Batman, Ultra Violet and Blinkbox With Warner Bros!
Yesterday I ventured into the big smoke with my blogging buddies Lou and Helen to attend the Warner Bros Bloggers Event at their head office in Central London. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a lifesize Batman and a six foot tall Happy Feet Mumbles penguin model. My love of movies was instantly re-ignited!
We were given the opportunity to find out more about the latest technologies in film viewing including Ultra Violet, blinkbox, Rovi, Flixster, X Box Live and PSN. We also had a sneaky peek of a brand new WB game due for release in Summer. There was a plethora of knowledgeable young men eager to chat about their areas of specialism, plus a constant supply of food and drink. I was set for a good couple of hours of being immersed in the Warner Bros. experience.
Here Inside the Wendy House, we love films. I was really interested to discover the new ways to watch them, utilising games consoles, tablets, laptops, iphones and PCs. The world of digital technology is opening up our viewing options allowing us to have movie experiences wherever, however and whenever we want them. With options to stream or download films, this is the future of movie entertainment.
I was particularly impressed with blinkbox which is a simple and easy to use, non-subscription based service enabling you to pay for the things that you want to watch and view them instantly. With a huge library of over 10,000 titles from all genres of movie and TV, blinkbox lets you watch movies on your Smart TV, games consoles (such as via XBox Live), PC or tablet. New films become available on the same day as they are released on DVD making your choices totally up to date. Films can be rented for 48 hours or purchased and remain on your account indefinitely. Excitingly, blinkbox has just become part of Tesco. Anytime you buy a new DVD release from Tesco and swipe your Clubcard, you will get a digital copy stored on your blinkbox account to watch anytime you like. I have made an account and am really impressed with the range of free films and shows available to watch and the special offer rentals which start at just 99p. I've already watched Battle Royale for free on my laptop! I was very pleased to see the series of Alcatraz on blinkbox as I missed the first two episodes...I'll be catching up tomorrow!
Ultra Violet seems to be the next step in flexible film viewing. Blu-Ray Triple Play Packs include a UV digital copy allowing you to watch your film on the go. The movies are stored in a free online personal library so they can be viewed on laptops, tablets or smart phones, anytime, anywhere. It adds another dimension to your choice when it comes to buying and watching films. Warner Bros are at the forefront of this, being the first studio to launch Ultra Violet enabled titles last year.
The real appeal of having 'virtual' copies of films as well as the original discs, is the fact that I will no longer have to deal with the unholy combination of kids and DVDs. I like my children having the independence of watching a film on their own terms, but hate the aftermath of sticky finger prints, scratches and lost discs. Letting them choose from a virtual library online will keep my discs safe and sound. Especially now when we are venturing into ugrading our collection to Blu-Ray and 3D Blu-Ray, the discs are more expensive and I'd hate to see them damaged by my over eager film buffs. I wonder how long it will be before hard copies become obselete?
Ultra Violet seems to be the next step in flexible film viewing. Blu-Ray Triple Play Packs include a UV digital copy allowing you to watch your film on the go. The movies are stored in a free online personal library so they can be viewed on laptops, tablets or smart phones, anytime, anywhere. It adds another dimension to your choice when it comes to buying and watching films. Warner Bros are at the forefront of this, being the first studio to launch Ultra Violet enabled titles last year.
The real appeal of having 'virtual' copies of films as well as the original discs, is the fact that I will no longer have to deal with the unholy combination of kids and DVDs. I like my children having the independence of watching a film on their own terms, but hate the aftermath of sticky finger prints, scratches and lost discs. Letting them choose from a virtual library online will keep my discs safe and sound. Especially now when we are venturing into ugrading our collection to Blu-Ray and 3D Blu-Ray, the discs are more expensive and I'd hate to see them damaged by my over eager film buffs. I wonder how long it will be before hard copies become obselete?
The highlight of the day for me was watching some of the yet to released game Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, being played by the supreme gamer Dan on a cinema size screen! I know it's a bit geeky but I thought it was totally awesome! We are big fans of the Lego videogame franchise having the Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Batman titles. I love the combination of humour, action, puzzles and animation that make up the games. They are sheer genius. The latest title takes the genre a step further with some amazing new features. The Dynamic Duo join forces with other DC super heroes to stop the notorious super villains from destroying Gotham City. The new and original story sees players fighting to get the bad guys back behind bars. The co-operative play is intuitive and entertaining, and the unlockable characters are a joy to behold! I won't give away too much as it is all a bit hush hush at the moment...but this is definitely going to be on my wishlist this summer!
A range of Lego toys: The Super Heroes DC Universe collection have just been released and include sets such as the Batcave and three buildable action figures. Well worth checking out! The Lego Joker was fantastic.
We were given a fantastic bundle of goodies to take home with us including some 3D Blu-Ray titles. My husband has now got the excuse he has been waiting for to invest in a 55" 3D TV. He has started Googling them already! On our way out, me and Lou took a look at an amazing display of genuine Harry Potter props including the Nimbus 2000 and a Death Eater mask. We got a bit over excited truth be told! Unfortunately the tight security did not allow photos to be taken, but trust me when I say it was quite incredible.
I left the event, very excited about the future of film, gaming and their associated technologies...thank you Warner Bros!
