Author: DOuG pRATt

Broadcast News

Streaming services that are clobbering cable TV are carried by the cable TV companies providing Internet service.

A GIF. Stephen Wilhite, creator of the GIF, 3/3/48 – 3/14/22

There may be some hope for broadcast TV with ATSC 3.0, aka NextGenTV.

Besides 4K resolution and Internet integration options, the new standard offers significantly better over-the-air reception. New TV tuners are needed, however, and because ATSC 1.0 isn’t being retired NextGenTV could be dead on arrival.

Boston has no NextGenTV stations yet. Boston’s ABC network affiliate, WCVB, just added an ATSC 1.0 standard definition sub-channel at 5-3. For now it’s just a test pattern, but on March 28 it will feature MeTV’s new Story Network.

Stop-Motion War

Puppetoons having been mentioned several posts ago, I went looking for George Pal’s “Tulips Shall Grow” from 1942. This copy is better quality than the one posted a few years ago.

As war continues to rage as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, here’s another animated WWII curiosity. Note the Communist Russia flag flying proudly next to America’s stars and stripes at the end.

Vampires on Facebook

Gotta laugh at this ridiculous come-on. It was directed at me as a comment on Facebook, in reply to a comment I had made on a comic book group.

How are you doing?? Am Rose,I took time reading your profile over and over…. i like all i read about you. i would love to know more about you and have a longer conversation with you,to see what we both have in common. Please do check my profile and see,if we are both compatible…You feel free to email me anytime and i’ll be glad to get that from you,You are so Handsome..I think i should stop here now and i’ll look forward hearing from you soon. Kind Regards Rose

The vampires are always out there, looking for victims. At the same time I saw that message, this fantastic photo popped up in my Facebook newsfeed.

What a lavish display, especially for a horror flick. Even the lettering is impressive. Wartime before TV. The movie was shown with a Fleischer Popeye cartoon, a Disney Pluto cartoon, and a George Pal Puppetoon, misspelled as “Puppetune.”

I can’t read the cartoon titles, but this is the Pluto cartoon that was released closest to Return of the Vampire. Buy your war bonds here!

 
And now, the feature presentation.