Top Shot: The Gauntlet Season 3 - DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***

HISTORY s hit competition show is back with a gauntlet of all new extreme challenges and eager marksmen ready for a shot at greatness. 16 competitors chosen from across the country vie for the $100,000 prize and the title of TOP SHOT. A national revolver champion, two homeland security agents, a former Navy SEAL, firearms instructors, a restaurant owner and a camp director must demonstrate their skill using the most diverse weapons, from state-of-the-art firearms to rocks. This season also stars some of the biggest weapons ever featured on TOP SHOT such as the Gatling and Hotchkiss Mountain Guns. Colby Donaldson returns as host for the competition that takes a page from history.


DISC ONE The Gauntlet / Down and Dirty / Slug it Out / The Bulldog Gatling

DISC TWO Throwdown Showdown / Turn the Corner /Tricked Out

DISC THREE Ramp It Up / Stacked / Odd Man Out

DISC FOUR Wheel of Fire / Season 3 Finale / Season 3 Behind the Bullet / Bonus


***VIDEO QUALITY***

Top Shot: The Gauntlet arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The shot on location footage looks great with natural color reproduction and perfect skintones. Detail was sharp with clothing textures and the bright outdoor scenes coming across the best. There was some minor noise in the image from time to time but nothing to distract from an overall pleasing image. 8.5/10




***AUDIO QUALITY***

Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track. A front heavy track with little in the way of stereo separation which is a disappointment due to the nature of the show. Would have been great to have an LFE channel for the big gun blasts but the presentation overall was crisp and clear just not a stunner. 7/10



***SPECIAL FEATURES***

* Contestant Biographies
* Behind The Bullet

WORLD EXCLUSIVE WWE: You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge - DVD Review

***MOVIE REVIEW***

WWE keeps their record of superb career biographies with this set. Adam Copeland (Edge) is such charismatic and down to earth talker. Yes he talks about going to Wrestlemania VI in Toronto and seeing his idol Hulk Hogan. We learn the history of how his friendship with Jay Reso (Christian) formed over Christian being the new kid with a throwing ninja star. We see some great home video footage of his learning and traveling the road under the tutelage of Sweet Daddy Siki due to his winning essay. The Brood is discussed and how once he spoke that was it, they new they had a star.

Then we move into the TLC era of classic matches between Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boys, and The Hardy Boyz. From there we move to when Edge & Christian were the coolest and funniest team on Raw or Smackdown. This section reeks of awesomeness. Then the splitting of the team occurs and we movie into his single careers and candid remarks on how some didn't think he was ready, including comments from Edge himself. Of course tragedy struck when his neck problems arose and he had to be out for close to a year. This only motivated him more and when he returned and was booed in hos hometown that is when he flipped the switch and became one of the best heels of the last decade.

My favorite part of this 110 minute biography is when we here a lot of the backstage details of the budding romance between Edge and Lita. I was shocked when we are treated to newly shot comments from Matt Hardy on the situation that happened in the summer of 05 and became the hottest program for about a month. His Money in the Bank cash in is discussed in great detail and John Cena states that him and Vince McMahon were the only ones fully confident in the decision of putting the belt on Edge. Of course he lost it back to Cena 3 weeks later and Edge says he was pissed because the fans were really taking to him as a new champion bit WWE decided to stick to the plan which he jokingly remarks they hardly ever do.

His strong programs with Cena, Batista and Undertaker are discussed in good detail and then some fun insight on his work with Vickie Guererro. One of the unexpected moments is how he calls Zakk Ryder and Curt Hawkins his "kids" and they call him "Uncle Adam". You all know what happens after WrestleMania last year but it was great to hear hos reflections on it now. In between his career retrospective we see Adam Copeland the man just enjoying his life now in the mountains. He tries to get out in nature 2-3 times a week with his dogs, goes kayaking and hiking. He looks to be at peace and loving his new lifestyle since his forced retirement. This is just a wholly entertaining watch and includes newly shot interview footage from Edges' Mother, Lita, Matt Hardy, his close friends, Christian, Sweet Daddy Siki, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vickie Geurerro, John Cena, Curt Hawkins, Zakk Ryder, Michael Hayes, Batista, Randy Orton, Mick Foley, and Trish Stratus. Well worth adding to your wrestling library. 10/10

***VIDEO QUALITY***

The Story of Edge arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Another high quality down convert from the HD source. There were no major signs of compression at all. Colors saturation was good with the bright coats and outfits Edge&Christian would wear as a tag team. Fine detail was great with close ups in newly shot interview footage all the little details of the participants faces.

Black levels were consistently well balanced. Any footage shot before 2008 is standard def in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with an Edge pendant design in the sidebars to fill the image on 16x9 HDTV sets. This was an enjoyable and strong presentation overall. 8.5/10

***AUDIO QUALITY***

Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Dialogue was crisp and clean as was any commentary heard on the matches of Disc 2&3. Crowd din bleeds subtly to the surrounds from time to time. Edges awesome entrance music came through great and had some added heft from the woofers. A fine listen. 8/10

***SPECIAL FEATURES***


* The Ninja Star

* P.T.A.

* Working in WCW

* Credgeley

* "Real Emotion"
Raw - 8th August, 2005

Exclusive - WWE: The Best of Raw and Smackdown 2011 4-Disc DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***

DISC 1

Falls Count Anywhere Match for the WWE Championship
The Miz vs. John Morrison
Raw - 3rd January, 2011

Intercontinental Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston
SmackDown - 7th January, 2011

2-out-of-3 Falls Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio
SmackDown - 7th January, 2011

Divas Championship Match
Natalya vs. Melina
Raw - 24th January, 2011

The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan
Raw - 14th February, 2011

The Rock Returns to Raw
Raw - 14th February, 2011

John Cena Responds to The Rock
Raw - 21st February, 2011

The Championship Coronation of Dolph Ziggler
SmackDown - 18th February, 2011

A Stone Cold Referee
Raw - 7th March, 2011

"The Rock" Attacks John Cena?
Raw - 14th March, 2011

Steel Cage Match
Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio
SmackDown - 18th March, 2011

Intercontinental Championship Match
Kofi Kingston vs. Wade Barrett
SmackDown - 25th March, 2011

Streak in Jeopardy?
Raw - 28th March, 2011

DISC 2

Edge Says Goodbye
SmackDown - 15th April, 2011

A New Side of R-Truth
Raw - 25th April, 2011

WWE Championship Match
John Cena vs. The Miz
Raw - 2nd May, 2011

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Christian vs. Randy Orton
SmackDown - 6th May, 2011

Riley's Revenge
Raw - 23rd May, 2011

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Randy Orton vs. Sheamus with Christian as Special Guest Referee
SmackDown - 3rd June, 2011

6-Man Tag Team Elimination Match
John Cena, Randy Orton & Alex Riley vs. Christian, R-Truth & The Miz
Raw - 20th June, 2011

Daniel Bryan vs. Cody Rhodes
SmackDown - 24th June, 2011

CM Punk Speaks His Mind
Raw - 27th June, 2011

Christian vs. Sin Cara
SmackDown - 1st July, 2011

Mr. McMahon is Relieved of His Duties
Raw - 18th July, 2011

DISC 3

WWE Championship Match
Rey Mysterio vs. John Cena
Raw - 25th July, 2011

Intercontinental Championship Match
Ezekiel Jackson vs. Cody Rhodes
SmackDown - 12th August, 2011

Falls Count Anywhere Match
John Morrison vs. R-Truth
Raw - 15th August, 2011

Alberto Del Rio vs. Daniel Bryan
SmackDown - 19th August, 2011

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty vs. Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne
Raw - 22nd August, 2011

Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Randy Orton vs. Christian
SmackDown - 30th August, 2011

Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
SmackDown - 9th September, 2011

The Cutting Edge with Randy Orton & Mark Henry
SmackDown - 16th September, 2011

Mark Henry is Unleashed
Raw - 19th September, 2011

Special Challenge Match
Dolph Ziggler with Vickie Guerrero vs. Zack Ryder with Hugh Jackman
Raw - 19th September, 2011

Lumberjack Match
Mark Henry vs. Christian
SmackDown - 23rd September, 2011

CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio
Raw - 26th September, 2011

DISC 4

John Cena, CM Punk, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne & Mason Ryan vs.
Alberto Del Rio, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger & David Otunga
Raw - 3rd October, 2011

Vote of No Confidence
Raw - 3rd October, 2011

John Cena vs. Sheamus with Referee Triple H & Commentator CM Punk
Raw - 10th October, 2011

Mask vs. Mask
Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara
SmackDown from Mexico - 21st October, 2011

Street Fight
Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
SmackDown - 4th November, 2011

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan
SmackDown - 4th November, 2011

Champion vs. Champion Match
CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler
Raw - 21st November, 2011

BLU-RAY EXTRAS

Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Edge vs. Kane
SmackDown - 7th January, 2011

Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler
Raw - 17th January, 2011

John Cena vs. CM Punk
Raw - 17th January, 2011

Undertaker & Triple H Stare Down
Raw - 21st February, 2011

John Cena Adjusts The Rock's Attitude
Raw - 28th March, 2011

Save the Date: The Rock vs. John Cena
Raw - 4th April, 2011

Kane vs. Christian
SmackDown - 24th June, 2011

No Count Out Match
Evan Bourne vs. Sin Cara
Raw - 27th June, 2011

Tornado Tag Team Match
Rey Mysterio & Alex Riley vs. The Miz & Jack Swagger
Raw - 27th June, 2011

CM Punk's Public Contract Negotiation
Raw - 11th July, 2011

***MOVIE REVIEW***

Well another year has come and gone and the WWE remains stagnant. The clear bright spot that gave so many fans hope was the pipe bomb emergence of CM Punk. His Raw ending promo on June 27 was a complete shoot and will go down as 6 of the greatest minutes in wrestling history.The promo is in full and uncut. Of course they botched all the heat of that a few weeks later but we now have CM Punk as a top merchandise seller and a new face of the company. The thing I noticed the most watching these 4 discs is the rise and fall of The Miz. He was truly one of the main reasons to watch the show for at least a third of the year and then they made him look like a complete fool. Hopefully the damage done is reversible still.

The Smackdown retirement speech from Edge is uncut as well. The best aspect about this set is that everything is uncut and the promos are complete. Josh Mathews is a likeable host who shows up at the start of each disc. Oh, you thought I was going to forget mentioning the feud between The Rock and John Cena. I'm honestly bored with the whole thing and it is a shame to see how thrilling the fist couple promos from the protagonists were, after they both continue to repeat the same catch phrases and motives. Overall this was a fun look back at a so-so year. 8/10

***VIDEO QUALITY***

The Best of Raw and Smackdown arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Raw and Smackdown are both broadcast live in HD and the SD conversion is helped greatly by that fact. There were no major signs of compression artifacts or edge enhancement. Colors are well saturated and fleshtones were consistently natural. Black levels were strong throughout. Fine detail was very good with logos and close ups benefiting the most. A solid presentation. 8.5/10

***AUDIO QUALITY***

Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 5.1 track. The commentary is crisp and clean and the entrance themes have some nice heft to them. Surrounds are subtle with light crowd din noticeable during a heated contest. 8.5/10

ACCELL ProUltra Elite High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - Review

***PRODUCT DESCRIPTION***

The Accell ProUltra Elite High Speed HDMI® Cable with Ethernet supports a data transfer rate of up to 10.2 Gbps (340MHz) and is fully compliant to the HDMI High Speed with Ethernet specification. This cable is compatible with all HDMI devices and supports all resolutions and video formats including High Definition (HD) 1080p, 4K and 3D.

The ProUltra Elite cable features an HDMI Ethernet Channel and an Audio Return Channel, ensuring complete support of the latest audio and video technologies. It's capable of transferring 48-bit Deep Color or x.v.Color technology as well as DTS-HD or Dolby™ True-HD high-definition digital audio formats. Works With all HDMI Devices

Works With all HDMI Devices
The Accell ProUltra Elite High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet works with all HDMI devices, even devices compatible with earlier HDMI versions or that do not have Ethernet. The HDMI High Speed specification is fully backwards compatible with previous HDMI versions, so even if you don't have HDMI High Speed devices today, using Accell ProUltra Elite High Speed HDMI cables will ensure compliance and system scalability should you upgrade your system in the future.


Key Features
* High Speed HDMI® Cable With Ethernet and Audio Return Channel (ARC)
* Works with all Resolutions Including HD 1080p, 4K and 3D
* Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD® Master Audio compatible
* Supports Deep Color™ and x.v.Color™

Superior Construction Delivers Outstanding Performance

The high-performance HDMI cable is designed to eliminate signal degradation for superior audio and video reproduction. The 100% foil shields and high-density metal braid reject electromagnetic (EM) and radio frequency (RF) interference, and the UltraFlex jacket provides easy routing and superior cable protection. This cable features HDMI connectors with thick 24K gold-plating for a corrosion resistant connection providing maximum audio and video transfer.

***PRODUCT REVIEW***

ACCELL is based out of Fremont,CA. The company strives to create excellent connectivity products for the consumer. The ProUltra Elite HDMI cable I had the pleasure of reviewing here is measured at 2 meters and is compliant with the very latest HDMI specifications. The cable is rated with a superb data transfer rate of up to 10.2Gbps (340MHz). I connected this cable to my full assortment of components throughout my reviewing period and I'm happy to report that each and every time it provided a rock solid connection. There were no handshaking issues to speak of with the exception of switching once to the PS3. The cable provided a breathtaking image and room rattling sound when watching my reference Blu-ray discs I like to use for testing.

The feature list is in the top of its class with 24k Gold-Plated Contacts and connectors, flexible braided jacket, and triple metal shielding for a high quality construction. I found the metal shell to really help in connecting and disconecting the cable and it also gave some heft to the connection that you just don't get with a $10 cable at your local Wal-Mart. The Bulit-In Ethernet Channel and Audio Return Channel (ARC) connection is also solidly constructed. The ethernet channel will allow the transmission of an ethernet signal across the HDMI cable, so in the future when even more devices utilize this feature you'll be all set. I can only finish this review by stating the simple fact that if you're in the market for an HDMI cable that performs flawlessly with no issues and has a top of the line build quality then look no further friends. 10/10

"WWE: Top 50 Superstars Of All Time" 3-Disc DVD Set - EXCLUSIVE FIRST REVIEW

***SYNOPSIS***

It's a timeless debate for sports entertainment fans everywhere. Who is the greatest of all time? Better yet, what superstars make up your top 10, or if you are a real student of history, 20, 40, or 50? The debates and cross-generational comparisons can go on forever, as fans compare Stone Cold to the Hulkster, Ric Flair to Shawn Michaels, this generation s giant (Big Show) to the all-time Giant (Andre), or ask whether John Cena and Randy Orton have already done enough to cement a permanent legacy in this industry. Now, with the 50 Greatest Superstars in WWE History fans can enjoy the first-ever countdown of the biggest superstars in history, complete with highlights of the top 50, commentary from today s WWE Superstars explaining their choices, and more. Contents of the 3-disc Set include:

**DISC ONE**

Top 50 Superstars Countdown Feature

This will contain video profiles of the Top 50 Superstars, as revealed last week.

**DISC TWO**

NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Lou Thesz vs Argentina Rocca
Buffalo, NY

NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jack Briscoe vs Dory Funk Jr.
Championship Wrestling from Florida

Women's Championship Match
The Fabulous Moolah vs Susan Green
Madison Square Garden - June 16, 1975

Gorilla Monsoon vs Muhammad Ali
Philadelphia, PA - June 2, 1976

NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Harley Race vs Terry Funk
Championship Wrestling from Florida - February 6, 1977

Boxing Match
Gorilla Monsoon vs Andre The Giant
Puerto Rico - September 23, 1977

WWE Championship Match
"Superstar" Billy Graham vs "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
Madison Square Garden - September 26, 1977

WWE Championship Match
The Iron Sheik vs Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden - December 28, 1984

Six Man Tag Team Elimination Match
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Rowdy Roddy Piper & Junkyard Dog vs Randy "Macho Man" Savage, "The King" Harley Race & Adrian Adonis
Madison Square Garden - February 23, 1987

"Ravishing" Rick Rude vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Madison Square Garden - December 26, 1987
AWA Heavyweight Championship

Jerry "The King" Lawler vs "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig
AWA - August 13, 1988

No Disqualification Match - Virgil Barred from Ringside
Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
Madison Square Garden - December 28, 1989

**DISC THREE**

"Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs Bret "Hit Man" Hart
Saskatoon, CN - October 12, 1992

The Rock vs Mankind
Halftime Heat - January 31, 1999

Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Championship
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock vs Undertaker vs Kurt Angle
Smackdown - December 7, 2000

Undertaker, Kane, Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Edge & Christian
Raw - April 23, 2001

Edge & Triple H vs Kurt Angle & Chris Jericho
Smackdown - May 16, 2002

Eddie Guerrero vs Big Show
Smackdown - April 15, 2004

Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton
WrestleMania 22 - April 2, 2006

John Cena & Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker & Batistia
No Way Out - February 18, 2007

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Edge vs Undertaker
WrestleMania XXIV - March 30, 2008

***MOVIE REVIEW***
With the voting being done by current WWE wrestlers and agents the final position of several legends are definitely placed in some controversial spots on the top 50 overall list. I didn't list the full list that was leaked a couple weeks ago so readers that don't want this release spoiled with their mind already made up whether they don't agree with who was chosen. The first disc is one full length feature that is hosted ESPN Sportscenter style by Todd Grisham. The top 50 are counted down with each Superstar getting on average a 3 minute career highlight reel with old and new comments spliced in between the footage and sometimes narrated over the action on screen. Some of the more notable wrestlers that were filmed for their thoughts include John Cena, The Miz, Arn Anderson, JJ Dillon, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Ken Patera (only briefly though), and Ted Dibiase.

The matches that are were selected for Disc 2 and 3 are a nice selection and include some matches I don't recall seeing on previous releases. Some of the best are the mid to late 80's matches from Madison Square Garden. I will be back to update my personal thoughts on the position that some Superstars were voted into after the set is officially released on December 14th. Overall score 8/10

***VIDEO QUALITY***
WWE has made this release 16:9 anamorphic compatible. First off the colors were really solid , newer footage that was shot in HD looks great with striking primary colors. The recently shot interviews are the best for natural fleshtones and image detail. Vintage footage is shown in it's original aspect ratio with some WWE Universe type bars on the right and left of the picture to fill the screen. Vintage footage is mixed but anything from the mid 80's up looked very sharp. Black levels were consistently rock solid throughout. 8/10

***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is presented in Dolby Digital. Dialogue was crystal clear throughout. The only time sound was muffled was during the Lou Thesz match on Disc 2. The always stellar video highlight packages WWE puts together sound great with either the wrestlers them music or another well chosen score accompanying the footage. Overall a good performer.7.5/10