Bond Films Without Modified Titles Appear To Be On Netflix (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

So the other night I was playing around with Netflix, and they have a few Bond titles streaming - You Only Live Twice and Spy Who Loved Me among them. I hit play expecting to have the same squeezed main title sequences that are on the Ultimate Edition DVDs and Blu-rays, but to my surprise, the main title sequences weren't squeezed at all, at appeared to be at the normal aspect ratio.

Has anyone else noticed this? Either on Netflix, or another service?

 

[Worth]

Interesting. The Bond DCPs I've seen all have the squished titles, as well. I wonder if they've remastered the films again.

 

[Reed Grele]

My issue with Netflix streaming is what they do with the end titles.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Interesting. The Bond DCPs I've seen all have the squished titles, as well. I wonder if they've remastered the films again.

From the bits I peeked at, it seemed to be the same master as the current Blu-rays. I've seen the same squished titles in the DCPs. I'm wondering if there's a version of the master that exists in their archives somewhere without the squished titles, and they just used those. Years ago, I worked for PBS around the dawn of Netflix streaming, and Netflix had very strict specs about what they would accept and not accept, and the kind of changing, temporarily squeezed aspect ratio would definitely be the thing that would fail a Netflix QC check. Wouldn't be surprised if it failed iTunes QC as well, but I'm not going to buy it on iTunes just to check. I've also read in some places -- and take this with a grain of salt since I can't verify it -- that some DCPs that studios provide to theaters for repertory seem to be based on/made from the Blu-ray master. (Projectionists have noticed this in part because the file size of the DCP was almost identical to the Blu-ray, at about 20-30gigs, instead of the 150-200 gigs that a lot of DCPs are.) So it's very possible that the DCPs for the Bond films were created from the Blu-ray master rather than the 4K scan.

It was nice to discover that the title sequences in their correct form still exist, and in high resolution, somewhere. It's just a shame that that "somewhere" isn't in the obvious place, like on my Blu-ray disc.

My issue with Netflix streaming is what they do with the end titles.

What do they do to the end titles? When I've streamed a movie, it plays until the end of the credits normally, as a DVD would. Not sure if it would make a difference, but I'm viewing on an AppleTV most of the time.

 

[Reed Grele]

What do they do to the end titles? When I've streamed a movie, it plays until the end of the credits normally, as a DVD would. Not sure if it would make a difference, but I'm viewing on an AppleTV most of the time.

On my PS3, they shrink the end credits of most films down to the size of a postage stamp while they do a "show and tell" on the rest of the screen of what you might like to view next.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

On my PS3, they shrink the end credits of most films down to the size of a postage stamp while they do a "show and tell" on the rest of the screen what you might like to view next.

Oh, ick. No way to turn that off? That sounds less than ideal.

 

[Reed Grele]

Oh, ick. No way to turn that off? That sounds less than ideal.

Must be part of the software that the PS3 uses. If someone knows how to turn off this "feature", please let me know.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

If it's anything like the Netflix app on my LG television, you can arrow over to select the postage stamp and then select it to bring the credits back to full screen.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Adam is correct, but there's no way to turn off that "feature" (as Netflux calls it) entirely. My Roku does it but my 2010 Panasonic Blu-ray player does not, so it's been added to devices where thy still update the App.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Wow, that sounds like a, ummm, fun feature to have. I guess I appreciate that they're trying to offer suggestions, but the way you guys describe it, makes it sound like a commercial or advertising. Is it just me, or are we all being advertised at far more aggressively than ever before? Maybe I don't want to pick out my next movie this exact second. Maybe I wanna watch the credits. Noticing something in movie theaters - seems like the house lights used to stay down for the credits, or perhaps gently fade up after the credits have begun. Nowadays at the major multiplexes, they've got those lights timed for the exact second the movie ends, and if in that zealousness to get them up the split second the last shot ends, they turn them on early, well, that's ok too apparently. Sorry for the rant - I'm just one of those guys that usually likes to see the credits and enjoy the last bit of score. I think it's totally okay to not stay for those things, but whether it's Netflix or a theater, they shouldn't be hostile towards people who do want to see them.

 

[Ejanss]

If it's anything like the Netflix app on my LG television, you can arrow over to select the postage stamp and then select it to bring the credits back to full screen.

Yep, that's pretty much how you do it on the PS3--
It's an "option" (albeit you can't turn off) to have choices, but if you don't want to be interrupted, you can "Shaddup!" and click back to the credits.

 

[Worth]

Netflix had very strict specs about what they would accept and not accept, and the kind of changing, temporarily squeezed aspect ratio would definitely be the thing that would fail a Netflix QC check.

Had a peek at the opening of Star Trek III, and the titles are still pillarboxed on that one.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Had a peek at the opening of Star Trek III, and the titles are still pillarboxed on that one.

Boo! Thanks for checking, though -- I'm not quite holding my breath, but still hoping against hope, that one day Paramount revisits their Star Trek movies on Blu and does a better job.