Nespresso Compatible Capsules

Great to see that the number of companies offering compatible capsules for the Nespresso system has increased. However with this brings the question, when making compatible capsules, do you aim to make a top quality capsule at roughly the same price as a Nespresso capsule, or do you go for the cheaper option, and make a capsule 50p or so cheaper than Nespresso, with the equivalent quality a cheaper capsule brings?

I recently bought some Nespresso compatible capsules that were about 20% cheaper than the Nespresso ones, and I guess I was swayed by the price, more than the quality, as having got towards the end of the first box of 10, I realised that the coffee quality was not as good as Nespresso. This proved to me that cheaper is not in this case just as good as the original Nespresso capsules.

Whilst I think it is good to have 1 or 2 brands of capsules that are sold in a supermarket chain, as this allows those who don't wish to order online, or visit a Nespresso boutique the chance to get capsules for their machine, I think these capsules have to be as good a Nespresso original, or not sold at all, otherwise it damages the Nespresso brand.

Andre Rieu Live in Masstricht

Watched a fantastic Cinema Live presentation of Andre Rieu, "Live in Maastricht 2012" last night. Great concert with some great songs and guest appearances. Seemed strange to watch Andre's orchestra performing the Smurf Song with Father Abraham one minute, and then perform Zorba's Dance with a Russian trio the next.

To round off the weekend I watched a DVD of last years concert in Maastricht - "Under The Stars, Live in Maastricht V" with more fantastic songs, including I Will Follow Him from Sister Act, Ravel's Bolero, Neussen Dorma. I bought this DVD in France, and it is a shame that it is not available in the UK.

I noticed on Amazon.co.uk today that "Songs From My Heart Live in Maastricht" (his first Maastricht concert on DVD) is being released on the 2nd of July for the first time in the UK (it has been available in Europe for quite a while), while at the same time it seems that a lot of Europe is getting a 6 DVD box set of all his Maastricht concerts that are available on DVD. It would be nice if all his latest releases were available in the UK - for example last November his new CD "And The Waltz Goes On" was released in the UK, while in the rest of Europe, they got the same CD, and the DVD "And The Waltz Goes On" filmed at a concert in Vienna. Perhaps I am asking too much to have everything available by Andre Rieu on CD/DVD available to the UK? Perhaps with Andre Rieu's popularity taking off in the UK in the last few years, Universal Music have decided to release some of his back catalogue, that hasn't previously been available to the UK, before latest releases.