Short Circuits: TV shows on DVD, "Echochrome" for PS3

Last update: August 18, 2008 - 3:21 PM

short circuits

A brief look at new and noteworthy experiences among DVDs, video games, gadgets and the Web.

DVD

Tune in to favorite shows

It's a banner day for TV-related DVDs. Of interest to millions of eager tweens is the debut of the latest hit Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock" in an extended edition ($30) that includes a longer ending and more footage of the Jonas Brothers. Lest Disney's other prime product be forgotten, there's also "Hannah Montana-Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" (Disney, $35), a 3-D movie that comes with viewing glasses. Most in their targeted audience probably don't care that both releases are also available in the high-def Blu-ray format ($35). That's not the case with fans of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (Warner, $30-$40), whose first-season set is full of the background supplements sci-fi geeks love. Its release primes viewers for the upcoming second season, just like today's five-disc first-season set of the hot teen-driven drama "Gossip Girl" (Warner, $60). And if you want to catch up with the Fox hit "House, M.D." before the premiere of its fifth season Sept. 16, the fourth season arrives today in a four-disc set (Universal, $60). But for creepy thrills, there's nothing better than the exploits of serial killer and police analyst "Dexter," now out in a second-season set (Showtime, $40).

Today's other DVD picks: "The Life Before Her Eyes," "Perry Mason" (Season 3, Vol. 1), "Prom Night," "Recount," "The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior," "Street Kings," "Twenty-Four Eyes," "The Wizard of Gore."

GAME

Not seeing is believing

Imagine crawling around inside a drawing by M.C. Escher, and you have an idea of what it's like to play the addictive puzzler "Echochrome," for the PlayStation 3. Players are challenged to manipulate what essentially are 2-D black-and-white images in a 3-D environment, challenging their perspective of what's up and what's down, what's there and what isn't. If an object blocks your view of a hole in the ground, for example, does the hole still exist? Not in the topsy-turvy world of "Echochrome." A free demo of the game, available exclusively on the PlayStation Network, offers a thorough overview of how the quirky title works. Once you're hooked, the full version costs only $10 to download.

RANDY A. SALAS

SATISFY YOUR INNER GEEK

Get daily technology news and musings from Randy Salas at startribune.com/technobabble.

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