A Few Words About A few words about...™ Tex Avery Screwball Classics - Volume 1 - in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I'll make the point again, that the original elements on these films are gone.

 

[ThadK]

OK but what does that have to do with the sound being worse here than on the DVD?

 

[ArnoldLayne]

I'm worried about the Audio distortion too. You wouldn't have given the audio a 5/5 if there was anything obviously wrong with the audio?

Did you listen to the YT videos?

 

[Mark-P]

So now, in addition to judging Blu-rays by screen captures, we’re also judging them by YouTube uploads?

 

[Robert Harris]

OK but what does that have to do with the sound being worse here than on the DVD?

Generally, combined audio from the nitrate era will come from a track print, combined fine grain, or print.

From one (or more of those sources) 24 track tapes, full coat mags, or digital material will be produced as an archival source.

If you’re referencing Daredevil, my playback showed the music and some effects, along with the ringmaster’s voice to be a bit brighter than one might have expected. Mr. Droopy’s voice seemed fine. As noted, I am unaware as to precisely how this should sound, as I’ve never heard a surviving original, presuming a 35mm print exists.

I don’t make a habit of referencing old video tracks, nor heavily compressed YouTube material. I am aware that WB does not generally filter their archival tracks, so I highly doubt that this has been modified from whatever archival source was accessed.

Not to sound confrontational, as this is not meant in that way, but if you have a problem with the audio on one of the 19 cartoons, I would suggest enjoying the other 18, as the investment is around one dollar.

If WB were to find a problem, and / or if better, more original, tracks might be located, this cartoon could be added to a future offering of 18, 19, 20, 21 shorts on that release.

No harm, no foul.

I’d be interested in knowing how Jerry Beck feels about this, as he’s the expert in the field. I’m comfortable discussing sequential picture negatives, masters, CRIs, and other dupes, as well as how they age over time, but the minutia of cartoon tracks, which did not always seek normalcy, is not my arena. And a bit of brightness on the track of a single short, when what I’m hearing may actually have been as intended, does not affect my overall score for those that sound more average for their age.

Again, I’m not seeking to be argumentative, merely stating my position.

And pictorially, these films look very, very nice.

 

[ThadK]

It clearly was poorly filtered if you listen to the other versions of the cartoon where there is no distortion and doesn't sound like it was recorded in a bathroom. I doubt YouTube compression is the issue here. Other MGM cartoons have had this issue in the past, to a far more extreme degree. Sound problems have been a long-standing issue with Warner cartoon releases going back to the Golden Collection days.

But I agree 1 out of 19 cartoons having some sort of minor issue is not bad and certainly not a deal breaker - that's the typical average with these cartoon releases, however disappointing that minor, but avoidable, issue may be. And yet the clip with noise reduction was the one they chose to highlight, so of course people are going to ask questions.

And 35mm release prints exist for all the MGM cartoons. Not sure why that's being called into question...

 

[Robert Harris]

It clearly was poorly filtered if you listen to the other versions of the cartoon where there is no distortion and doesn't sound like it was recorded in a bathroom. I doubt YouTube compression is the issue here. Other MGM cartoons have had this issue in the past, to a far more extreme degree. Sound problems have been a long-standing issue with Warner cartoon releases going back to the Golden Collection days.

But I agree 1 out of 19 cartoons having some sort of minor issue is not bad and certainly not a deal breaker - that's the typical average with these cartoon releases, however disappointing that minor, but avoidable, issue may be.

And 35mm release prints exist for all the MGM cartoons. Not sure why that's being called into question...

Because that’s what I’d like to hear. And I’ve not researched what survives. Hopefully nitrate is available.

 

[TravisR]

A release that classic animation fans are saying is flawed? Is this the first time that this has happened?

 

[mBen989]

A release that classic animation fans are saying is flawed? Is this the first time that this has happened?

Short answer, no. Slightly longer answer, due a search.

 

[TravisR]

Short answer, no. Slightly longer answer, due a search.

Sorry, I thought my sarcasm would have shined through since it seems like classic animation ALWAYS complain about releases.

 

[warnerbro]

I wouldn't trust that the sound quality on clips on Youtube as being what they'll be on the blu ray.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Even if Warner is using the same source elements for sound as the old laserdisc transfers (doubtful), there's going to be significant improvement just going from lossy Dolby Digital encodes to WAC's usual lossless DTS-HD MA.

 

[mBen989]

Sorry, I thought my sarcasm would have shined through since it seems like classic animation ALWAYS complain about releases.

Well, you never know nowadays.

 

[Robert Harris]

Per Daredevil Droopy, audio elements are from the uncut version.

 

[zoetmb]

The preview clips posted by Warner Archive look very nice, but Daredevil Droopy and Symphony in Slang have obviously distorted audio noise reduction. Are these the only titles affected?
.

That does not sound to me like "distorted audio noise reduction". It sounds like the normal distortion inherent in most optical tracks of the era, possibly compounded by whoever mastered the audio trying to push up the mid-high frequencies and the fact that these were probably mastered without the Academy roll-off. I thought "Symphony" sounded better than the other two previews - it has a more rounded frequency response with a bit more bottom. I thought "Red Hot..." and "Daredevil..." sounded somewhat thin and distorted. "Red Hot..." is understandable because it was released in 1943. "Daredevil.." and "Symphony..." were released in 1951 and might have originally had the audio recorded on mag tracks (not on the prints), but I suspect those mag tracks are long gone, so the audio is coming from a print.

Decades ago, I used to get 16mm prints from the library and I'd output the projector sound to my stereo system. I found it sounded best when I would roll-off the high end, just the opposite of what one would think it needs.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

Upgrade from DVD without a doubt- but what about upgrade from Laserdisc? One of my all time favorite compilations ever was on LD!

 

[Peter Neski]

This is a great set ,and real deal All look a lot better than Laser set, They released some of these on dvd along with movies
these are somewhat improved on with this set , while some cartoons look perfect ,some of the older ones like Dumb Hounded Droopy look petty much like dvd version,The First Screwy Squirrel cartoon looks good,but the other two look near perfect I could have use Blitz Wolf
over any of those late cartoons on this set They didn't edit anything out either

 

[[email protected]]

It seems my Amazon order will not be arriving until the end of March, even though I preordered on February forth.

 

[Malcolm R]

It seems my Amazon order will not be arriving until the end of March, even though I preordered on February forth.

Set is currently $16.99 at Deep Discount ($19.99, plus 15% off with discount code VALENTINE (good thru 2/12 only); though you would need to add something else to get over the $25 level for free shipping).

 

[Robert Harris]

Upgrade from DVD without a doubt- but what about upgrade from Laserdisc? One of my all time favorite compilations ever was on LD!

would look nice on your 35” Mitsubishi