To improve my own Netflix experience, I built a search engine that searches Instant Watch titles exclusively.  Keeping it updated is a bit of a pain, but it has made searching for Instant Watch titles a lot less painful.  Since it helped me so much, I decided to make it available for all to use.  Here’s the link:

http://netflix.softworksdevelopment.com

Let me know what you think.  If you find any inconsistencies, or you can think of any ways to improve the site, feel free to leave a comment.  Happy searching!

I had Sega Channel as a teenager, and it never occurred to me to record the intro screens and menus for posterity’s sake.  In fact, the possibility of such footage never even crossed my mind until I ran across these videos on YouTube.

As a huge SEGA fan, I owe Azuritereaction a debt of gratitude for posting these videos.

http://dev.softworksdevelopment.com/nationaldebt/

I downloaded the data from Treasury Direct, and wrote the application using Adobe Flex 2, MySQL and AMFPHP.

A key issue for delivering movies online is that the studios require use of DRM (Digital Rights Management) to protect titles. And that’s our holdup for the Mac - there’s not yet a studio-sanctioned, publicly-available Mac DRM solution (Apple doesn’t license theirs). I can promise you that, when an approved solution becomes available for the Mac, we’ll be there. I’ll also say that Silverlight 1.1 looks like a promising candidate - but that its DRM isn’t likely to be fully available until 2008.

Well, it seems like our wait is FINALLY over.  Netflix is allowing customers to beta test the new version of their player which works on PCs and Intel-based Macs.  You are required to opt-in before using the new player, but before you do so, Netflix would like you to consider a few things:

1. There may be bugs. We are logging all errors, but if you run into problems you can help out by posting details here in the blog comments.
2. Not all movies are available to watch with Silverlight. You may notice errors or lower than normal quality when watching certain titles.
3. Our new player works on PCs and Intel-based Macs.
4. Windows users should be aware that if you opt in, you will need to use Silverlight on all the machines you use to watch instantly.

If you have used the new beta player, please feel free to post your thoughts.  I have been using it since November 1st, and I love it so far.  Streaming seems much faster, playback resumes very quickly after skipping forward or backward to a different part of the movie, and IT WORKS ON MY MAC! 

Beta opt-in:
http://www.netflix.com/silverlightoptin

Read the official opt-in annoucement / report bugs:
http://blog.netflix.com/2008/10/opt-in-for-new-netflix-movie-player.html

Instant watching on Mac, Firefox and more… by Steve Novoselac:
http://blog.netflix.com/2007/08/instant-watching-on-mac-firefox-and.html

Well, it’s time for me to catch some z’s. Catch you guys later.

American Beauty is just that, a beautiful example of American cinema. To be quite frank, I have not been this pleased with a film since seeing Pulp Fiction back in ‘94, but that is beside the point. Sam Mendes has created a movie that makes us laugh, cringe, drop our jaws, and ultimately makes us cry, all during the course of two hours.

Perhaps the best thing about this movie is that it does not focus on any one character, but instead, takes us on a yearlong journey through each of the characters’ lives. Other movies have attempted this (Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam comes to mind), but American Beauty transcends our every expectation. The mistake that these other films make is that the plot becomes scattered, and the compassion we are supposed to feel for the characters is lost. In American Beauty however, our emotions pour out to each of the major characters.

Our story begins with a man named Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) who has reached what many people refer to as a midlife crisis. He feels his life has no purpose, his marriage is non-existent, his daughter hates him and his job is unfulfilling. All he wants a way out. A way to recapture his youth. In a way, everyone in this film is yearning for something. Next we have his wife Carolyn (Annette Benning). Carolyn is a woman who has become so engulfed in her work that it has taken over every aspect of her life. “You must project an image of success” becomes her motto, and spills over into her home life. Lester at one point mentions that her shears matching her shoes is no accident, and that she had not always been like that.

These two are not the only people looking for something more. Enter Jane (Thora Birch), Lester and Carolyn’s daughter. She is a young woman plagued by teenage self-esteem problems, who feels she is as ordinary as they come. As her friend Angela (Mina Suvari) tells her, “There’s nothing worse than being ordinary.” There are many other characters in this film, whose stories I will leave you to discover, that have equally compelling stories. One of these is sure to relate to you in one way or another. You may even find their methods of satisfying their needs familiar to your life (I hope not all of them though). That is what makes American Beauty so powerful.

When you do see this movie, if you haven’t already, be sure to watch for symbolism throughout. Perhaps the best example is near the end of the film. There is a moment of realization for Lester Burnham, where everything seems right, but the outcome exemplifies how many things end in life. There is also one line that Lester speaks that captures all of life with a few words. You have no idea what I am talking about now, but think about this again after you see the it. Just look beyond the actual events, and hopefully you will see the underlying meanings therein.

Overall, this is an excellent film that I recommend everyone see at least twice. I have seen it twice, and I still feel the need to view it again. The full essence of this beautiful American film can not be appreciated with a single viewing.

It wasn’t a horrible system by any means, it just wasn’t the right console for me. To be honest, I should have done more research before I bought it. I was enticed by the revolutionary controls, and even though 3rd party support was sparse at best, I figured it would pick up eventually. Well…it didn’t. After owning the Wii for almost a year, I had a grand total of three games: Resident Evil, Super Monkey Ball and Nights.  They were all decent games, but with the exception of Nights…they were all titles I could buy for last gen systems in one form or another. I love online gaming, fps games, fighting games and shmups…so after a year of ownership, it was quite clear that I made the wrong decision. So, I decided it was time for a change.

Hello Xbox 360

Since my last console purchase didn’t work out so well, I decided to do more research this time around. After looking at the existing game libraries, upcoming releases, and online offerings, I decided that the 360 was the better fit for me.

I have owned it for about three weeks now, and I am very happy with my purchase. I bought GTA IV and COD 4 with the console, and both are phenomenal games. The graphics are simply amazing, I love the 360 controller, and Xbox Live has also proven to be a very fulfilling online experience.

I am also very impressed with the titles offered through Xbox Live Arcade. I purchased Rez HD and Ikaruga on day one, and I was completely blown away. Not only did I purchase these games for ridiculously low prices…they are better than the originals. I have also read rumors that Radiant Silvergun may be coming to XBLA. If this proves true…I will be in gaming heaven.

Capcom Vs. SNK 2

As if I hadn’t spent enough dough on games this month, I decided it was time to re-buy Capcom Vs. SNK 2 for my Dreamcast. I owned this game a few years back, but I sold it when I needed quick money. Dumb eh?

The good news is, I didn’t have to hunt for it. I went a local import shop…and they had it in stock. Not only did they have it in stock, it only cost me $29.99. I call that a steal! LOL