Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Review

Glimpse Team on July 29, 2013

Final Fantasy VII has always been one of the greatest Final Fantasy that was ever made. The game was introduced in 1997 and it gained huge critical acclaim worldwide. The characters Cloud, Tifa, Red XIII, Cid, Barret, Vincent, Yuffie and other characters were all well received. The villain Sephiroth was probably the most well known villain worldwide, and he was one of the best villains that was ever created. Squaresoft (before they merge with Enix) really was the “master” of role playing games back then. After 8 years, they did a sequel for the game in form of a movie. Thus, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children was born, this also was well received by millions of fans and critics alike.

If you’re a fan of Final Fantasy VII, then you will surely love this film. The movie is dedicated to the fans, this fan service did a great job and it’s well worth your time. People all over the world are pleased with this movie. Of course there’s always a slight negative feedback. Some saying that it was too long, or they don’t understand the story. Well, if you’re not a Final Fantasy fan and you just love anime and cool battle sequence, then I think you don’t need to “dig” in too much of the story if you don’t like FFVII. One major factor in the film’s success is its director. Tetsuya Nomura directed this movie, and as we all know, he directed the Kingdom Hearts series, of which was highly acclaimed and well received by fans and critics all around the world. If you recall, there was also a movie called Final Fantasy: The Spirit’s Within but it was a huge disappointed. Even some fans claimed it as “crap”, of which it was ironic because the one who directed that was the “Father of Final Fantasy” himself, Hironobu Sakaguchi. This just shows that Tetsuya Nomura knows how to direct a game/movie. He is known for being a “quality” kind of guy, which means he won’t compromise quality over quantity and time.

They also released a director’s cut version of the movie, which is called, “Advent Children Complete”. This is a Blu Ray version of the movie, and it received a lot of positive reviews. Dustin Somner, who argued that the “plot is emotionally dense, the action is explosively over-the-top, and the world in which the story enfolds is rich with creativity.” Somner highly recommended the Blu-ray to people who had already seen the film and fans of Final Fantasy VII. I highly recommend the Blu Ray version of the movie because of its image and sound quality. It’s a bang for your buck, and because also of the added scenes. It’s really enjoyable watching the battle scenes of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. You won’t be bored and the emotional touch during some of the scenes are amazing. You’ll reward yourself more if you really know the story or have finished the Final Fantasy VII game. Knowing the overall story will help you understand the movie better. There’s highly no doubt that the cgi for this movie is one of the best that I’ve ever seen. As expected from Square Enix, they always have an edge with their visuals, they really nailed it. The music is great as well, scores from the legendary Nobou Uematsu from FFVII is recognized once again in this movie. The music is simply amazing.

Overall, whether you’re a Final Fantasy VII fan or not, I believe you will enjoy this movie. You won’t be disappointed and you’ll probably even become one of the fans after you have watched it. If you’re a long time fan, I don’t need to tell you to watch this movie because probably you’re watching it now. Tetsuya Nomura and his team did a great job with this film, and hopefully we will see more of this calibre and quality in the near future. Final Fantasy VII has always been influential to a lot of people, and it has made a lot of fans worldwide. I didn’t explain much of the story, I don’t want to spoil you guys here. All I can say is, get up from your chair or bed, whatever, and watch this awesome movie. You won’t be disappointed, now that’s for sure.

Dolphin Tale Review

Glimpse Team on July 29, 2013

Based on a true story, Dolphin Tale is a 2011 family drama film and is directed by Charles Martin Smith. The movie is great and it’s really a movie for the whole family. It is also fun and at the same time very emotional. The movie emphasizes the value of family and the importance of it. Helping the disabled is also one of the messages of the movie, as well as helping animals in need. Compassion and being helpful to one another are the values shown in this movie as well. The story is good surprisingly speaking. Basically, Sawyer finds a stranded dolphin and with a help of an older person, they called the marine rescuers and they were able to save the young dolphin. The rescuers were able to save the dolphin but the infection in the tail is sever, so they need to amputate it. They named the dolphin, Winter. Winter is in rehabilitation, but seems too weak or “depressed”, so she doesn’t eat well. Sawyer, came to visit the Marine Shelter secretly, until being discovered by the Doctor’s daughter. Too make a long story short, Sawyer was able to help treat Winter even though he’s not a member of the animal care group, because Winter responds to Sawyer well. The Doctor noticed that and so the story goes on. I won’t spoil anything from here on, if you want more information, watch the movie.

 

The movie is indeed fun, and you’ll experience a cleverly told story. It may even surprise you. A lot of people didn’t expect much from this movie, but in the end they were able to have fun and immerse themselves with the story. Plus, Morgan Freeman is in this movie as well, now we all know if Morgan Freeman is in a movie, even though the movie may not be as good as it is, Morgan Freeman’s presence makes it a little worth the time, but that’s not to say that this movie is not good at all. In fact, the movie will entertain you from start to end. It’s a family movie, so expect some cheesy lines too.

The music is great as well. The end part song “Safe” by Westlife, fits the bill. The overall score by Mark Isham adds a nice touch to the movie too. If you love dolphins, or any marine animal, then you’ll love this move. You’ll also enjoy the “warm” feel of this movie, and like I said, this teaches us important values in life. Having a movie explain the value of family is indeed very welcome, and this shows a good example to younger viewers as well. If you haven’t watched this movie, I suggest you do, and watch it with your family. It’s definitely time worth spent.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

Glimpse Team on July 29, 2013

Peter Jackson’s latest Middle Earth film has been received quite well by critics and also by Lord of the Rings fans. In this first part of The Hobbit film series, you’ll join Bilbo Baggins’ unexpected adventure, along with the Dwarves and with a will of a wizard, the dwarves set out on a quest to reclaim their hometown from the evil dragon, Smaug. Now, the movie is spectacular, Peter Jackson’s style never gets old. You’ll be amazed by the wonderful scenery and world of Middle Earth. Ian Mckellen reprises his role as Gandalf the grey, one of the wizards of middle earth. You’ll also see new faces, like Radagast the brown, this wizard is the tender of beasts. He is a great wizard in his own way, as Gandalf described him in the film. You’ll also see Rivendell and the elves of Middle Earth. You won’t be bored with this movie, especially if you know the lore of middle earth. If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan then you won’t be lost in the story. You’ll even venture into some familiar sites of middle earth. There are a lot of nostalgic scenes here. You’ll be able to notice that if you read the books or watched the Trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. They also introduced new areas or places in middle earth, examples of that would be the forest of Mirkwood and the evil fortress Dol Go dur.

One of the best parts in this movie is the “Riddles in the Dark” scenes. Gollum’s character has never been so personified that you’ll be amazed by Andy Serkis’ great performance as Gollum. In this scene, Bilbo and Gollum battle out with a game of riddles. Now this is one of the best parts, so I’m not gonna spoil you on this one, instead I’ll just say that every second in this scene is spectacular and amazing. It is in this scene that Bilbo will also find the ring of power. You’ll be highly entertained with this film. Especially, if you are a fan of fantasy movies and Lord of the Rings. Sir Ian Mckellen did a great job as Gandalf. I couldn’t imagine anybody else who could do this role apart from Sir Ian. Sir Christopher Lee also reprises his role as Saruman once again.

Peter Jackson also shot the movie in 3D using a special camera called the “Red” Camera. You can also choose to watch the movie through 24 frames per second (the standard), or you can watch it in full 48 fps. However, there were a lot of complaints saying that when you watch it in 48 fps, the movie feels like it’s a “TV drama”. The 48 fps makes the movie run smoother than the standard one but the disadvantage of that is you’ll see some of the scenes more unrealistic. For example, while watching in 48fps you’ll notice that the movie materials look “super real”, this means that you’ll notice “set paints”, prosthetic noses, you’ll see those clearly. So this detracts you from the overall experience. I suggest that you’ll watch this in the standard movie frame, which is 24fps, it’s much better than the 48fps. It gets some time to get used to, because 48fps is so smooth that you are watching actors on set rather than on film.

Overall, the movie is fantastic and nonetheless great. Even though it’s not as “intensely” well received as the first Lord of the Rings movie, it still does a great job in re introducing you into the world of Middle Earth once again. The only drawback for me, based on my opinion is the end part. I really want more, I don’t even mind if the first part of this three part film would be five hours, but in the end I realized at least I will be seeing more of this in the future. If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan or a fantasy fan, you have to watch this movie. It’s really beautiful, especially the battle scenes, story and the scenery, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll also find great acting from the actors, as expected of them. If you have nothing to do, check this movie out and have some fun in the world of Middle Earth.

Playstation 4 runs much cooler temperature than the PS3

Glimpse Team on July 28, 2013

Good news! The Playstation 4 has passed the FCC (US Federal Communications Commision) standards, this means that the system runs much cooler, thus, will prevent accidents, like burning your house. This is also means that you won’t be getting the YLOD (yellow light of death) unlike the PS3. The PS3 is known to overheat, especially the FAT version of the PS3. Playing your PS3 especially on hotter days will increase the risk of overheating. Thankfully, Playstation 4 won’t be having these issues. According to FCC, Sony’s new console has an operating temperature at a range of 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s way cooler than the PS3 which averages between 113 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Now with that, the PS4 runs cooler.

The Playstation 3’s Yellow Light of Death although it’s not that common compared to the Xbox 360’s ring of death, can be troublesome if you don’t take care of your PS3 well. There’s more ring of death from Xbox 360 than PS3. More or less  1/10 people I know that they experienced the YLOD. However, this is not an excuse for not taking good care of your PS3. Having the Playstation 4 with its lower temperature operating system is indeed very useful and may perhaps have a longer mechanical lifespan. This is really good news, especially for those who are planning to buy a Playstation 4 this holiday season. Sony really learned their lesson from their past mistakes and it’s very encouraging and re-assuring that they want to give the best console to their communications. They really have improved in those aspects, and is highly recognized. Are you excited for the Playstation 4? I know I am.

Watch Dogs

Glimpse Team on July 27, 2013

Ubisoft’s highly anticipated game of the year has made a gaming revolution with its ambitious graphics and new intriguing gameplay. The concept of hacking everything in the city is very interesting. Doing detective work has never been so fun and engaging. I believe that this type of gameplay brings something new to the table. This makes gamers interested and curious. We saw a trailer from last year’s E3 and it has pretty much blown away our expectations from the game. Moreover, we are able to see new trailers from the past month and also in today’s E3 2013 press conference. It’s so amazing that an open world game can do so much, plus the new elements integrated are spectacularly fun. The storyline of Watch Dogs is built on the concept of information warfare, data being interconnected, and the world’s increasing use of technology. The game is set in an alternate reality version of the city of Chicago, which is one of many cities to feature a super computer, also known as “CtOS”(Central Operating System). The system controls almost every piece of technology in the city, and contains information on all of the city’s residents and activities of which can be used for various purposes. The graphics are clearly next gen, but this is also available for the current gen (PS3, Xbox 360). I believe that the system that has an edge in terms of graphics would be the PC. Although the PS4 is a powerful system, a gaming PC always has a greater advantage, especially if the specs are the latest or up to date. We have seen in the trailers that the player uses his “phone” in hacking almost everything. You can hack atm machines, the electricity from the city, etc. In other words, almost everything that is electronic, you can hack it. The open world for this game is really spectacular, I think this will rival GTA’s open world standards, especially on quality.

The developers also stressed that the PC would be the lead platform, scheduled release would be on November 19, 2013 along with the Wii U, Playstations 3, Xbox 360 and all “next gen consoles” will be available by Christmas. They also said that they will support Nvidia’s TXAA graphics option. If you have a pc rig, you’re in for a treat. For those who have older PC’s maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Although, I believe that the system requirements for minimum specs won’t be that ground breaking. Watch dogs looks amazing, we will experience it soon enough in the coming months. Be prepared and be excited in this open world action stealth game.

 “It’s a very interesting game that people would want to sink their teeth in. Its gorgeous visuals and open world elements make the player experience something unique and would immerse themselves into the game’s world. The new concept of hacking is indeed something new and is highly welcomed by gamers all over the globe. This new game may exceed one’s expectation and the graphics itself will make your mouth water. In this day and age, we can truly grasp the evolution of technology of which we are so blessed that we are able to experience it today. Quality games like these, makes one proud to be called a gamer.”   -Anton Lagda

 

Link:

Watch Dogs Gameplay Trailer

Kingdom Hearts 3

Glimpse Team on July 27, 2013

After many years of silence, they finally revealed a trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3 at the E3 2013 press conference. This was a huge surprise after Tetsuya Nomura presented the Final Fantasy XV trailer, he immediately showed the Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer. Fans around the world were shocked and tears of joy started flowing through their cheeks. There are many videos out their seeing the loyal fans react when the trailer was presented. This was the game that they were waiting for all these years. Now, it’s finally in the works and it’s for the next generation of consoles. This game will be huge and it’s going to be more interesting and fun, as expected from Tetsuya Nomura. He will once again direct this game and he’ll work with the same Kingdom Hearts team. This is totally exciting, even I’m hyped for this. It has been 7 years since Kingdom Hearts 2, so you’ll understand why the fans reacted that way. Well, there were some spin offs, but it’s always refreshing to know what lies ahead by playing the sequel of the game. Tetsuya Nomura is a perfectionist and he is very particular with quality.

The Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer showed Sora on a beach, while he discovers his keyblade from the sandy shores of the island. After which, he was seen battling some heartless creatures. Even though it was brief, we were able to see the improvements with the graphics. It’s still in early development but it does look like next gen quality graphics. The game will be available for both systems, the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. Everybody must be ready and excited, this is Tetsuya Nomura’s game, after all. I’m pretty glad that it was announced since this game has been silent for so long. Fans of the series will surely buy this game one day one. Games with Disney and Final Fantasy characters are always fun. Playing games like the Kingdom Hearts series is worth it. If you love Disney characters and Final Fantasy then this game is definitely for you. Play this game on the PS4, it’s much better. Things always change, but Kingdom Hearts will surely have a place in one’s heart.

Link:

Kingdom Hearts 3 Trailer (HD)

5 Centimeters Per Second

Glimpse Team on July 27, 2013

5 Centimeters Per Second is a 2007 Anime movie that depicts a strong bond of love between two people. Even though they are miles and miles apart from each other. This movie touches one’s heart and in the end it teaches us something. Whether you’ll notice that in the end or not, it’s up to you to discover. You may be disappointed or not, but the ending conveys a message to each one, whether it’s a positive or a negative, it all boils down personally. Makoto Shinkai’s (the director, producer and writer of this film) film gives a realistic view of the struggles many face against time, space, people, and love. The film shows the harsh realities of life and also the successes that it brings.

In the movie, the story is set in Japan from the early 90’s and ending in the modern time. The main characters are Takani Tono and Akari Shinohara. Takani and Akari met in their elementary years. Takani befriends Akari and in the end they become close friends. They are so close that they don’t use honorifics on each other anymore. In Japan, this means that if you don’t use honorifics, you are very close friends or even lovers. Upon graduating from elementary school Akari moves to Tochigi. This saddens Takani but there’s nothing he could do but to write letters to Akari. Both of them write letters from time to time. When Takani’s family decided to move to Kagoshima, he decided that he should see Akari personally, since they will be too far apart from each other . Takani also prepares a letter for Akari, containing his feelings. However, during the journey he loses the letter and a severe snowstorm continuously delays Takaki’s trip for several hours. As the two meet and share their first kiss, Takaki realizes they will never be together again. Stranded in a shed due to the snowstorm, they fall asleep after talking late into the night. Takaki departs the next morning, and they promise to continue writing to each other. As the train rolls away, Takaki thinks that the loss of his letter is not important any more after that kiss, while Akari silently looks at her own letter addressed to Takaki. Then the story rolls out when Takani is in his third year in highschool and he meets a girl named Kanae. Now, it’s up to you to discover what lies ahead. Experiencing the whole movie for yourself and be drawn into it. You’ll see how love works and the harsh realities it faces.

The movie is indeed moving and it’s very mature. You’ll learn a thing or two depending on how you understand each scene and how you interpret the ending. The ending may be a little different than what we expect, leaving to a conclusion of self growth and reaching a level of maturity. We all have hardships in life but it’s up to us whether we want to let something dire control or ruin our lives. In the end we must face it and move on with reality.

The film won the Lancia Platinum Grand Prize at the Future Film Festival for best movie in animation or special effects. The level of detail and atmosphere in this movie is spot on. Makoto Shinkai was highly praised for his realistic animation and lighting and sound effects. While I was watching the movie, I can never help myself but praise the wonderful animation. It’s indeed beautiful, the art style is really amazing and it adds more emotion to the movie. Fantastic artwork and lighting is one of the strengths in this film, aside from the story itself. Indeed, Makoto Shinkai knows his craft quite well.

“Shinkai has been hailed as the next Miyazaki, and his dreamy mindscapes often equal or surpass the anime maestro in breadth of detail and depth of emotion. Shinkai extends the innate possibilities of the anime dynamic, reapplying its principles of lush effects, inflated background detail and sometimes undernourished character animation to mirror the interiority of the characters in every nuance of their surroundings.” -Ronnie Scheib 

The movie is indeed a work of art. You’ll be moved by this movie and definitely it’s worth checking out. Garnished with a story that never ever does come out of its way, it shows how people see love in a different way of understanding. Taking into action that’s very important in one’s life, love is extremely intense, especially if you’re apart from each other.

  • Absence Makes the Heart Go Fonder- This is subverted to some degree, while Takaki’s mind does indeed go yonder, his heart remains fixated on one constant point. This accounts for Kanae’s observation that he is always looking toward something distant, and fails to notice people around him. For most of the movie, he is unable to have the individual who invoked such feelings in him because he was too rigid to move toward anyone , until the end.At a point that  he becomes capable of actually taking control of his own life and taking it in the direction that he wants it to go. To this end, his heart has not gone yonder. Rather, it becomes a little more malleable and open.

Many critics love the movie because of its tie with reality. In this sense, it shows a depth of realism. It teaches us something that we often take for granted. This movie is of high quality, even the sound is superb and well integrated. There’s a bow and arrow scene and the sound implemented here is spot on towards realism. Other critics and journalists praise the movie in its entirety, because of the wonderful message it brings to each individual laying a personal pattern on how each thinks. In other words, it’s a personal reflection, it lets the viewers analyze and make conclusions or realizations based on their own experiences in life.

“Taken individually, the parts offer nice little vignettes, but taken as a whole they paint a broader picture about the progression of life and love. The ending, which is where this work differs most from Shinkai’s previous efforts, will doubtless be controversial and may leave some fans unsatisfied, as it opens itself to multiple interpretations. Some may feel as if it just ends without resolving anything, but if one considers Takaki’s few lines of narration in part two, how that part ends, and how everything fits together, it becomes clearer that actually resolving things was never the point. Whereas voices was about trying to maintain a connection and Place Promise was about reestablishing one, Five Centimeters is ultimately about moving on from past connections instead of just living in the past, about finding a way to become happy in the present rather than just pining for what has been lost over time. In that sense Five Centimeters is Shinkai’s most mature and complicated work yet.” – Theron Martin from Anime Network

I recommend you guys to watch this movie. It’s worth it and there’s a value into it. Makoto Shinkai really did an amazing job here, as expected of him. Mark Schilling commends Shinkai saying that he is better than Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of studio Ghibli and a well known manga artist, film director and animator. Makoto Shinka’s 5 centimeters per second is considered to be one of his great works. The film’s ending theme music “One more Time, One more Chance” by Masayoshi Yamazaki is also very beautiful and very moving. I hope you guys would really have the time and watch this amazing and heart warming movie.

“The title 5 Centimeters Per Second refers to the speed at which cherry blossom petals fall and acts as a metaphor for the nature of love and human relationships.”

 

 

 

 

 

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst

Glimpse Team on July 26, 2013

Originally released as Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 in March 5, 2013 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, the game made huge critical acclaim worldwide and it was well received by both critics and fans alike. Now, they have a new version coming and this made Naruto fans jump for joy because of excitement. With one million copies sold in May, they decided to make a revamped version of the game, hence, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst is born. The developers also decided to port the game for the PC, of which is a good thing. Now this is big news,  because we don’t have Naruto games for PC. PC gamers, get ready and be excited for this awesome game. The game also comes with an additional chapter. Sage Kabuto versus the Uchiha brothers, Sasuke and Itachi, now this is a pretty good deal. On top of that, you’ll also get the 38 costumes from the DLC . These are the 3 DLC sets from the original game, and you’ll get it all for free. To those who weren’t able to get the game, now you’re very blessed to get all the golden nuggets for Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst. You can also do additional missions, 100 in total. You’ll also get a new character, Sage Kabuto. These content filled game is definitely what the fans needed. The visuals for this game are also enhanced as well. I bet since this will be available for PC, the amount of upgrades for the visuals will be extra ordinary. Doing 1080p resolution is now possible for the PC version, plus lighting and other graphical improvements are present in this game. They also revamped the cinematic scenes of which it now looks better than the original Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 game. If you’re a Naruto fan or simply a gamer who loves anime, then this game is definitely for you. You’ll enjoy every bit of it. Quite frankly, I’m pretty much excited for this game. I’m glad I didn’t buy the PS3 version yet because I’ve been busy lately. Now I’m going to buy the PC version for this game.

Here’s a statement from one of the executives of Bandai:

“We’re very excited to be bringing the incredible Naruto franchise to PC for the first time, while also bringing extra content to existing console fans of course,” said Olivier Comte, Senior Vice President, Namco Bandai Games Europe. “The Naruto games series goes from strength to strength, so it’s only right that we should let even more players enjoy it with this PC release.”

For sure, they would have more fans if they also focus on PC players, of which they did. I believe this is a good move from Bandai and Cyberconnect2 (developers of the game). It’s really surprising that for the very first time we will have a Naruto game for the PC. Fans of the series will be able to get their hands with this improved version of the game. Cyberconnect2 trully made its mark in perfecting their craft with these type of games. They are also famous for bringing other great games, one title is called “Asura’s Wrath”. They truly value the fans and in return the fans also valued their efforts in making this great Naruto game by supporting and playing the game.

Overall, this is great news for everybody, especially the Naruto fans. It is expected that their sales for the game will boost up once this game out. So, are you excited? I know I am. Expect this game to be out by Winter 2013. It’s time for another round of pure fun and endearment. Play this with your friends and have a blast when it’s out. With all the freebies and extra content, this is definitely worth your money.

Sony Bravia KDL 42″ W654A

Glimpse Team on July 26, 2013

Introducing, one of Sony’s latest 2013 LED HDTV model. The Sony Bravia KDL 42W654A, this TV is one of the most high end HDTV’s in the market today. You’ll see that technology today is evolving everyday, and Sony’s new lineup for 2013 clearly shows that they are still top in the playing field when it comes to HDTV’s and other electronic devices. Before anything else, let’s talk about the design first. Sony’s new design is simple but elegant. They call this design a “Sense of Quartz”. New vision for the ultimate clarity and experience, “Sense of Quartz” is an expression of essential value through genuine materials. They use a monolithic glass slate that appears to float over a ring shaped base or a silver top table stand that can act as a wall bracket as well. This core forms an aesthetic connection forming an intelligent core of elegance and quality design. The composition displays the distinctive silhouette of Sony Bravia. The Sony Bravia KDL 42W654A also has a slim aesthetic into it. That’s the advantage of being a LED TV, and it also consumes less power. So, you don’t have to worry about your electricity bills.

Now let’s talk about Picture quality. Sony has a well known reputation of delivering the best picture quality of their HDTV’s. In this model, it seems that they did it again. Now they use an new engine called X-Reality PRO. This new engine heightens the picture quality even though if the original source isn’t that good. You’ll experience stunning picture quality in almost everything that you do. Whether you’re watching TV or you’re watching Blu Ray disc movies, you’ll notice the level of quality that this TV brings. The colors are also vibrant, Sony’s latest generation processing engine analyzes, cleans and refines the images. Thus, restoring beautiful results from any source with more natural detail, richer colors and high contrast. Super Resolution processing optimize images for incredible detail and quality. So each time you watch, you’ll have the best picture quality. There are also certain modes you can choose from. Like Game, Cinema, Sports, Graphics, Animation, these are called scene select. You can choose these pre-sets to enhance your viewing experience. It will optimize the most effective and proper scene quality. Whether you’re playing games or watching sports, scene select helps you indulge into a great viewing experience. X-Reality Pro also reduces noise, this is useful especially if you’re watching low res videos, like streaming, etc. The new engine basically, makes everything better. Vibrant colors and superb level of quality, you’ll definitely enjoy. As with every Sony TV, this also has Motinoflow 200Hz.

Let’s talk about the sound. In this model, you’ll have a Rich bass compact speaker.  This newly designed speaker reproduces rich, powerful bass and low midrange sounds, adding to it an extra punch and depth when watching movies, music and dialogue. This bulkier speaker aesthetic helps in creating the perfect bass sound. It doesn’t make the bass sound distorted or muddy. The TV’s loudspeaker has also evolved and this feature is unique to Sony. This is called a Magnetic fluid Speaker technology. This allows a thinner more efficient loudspeaker that offers faithful reproduction of sounds. This includes crisp mids and highs. You’ll never go wrong with this kind of sound technology.

There’s also a screen mirroring feature. This lets you use your tab or Ipad. This lets you see your content, whether videos or pictures into the big screen. You can also stream youtube from this TV and you can use Skype as well. However, in this version, you need a dongle to get the Wifi signal. I will show you the specs of this HDTV.

Bottomline:

This HDTV is worth the money. If you’re a gamer or a person who watches Movies often or a music lover, then you won’t be disappointed with this new model from Sony. Sony’s HDTV’s are always great and the quality of this TV is spectacular. Perfect image quality and clear crisp sounds, the KDL 42W654A won’t disappoint.

 

Here are the specs:

Display Resolution Full HD
Video Processing X-Reality™PRO
Motionflow™ Motionflow™ XR 200 Hz
Backlight Module LED
Live Colour™ Yes
Deep Color Yes
Intelligent MPEG Noise Reduction Yes
MPEG Noise Reduction Yes
Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) Yes
24p True Cinema™ Yes
PhotoTV HD Yes
Viewing Angle 178° (Right/Left), 178° (Up/Down)
Screen Format TV: Auto Wide/ Full/ Normal/ Wide Zoom/ Zoom/ Caption/ 14:9/ PC: Full 1/ Full 2/ Normal
Picture Mode Vivid, Standard, Custom, Photo-Vivid, Photo-Standard, Photo-Original, Photo-Custom, Cinema1, Cinema2, Game-Standard, Game-Original, Graphics, Sports, Animation
CineMotion/Film Mode/Cinema Drive Yes
3D Comb Filter Yes
Sound Mode Standard, Cinema, Sports, Music, Game, Compressed Audio
Sound Enhancer Yes
S-Master Yes
S-Force S-Force Front Surround 3D
Dolby® Dolby® Digital, Dolby® Digital Plus, Dolby® Pulse
Simulated Stereo Yes
Stereo System NICAM/A2
Audio Output Power 5W+5W
Speaker Configuration 2 Full Range (30x60mm) x2
HDMI™ Connections 2
USB 2.0 1 port
Ethernet Connection 1 (Bottom)
Composite Video Input(s) 2 (1 Rear/1 Bottom Hybrid w/Component)
Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Input(s) 1 (Bottom/Hybrid)
RF Connection Input(s) 1 (Side)
Analog Audio Input(s) 2 (1 Rear/1 Bottom)
Digital Audio Output(s) 1 (Bottom)
Audio Out 1 (Side/Hybrid w/HP)
Headphone Out 1 (Side/Hybrid w/Audio Out)
MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) Yes

 

BRAVIA Sync Yes
Fast Zapping Yes
USB Play Yes (USB viewer supports FAT16, FAT32, exFAT and NTFS file systems.)
DLNA MPEG1/ MPEG2PS/ MPEG2TS/ AVCHD/ MP4Part10/ MP4Part2/ AVI(XVID)/ AVI(MotinJpeg)/ MOV/ WMV/ MKV/ WEBM/ 3GPP/ MP3/ WMA/ LPCM/ JPEG/ MPO
Picture Frame Mode Yes
Scene Select Photo, Music, Cinema, Game, Graphics, Sports, Animation
Parental Control Yes
Clock Yes
Sleep Timer Yes
On/Off Timer Yes
Teletext Yes
PAP (Picture And Picture) PAP(Variable)
OSD Language Afrikaans/ Arabic/ Persian/ English/ Fench/ Indonesian/ Portuguese/ Russian/ Swahili / Thai/ Vietnamese/ Chinese(Simplified)/ Chinese(Traditional)/ Zulu/ Assamese/ Bengali/ Gujarati/ Hindi/ Kannada/ Malayalam/ Marathi/ Oriya/ Punjabi/ Tamil/ Telugu
TV Guide On-Screen/EPG Yes
Network Features
Screen Mirroring Yes
TV Sideview Yes
Wi-Fi Connectivity Wireless LAN Ready (requires Wi-Fi adaptor UWA-BR100)
Wi-Fi Direct Yes
Skype™ Ready Yes
Sony Entertainment Network
Internet Video Yes
Facebook and Twitter Yes
ECO Features
Dynamic Backlight Control Yes
Backlight Off Mode Yes
Light Sensor Yes
Power Saving Modes Yes
General
Power Requirements DC 19.5V
Power Consumption Approx. 84W
Standby Power Consumption Approx. 0.5W
Dimensions (W x H x D) with Stand Approx. 954 x 595 x 197mm
Dimensions (W x H x D) without Stand Approx. 954 x 568 x 69mm
Weight with Stand Approx. 11kg
Weight without Stand Approx. 9.9kg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journey Review

Glimpse Team on July 26, 2013

Enter a unique and incredible experience. Developed by thatgamecompany, this Indie game made a stand of its own and even supplanted other high budgeted titles in becoming number one in 2012. Journey is a unique game that each person should experience, especially if one calls himself a gamer. This PS3 exclusive game is filled with depth and quality. It’s emotional and mysterious, and you don’t need to be a hardcore player to beat the game. The controls are simple and the objective straightforward. You’ll notice that the game’s level designs and graphics look amazing. It’s clear that thatgamecompany invested so much time with this game and nothing is compromised, quality speaks for itself in this game. It’s a breath of fresh air each time you play this game. Free yourself from shooters or from adventure and fighting games. This game dwells deep to a level of personal reflection and companionship. The game doesn’t explain things for you, rather you interpret these moments that you experience. However, I will try to explain the simple elements of the game.

Basically, you are a traveler and you’re only goal is to reach the mountain top. You’ll find yourself in a desert through the early parts of the game. Here you’ll notice your objective right away, of which to reach the mountain. Now, the game gets interesting as you progress, there are many obstacles along the way and you need to overcome them. As to what these obstacles are, it’s more fun that you would discover them on your own. Now the most interesting part in the game is that you can finish it with an online companion. Your friend randomly pops in or out. What’s wonderful is that you don’t know who’s the person you are “journeying” with (no pun intended). The game developers purposefully did this because they think that if there are chats or names, then the players will be distracted and won’t be able to fully experience on their goal, of which is to reach the mountain’s peak. However, the only communication that the players can do is do a “chirping” sound. By pressing the circle button, the player creates a sound, this signals the players partner. This can mean many things, they can simply say “follow me” or “come here” , etc. That’s the beauty of the game, and the player can also choose to wait for the player, go together and be partners or they could just leave them behind and go solo. This unique experience on traveling with a person you don’t know is highly emotional, especially in the later parts of the game, where the obstacles get tougher and tougher. I think it’s safe to say that companionship and friendship makes this game more unique than any other game out there. You don’t know the person, and you only have one means of communication. Therefore, trust is imperative if you guys want to succeed. In this game, you also have a scarf, this makes you glide temporarily. You can replenish this ability by getting other scarfs or you can let your friend replenish it for you and vice versa. You can replenish the scarf of your friend by holding circle. You may also want to get white crystal symbol items, these items make your scarf longer. The longer the scarf, the better. The music for this game is phenomenal, the musical score is done by Austin Wintory. The melodies of the music are perfect for the wonderful levels and the music fits well with the ambiance of the game.

In closing, Journey is an amazing and highly emotional game. This game lets you reflect and makes examine your inner self. The multiplayer aspect is well integrated and definitely adds the fun factor of the game. Wonderful graphics and spectacular visuals, the developers for this game understands the meaning of  “quality”. They did well in the graphics department. If you’re a PS3 owner, you’re doing a disservice to yourself if you haven’t played this game yet. For those who don’t have a PS3, you can try to play this with your friend who has one. That’s how good it is. This game is really good, it also has won many awards, including IGN’s Game of the Year award for 2012. Although, this game is a 2hr game, those two hours are one of the best. It’s definitely worthy of your time. This game is a masterpiece, no doubt about it. Try this game out, experience a unique and fun journey.