Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… Beatles and Apple near exclusive iTunes deal: Fortune EchoStar retrial on TiVo patents denied: Denver Post Will paying for user video pay off: GigaOm Xbox movie downloads timed: Gizmodo Control BeyondTV with Slingbox: Fresh Arrival TiVo Glo Remote available for 8,500 Reward Points: TiVo

Dave Touches Wii

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One of my goals here in NYC today was to pick up a Wii. I didn’t expect my odds to be very good and they weren’t: Nintendo Store, Best Buy, and Toys R Us are all out of stock. Though, I did see one guy purchase a Wii at the Toys R Us and another wandering with a unit in hand — perhaps these were pre-orders?

At the Nintendo Store I had some hands on time with Excite Truck which turns out to be a horrible game and makes me question my desire for a Wii. The graphics are poor and the game is just boring, though I assume two player mode is more fun.

Those of you who live in town better wake up early tomorrow… Both the Nintendo Store and Toys R Us received Wii shipments and will be selling them at 10AM.

Bonus NYC day tripping pictures after the jump…

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Ad-ding It Up for VOD

It’s kind of like the war between spammers and anti-spammers. As soon as one side comes up with a new technological weapon, the other builds something for the arsenal to counter it. So it goes with television advertising. Charter is starting a trial in hometown St. Louis of dynamic, on-demand advertising. The reason this is … Read more

Dave’s Holiday Shopping Agenda

It’s that time of year again! No, not the season of giving… Rather, it’s the season of trampling your neighbors to get the best deal for yourself at the Walmarts of the world. I’ve put together a small list of what I want, where to get it, and at what cost. The odds of my … Read more

Xbox Video Marketplace Is Live

The switch was flipped this AM now allowing television and movies downloads via the Xbox 360. I admit this is extremely appealing to me for feature-length HD films, as I don’t use a cable box (as in no VOD) and I haven’t yet invested in a next gen high-def DVD player. Kevin, over at jkOnTheRun, … Read more

PC-Based DVR Software Updates

In the last week there’s been a few DVR software news updates… Beyond TV BTV is out with the 4.5 point release. This update includes a variety of bug fixes and small enhancements plus the option to buy a DVD-burning plugin ($30 for current customers, $40 for new). The DVD burning option a little pricey, … Read more