Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

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patreig
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 7:30 am

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1026 Post by patreig » Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:44 pm

Does anyone know why Warner Archive has decided to use capital letters for their english subtiltles? Is there someone to get in touch with and to insult?

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The Fanciful Norwegian
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:24 pm
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1027 Post by The Fanciful Norwegian » Thu Sep 19, 2019 2:13 pm

Simplest explanation is that they're converting them from closed captions created for TV airings (or old VHS/laserdisc releases); closed captions have always supported mixed case, but historically all caps was used because older captioning fonts didn't support the descenders for g, j, p, q, and y, and a lot of all-caps captioning is still done out of force of habit or the perception that it's more "readable." Of course, it's entirely possible to use an automatic converter to change all-caps to mixed case, but manual review is needed to make sure it isn't capitalizing in the wrong places or missing words that should be capitalized, and WB presumably considers that too much effort for these releases.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1028 Post by Gregory » Thu Sep 19, 2019 2:44 pm

Roger Ryan wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 12:00 pm
It's probable they were both equally bad, but I needed something to watch while eating my Cocoa Krispies in the mid-70s.
What did you think when they abruptly switched out who played Captain Marvel in the second season because the producers fired Jackson Bostwick for no good reason?

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Roger Ryan
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1029 Post by Roger Ryan » Thu Sep 19, 2019 4:45 pm

Gregory wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 2:44 pm
Roger Ryan wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 12:00 pm
It's probable they were both equally bad, but I needed something to watch while eating my Cocoa Krispies in the mid-70s.
What did you think when they abruptly switched out who played Captain Marvel in the second season because the producers fired Jackson Bostwick for no good reason?
I have no recollection of that happening - it was 45 years ago and, given my age, it's likely I abandoned the show (and most of Saturday morning fare) after the first season. Now the Dick York/Dick Sargent trade-out on Bewitched was a big deal!

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Gregory
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1030 Post by Gregory » Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:16 pm

Whatever reasons can be summoned for the screaming all-caps subs, they weren't always done in that style on WAC Blu-rays. At some point not too long ago, someone decided to change how they were done, and it's hard to be sure what the reason was.

What drives me nuts about it is not just that they're in call caps but rather that they're in blinding Pikachu yellow, which when I'm watching a black-and-white film take me completely out of the monochrome world. They're far too distracting as they pop up like little neon signs. Yet I don't find them more readable; normal sentence-style capitalization is the most easily readable format for sentences.

My hearing is no longer as sharp as it used to be, and I often miss a couple of words out of many lines of dialogue, so I prefer to watch with subtitles on most films. But with these WAC subtitles, it's better to have them off and just miss some of what's being said. That directly impacts how many WAC releases I will buy, and I know that several reviewers of these discs have repeatedly voiced their dislike of this style of subtitles in their reviews. It would behoove WAC to listen to the response when they make changes to something that's an important component of their product for many of us.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1031 Post by knives » Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:22 pm

This does not diminish the accuracy of your complaints, but on black and white films you can always turn off the colour of your television.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1032 Post by Gregory » Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:30 pm

My projector doesn't have a good feature like that, unfortunately. I could go into the settings and adjust the color saturation somewhat, and then change it back, but that's not a good solution for routine viewing.

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captveg
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1033 Post by captveg » Tue Sep 24, 2019 7:08 pm

Gregory wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:16 pm
Whatever reasons can be summoned for the screaming all-caps subs, they weren't always done in that style on WAC Blu-rays. At some point not too long ago, someone decided to change how they were done, and it's hard to be sure what the reason was.
The reason was clearly spending less money on a cheaper subtitle vender.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1034 Post by Gregory » Fri Sep 27, 2019 2:35 am

I don't think it's clear at all that spending less money was the reason, because even releases from low-budget labels like Mill Creek will have subtitles that are the usual white with sentence-style capitalization. If those labels can afford the subtitles done that way, then Warner can certainly do likewise.

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jsteffe
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1035 Post by jsteffe » Fri Sep 27, 2019 11:43 am

Maybe they view their consumer base as people with AOL email accounts who type in all caps?

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1036 Post by domino harvey » Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:50 pm

Season one of Netflix comedy the Kominsky Method coming in November

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Timec
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1037 Post by Timec » Wed Oct 16, 2019 2:23 pm

Operation Crossbow and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil are both forthcoming.

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kcota17
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:05 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1038 Post by kcota17 » Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:10 pm

Also, finally The Bad and the Beautiful as well. (domino will be happy to see this)

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Cremildo
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1039 Post by Cremildo » Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:16 pm

The Minnelli is a contender for announcement of the year.

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1040 Post by domino harvey » Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:20 pm

Excellent news, though I expected Some Came Running first

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ianthemovie
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1041 Post by ianthemovie » Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:03 pm

Agh. I just want Tea and Sympathy...

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senseabove
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1042 Post by senseabove » Wed Oct 16, 2019 7:57 pm

Also Jacques Tourneur's Great Day in the Morning

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1043 Post by domino harvey » Sat Oct 19, 2019 1:07 am

senseabove wrote:
Wed Oct 16, 2019 7:57 pm
Also Jacques Tourneur's Great Day in the Morning
I'm not even remotely a Tourneur booster but this is a strong western with a good central perf by Robert Stack. It is still completely bonkers that someone at Warners closed their eyes and pointed to this for Blu-ray release, but could have been way worse

The Blu will also have these bonus MGM shorts directed by Tourneur:

the Ship That Died
Strange Glory
the Face Behind the Mask
the Magic Alphabet

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Aunt Peg
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:30 am

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1044 Post by Aunt Peg » Sat Oct 19, 2019 7:16 am

Very happy to now retire my DVD snap case edition of The Bad and the Beautiful and to finally be able to add Great Day in the Morning to my collection :D

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1045 Post by domino harvey » Tue Nov 05, 2019 2:01 am

Drastically different color timing on the new Fearless Vampire Killers Blu-ray versus Warners' own DVD. Not sure which one is right, though the blue tint version of a movie not being on the newly restored Blu-ray is surely a real switcheroo

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Drucker
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1046 Post by Drucker » Tue Nov 05, 2019 12:39 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:02 pm
Which is an even worse film!
After seeing Yellow Sky a few years ago, I was so blown away I blind-bought some Wellman blu-rays as sales would appear merely because he was director. Big mistake with this heap of garbage! I was able to make it through Wayne's McLintock because the film looks gorgeous and while it's obnoxious, for sure, I found it serviceable. But do not make the mistake of buying Blood Alley. Absolute drivel and completely boring. Nothing redeeming about this film. Stay away, stay away, stay away.

ford
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2019 3:44 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1047 Post by ford » Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:00 pm

Drucker wrote:
Tue Nov 05, 2019 12:39 pm
domino harvey wrote:
Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:02 pm
Which is an even worse film!
After seeing Yellow Sky a few years ago, I was so blown away I blind-bought some Wellman blu-rays as sales would appear merely because he was director. Big mistake with this heap of garbage! I was able to make it through Wayne's McLintock because the film looks gorgeous and while it's obnoxious, for sure, I found it serviceable. But do not make the mistake of buying Blood Alley. Absolute drivel and completely boring. Nothing redeeming about this film. Stay away, stay away, stay away.
Good to know. I went through a big Wellman kick myself recently -- especially The Story of GI Joe, which desperately needs a blu-ray release.

alexrinse
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:07 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1048 Post by alexrinse » Wed Nov 06, 2019 2:57 am

Re: The Set-Up - does anyone know what the playback options are? Blu-Ray.com has The Thin Man as A, B, so perhaps it's the same for this?

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Aunt Peg
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:30 am

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1049 Post by Aunt Peg » Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:56 am

alexrinse wrote:
Wed Nov 06, 2019 2:57 am
Re: The Set-Up - does anyone know what the playback options are? Blu-Ray.com has The Thin Man as A, B, so perhaps it's the same for this?
Every Warners Archive title I have purchased (and that is a lot of them) have been region free. My understanding is that to date all have been region free as Warners hold the worldwide rights to most of their titles. You would be able to knock me down with a feather if The Set-Up was region locked.

alexrinse
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:07 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#1050 Post by alexrinse » Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:35 pm

Thanks Aunt Peg, splendid to hear! Will place the order.

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