Kodak Photo CD
Remember the scene in the sci-fi thriller "Blade Runner" where the hero's television set zooms in on a photo? Down 3, over 4. Enhance. Well, welcome to the future, replicant.
Check out Kodak's new Photo CD player. It connects to your TV like any good VCR – through the antenna, RCA jack, or S-video. Your photos on the CD (scanned in by your local Fotomat from a regular roll of film) fill the screen, crisp and clear. Pop up a shot, slam it where you want to zoom and bam, into enlargement. One bitch is that there should be more levels of zoom. Also the panning around is weird, it feels like it's moving in reverse.
Since not every one of your shots is a gem, you can select what enhancement level and in which order to view a disk. For even more of a future shock, the player can also play straight audio CDs, as well as interactive CDs.
At $499, the player is a bit pricey, but those of us who surf the edge always pay premium. Make no mistake, they will get cheaper and this is the future. I can't wait to microwave popcorn and force my friends to watch my new-fangled slides. Beside, I want to be buried with one so that future generations can discover it clutched in my dusty fingers. I picture a King Tut-style exhibition.
Kodak Photo CD Player, basic model $449, from Kodak, 800 945 7200.
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