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Powerful One Terabyte High Definition DVR With Integrated Slingbox Features Radical Departure From Traditional STB by Introducing Touchpad Remote Control and Tile-Based User Interface.

EchoStar Technologies LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), introduced today at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show the EchoStar SlingLoaded(TM) 922 HD DVR, the world’s first high definition digital video recorder that incorporates Sling Media’s patented placeshifting technology.

The EchoStar 922’s unique user interface and remote control were selected as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award honorees. Demonstrations of the 922 will be held in the Sling Media, Inc., booth and in the DISH Network Corporation booth located in the southeast corner of Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 8-11.

The EchoStar 922 is an entertainment centerpiece combining the best of video and IP technologies into a stylish, black-chassis, set-top box displaying a capacitive-touch, backlit front bezel. By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology, the EchoStar 922 allows TV aficionados to watch and control their favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere in the world via a broadband Internet connection on their laptop or mobile phone. Accessing multiple video sources, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The EchoStar 922 features a massive 1 terabyte hard drive for up to 1,000 hours of storage and supports connecting an external hard drive for more storage.

The EchoStar 922 is a revolutionary departure from the traditional cable or satellite set-top box. Its touchpad remote control, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control, gives users cursor-like navigation on their TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of widget-like tiles and pop-up menus, all selectable by an underside index finger trigger. These radio frequency remote controls offer two-way learning of codes from other AV equipment remote controls and can store DVR timers, favorites lists and other viewer preferences for ease of resetting or replacing equipment.The new user interface goes beyond traditional text-based user interfaces by using movie poster graphics, tiles or widget-based menus, and cursor-type navigation for a powerful yet simplified user experience that is highly adaptable to future applications. The EchoStar 922’s menu displays integrated RSS feeds, giving viewers instant access to national news, weather, sports, and stock quotes. The 922 also organizes channels by channel name or number.

The EchoStar 922 can be controlled via the Internet using SlingGuide(TM), a new web-based way to control your TV viewing experience. SlingGuide features a powerful search engine for the TV and the ability to schedule the EchoStar 922 DVR timers remotely.

Other 922 features include the following:

–  Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i, and 480p.
–  Internet-delivered Video on Demand.
–  Users can move forward one day at a time in the guide while browsing a
full or partial screen program guide.
–  Connect to the home network via Ethernet, HomePlug Turbo (using home
power lines), or WiFi (with optional WiFi adapter).
–  Comprehensive search capability across all available video sources,
including IP, VOD, linear TV or DVR.
–  Intuitive timer creation and DVR management, allowing users to
categorize programming by groups (video source, title, genres) or by
content description (date, length, ratings and more).
–  Load photos, MP3s and selected Internet content.
–  Future upgrades may include photo sharing, movie ticket purchases,
family calendar, instant messaging, streaming audio, and ability to
transfer content within a home network.

Digital media operators, including cable, telco and satellite, can benefit from the design and engineering expertise of EchoStar and the features of its 922, including its ability to reduce operational-related customer calls while providing a platform for launching multiple customer-requested content and features beyond linear programming. Diagnostic software tools allow service providers to analyze and cater to the needs of their overall customer base, improving customer service and reducing churn.

“EchoStar and Sling’s software and hardware engineers have created one of the most powerful set-top boxes ever made, with the ability to watch television and other media anywhere in the home or anyplace in the world,” said Mark Jackson, president of EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. “Embedding the SlingLoaded suite of technologies, we’re harnessing the robust search and discovery tools we take for granted on the Internet and bringing them to the DVR. In short, SlingLoaded technologies are redefining what a set-top box is.”

EchoStar will deliver the EchoStar 922 to its first operator, DISH Network, in spring 2009 as the HD DuoDVR(TM) SlingLoaded(TM) ViP® 922, furnishing satellite TV customers with a break-through TV experience and letting DISH Network customers take their favorite shows on the road or into another room. EchoStar will also leverage the features of the 922 by announcing this spring a tru2way SlingLoaded STB for trials for the cable industry.

Sources: SlingMedia & CNN

Is this new video service from NBC/Universal and Fox a preview of how we’ll get our online TV shows and movies in the near future?

Big Hollywood studios take a somewhat scattered approach to distributing their video online, using a combination of their own Web sites, sites they’ve invested in (like Movielink), and popular third-party storefronts like iTunes.

But analysts say studios eventually want to sell video directly to consumers, either from their own sites or in small joint ventures with other studios.

That ’s why the October debut of Hulu, a web video joint venture between NBC/Universal (owned by GTE) and Fox (owned by News Corp.), is a notable date in TV and movies’ transition to the Web. Portals like Hulu may eventually be the places where we go online to buy mainstream TV and movies.

Using Hulu’s “private” beta with permission, I watched a good deal of the free service over the course of a weekend. I found Hulu’s content selection impressive, the video quality at least passable, the site design elegant and simple, and the navigation and community features mainly useful.

Hulu’s only sour note is the rather harsh restrictions that its Old Guard studio owners place on when and where and for how long you can watch the videos

Impressive Content

Contrary to the hype leading up to Hulu’s coming out, the site is not designed to be a “YouTube killer”. Hulu’s main draw is current, prime time TV shows like Heroes, House, Scrubs, and The Simpsons. Hulu also features some old TV series episodes (Kojak, Night Gallery), and a few old movies (The Blues Brothers, The Breakfast Club), plus some clips (like Saturday Night Live bits), movie trailers, and a few viral videos thrown in for good measure.

Video Quality: Not Bad

I watched Hulu on a Gateway home computer connected to the Internet using a 1.5 Mbps AT&T DSL line. The quality of Hulu’s video isn’t perfect, but I found it quite watchable, despite some slight pixilation and a few hiccups in the audio and video.

When I moved the navigation slider to a future point in the program, however, I saw a considerable amount of stopping and starting as the stream buffered. These things are, of course, more noticeable when you switch into full-screen mode, and any such service is only as good as the broadband pipe it comes in on.

Still, Hulu is among the best attempts I’ve seen yet at streaming video at high quality over the public Internet.

Navigation and Community Tools

Hulu’s designers appear to have done their homework, assembling a sort of “greatest hits” of navigation and community tools in the interface. The Embed tool spits out the HTML you’ll need to host Hulu video at your site or blog. The “Details” button gives you information on the show you’re watching, such as its episode number and original air date.

The designers may have borrowed the “Lower Lights” feature from Stage 6, which dims every pixel on your monitor except those within the video window. Hulu does feature one tool I hadn’t seen elsewhere: Within Hulu’s video share tool, you can use a simple slider tool to chop out a clip from a show and enclose it with a note to a friend.

source: Mark Sullivan, PC World

Amazing episode.Best of the season by far! Every piece of the puzzle (so far) has begun to fall into place. With only 2 episodes left it makes you wonder how they can squeeze everything in. Anyways, below is a link to the episode as well as a review care of TV Squad

Heroes S2 E9

Review

Just when you thought Mohinder couldn’t get any stupider, he goes and shoots Noah Bennet in the eye. He is really in too deep with this company. And lately, he is making Matt Parkman look like a genius. (Wait, did Parkman just make me say that? Dumb joke, I know.) More on this after the jump because it basically took up the whole episode.

But before I go through all the storylines for this week, let me just say that I was so relieved that those ridiculous mascara-plague twins were absent from this week’s Heroes. And just so I don’t get too excited about it, I put a picture of them in the post to remind me that they are still on the show. (However, they are the vehicle to get the devilish Sylar back in the states so I suppose I forgive them on some level.)

Claire Bennet, Noah Bennet (H.R.G.), and West
We begin in Costa Verde, CA. We spend most of the episode there in fact. The Bennets are getting ready to skip town but as Claire told her father before, she’s not going with them. Citing West as an example, she confronts her father about the bad things he did as a soldier of the company. This conversation could have benefited from a rewrite, I think. When Noah picks up the tape like he’s going to tie Claire up, I thought, that’s a little over the top.

Claire leaves to find West (by spelling out S-O-R-R-Y with rocks). She tells him about the fight and how she’s staying in Costa Verde for him but he doesn’t believe her (teen drama alert!). West leaves because he says he needs time to figure things out. He thinks Claire and her father are working together.

Meanwhile, Noah has some explaining to do to his wife who witnessed the verbal altercation (duct tape and all). He shows his wife the future paintings. She doesn’t really get it–no big surprise there. Then he leaves to go find Claire and West sweeps him into the air. This air assault was a cool Heroes moment I must admit (a great shot right before a commercial).

West interrogates Noah in the air to find out about Claire’s involvement with him. I liked how they ended up working together to save Claire. I like West’s character. I know lots of people hate him but I don’t see why. He’s not that annoying (not like those twins).

Mohinder Suresh, Bob & Elle
Mohinder, Bob and Elle go to Southern California for two reasons: to get Claire’s blood and to kill Noah Bennet. Bob tries to convince Mohinder that Noah is a threat and should be “taken out” but Mohinder is skeptical about killing him (always wanting to do the right thing and the least harm). He does agree that Claire’s blood is needed to cure Niki though.

Elle always wants to kill Noah (two reasons again: it’s the logical thing to do from her and her father’s perspective and she’s slightly unhinged so she takes pleasure in killing people). But Mohinder persuades them both to follow his plan. After Noah calls looking for Molly’s help to find West, Mohinder calls back with a fake location. Of course, Noah is with West at the time so he’s knows it’s a bluff.

While Mohinder and Elle go to meet Noah (and West), Bob goes to abduct Claire. Did he really fudge her name when he spoke to her on the football field? I couldn’t tell if that was an honest mistake only because Bob doesn’t look like the kind of guy that makes mistakes. Either way, Bob follows Claire home and kidnaps her at gunpoint.

Mohinder thinks that he’s got Noah under control (and if he doesn’t Elle will zap him). But, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a flying teenager come to clothesline the electricity girl. By the way, West is getting good at swooping people off the ground.

Noah vs. Bob, The Showdown

Now Bob has Claire and Noah has Elle. Was it just me or did you kind of enjoy Elle getting a taste of the pain she so easily inflicts on everyone else? What an easy way to contain her too. Why didn’t they just keep her clothes and hair wet for the exchange? A dry Elle is a super-charged, super-pissed off Elle.

The exchange is going pretty smoothly when Elle zaps West (who is holding Claire) out of the air. Noah then shoots Elle in the arm. I thought he was a better shot than that. Noah is about to shoot Bob but Mohinder shoots him in the eyeball. Right in the eyeball. And when did the genetics doctor learn how to aim a gun?

I actually thought they were going to kill someone off for real this time. But no, Noah is back by virtue of Claire’s blood with a new eyeball. I wonder if he will still need glasses?

Parkman & Molly
Matt Parkman is becoming his father. I was wondering if they were going to draw out this transition for another episode but I guess not. Parkman first uses his powers to persuade Molly to be a normal girl after she offers to help him find the rest of the people in the picture. The look on his face shows that he’s a little surprised with and even scared of his new, improved ability.

Then he uses his power on his boss and sees that it can be very advantageous to control other people’s thoughts. What would Professor Xavier think? A little unethical if you ask me. Ethics aside, he gets more time to investigate Kaito Nakamura’s death and interview Angela Petrelli.

Parkman then has a battle of the mind powers with Angela who accuses him of turning into his father and scolds him for meddling in the business of her generation. After suffering a Parkman headache and a bloody nose, she gives up the last name in the picture.

I wonder if Parkman will turn into a villain with his evolved power. I think it’s cliche to have him turn into his dad. However, the “new nightmare man” could make for an interesting situation with Molly. But, from what we know of Parkman’s character (meek, righteous, caring, not so sharp), I don’t think it makes sense for him to exploit his power the way his father did.

Hiro
It was nice to see Hiro get some closure and a new mission this episode. We first see him at his father’s funeral but he refuses to give the eulogy and tells Ando he is going back in time to save his father. However, when he gets there, Kaito Nakamura, a man who believes in fate, turns down the opportunity to save his own life.

In an effort to convince his father to live, Hiro takes him back to the funeral of his wife/Hiro’s mother. I thought maybe Kaito would concede and allow his son to alter time to rescue him at this point. But, alas, no, he is really dead (maybe they will bring him back…like D.L. and then kill him again…like D.L.).

Hiro talks to his younger self and in effect teaches himself his father’s lesson. Finally, his father’s words make sense to Hiro: “We have the power of the gods. That doesn’t mean we can play God.” While Hiro doesn’t “play God” and save his father, he does use his power to uncover who murdered him: Kensei. I like that Hiro’s vendetta against Kensei will create trouble in his relationship with Peter Petrelli. They have worked on the same side before but how will Adam/Kensei affect things?

This was a great episode. You learn a lot about what had happened between season one and two. A lot more than expected. My only beef with this episode is how they offed D.L. I mean, come on! Just the irony alone of a guy who can pass through solid objects, be killed by a solid object - a bullet. More thought could have been put into his death. Aside from that nonsense, great episode! See below for a link, and also a review care of TV Squad

Heroes S2 E8

 Review

So, if you’re a hero, a lot can happen in four months. And, apparently, a lot is going to happen in the next three episodes as our favorite heroes have to save the world (and probably the cheerleader) again. From those scenes from next week’s Heroes, it looks like there may be a stand-off coming between the two father-daughter pairs on the show (Noah/Claire & Bob/Elle). I can’t wait to see that.

Some may disagree with me, but I thought this was a great episode. I know nothing really moved forward in the “present-day plot” so to speak, but we got a lot of much-needed answers about some of the key players on the show. And, most importantly, Peter Petrelli got his memory back. Brainless Peter was just annoying.

The episode was bookended with scenes in the Montreal warehouse. The beginning scene was basically the same one from last week. Peter throws a lightning bolt which is consumed by Adam’s hand. They clearly know each other, but how? They are clearly comrades and this is their rendezvous point, but in what way, and why? By the end, we are back in Montreal and everything (well, almost everything) makes sense.

But in between the show took us back to the first time the heroes saved the world and explained a lot about how we got to where we are now. Most of the episode, much to the dismay of cheerleader fans and Hiro fans, focused on Peter. But I think we needed it . We needed to find out what happened in between Peter saving the world and losing his memory.

Peter and Nathan
I’m sure everyone remembers Nathan flying Peter into outer space to save the world (well, really just New York city). Apparently, Peter told Nathan to let go of him so he could explode, reanimate, and fly back to catch his dying brother. Whoa, I wonder if the cheerleader or Adam exploded, could they reanimate that quickly?

Peter brings his brother to a hospital (because I’m sure regular hospitals can cure a man who has been charred by radioactive energy). However, his plan doesn’t go too far because he gets zapped by the sadistic Elle. I was happy to see her back this episode.

Peter (during his stay at the company)
Peter is brought to the company headquarters (presumably the same place they are holding little Mollie and crazy Nikki). At first, Peter completely subscribes to what Bob and Elle are telling him: they can help him by turning off his powers. He even finds out some background information about electricity girl. She burnt down her grandma’s house, she shut down a few counties with a blackout, and she has lived at the company headquarters for the better part of her life. She is lonely and eager to get to know Peter. By the way, her version of getting to know him is zapping him everyday and getting a kinky pleasure out of it.

Peter thinks he is being cured but then he starts talking to Adam who says that the company is full of it and convinces Peter to break out. I think I really like this duo. I like Adam Monroe more than I liked Kensei too. Unlike the drunken uncaring Kensei, Adam takes ownership of his powers (clearly he is an evolved version of himself). The two finally meet face to face after Peter regains his powers and walks through the cell wall. Adam uses his blood to heal the crispy Nathan and the two make for their escape.

But, Elle catches them and disables them with a bolt of electricity. She goes to take care of Adam and sends the Haitian to grab Peter. The Haitian locks Peter in the shipping container and tells him that he deserves to choose his own fate. See, if I could choose my own fate, I would choose to keep my memory, but that’s just me. To sum up, we found out how Peter ended up shirtless and dirty in a shipping container with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

D.L., Nikki, and Micah

So, D.L. is not dead. No, wait, he’s dead again now. What was the point of bringing him back for forty minutes? We know he loves Nikki. He took a bullet for her last season. Yet our first scene of the super family is at the hospital with a doctor telling Nikki and Micah the good news. Here’s why I think they brought him back. Paying the hefty doctor’s bills is a good way for Bob to worm his way into Nikki’s heart. This way he could make his offer about coming in for tests to get her wacko self under control. I’m still waiting to meet the intelligent side of Nikki’s personality. Sure, go run some tests with the company. They are very trustworthy.

Of course Nikki doesn’t accept Bob’s magnanimous offer, but tries an at-home remedy instead. The three go back to their lives and try to pretend like they don’t have super powers. (To clarify, D.L. and Micah have super powers. Nikki just has an infestation of crazy women who live inside her head–a step up from Maya’s wonderful power, if you ask me.)

But living a normal life of a car salesperson doesn’t last long because Gina (a new slutty personality) takes over Nikki’s body. Gina goes to L.A. where she does cocaine and dances with a sleazy guy. D.L. is magically able to locate her in a matter of hours and comes to the rescue. But, alas, he gets shot…again….in the chest. Hopefully this time he will stay dead. Oh, but before D.L. gets shot again, he saves a little girl in a fire. A scene that was sweet but completely unnecessary.

Alejandro and Maya

Alejandro gets married much to Maya’s dismay. He’s only known the girl for four months and his bride is clearly still in love with Roberto. Maya finds the two having sex and when she threatens to tell her brother, Roberto starts choking her. Bad idea, dude. You don’t want to find out what happens when Maya’s mascara starts running. I called it right when I heard the conversation between Maya and Alejandro while they were dancing. I said to my husband, “She is going to find that bride cheating on her brother and kill the whole town.” Not like this was much to be proud of because when those twins are around, people usually die by suffocation and black mascara. We didn’t get too many big answers about them. We just got a bit more of their story (i.e. the first time she used her powers, the first time he brought her back from the “dark side,” and how they became outlaws).

Mama Petrelli

So I have to bring this up. Does anyone else think that Peter and Nathan’s mother has powers too? Has this been hinted at before? Did I miss something crucial (I think I may have.)? She is one of the key players in the company and Linderman had powers but that doesn’t mean that everyone that works for the company is special. It just seemed like she was “persuading” Heidi to do her bidding in this episode. All those shots of Mama Petrelli touching her when she spoke were weird and kind of ominous. She does have two very powerful sons so it would only make sense that she too had some tricks up her sleeve.

Well, thats the last of Prison Break until January 14th.  It was alright, but I have to admit that this show is just slowly dripping down my list of favourites. Its no longer near the top anymore. Just see for yourselves, season 3 is just becoming a big repeat of Season 1. Go to Jail -> Have criminals help you escape -> Avoid Prison Guards -> Escape Prison.

I wouldnt be surprised if all of a sudden Michael says “I expected to be in here, which is why I have Soma tatooed somewhere on my body”. Not too original. Oh except wait, now this season Burrows really DOES kill someone. Anyways, heres the link below, as well as a review care of TV Squad.

 Prison Break S3 E8  or here

 Review

The writer’s strike hits again. We were supposed to get five more episodes before this season’s fall finale. Instead we got a plain ol’ ending comparable to any regular episode of Prison Break. Certainly not what I would have expected based on this show’s history. It’s not a bad thing, just disappointing. I understand the need to stockpile and space out the dwindling supply of new episodes, but it’s unfortunate that it results in segmenting seasons in such sloppy fashion. Enough with the complaining though. The writer’s strike is happening and we knew what to expect. If you can look beyond that, this episode really was quite good. It left us with plenty of questions to ponder as we wait for Prison Break to return in January.

First big revelation? Susan B. isn’t who she says she was. OK, not that big. Her name is Gretchen (or is that an alias too?), she really was a POW, and if there was any doubt left that she didn’t work for the same “Company” that we’ve come to grow and love, we met her boss. Kim’s boss. Creepy bald guy. Anyone else find it odd that he said more in his one scene in this episode that he did all of last season? What gives? I kind of liked the idea of him being mute… or at least selective about when he spoke.

After the way last week’s episode ended with Whistler and Gretchen meeting for a quick chat in the visitor’s area at Sona, I know we’ve all been waiting to find out what exactly James’ involvement with the Company is. No real answers given there, other that the fact that he’s clearly worth more than we’ve been led to believe. He must be if they’re willing to sacrifice Michael and Lincoln and also hire two helicopters to try and bust him out. So what can he do for them that they need so desperately? And if it was so important, and they always had helicopters at their disposal, why bother with Michael in the first place? For as strong as the Company is supposed to be, it continually comes off as weak and discombobulated.

The whole episode led up to that moment and it was obvious that it was going to fail. What I didn’t see coming was Michael taking the heat for it. Where did they drag him off to? There’s no way they’re just going to set him free, so I’m guessing he’s being brought to a different portion of the prison. Solitary maybe?

Once again, Bellick and T-Bag were just sort of there. Mahone has moved up the food-chain a little bit with his potential testimony on the line. I just don’t care though. He may be getting more screen time than the other two, but Mahone’s a lost cause at this point. He’s an addict who can’t get himself together. We get it. All three of these characters were so good in the past and it’s just a shame that there isn’t a better way to integrate them into this season. Hopefully Mahone being thrown back in Sona will facilitate that.

Fortunately, characters like Lechero and Sammy have filled the gaps. It’s going to be interesting to see the power struggle between them grow. Sammy already suspects Lechero of something, and if “El Patron” is off helping out Michael or Whistler with the escape then it won’t be long before Sammy takes the throne and Lechero becomes just another inmate.

Season 2 Episode 7 

My God what are they doing to Dexter? He is too human. I say this every week, wow he seems to care so much. It’s cool now that Dexter is lashing out at Doakes. Just a big game of Cat and Mouse. Anyways, here is the full overview care of TV Squad

(S02E07) Well now, it seems the majority of viewers thought there was no way in hell that Deb was going to be getting together with Lundy. In fact, 198 of 288 of you thought there was no way. Looks like the writers threw you for a loop this time around.

Anyway, that’s a pretty insignificant storyline given what happened in this episode. We’ve got Dexter’s manifesto and its fallout, and of course Dexter framing Doakes in a big way.

Dexter’s contact at City Hall, Camilla, made another appearance in this episode, which of course we knew couldn’t mean anything good. As sweet a woman as she is, she’s certainly a loose end that may continue to haunt Dexter for as long as she lives, not just until she retires in a year.

I think it’s clear now what Lila’s addiction is — more like an affliction. She’s either truly trying to recover from being a psycho stalker-girlfriend or she simply uses NA meetings to find unsuspecting helpless men to latch onto. Most likely she’s the latter, and I’m sure Dexter’s quickly going to figure that one out.

Last week I polled everyone asking, hypothetically, who Dexter would most likely kill first. It sure seems that, so far, Gayle’s out of the running. Dear God, though — that woman is certifiable. Rita’s amazing for not being more messed up from being raised by that loon.

I think Deb’s right in that Dexter fucked up with Rita. I really believe the two of them will be back together soon enough. If nothing else, the kids will be a big factor in making the two of them reassess what they mean to each other and what each of them is willing to forgive or put up with.

Now, the biggest moment of the episode is a tossup between what happened between Doakes and the final revelation by the investigative team on Dexter’s manifesto. Now, here’s the thing that’s bugging be about this season so far. Last season I don’t think I was alone in guessing who the Ice Truck Killer was early on, so the reveal wasn’t exactly a surprise, though it was an awesome season regardless. I feel that the same thing is happening this season, and it’s pretty clear now — more than ever — that Dexter is going to frame Doakes into looking like the Bay Harbor Butcher. Seriously, it’s the only way out of his predicament, especially with the heat coming down on him hard and fast.

Before tonight’s episode I would have guessed that Lila could possibly be used as a scapegoat for Dexter, though with the whole “law enforcement” angle, there’s just no way that can happen unless she’s a former cop and we don’t know it.

So, what’s Dex going to do to keep everyone off his tail next week? What more will Lila resort to to keep Dexter her faithful little puppy?

2 Hours of Prison Break eh? I didn’t complain. I really like Prison Break, but it just doesnt have the intensity of the 1st season, and I don’t know if they will ever be able to make a season better than the first. Good two hours of TV nonetheless. Check it out!

Magic Links

Prison Break S2 E6 

Prison Break S2 E7

Review Care of TvSquad 

A two-hour Prison Break? Now what did I do to deserve this? Well, it was really just two back-to-back episodes of Prison Break instead of a two-hour special. But still, the only thing better than one Prison Break episode is two Prison Break episodes.

And they were pretty good episodes to boot. While we didn’t get to see the much-hyped escape from Sona, we did get some interesting new developments in the plot.

For those of you who thought that Michael’s idea to escape from Sona in broad daylight was foolish, you were right. In fact, it was the daylight itself (or lack thereof) that foiled Michael’s plans. Just as Michael and Whistler were climbing down the rope ladder and out to freedom, the glare was blocked by clouds and they had to scurry right back up. This was bad because they didn’t get out of Sona. This was good because now Lechero can join them.

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that they didn’t get further in the escape. While I am happy to see that Michael is back in prison this season, I don’t want him to stay there the whole time. I am excited to see what would happen when the brothers reunite (especially now that Michael’s beloved Sara is gone). Will they stick together or go their separate ways?

But enough about what didn’t happen tonight. Let’s get to the major plot developments. Lincoln finally told Michael that Sara is dead. I can see that Michael would be upset with Lincoln for not telling him sooner but I’m on Lincoln’s side. It’s his son, not some random prison doctor who just happened to be both attractive and kind enough to help with an escape. Lincoln had to keep this from Michael if he thought that the information would affect the escape.

Mahone is out of Sona. One of his colleagues from the past season showed up surprisingly with a deal. If he tells all and helps shed some light on the ex-president, then he gets to do his time in an American prison (preferably one that carries his brand of highly-addictive painkillers). I wonder if his old friend from the bureau is going to double-cross him. Perhaps the other guy she brought with her will do the double-crossing. The latter seems possible. Maybe they will reinstate him in some way and have him track down the brothers or Whistler (when the sun finally aligns in the right way for Michael to break out, of course).

The biggest plot development, one could even say “twist,” came at the very end. Susan B. Anthony’s real name is Gretchen (cause Susan B. Anthony is just ridiculous). But that’s not the plot twist, obviously. At the end, she had this cryptic conversation with James Whistler. He told her to give him four more days to get out. He also said that he could do what he needed to do despite the lost time. I wonder what he will do or how exactly he is aligned with her. Does Whistler work for the company? Perhaps neither Gretchen nor Whistler work for the company at all. Maybe they are trying to subvert the company. I’d be interested to read your comments on this.

I must point out one last thing. What is going on with the supporting characters on Prison Break? Seasons one and two spent so much time building up Belleck and T-Bag as viable enemies for the brothers. Belleck has been reduced from a prison-guard-turned-bounty-hunter to a worthless blob. He might have killed the French guy (although I don’t think so) but other than that his only contribution to this episode was blubbering about Sara’s death. Like he really cares? T-Bag has carved out a spot in Lechero’s gang and hasn’t done much since. Maybe he and Sammy will fight for the head position in Sona now that Lechero’s power has been displaced?

I truly think this one one of the best episodes of Heroes this season. You learn a lot in this one, and it had a lot of “Oh My God!!” moments. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the link below. If you’re too lazy to watch it, just read the recap. I have a feeling a lot of people may had missed Heroes this week because of its 7PM special time. Hey, who’s complaining? there was 2 hours of Prison Break…

Magic Link

Heroes S2 E7

Recap **SPOILERS** Care of NBC

Kensei has Hiro’s face forced into a haze of opium smoke. White Beard offered Kensei anything he wanted to capture Hiro and lead his army. Kensei will soon rule half of Japan and Yaeko will be his bride. In the Ukraine, Noah snaps photos of Isaac Mendez’s paintings and sends them to Suresh before lighting them all on fire. Suresh hangs up the phone with Bennet as alarms blare. Nathan and Matt arrive with details on their encounter with Matt’s father, which causes the facility to begin evacuation procedures.

Peter and Caitlin wander the streets of New York City, but there isn’t a soul in sight: they’ve all been evacuated by Homeland Security. An armored car speeds toward them and men in hazmat suits grab them, asking if they’re sick or infected. Claire wakes up to find West in her kitchen preparing waffles for breakfast. When Mrs. “Butler” leaves the room, Claire scolds West for stopping in. He shows her a newspaper article about the drunk cheerleader claiming she saw a flying boy, and Claire tells West they have to be more careful. Bob yells at Suresh to bait Maury to them so he can inject the Nightmare Man with the virus. Suresh worries that this might put the entire population at risk. Bob tells Matt he has the same abilities as Maury: anything one’s brain controls, Matt can control as well.

Yaeko gets herself free and takes the opium away from Hiro. As the guards return, Hiro teleports himself, Yaeko, and Yaeko’s father to safety. In future New York, Peter and Caitlin are hosed down by men in hazmat suits. Later, under questioning, Peter is asked how a dead man can be found wandering around New York uninfected – on March 20, 2007 the first case of the Shanti virus was reported. To date, it’s killed 93% of the world’s population while the rest live in quarantine. Matt apologizes to an unconscious Molly, adding that he doesn’t have his father’s abilities like Bob said. When Matt says, “I love you, Molly,” there’s a blip on her monitor. When he thinks that thought to himself, there are several more.

In the hall, Suresh frets to Niki that it’s morally unacceptable to give Maury the virus. Niki says no one will die, that the Company is good - they saved her. When Suresh leaves, she turns around to come face to face with D.L., who tells her she is a killer and by the end of the day, she will kill everyone. When she leaves the hall, Maury Parkman emerges from a door. Nathan asks Bob about “Adam Monroe,” one of the founding Company fathers. Adam convinced them they all belonged together to make the world a better place. Bob says that the “visionary” Adam is the one trying to kill them and he’s using Maury as his “blunt weapon.” Years before, Adam talked about holocausts, plagues, punishing humanity to save the world - Linderman was Adam’s disciple. They locked Adam up and threw away the key, but he escaped two weeks before. Bob tells Nathan that Peter is alive and somehow involved with Adam Monroe.

Peter is reunited with his mother, but he doesn’t recognize her. She tells him of his abilities and that Nathan died in the first outbreak. She also says he can travel in time and change history to prevent all this from happening. Peter starts to flash through his life and he suddenly remembers everything. Peter leaves the facility with his mom as Caitlin is taken away, but without warning, Peter finds himself in another room, completely alone. Claire and West canoodle on the couch, but she can’t stop looking at his tracking marks. They get up to go to the kitchen. When West turns around, he sees Mr. Bennet arrive home. He grabs Claire and flees the house, and she tells him that it was her father who abducted him. Scared and confused, West flies away before Bennet notices him. Suresh catches Niki talking to D.L., who isn’t really there - an unseen Maury is manipulating her mind. Suresh tries to help, but she punches him in the face.

Meanwhile, Hiro begins his solo attack on White Beard’s camp. He materializes in White Beard’s armory where he plans on destroying the guns, only to find Kensei waiting for him. Though Hiro still has faith in him, sword clashes against sword as they fight it out in mortal combat. In the fight, a fire is set and Hiro teleports away just before the tent explodes. Bob shows Nathan a video of Peter taken at the Company facility. As they talk, Niki punches the door open as Matt goes to find his father, only to walk into a dream world where Maury keeps Molly imprisoned. Matt calls for his father, and Maury appears - Matt somehow brought him here. In the other room, Niki can’t fight off Maury’s parasitic attachment to her mind, and she stabs herself with the virus. Matt summons all his strength, grabs Molly, and walks out of the nightmare, leaving Maury trapped behind. Matt comes to in Molly’s room where she wakes up to find Maury collapsed on the ground.

Hiro finds Kensei’s mask in the smoldering ruins from the fire and returns to Yaeko’s side to tell her that White Beard’s army has scattered. She convinces him that he is the real Kensei of history, and her true husband. He cautions that in the final trial of Kensei, he has to cut out his own heart to save her life and all of Japan. Hiro realizes he must return to his own time, and with a final kiss, he is gone. Suresh gives Niki an infusion of his own blood to eradicate the virus in her system. But when it doesn’t work, Suresh realizes that there’s a new strain of the virus immune from his blood’s antibodies.

Meanwhile, Ando sees Kensei’s mask on his desk. He turns around to see Hiro smiling at him. Their happy reunion, however, is dampened when Ando tells Hiro of his father’s murder. Suresh tells Bob that the new strain has no cure. Bob says they’ll keep Maury sedated and destroy every last vial. Bob shows Suresh Claire’s file and says that Claire may be the only way to save Niki. He also tells Suresh that Bennet killed Company operative Ivan. Suresh confesses that he has been working with Bennet to take down the Company. Bob says there’s a storm coming and that Claire’s ability could cure the virus. Bennet comes home and slaps the newspaper story about the drunk cheerleader in front of Claire, yelling at her for risking exposure. Claire screams back, but it’s no use. “It’s not safe here, anymore,” Bennet says. “Pack your bags… we’re leaving.” Meanwhile, a strange man approaches Peter in the room. It’s Adam… formerly known as Takezo Kensei.

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Dexter S2 E6
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A couple of commenters last week mentioned they thought Harry could possibly be Dexter’s biological father. Someone else mentioned that Dexter actually had a blood test done to prove who his father was, and I seem to remember that myself as well, though for some reason I can’t remember the details.

In any case, Dexter continues to question how honest Harry had been with him when he was alive. In fact, he’s getting pretty angry at him. It seems to me that, along with Lila’s influence (whether positive or negative), Dexter not trusting what Harry taught him is just going to cause Dex to become even more sloppy.
What’s been great is how, although Lundy seems to know something and to be inching ever-so closer to who the real Butcher is, Dexter stays incredibly cool and without a bead of sweat showing in the Floridian heat.

As if Lundy getting closer to Dexter wasn’t enough, Doakes is back on his case. It seemed Doakes was quickly and easily taken off Dexter’s tail, and maybe even had a bit of respect for him for being so distraught over the job that he was a junkie. If Doakes continues to get into Dexter’s business, how could Dex resist taking him out?

The dinner with Lila, Rita and Gayle was a strange situation, and God do I hate Gayle. Does anyone buy it for one moment that Lila’s a recovering Meth addict? She’s got something a lot more dark about her, that’s for sure.

And about Rita, it looks like maybe this is the end for her and Dexter, though all of this really is Gayle’s fault. If it wasn’t for her meddling and lack of support, Dexter may not have cheated on Rita after all. Hey, I’m not excusing the cheating, I’m just saying Gayle certainly didn’t help matters.

Side note: Anyone notice that the Butcher suspect was Haywire from Prison Break? Hey, it was season one when it was decent, what can I say.

I did forget to mention Doakes and LaGuerta last week, though I did of course notice it. In this episode it’s brought up again, and it’s sorta strange to picture the two of them together one before, then working completely professionally together later.

Still there’s more hinting at a relationship coming between Deb and Lundy. I knew I wasn’t crazy when I thought there might be something there a few episodes ago, though an overwhelming number of people voted against that theory in my poll.

Until next week, when I’m sure the heat will continue to mount onto Dexter from Doakes and likely Lundy.

Source: TvSquad

Global shipments of digital TVs (DTVs) are expected to reach 101 million units in 2007, up 38% from the 73 million units shipped in 2006, according to a Chinese-language DisplaySearch press release. DisplaySearch also estimates that the number of DTVs shipped worldwide will reach 167 million units in 2011, accounting for 76% of total TV shipments, up from 52% in 2007.

In terms of geographic regions, 96% of the TVs shipped in North America this year will be digital, and the share is expected to rise to 100% in 2008, according to DisplaySearch. Japan and Western Europe will not trail far behind this year, with DTVs accounting for 92.3% and 89.8% of the TV shipments in the respective regions.

Other regions, including China (44%) and Eastern Europe (40%) will have significantly lower shipment proportions this year, while regions including Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East will have proportions under 20%, according to DisplaySearch.

In the second quarter of 2007, Samsung had a 16.9% share of all digital TVs shipped worldwide, while Philips and LG Electronics followed behind with each having 8.7% of the market.

source: DigiTimes

 Not much action in this episode, but nonetheless a great one. Wow Peter was in Canada for a whole 2 minutes! So Proud. Check out the full review below care of NBC.

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Heroes S2 E6

Peter packs his things to head to Montreal where he believes the clues are leading. Caitlin insists on coming, too. In California, Claire tries out for cheerleading squad, but Debbie rejects her, adding, “You are not extraordinary.” Suresh works with Monica on her muscle-memory ability. Bob interrupts and orders Suresh to give Monica a form of the Shanti virus manipulated to end her ability without harming her. Suresh warns that such tinkering could mutate the virus and make it jump into the general population. When Claire worries about not getting on the cheerleading squad, West advises Claire to bring Debbie down a notch. Meanwhile, near the U.S. border, Sylar questions Maya about her ability and says he also once had power. Alejandro doesn’t trust their mysterious and seductive new traveling companion.

In the Ukraine, Noah and the Haitian arrive at the home of his former mentor Ivan where they tie him up and grill him about the missing Isaac paintings. Ivan, who trained Noah and Claude, denies knowing where they are located. Noah threatens to have the Haitian erase all of his most-treasured memories. After erasing many of Ivan’s memories, Ivan offers a deal: rejoin the Company and he’ll be safe. Suresh is about to give Monica a shot of the manipulated virus when he realizes he can’t do it. He tells Bob he’s leaving and smashes a cabinet filled with the serum. Meanwhile, Maya and her fellow travelers sneak across the border where they are threatened by the “Citizens Border Patrol.” Maya intentionally loses control and kills the patrol members. Alejandro warns Maya against Sylar and tells her the next time her eyes blacken, he’s leaving. Sylar flat-out says he plans on killing them both.

Claire pulls Debbie out of the cheerleaders’ drinking session to ask for another chance at making the squad. As they talk, a masked West flies in, grabs Claire, and drops her onto the stairs with a sickening thud. As Debbie looks on in horror, West swoops in for the final thrill. Later, the police don’t believe Debbie’s story, especially when Claire walks in like nothing happened. And because Debbie was caught drinking on school grounds, she’s kicked out of cheerleading and Claire gets to replace her. Bob apologizes to Suresh for asking him to inject Monica with an untried drug, claiming that he over-stepped his bounds because his mind has been on someone who is a true danger to them. To prevent “further misunderstandings,” Bob offers Suresh someone to be at his disposal.

Hiro, Kensei, and Yaeko creep into White Beard’s camp under the cover of darkness. Kensei battles his way through until the three of them find Yaeko’s father chained in a tent. Her father refuses to leave until he destroys the 1000s of illegal guns that White Beard has built based on his own instructions, for White Beard plots on taking over all of Japan. Kensei and his small army attack the camp. When a bullet is fired at Yaeko, Hiro stops time and brings her from the camp, and she realize that he was the one under the cherry blossoms and not Kensei. When she asks if he loves her, he says, “yes.” She leans in to kiss him, and regardless of the temporal fallout, he kisses her back as Kensei watches from the distance. When Noah threatens to erase Ivan’s memories of his dead daughter, Ivan caves and gives up the location of Isaac’s paintings. Noah then ransacks the apartment to make it look like a robbery before killing his former mentor. Kensei confronts Hiro about kissing Yaeko. Hiro says they are in love and that he didn’t mean for it to happen.

Hiro swears he won’t give into his love and that the kiss will be his last. But with Hiro’s back turned, Kensei punches him as henchman bring Yaeko out in chains. Bob escorts Monica home where he gives her a new cell phone, a packet of information, and the news that she’s enrolled in the Burger Bonanza management program. In New York, Suresh meets his new partner… Niki. Across the world, the Haitian and Noah uncover Issac’s paintings, none of which bode well for the future. Peter and Caitlin arrive in Montreal. In some kind of storage facility, Peter finds a note with his name on it: “You were right about the company. The world is in danger. It’s up to us. Adam.” Peter closes his eyes and hugs Caitlin. When he opens them, they are standing in a completely deserted Times Square…one year from now!

Just Some Dexter Goodies, let me know by posting a comment if the links dont work.

 Enjoy! 

Dexter Novels By Jeff Lindsay

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Dearly Devoted Dexter

Dexter In The Dark

 The Series

Dexter Season 1

I must say, this episode filled in a lot of gaps into Dexters past. It seems Harry, Dexters mentor and foster-father knew more about young Dexter and his mom than he led on. She was not only an informant for Harry, but also his lover. Now we know why Dexter was taken in, because he was directly responsible for her death. She wanted out, and Harry told her to carry on snitching. Dex also finds out that one of his mothers killers is still alive, and working at a bar. Now this is what is driving me crazy! He’s is too damn emotional! If you’ve read the book, you know he just doesn’t care! Now all of a sudden he’s crying and shaking and worst of all, not killing people!

There’s a really interesting scene in a comic shop where a murder takes place, where someone was actually writing a comic based off “The Bay Harbour Butcher”. The name is a lot more catchy however; “The Dark Defender” (seen above). Dex also notices a lot of people are giving “The Butcher” credit for killing. In one scene he overhears one guy telling his buddy that “This guys deserves a medal”. Others however, like Dexter’s dearest sis Deb, who “want to put a bullet through his head”.

I’m really enjoying how the tv show is twisting away from the book, but it saddens me to see what the writer is doing to Dexter’s personality. He’s making him emotional…he’s making him Human. I haven’t heard anything lately on his “Dark Passenger” with his “evil chuckles”.

 Overall this was an excellent episode, and is definately worth watching.

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Dexter S2 E5 “The Dark Defender”

I just…can’t believe…Tony Almeida! What? How? WHY??? Just watch the trailer. Mind Boggling. It seems CTU is gone and Jack is on his own against Tony Almeida. Just when you thought it couldnt be any more twisted. Here’s the official exerpt since I am clearly making no sense. 24 premiers January 2 at 8PM for its 2 hour episode

Set in Washington, DC, “Day 7” opens with CTU dismantled and JACK BAUER (Kiefer Sutherland) on trial. Bauer’s day takes an unexpected turn when former colleague TONY ALMEIDA (Carlos Bernard) returns. Meanwhile, President ALLISON TAYLOR (Cherry Jones) leads the country alongside White House Chief of Staff ETHAN KANIN (Bob Gunton) and First Gentleman HENRY TAYLOR (Colm Feore).

A national security crisis prompts an investigation by a team of FBI agents including Agent JANIS GOLD (Janeane Garofalo), Agent RENEE WALKER (Annie Wersching), Agent LARRY MOSS (Jeffrey Nordling), Agent SEAN HILLINGER (Rhys Coiro) and security specialist MICHAEL LATHAM (John Billingsley). Although CTU is no longer, CHLOE O’BRIAN (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and BILL BUCHANAN (James Morrison) are back for another momentous day of shocking events.

A new character was introduced last night. Her name is Elle and she’s played by Kristen Bell. Elle seems to have “Elle”-ectric talents (Yeah that was corny). Her abilities, and family history has given her some work within “the Company”. She just arrived in Ireland and is on the hunt for Peter. Meanwhile, Parkman, alongside Nathan Patrelli, take a trip to Philidelphia to seek out Parkman’s father, who has abilities similar to Matt’s, but much more advanced. Over in Japan somewhere, Ando is still trying to decrypt Hiro’s messages from the past. There really isn’t too much progress with Hiro, except he finds out he must battle and army along with his white ninja friend. Monica realizes that she can mimic people to the max, and do the exact same thing. Yep, another absorber ability. Add her to the list along with Peter and Sylar. We find out that Nikki is willingly being detained from within “the Company”. Suresh’s concern for Molly increases,as she is still trapped in her Dream. and he takes her to “the Company”  for observation.

 Heroes airs Mondays at 9PM EST on NBC and Global

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