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The HD Advisor Needs You!Editor's Note: Although our HD Advisor will be breaking from the normal format this week, he will return with more Questions & Answers soon. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to [email protected]. If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient as we work our way through them. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page. By Joshua Zyber In lieu of our regularly-scheduled Q&A, I'd like to use this week's column to make a special plea to our readers on the subject of subtitle placement on Blu-ray discs. Several weeks ago, I wrote a tutorial on 2.35:1 Constant Image Height projection. In that article, I described the challenges posed by foreign language movies for which the studio has placed subtitles in the disc's lower letterbox bar, as in this example from 'House of Flying Daggers'. When a disc authored in this fashion is viewed on a 2.35:1 projection screen, any subtitles in the letterbox bar are cut off. This makes the movie unwatchable on the screen. Some studios are good about keeping all subtitles within the active movie image, just as they would be projected in a real movie theater. Others routinely shift the subtitles down into the letterbox bar. The biggest offenders in this regard are Sony, Warner, and sometimes Fox. Now we, the public, may have a chance to affect real change on this issue. The blu-ray.com forum is currently hosting a poll on the subject. A representative for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has been monitoring the poll and will report the results to those in the studio that might be able to change their policy for future releases. The poll options are: Place all subtitles inside the active picture all the time. I prefer what SPE currently does which is, one line in the active picture and one line below. It makes no difference to me, as either way is fine. A vote for Option #1 will ensure that all subtitles are viewable on all types of video display for all viewers. Options 2 and 3 will effectively maintain the status quo, in which foreign language movies remain unwatchable to a portion of the Blu-ray audience. The Sony representative has made it clear that the studio will not add extra subtitle tracks with alternate positions to a disc. Nor are they currently able to program their discs to allow moveable subtitles. There will be no option to vote for, "I'd like to be able to move the subtitles at will." This is an either/or scenario for the studio. Either the subtitles stay as they are, or they get moved into the picture. Sony will not consider any other alternatives. Please consider this issue carefully before voting. This may seem like a trivial matter to many readers. Constant Image Height projection is still a niche market. Nevertheless, this problem is very serious for some viewers. If you're on the fence about this or don't care one way or the other, please think about the ramifications of your vote. A vote of "It makes no difference to me" will be read in the column of Sony not doing anything to fix this problem. Apathy and indifference will not help those for whom subtitle placement has significant impact on the home theater experience. What If It Were Your Screen? Even you aren't a Constant Image Height projection viewer, and believe that subtitle placement doesn't affect you directly, please try to imagine the frustration you would feel if asked to watch a foreign language movie with half the subtitles missing from your screen. For example, here's a still from the DVD edition of the Japanese movie 'Gamera: Guardian of the Universe', which has an aspect ratio very close to that of a 16:9 HDTV. However, the DVD was authored in non-anamorphic letterbox format. Its subtitles have been encoded partially in the letterbox bar. Here's what that disc looks like on a standard 16:9 HDTV screen: Would you be able to comprehend the movie with half the subtitles illegible? No, the movie is now effectively unwatchable. Can you see how so seemingly-trivial an issue as subtitle placement could cause so many headaches? Don't Subtitles Clutter a Movie? Some Blu-ray viewers may believe that subtitles "clutter" a movie image, and are less distracting when placed in the letterbox bar. I very strongly disagree. Please consider these points: When you watch a foreign language film in a real movie theater, are the subtitles ever projected below the screen? Of course not. Subtitles are part of the movie and should be contained within the active movie image. More importantly, when subtitles are located below the image, they draw the viewer's eyes further away from the movie and make it difficult to concentrate on the movie and subtitles at the same time. The black bars should be a dead space that the viewer can tune out. If subtitles are placed there, it draws attention to the fact that we're watching video on a TV, and detracts from the cinematic experience that the home theater hobby is meant to achieve. This problem affects not just movies fully in a foreign language, but also any movies with selected dialogue passages in a foreign (or alien, if a sci-fi picture) language. How much fun would it be to watch a 'Star Trek' movie without being able to tell what the Klingons are saying? Sometimes, even location identifiers and other on-screen text obviously meant to be part of the film are moved out of the picture. Why Don't We Just Watch in 16:9 Mode? Currently, the only way to watch 2.35:1 movies on a 2.35:1 screen when the subtitles have been authored in the letterbox bar is to shrink the movie image down to 16:9 mode. Perhaps you might wonder what's the big deal about that? Can't we make do? To that, I ask how much you'd enjoy watching that copy of 'Gamera' windowboxed in the center of a 16:9 HDTV screen? This is a 25% reduction in image size, and a needless waste of screen space, just to be able to read subtitles that should be in the picture in the first place. Now imagine if this were a movie 95% in your native language, but with one or two subtitled scenes. How would you like to watch an entire movie windowboxed into a small portion of the screen just because a couple of scenes are subtitled? That's exactly the scenario that's being forced on 2.35:1 Constant Image Height viewers now. This is simply not what the home theater experience is supposed to be about. How can we recreate the atmosphere of watching movies in a theater if we have to shrink the picture down to a small portion of the available screen, that it would otherwise fit if not for the subtitles? Here's that same frame from 'House of Flying Daggers' as seen on a foreign DVD edition that has its subtitles positioned just high enough to be legible on a 2.35:1 screen. This is clearly the better scenario. The 2.35:1 movie is properly presented on a 2.35:1 screen, with all required subtitles visible (if just barely in this case). And all it takes to fix this problem is a few button presses while the disc is being authored. Making this change will cause no extra expense for the studio, and will have no negative impact to any viewers. There's simply no good reason not to author all discs this way. Subtitles in the Movie Image Work For Everyone Some studios already place all subtitles in the movie picture on DVD and Blu-ray now. Here's a scene from Universal's release of 'Fearless'. Ask yourself whether this has ever bothered you. Had you ever even noticed until it was pointed out to you? Subtitles placed inside the movie picture are 100% compatible with all displays for all viewers. Subtitles in the letterbox bar are lost on Constant Image Height projection screens. Whether or not it makes a difference to you right now, please have consideration for the needs of others. This poll is an opportunity to enact a change that will make the home theater hobby better. Please don't waste this important opportunity just because you may not think that it affects you at this particular moment in time. Please give some thought to how such a seemingly simple, arbitrary decision can have profound repercussions for others that share your hobby. Vote for Option #1. Ask Sony to move subtitles into the active movie picture. Thank you. Check back soon for another round of Q&A. Keep those questions coming. Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.Posted Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
British Blu-ray Booming[teaser]Sales have skyrocketed, while traditional DVD sales have dropped slightly. [/teaser] According to the British Video Association, roughly 3.1 million Blu-ray discs have sold in the UK since the beginning of this year, a marked increase on the numbers from 2008. It might be more accurate to say a whopping increase, as sales are up an estimated 231%. Interestingly though, the increase in Blu-ray sales doesn’t seem to have affected DVD sales as much as one might expect. While traditional DVDs sold less this year, it was only by about 9.5%. According to Hannah Conduct of the BVA, "The continuing success of Blu-ray is testament to the growth of consumer confidence in the high definition format… Seeing is believing with Blu-ray and the figures show that once consumers have experienced the format, they continue to spend their money on the product.” Addressing the issue of piracy and digital distribution, the BVA’s director general Lavinia Carey stated "People must also be increasingly tempted to search out methods of downloading illicit content for free on the Internet, [but] with an increasing number of new internet services coming on stream, the industry is aiming to encourage greater consumer up-take of legitimate downloads”Posted Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Verizon Petitions FCC For Access To Broadcasts Of New York Sports Teams[teaser]And the New Jersey Devils too! [/teaser] Let’s say you’re a New York sports fan looking for a way to get your TV. Cable or satellite, it doesn’t matter, it just has to look great on your new set. You live in one of the biggest cities on earth and you’ve got a few options, but there’s only one that has The Rangers, The Islanders, and the Knicks in HD, the others just have standard def broadcasts. That’s pretty much the choice made for you right then and there isn’t it? As of this date, Cablevision is the only provider in New York with access to high definition broadcasts of games taking place in Madison Square Garden, and they’re not letting anyone else have it for any cost. This is what Verizon’s complaining about in their petition to the FCC. They say that not being able to offer this option has hindered them in such a way that they are unable to sell their service within the city. According to a press release issued by Verizon earlier today, it was only after a similar petition that Cablevision allowed them standard definition access to the events at MSG.Posted Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM PDT by: -
TiVo and Best Buy Hook Up – The DVR-TV combo is born[teaser]The entry level consumer is almost certainly the main target of TiVo and Best Buy who announced today that they would be joining forces on a new line of products. [/teaser] It’s a pretty strong pairing, with Best Buy who could use a good push on their proprietary HDTVs, and TiVo, who have lost a great deal of popularity in the last several years. For Best Buy’s part, they’ll be increasing marketing and merchandising for TiVo units, as well as doing some work on the user interface for TiVos sold at Best Buy. On TiVo’s end, they’ll be giving Best Buy some advertising space on their service and allowing them plenty of marketing options for consumers. But that’s the boring stuff, here’s where it gets good. TiVo and Best Buy will be working together to see how best to integrate various TiVo features into their Exclusive Brands group of Dynex, Insignia, Rocketfish, and Geek Squad. The press release mentions integration of TiVo’s search functionality and user interface, but it’s almost certain that a TiVo/HDTV hybrid will be in the works. An entry level TV at an entry level price with a TiVo built in could make Best Buy the number one choice for a starter HD set.Posted Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 09:30 AM PDT by: -
Vizio Wins US Customs Ruling – No Infringement Found[teaser]A huge victory for Vizio, but it’s not over yet.[/teaser] In an ongoing legal battle between Vizio and Funai, the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency ruled that Vizio’s televisions do not violate any copyrights held by Funai and that Vizio may continue importing their line of HDTVs. ”We are pleased that Funai's ill-advised tactics continue to falter and are being rejected by the U.S. authorities; we are determined and remain unshaken by merit-less claims from foreign competitors.” says Laynie Newsome, Co-Founder & Vice President of Sales and Marketing Communications in a recent press release. “In light of Funai's abusive actions, which were apparently anti-competitive in nature, designed to tortuously harm VIZIO's interests, we shall fully defend against any such claims and seek all appropriate remedies. In addition to recovering damages for such wanton behaviors, we shall hold the accused patent infringers, like Funai, accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” Looks like Vizio’s going to keep this one going all 12 rounds.Posted Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Shopping Via Blu-ray Coming Soon Thanks To Bright Stage Media[teaser]New Sex and the City discs soon to follow? [/teaser] Ever sit down and watch a movie and think to yourself, “Boy, that product placement was sure effective, I wish there was a way to interrupt my viewing to purchase that!” Well wish no more, Bright Stage Media has you covered there. Debuting on a major studio Blu-ray release this August, Bright Stage’s new application promises to allow consumers to “Connect, Share and Shop” The application, simply called Version 2.0 at the moment, will allow consumers to customize their movie experience by bringing in feeds from Twitter, and Facebook as well as being able to check entertainment news and filmographies. While a Twitter app seems like the last thing we need, being able to jump onto IMDB at any time could be nice, but isn’t that why we have a laptop and a smart phone? “Allowing consumers to control what content they want to view while interacting with the disc or watching the feature is a great way to expand BD-Live.” says Brian Johnson of Bright Stage, “The potential to monetize the experiences are unlimited and studios can implement any one of these features to create new options for Blu-ray releases,” Just what major studio release this technology will be featured on is still unknown, but expect the hype next month!Posted Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
LaCie Announces The First Mobile HD Multimedia Player[teaser]And it’s tough too - LaCie’s LaCinema Rugged HD[/teaser] With 500 GB of built in storage and an easy to use interface, the LaCinema is the first Mobile HD multimedia player. LaCie looks to make consumers forget the lukewarm reviews of their previous offering by improving upon designs, features and most notably, video quality. The LaCinema Rugged HD supports most standard and high definition video formats and is compatible with both PCs and Macs. It connects to HD monitors through an HDMI cable and is capable of playing at full 1080p HD. Featuring a scratch resistant aluminum case and internal shock absorber, not only is it built to display great video, it’s apparently ready to take a beating as well. Shipping at a price of $349.99, we’ll certainly be looking forward to what reviewers have to say.Posted Thu Jul 9, 2009 at 02:00 PM PDT by: -
The Do It Yourself Coat Hanger Antenna[teaser]Enjoy HD programming at a recession friendly price![/teaser] The massive selection of store bought HD antennas can be overwhelming, even to the most educated consumer, and even the highest rated antennas can provide some pretty underwhelming results. Enter the DIY coat hanger antenna. For an approximate cost of eleven dollars, and a little bit of work, some coat hangers and wood combine to form a pretty decent unit. While results are mixed as compared to a store bought antenna, the general response seems to fairly positive, and at this price, it’s always worth a shot. For those already using antennas to get their HD programming, or those that don’t mind cutting the cable for a while to save a few bucks, this might be a good way to go.Posted Thu Jul 9, 2009 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
DVR and Blu-ray In One, It’s The LG HR400[teaser]The UK gets one heckuva good combo from LG.[/teaser] Why get a separate Freeview recorder and Blu-ray player when you can combine the functions of both into one unit? LG’s hoping that its UK based customers can’t think of a reason not to buy the new HR400, a Blu-ray player with Freeview functionality. Featuring DVD upscaling, as well as Mpeg-4 and Divx support, the player has a pretty decent feature set, though nothing particularly stunning. Of course, the main attraction to the player is that it’s combined with a 160GB Freeview+ which allows not only recording, but pausing and rewinding of live television. Oh, and it streams YouTube videos as well, for those of you who’d want to subject a big beautiful HD screen to grainy video of a man getting hit in the groin.Posted Thu Jul 9, 2009 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
87 Percent of PS3 Owners Watch Blu-ray Movies[teaser]Unlike Spider-Man 3, this is an example of a symbiotic relationship at its best. [/teaser] Some might say Sony’s gamble has paid off. Suffering some slower game system sales in order to cement their place in the high definition disc wars has had a tremendous benefit. While as recently as last year NPD polls showed that 60% of PS3 owners didn’t know about its Blu-ray capabilities, the Entertainment Merchants Association revealed recently that the Playstation 3 is the driving force behind Blu-ray sales. According to the report, 87% of PS3 owners play Blu-ray movies on their console. While the EMA does expect much lower priced standalone players to outpace the PS3 this year, this is certainly a strong showing for Sony. It’s clear that quite a few PS3s have been sold based on Blu-ray alone, so we have to wonder how many people actually use it for playing games!Posted Thu Jul 9, 2009 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
