almost a moot point. Warner Brothers (who signed the original SOC petition last year) released Observe and Report and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past for video-on-demand (VoD) this September — before their DVDs hit stores. Consumer advocacy groups, like Public Knowledge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), also point out that Magnolia Pictures, distributors like IFC Films and more recently, Starz Media, are also doing VoD before DVD.

The MPAA says that the outputs would only be disabled for the new movies, and wouldn’t impact any existing content. And they make the fair point that there’s always a lag between new experiences early adopters get compared to those with older gear.

But I’m sorry MPAA, pull your head out of your arse. DVDs still get ripped, and one of the very studios you represent is still releasing on-demand movies prior to their DVD release. Why bother? Think about the huge customer base you’re alienating, and stay away from the back of my TV. [Public Knowledge and PC Magazine via BoingBoing]

That $2.99 is a nightly fee, so if you don’t get around to returning the film, you’ll end up paying $2.99 each night you hang onto it. That can wind up costing you a pretty penny. The good news is that if you don’t return it within 14 days, the movie is yours to keep for $36, which is automatically charged to your credit card. Coupl ethat with the original $3 renatl fee, and you’re looking at almost $40 for a disc that would cost you anywhere between $15 and $30 in stores.

What’s more, the nightly fee is only charged when you return the movie, so if you reach 13 nights before you return it, you may as well just keep it – it’ll be cheaper for you.

Having said all that though, there is a lot of potential here – not only is your first rental free, but they also have “Free oovie Wednesdays” where you can grab a disc for nothing on a Wednesday. If you’re diligent in watching and returning your discs, this could be a great way to enjoy free films.

There are 80 kiosks now in NSW and Victoria, and the company plans on expanding that number to over 1000 over the next two years. But for me, I think I’ll stick with options like iTunes, Foxtel and the upcoming Xbox movies option to get my entertainment on…

[oovie]

Available in 19, 22 and 26-inch screen sizes, the screens all feature a stand that swivels vertically for wall mounting, a built in DVD player (obviously), an integrated digital tuner and at least one HDMI input (the 26-inch has two). The 19-inch model also has Toshy’s first 6-star MEPS rating. They’re all only 1366 x 768 resolution, but considering their minute screen sizes, that’s all you need anyway.

Pricing is pretty sweet, with the 19-inch costing $849, 22-inch for $949 and 26-inch for $1,049, although you’ll almost certainly be able to pick one up for less.

Toshiba also have a promotion running where you can get a free inverter, which’ll let you power up the screen from a DC power source. you know, in case you want to watch Watchmen on your next camping trip. As you do…

[Toshiba]

Myles Weathers, a (former) postal sorting facility employee from Springfield, Massachusetts, was busted removing DVDs from Netflix envelopes and placing them in his backpack. That’s a little dumb. What’s really dumb is that Weathers was caught on camera following a Netflix investigation as to why all these people in the area were calling in their DVDs as MIA.

Weathers pleaded guilty to the theft of 3012 DVDs (now recovered) valued at $US36,471, and he may get up to five years in prison when he’s sentenced this December. Then again, it could be worse. [The Smoking Gun via CrunchGear and image]

A customer “eventually” notified the manager, and the DVD was removed from the player. “Eventually” as in, “after we all got our fill of the hot action”. So that’s what this guy was looking at! [swtimes via obscuredrugstore]

The winners are:
MDolley, Nigel, Sachiel Lordaeron, Washington Sanchez, Jonno, Richard, Rob, GGP, AdamC, Indefinite Implosion.

Congratulations to the winners. Expect an email in your inbox shortly explaining what happens next. For everyone else, stay tuned for our next comp coming up soon.

The prize in this case is one of 10 copies of Stargate SG-1 Children of the Gods: The Final Cut. The question: “What kind of alien world would you like to travel to if you owned a Stargate?”. The details: answer in comments below. Entries close on Saturday (that’s tomorrow!) and winners will be announced Monday next week.

Good Luck!

[T&Cs]

To be in the running, simply tell us in 25 words or less in the comments below, “What kind of alien world would you like to travel to if you owned a Stargate?” The competition will close at 5pm on Saturday, Sept 5 2009, and we’ll announce winners next Monday.

Good luck!

[T&Cs]

As a Gizmodian, you owe it to yourself to go in the running to win one of 10 copies of the freshly remastered DVD copies of Stargate SG-1 Children of the Gods: The Final Cut. To enter, simply tell us in 25 words or less in the comments below, “What kind of alien world would you like to travel to if you owned a Stargate?” The competition will close at 5pm on Saturday, Sept 5 2009, and we’ll announce winners next Monday.

Good luck!

[T&Cs]