Kiki DVD out-of-sync... (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Kleist]

The Japanese track the voices are in proper sync. I ran it twice. It's the sound FX that are off. I was SPECIFICALLY watching mouths

 

[David Lambert]

I have 5 players in my house. I have only viewed it so far on the Panasonic A120. I'll try it on the others tonight when I get home.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

I checked the Region 3 version released by Buena Vista Taiwan. I checked the English dub track and ended up watching 30 minutes of it and I couldn't find a single instance of anything being out of sync. I guess this is still the best version out there. I was hoping the R1 would surpass it but unless they recall it I will not replace my Taiwan version.

Japan R2-Has dubtitles instead of subtitles
Hong Kong R3-Has dubtitles instead of subtitles
USA R1-audio out of sync
Taiwan R3-audio in sync, true subtitles


Jeff

 

[Jon Robertson]

I don't like buying any DVD that is out-of-sync and one of the reasons I posted this was because of the abysmal way Disney seems to be handling Miyazaki's work (red-tint issues, out-of-sync, poor supplimental support, condescending, off-putting openings, etc.). Even the theatrical reissue of Spirited Away has had NO advertising at all in our area for this Academy Award winner and that's bad IMHO.

They've treated his work very nicely indeed with the first four releases. You're complaining about two-disc special editions, am I right? With both English and Japanese soundtracks with literal subtitles, yes? And they helpfully removed the red tint from Spirited Away. A technical slip-up at the authoring stage does not qualify as "abysmal treatment". We'd all love our favourite films to be treated like royalty (I'm still waiting on my Superbit Deluxe edition of Piranha to be announced, along with its 70mm theatrical re-release), but it can't always be for any number of reasons. If the sync problem is as bad as you claim, then I suspect they shall re-release them. But to say that the current discs are "poor" is a bit like saying "Warner really missed the boat with Citizen Kane..."

 

[HowieG]

I agree with Jeff. Somehow the FX tracks on all three language tracks are out-of-sync while the vocals seem okay and therein lies the frustrating problem. Many non-discriminating viewers will let it pass, because it kinda looks in-sync (ouch).

As far as someone suggesting that the broomstick sync is off and the bells are okay, well just look at the VHS dub to verify that the bells aren't okay. It is quite obvious that the audio on this "Kiki" ain't right. Besides, with sync it's (usually) in or out.

Heck, the reason I started this thread was for fear that nothing would be done to heal this problem (due to apparent lack of interest) and I'm frustrated about it.

I've been waiting for this fine gem almost since I started collecting DVD in back in July 1997. Oh well. I guess we won't be seeing a reissue of Kiki's Delivery Service in R1 any time soon...

 

[svenge]

Doubtful.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

And they helpfully removed the red tint from Spirited Away.

By doing an inferior telecine instead of using the master files at Ghibli. Huzzah, I'll keep my red tint version thank you

 

[Craig S]

As far as someone suggesting that the broomstick sync is off and the bells are okay, well just look at the VHS dub to verify that the bells aren't okay.

I don't have the VHS to compare with. All I know is on my DVD the bells strung in the trees ring when she hits those trees, along with the actual "tree hitting" sounds (three separate times). This may be wrong, but it certainly looks & sounds right to me.

I'm not seeing/hearing the entire effects track out of sync - just a few specific sounds. I watched quite a bit of it this morning, and footsteps, doors, Kiki rustling the hay in the train - all of this looked right to me. Are others seeing the whole effects track out of sync?

 

[Jon Robertson]

By doing an inferior telecine instead of using the master files at Ghibli. Huzzah, I'll keep my red tint version thank you

To be fair, Jeff, every other review of the R1 disc I've read has been glowing in its praise of the video, and with an animated film I'd take a correctly colour timed but slightly less detailed transfer over a direct-to-digital version whose palette is grossly inaccurate, every time. You're more than entitled to your opinion, but it does appear to be the minority one (going by the check I just did at DVD-Basen).

Let's face it - Disney could never satisfy the Ghibli fans. No matter how hard they try, someone's always going to find a fault somewhere.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

To be fair, Jeff, every single other review of the R1 disc I've read has been glowing in its praise of the video, and with an animated film I'd take a correctly colour timed but slightly less detailed transfer over a direct-to-digital version whose palette is grossly inaccurate

No other R1 reviewer I have seen has seen the Japanese disc, and it's not THAT BAD of a red push. You do get used to it.

 

[Jon Robertson]

That's a fair point. I'd hope that Gary Tooze and the rest of the gang over at the invaluable DVD Beaver will do a screenshot comparison soon.

 

[Raphael]

Not to try to rouse anymore arguments, but there are some who thought the red tint on the R2 and R3 versions of Spirited Away was enough to severely distract (like me).

Aaaaaanyways, so is the consensus right now that _only_ the broom-slap is off? Because that's the only thing that seems to have come up repeatedly (and it's the only thing I noticed; albeit without watching the rest of the film). If it's just _that_, then, well, I can live with it. I do agree that it seems to be present regardless of language track.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

If you're just talkign the dialog that's off, keep in mind Japanese cartoons tend to be animated then dubbed, so the lip-sync won't be as precise as US cartoons.

 

[David Lambert]

Okay, I have checked this out on 3 different players in my house. After the third, I decided it was not a player-oriented problem. The same thing happens the same way on all of them: Panasonic A120, Mintek, and my DVD-ROM system in my PC.

I dug out my Kiki VHS tape, and played the same scenes during the first 25 minutes of the film. ON THE VHS, THE DIALOG SYNCS UP *PERFECTLY* WITH LIP MOVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE SCENES I WATCHED, WITH A COUPLE OF MINOR FLUCTUATIONS (the sort of thing one attributes to Japanese-to-English dubs). OTHERWISE, LIP MOVEMENTS START WHEN YOU HEAR TALKING, AND STOP THE INSTANT THE DIALOG STOPS.

[rant]Not so with the DVD![/rant] The dialog clearly starts about a half-second before lip movements start, and the talking ends before the lips stop moving. Two great examples: When Osona yells after the lady who forgot her baby's pacifier (in the 20th minute of the film), and just a few minutes before that when Tombo is first "accosting" Kiki and asks to see her broom. Kiki clearly starts "shouting" at him before she sharply turns her head to face him. In the VHS, the words begin after her swivel to face the "camera".

Another "sound effect" that is clearly off is in the 21st minute, when Kiki returns to the bakery after delivering the pacifier. When you first see the door close, the sound of it shutting is clearly before the impact. On the VHS, it's perfectly together.

The broom slap - now that I look for it - is, on the VHS, just a hair off in that it begins maybe a 5th of a second before the hand hits the broom. It's "before", but not nearly so noticable. On the DVD, it's as out-of-sync as the dialog is...about a half second.


Can I enjoy the movie with this problem? More than likely, even though it's irritating.

If noone else reading this agrees with me, I really don't give a shit. On the other hand, I'm going to call 800-72-DISNEY as soon as I have a few minutes to spare and inquire into this.

If nothing else, they ought to be able to get it as close together (action and soundtrack) as the VHS is. Disney has "fixed" minor problems before with their DVDs, even if it takes a long time. It certainly won't hurt to ask.

I figure that if enough of you inquire about the "broom slap", then any fix to that ought to fix me up, too.

 

[James Reader]

If noone else reading this agrees with me, I really don't give a shit. On the other hand, I'm going to call 800-72-DISNEY as soon as I have a few minutes to spare and inquire into this.

David, you sound like you're upset about something today. Anything wrong?

For what it's worth I got my copy from Amazon.com yesterday and was playing it at a friends house and noticed sound being out of sync (but not really voices - sorry). However on my player (a Pioneer) the syncing is much better (but not perfect).

I've noticed on the box it states "Some players may not be able to access all the features". What's that all about, I can't not seen it on any other Buena Vista releases apart from the other Studio Ghibli films.

I'll say good luck David, but considering the issues with the Japanese release's "red tint" and it still being unresolved, I don't hold much hope for you or anyone else who complains. (Of course living in the UK, it's not worth me complaining).

 

[HowieG]

David,

I have checked on four separate DVD players (2-PowerDVD-XL v4 PCs and 2-Sony DVP-NS755V standalones) and all have exhibited the same thing (and ALL exactly the same way) - Kiki is out-of-sync (including the dialog - but not as noticeable).

You know it and I know it and those who really love this film know it (I've seen this movie too many times).

One other thing I feel I should mention. It's not just the sync issue. it's also the way the DVD is presented (in your typical Disney fashion). You have to trip over those blue warnings, then navigate the menu button to get through repeated viewings of trailers, only then to be greeted with an unnecessary opening (or press another button). Heck, by the time you get to the film you're exhausted!

Also, I admit that the alternate language tracks are indeed accessible. But, in order to use them requires stopping the disc and carefully pushing the right order of buttons, navigating thru more long menu transitions. There is no "on-the-fly" with this DVD.

So, yes the DVD is out-of-sync, but even if it wasn't there are enough issues with this DVD to say something about about it - IMHO...

 

[David Lambert]

David, you sound like you're upset about something today. Anything wrong?

Touche'

No, nothing wrong nor am I upset. Sorry over what is in retrospect a poor choice of phrasing. I wanted to get this info posted so I didn't appear to be "abandoning" what I had stated about the sync problem, on the other hand I wanted to emphasize that I didn't want to get into a debate over whether or not there really is a problem.

In short, if you agree with me and HowieG that there IS a problem, you lose nothing except a couple of minutes by calling the number and asking Disney about it.


If you don't think there's a problem, I won't debate it with you. Enjoy your DVD.

There, that's a more mature way of stating it, eh?

 

[James Reader]

Heh David. I was only "Joshing" you.

I agree that there is a problem and I also think the problem seems to be - shall we say - more prominent on certain players. But there is a problem I've noticed both times I've seen it.

I've not made an in-depth study. Not having seen the film before I was captivated by the film on my viewing.

However, being as Disney are facing a class action lawsuit in Japan over the R2 NTSC release of "Spirited Away" and are seemingly unwilling to budge, I wish you luck and you have my respect. Express your consumer rights!

(It helps that Disney make it so easy in the US, you won't believe what I had to go through and how many times I wrote, when I was trying to get a replacement BTTF programme (or even an acknowledgment of the problem) from with Universal UK.)

 

[Craig S]

First off, I think we all need to calm down just a bit. Most of us agree there's a problem with the disk. But just because some of us report different experiences doesn't mean we're calling the others liars, or doubting them. There's going to be questioning of what people are seeing - that's part of the problem-solving process. But there's no need to take it so personally.

Dave, you're obviously experiencing dialog sync problems. I believe you. But many of us have NOT been experiencing these problems. Another example - the door closing in the bakery you mentioned is OK on my players. What does this mean? I don't know, but I still suspected some players may be better able to deal with whatever is wrong on this disc (and there IS something wrong) than others. For example, the broom slap seems a bit more off on my JVC XV-FA900 then it does on my bedroom player (a Sony DAV C770 HT-in-a-box system).

So, seeing that one of Dave's three players was his PC DVD-ROM, I decided to try it there. I have an 1998 Toshiba OEM DVD-ROM, and I was running the DVD player software that came bundled with my Leadtek GeForce MX400 video card. Guess what? On this setup I CAN see the problems Dave reported. I specifically saw the Osano dialog sync and bakery door problems Dave mentioned a few posts ago. And let me reiterate - I do NOT see these problems on my Sony or JVC.

I am pretty much convinced of two things now: (1) There IS a sync problem on this disc. (2) The severity of the problem as it appears to the viewer is player-dependant.

Dave, please report back Disney's response to your call.

 

[Sean Laughter]

I can report sound effects out of sync here as well. I noticed it from the first poof of the potion Kiki's mother is preparing as she waves her hand over it. Though the broom slap is the first very obvious instance that most people will notice. I won't comment on the voices since I'm more forgiving of them in Anime, much less dubbed anime, and even less original japanese language anime since I don't understand the language and don't really try to notice the mouth movements in relation to the sound.