WM9 HD Format!!!!! Impressive doesn't quite describe it!

Landmark Theatres and Microsoft Corp. announced that they are equipping 177 screens in all 53 Landmark Theatres across the United States with digital cinema playback systems based on Microsoft® Windows Media® 9 Series. This unprecedented agreement represents the largest digital cinema theater circuit installation to date in the United States. For all the nay-sayers out there, three MAJOR movies were screened in Windows Media 9 Series at the Sundance Film Festival this year. That’s a lot of street cred given the purpose of showing your movie is to sell it, and a botched screening could mean millions lost. The technology is also being used by BMW Films for screening of their shorts in select theaters nationwide. It’s a tested solution. Check the BSOD jokes at the door- Digital Cinema solutions powered by Windows Media actually deliver. – Addicted to Digital Media

OK, I have to admit… I thought this was ridiculous when I first read this a couple of weeks ago. But I finally got around to downloading the samples posted up last week and I have to say I’m floored. If you haven’t taken the time to download some of these samples, you really need to. This is the BEST I’ve seen video on a PC screen EVER!!! And I get to play with some pretty expensive broadcast equipment at work. Now all I need to know is 1) how to encode this format and 2) how to play it out to my HDTV ;-)