Gizmodo: Family Guy

TBS, I Can Pause My Own TV, Thanks

Mark Wilson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:43:00 EDT

TBS has opted to not only advertise during television shows through those pesky lower third banners, but to go so far as to pause the show you are watching to do it. A particularly offensive case of interstitial marketing, needless to say, it's not going to do wonders for the network's ratings. Oh, and for the TBS marketing gurus high-fiving right now and claiming that any press is good press, we have two words for you: Michael. Jackson. [kottke via bbGadgets]

Family Guy Enters The Matrix

Mark Wilson — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:30:00 EDT

If someone had asked me right when I woke up this morning if I expected to see an superb Family Guy/Matrix trailer mashup—I'd probably have searched YouTube for it later—but I'd have done so quite incredulously. [via newlaunches]

Fox's Legal iTunes DVD Rip Works Great, Wastes Plastic

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:30:00 EST

Amid all of the MacBook Air hullabaloo, you might have forgotten about the Apple announcement that Fox would begin providing "free" iTunes versions of programs via DVD. The first release was Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest, a Star Wars parody. Being the brave product testers that we are, we tried it out. It was, well, kinda weird.

You pop in the special Digital Copy disc, and on a Mac, a window automatically pops open telling you to launch iTunes. In iTunes, you are directed to a page where—get this—you enter a code printed on slip inside the DVD case. The "download" completes, and you have a copy of the show that's identical in file format to anything you get from iTunes, and it's locked to your account in the same way. Only you copied it over from a disc. This just feels wrong.

As you might expect, the disc and code are useable just once. So why the hell was there a disc at all? I imagine this whole thing would be simpler if Fox would just print the slip and let you redeem it with a bonafide over-the-net download via iTunes.The version itself looks great, about equal to the DVD, quality wise, and far better than the downsized legal version that Toast 8 lets you move to your iPod if you TiVo'd it when it originally aired. (In case you're wondering, the DVD is good too, with a Seth MacFarlane/George Lucas interview and a reel showing all of the Family Guy Star Wars references throughout the years.)

I am a fan of this concept. DVD sales aren't doing so hot, and something like this could really perk them up. Think of all the TV series box sets that would be way more desirable if they came with an automatic iTunes version. Yes, I know there are ways to do it yourself, but those ways are time consuming, not to mention of legal dubiousness. (I think ripping a DVD for yourself is well within the fair-use doctrine, and that Roxio and Nero, not to mention iTunes, should be all over that, but I still worry that the legal squabbles will continually make it hard for mainstream software to embrace it. The music biz may be casting off DRM, but Hollywood is a much more organized, high-tech beast.)

Fox doesn't appear 100% committed to this. Maybe it was just the need to keep it hush-hush before the Jobsnote, but the case bears a single little sticker saying "Digital Copy," with no mention of iTunes anywhere. Nor was there a reference to this clearly valuable bonus feature anywhere on the case itself. Even on Amazon, there's no mention of the fact that you can rip it to your iTunes. That's why it was all the more surprising when I found the second disc inside: a whole disc wasted for something that they didn't even mention on the label. That's strange marketing, Fox. Very strange. [Official Site]

Vudu Adds Fox TV Shows to its VOD Lineup, Kicks off HD Downloading

Wilson Rothman — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:17:16 EST

Starting today in beta, Vudu owners can pay $1.99 a piece for episodes of 24, Family Guy, Firefly and other Fox-produced shows in standard-def video. Today also marks the availability of the Bourne Ultimatum for purchase in high-def. Though the $399 Vudu's signature attribute is immediate viewing of movies, we're told HD downloads won't be ready pronto, but will take a buffering period that could be long if your network isn't hot. In other words, if you do plan to buy it—for $25—buy it early. [Crave and Vudu]

Family Guy Explains The Death Star Flaw

Mark Wilson — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:30:39 EDT

From the season opener we talked about last week. We've long wondered why Darth Vader would allow such a gaping hole in the Death Star's defenses. And after years of tireless debate and study, now we know.

Leaked Family Guy Star Wars Scene Shows Slight Computer Knowledge

Jason Chen — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:50:49 EDT

There's at least one guy on Family Guy that's used a computer in the last five years, as evidenced by this sneak-peek R2-D2 scene from the new season's first episode airing this Sunday. It's a nice clip both to entertain you for 30 seconds on a Thursday afternoon, and to make you look forward to Futurama's return this November. No offense to Family Guy, but true nerds know which show's made by and for them. [Family Guy]

USB Stewie Doesn't Look Anything like Him, Wastes USB Port

Travis Hudson — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:20:56 EDT

Are you honestly trying to say that this cheap USB toy is actually supposed to look like Stewie of Family Guy fame. Look at it, his hair is obviously a lot thicker and blacker, and his complexion gives him the look of a Hispanic.

Anyway this Stewie look-alike plugs into a USB port and randomly says silly Stewie sayings that would be funny and cute for one day, then be extremely annoying afterwards. $28. – Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via EverythingUSB]