Remastered seems to be the buzz word these days when it come to old tv programs and music.
I wrote earlier about The Beatles box set of remastered cd’s. The other day I was at Walmart and wondered if they had the set. Not at our WalMart. But they did have the individual cd’s. So, out of curiosity I picked up the remastered Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

It’s a really nice tri-fold cd that contains a booklet with pictures, articles and the song lyrics.
I thought I would do a quick comparison of the “new improved” sound quality. I put on my older cd of the album and listened to just the first track. Then I popped in the remastered cd. Holy mackeral! What a difference. The sound was so much clearer, crisper and bright. Now I am anxious to listen to the rest of the cd. This has convinced me to either buy the box set or gradually acquire each cd individually.

Also on the topic of WalMart and remastered media. I saw the remastered sets of Star Trek the Original Series. The price was fairly decent, but I thought I ought to check Amazon to see which is cheaper. I often buy dvd’s and books from Amazon since the price is normally quite a bit less than the WalMart price. However, in this case Amazon wanted $80.99 for season 1. WalMart was about half that price. So, I bought the dvd set from WalMart.

As far as the remastering of Star Trek, I have also included an example of how they improved the older graphics. The original is on the left and the remaster is on the right side.

I have only watched the first episode and am quite pleased with this set. Eventually I will pick up the other two seasons of the original series.

I got my new Zune HD 32 Gig model in the mail today! I set it up on my computer and got it all synced for my music and podcasts.

I love the touch screen interface. It’s really nice. The radio has HD radio capabilities. Unfortunately there are no HD radio stations in my area. But there is one station that displays song and artist information while the song is playing. And, if you like the song, there is an option to go to the Zune marketplace (wirelessly) and purchase the music. That’s not something I’m going to do. I would rather rip my cd’s to the device.

The internet function works quite well. I have used it to check my GMail account and log into Twitter. I will probably add more sites to the bookmark function.

Finally, the OLED screen is simply wonderful. It’s easily readable in all lighting conditions and angles.

Well, I’m going to cut this short and go back to playing with my new Zune HD.

Well, I broke down and did it. I pre-ordered a new Zune. I have had my 80 Gig model for almost 2 years and I have loved it. I originally got the Zune because of the way the Zune Marketplace and the device itself handled podcasts (which is what I listen to almost exclusively). Plus the Zune earbuds fit well and have excellent sound. I also liked the fact that it could sync wirelessly.

When I first heard about the upcoming Zune HD I got really excited. It’s a touch screen device that reviewers have said has a better user interface than the iPod touch. The Zune HD can also output HD video to an HD tv (with optional connection device). Best of all the new HD has an internet browser!

Well, the device becomes available September 15th. I debated between waiting and just picking one up at WalMart and pre-ordering through Amazon. The price would be the same for the unit, but it came down to tax vs. shipping. The tax to buy locally is $21. Amazon ships for under $6. No contest. And I should still have it by the 15th.

I will do a follow-up posting when I have had a chance to play with it a while. And, I will probably give the Zune 80 to Mrs. JohnStuff.

Here’s some shots of the Zune HD:

Coming September 9th is a box set of newly remastered Beatles cd’s. These are the 13 studio albums. The original studio tapes were recently re-digitized in a much higher quality than ever before. From the reviews I have read, the sound is vastly improved over the current cd’s on the market now.

Here’s part of what was said on the Rolling Stone magazine website:

On September 9, 2009, after a nearly 22-year wait, digitally remastered versions of all of the Beatles studio albums will be released, a press release has confirmed. Each album will feature the track listings and artwork as it was originally released in the U.K. and come with expanded booklets including original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited time, each of the Fab Four’s 12 proper albums will be “embedded” with a brief documentary about its making. The rereleases will include the Beatles’ 12 studio albums and Magical Mystery Tour as well as Past Masters Vol. I and II, which will be packaged as one collection. All 14 discs will be available with DVDs of the documentaries in a stereo box set, and a set titled The Beatles in Mono featuring 10 discs will also be released.

You can read the entire article here: Beatles Remastered

I own all the Beatles vinyl LPs and the current crop of cd’s. But I would sure love to hear these new remastered discs. I am reminded of how good the sound was at the Beatles Love performance by Cirque du Soleil with re-mixed Beatles tracks.

But from what I have been able to find out, the set is going to run in the $250 neighborhood. That puts each cd in the $20 vicinity. Maybe someplace like Amazon will offer this at a discount.