30 Days of Night - On the screen in theaters - should be on Blu-ray disc

Paul Hillenbrand · 02-27-2008, 07:11 PM

Just finished watching "30 Days of Night" on Blu-ray and I was very dissapointed with the forced subtitles on the disc. The disc should have included the specified subtitles where they were located on the OAR theatrical film frame of the movie.

Note: If subtitles could be relocated via blu-ray specifications from the menu, this would not be a problem.

The 1080P Blu-ray disc was authored in the films original theatrical ratio of 2.40:1, but with one very important exclusion. The mandatory forced subtitles (the subtitles for the translation of the vampire language) are not within the original ratio film-frame of the movie.

Instead, the subtitles on this disc are partly within the movies 2.40:1 frame structure and partly within the ATSC video formats 1.76:1 (16x9 screen area) where the bottom black bar is located on a full 16x9 screen.
This defeats the directors intent of what is seen on the film and is incompatible with the black matting in both theaters and home-theaters alike, also "constant-image-height setups that can optimize 2.40:1 aspect ratio will suffer, as the subtitles can't be read off the viewable area of the screen.

Please join me and voice your concern for proper Blu-ray home-theater compatiblity.

Thanks,

Paul

Yumbo · 02-27-2008, 10:02 PM

I noticed that while watching the making of clips.

Bleddyn Williams · 02-28-2008, 09:04 AM

Not using the original burned-in subtitles? We usually don't have to deal with this nonsense in the good o'' US of A - its usually an international thing. I wonder if they're just going to use the same master all over the world.

brap · 02-28-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bleddyn Williams

Not using the original burned-in subtitles? We usually don't have to deal with this nonsense in the good o'' US of A - its usually an international thing. I wonder if they're just going to use the same master all over the world.

More than likely. I think that idea is great. QC all over the world. one master to rule them all. lowers costs and no more hearing "Slovenia has a better looking DVD than us!".

Mark Kalzer · 02-28-2008, 09:26 PM

This isn't a problem exclusive to Blu-Ray! Another one of the reasons I've not picked up the Star Wars DVDs with the original theatrical cuts is that I've seen them and know that the subtitles are sitting below the 2.35 picture and I now would not be able to even see them on my new Widescreen TV without running the picture matted on all four sides. That isn't original theatrical cut at all by literal definition!

**HTF Ads**

TravisR · 02-28-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Kalzer

This isn't a problem exclusive to Blu-Ray! Another one of the reasons I've not picked up the Star Wars DVDs with the original theatrical cuts is that I've seen them and know that the subtitles are sitting below the 2.35 picture and I now would not be able to even see them on my new Widescreen TV without running the picture matted on all four sides. That isn't original theatrical cut at all by literal definition!

Adjust your DVD player's settings (rather than your TV's) and the subtitles aren't matted off.

Paul Arnette · 02-29-2008, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravisR

Adjust your DVD player's settings (rather than your TV's) and the subtitles aren't matted off.

TravisR, could you unpack that a bit more? I'm having trouble understanding how this could help the situation referenced above. Thanks.

RickER · 02-29-2008, 09:13 AM

I understand what Travis is saying. The original Star Wars is a non-anamorphic DVD. If you zoom in with the player, instead of the TV the subs wont be cut off at the bottom of the screen. The TV zoom will cut off everything, cause it doesnt know the subs are even being generated. But if you use the DVD player, it will reposition the subs so you can still read them. I have seen a few DVDs with subs that fall below the black bars, or are burnt below the back bars all the way. Non of this will help with 30 Days of Night. I watched this the other night. It was a fun movie, and the Blu-ray looked fantastic. I cant complain to much about the subs...myself. I am more miffed the anime episode of Blood + was not included, but was put on the DVD of 30 Days of Night.

Paul Arnette · 02-29-2008, 09:37 AM

Thanks, RickER, I will have to try that. Unfortunately, one of my biggest gripes about the Toshiba HD-XA2, which is what I would prefer to play the Star Wars DVDs with the original theatrical cuts, is that it doesn't support zooming. I will have to rely on my Oppo DV-981HD for that it seems.