Die Auserwählten (The Chosen Ones) (2014)

[McCrutchy]

Alive / Fernsehjuwelen released Christoph Röhl's Die Auserwählten (The Chosen Ones) (2014) on 4 February 2022.

[McCrutchy]

BDInfo scan

The second audio track is described audio. English subtitles are in a slightly smaller and thinner white font. The only extra on the disc is the film's trailer, in 1080/50i, and some other trailers for different works. The release comes with a slipbox and a booklet (which is loose inside the slipbox but will actually fit inside the amaray case), which is approximately 25 pages, in German with full color photographs and interviews.

                                                                                                                Total   Video                                             
Title                                                           Codec   Length  Movie Size      Disc Size       Bitrate Bitrate Main Audio Track                          Secondary Audio Track
-----                                                           ------  ------- --------------  --------------  ------- ------- ------------------                        ---------------------
00004.MPLS                                                      AVC     1:32:46 17,164,376,064  19,404,264,218  24.67   19.91   DTS-HD Master 2.0 1564Kbps (48kHz/24-bit) DTS-HD Master 2.0 1568Kbps (48kHz/24-bit)

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     Die Auserwählten
Disc Label:     Die Auserwaehlten
Disc Size:      19,404,264,218 bytes
Protection:     AACS
Extras:         BD-Java, 50Hz Content
BDInfo:         0.7.5.6

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00004.MPLS
Length:                 1:32:46.250 (h:m:s.ms)
Size:                   17,164,376,064 bytes
Total Bitrate:          24.67 Mbps

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description     
-----                   -------             -----------     
MPEG-4 AVC Video        19907 kbps          1080p / 24 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
DTS-HD Master Audio             German          1564 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz /  1564 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz /  1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio             German          1568 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz /  1568 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz /  1509 kbps / 24-bit)

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Presentation Graphics           German          32.045 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           English         27.708 kbps                     

FILES:

Name            Time In         Length          Size            Total Bitrate   
----            -------         ------          ----            -------------   
00007.M2TS      0:00:00.000     1:32:46.250     17,164,376,064  24,669          

CHAPTERS:

Number          Time In         Length          Avg Video Rate  Max 1-Sec Rate  Max 1-Sec Time  Max 5-Sec Rate  Max 5-Sec Time  Max 10Sec Rate  Max 10Sec Time  Avg Frame Size  Max Frame Size  Max Frame Time  
------          -------         ------          --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  
1               0:00:00.000     0:07:31.500     19,504 kbps     50,814 kbps     00:00:51.749    41,124 kbps     00:03:04.625    39,329 kbps     00:02:59.916    101,574 bytes   857,615 bytes   00:00:50.875    
2               0:07:31.500     0:07:45.750     20,381 kbps     42,381 kbps     00:08:24.916    38,966 kbps     00:09:33.666    37,296 kbps     00:09:30.708    106,151 bytes   645,482 bytes   00:10:33.000    
3               0:15:17.250     0:06:04.125     19,565 kbps     48,791 kbps     00:20:12.916    39,550 kbps     00:20:10.916    37,286 kbps     00:20:10.958    101,899 bytes   713,165 bytes   00:20:17.166    
4               0:21:21.375     0:09:12.916     19,240 kbps     50,439 kbps     00:24:51.041    40,348 kbps     00:26:53.583    38,198 kbps     00:26:49.791    100,209 bytes   828,095 bytes   00:24:58.291    
5               0:30:34.291     0:07:35.791     20,051 kbps     43,531 kbps     00:35:59.000    34,008 kbps     00:30:47.000    29,514 kbps     00:35:58.125    104,435 bytes   725,077 bytes   00:31:01.500    
6               0:38:10.083     0:08:33.000     19,937 kbps     50,400 kbps     00:41:00.708    38,667 kbps     00:40:59.333    35,409 kbps     00:40:54.541    103,838 bytes   798,923 bytes   00:41:01.625    
7               0:46:43.083     0:07:58.000     20,790 kbps     47,429 kbps     00:50:49.875    38,580 kbps     00:50:48.833    32,537 kbps     00:51:16.125    108,281 bytes   758,452 bytes   00:50:49.958    
8               0:54:41.083     0:07:42.166     22,199 kbps     43,735 kbps     01:00:06.541    36,007 kbps     00:55:30.750    32,534 kbps     00:55:50.625    115,620 bytes   801,659 bytes   01:00:07.583    
9               1:02:23.250     0:06:22.833     19,755 kbps     42,300 kbps     01:02:39.708    41,034 kbps     01:02:38.625    36,324 kbps     01:02:34.041    102,889 bytes   556,846 bytes   01:03:55.541    
10              1:08:46.083     0:08:04.875     21,059 kbps     45,072 kbps     01:16:07.666    38,129 kbps     01:16:18.583    36,638 kbps     01:11:52.333    109,683 bytes   705,999 bytes   01:16:07.708    
11              1:16:50.958     0:09:11.833     20,026 kbps     38,593 kbps     01:20:59.250    34,809 kbps     01:20:59.125    28,864 kbps     01:21:37.875    104,302 bytes   784,577 bytes   01:22:27.083    
12              1:26:02.791     0:06:43.458     15,752 kbps     35,574 kbps     01:26:24.333    30,779 kbps     01:29:25.375    27,882 kbps     01:29:25.375    82,059 bytes    493,951 bytes   01:27:44.708    

STREAM DIAGNOSTICS:

File            PID             Type            Codec           Language                Seconds                 Bitrate                 Bytes           Packets         
----            ---             ----            -----           --------                --------------          --------------          -------------   -----           
00007.M2TS      4113 (0x1011)   0x1B            AVC                                     5566.042                19,907                  13,850,599,901  75,352,878      
00007.M2TS      4352 (0x1100)   0x86            DTS-HD MA       deu (German)            5566.042                1,564                   1,088,489,928   6,806,323       
00007.M2TS      4353 (0x1101)   0x86            DTS-HD MA       deu (German)            5566.042                1,568                   1,090,827,700   6,811,391       
00007.M2TS      4608 (0x1200)   0x90            PGS             deu (German)            5566.042                32                      22,296,592      129,781         
00007.M2TS      4609 (0x1201)   0x90            PGS             eng (English)           5566.042                28                      19,278,923      111,870

Trailer

QUICK SUMMARY:

Disc Title: Die Auserwählten
Disc Label: Die Auserwaehlten
Disc Size: 19,404,264,218 bytes
Protection: AACS
Playlist: 00005.MPLS
Size: 288,620,544 bytes
Length: 0:03:00.039
Total Bitrate: 12.82 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 11990 kbps / 1080i / 25 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: German / Dolby Digital Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz /   192 kbps / DN -27dB

[McCrutchy]

I watched this tonight and found it very interesting. I knew nothing of the historical events, but it sounds similar to what happened with Jimmy Saville in the UK (or perhaps Rolf Harris in Australia), but with private schoolteachers instead of a celebrity. It certainly would seem to me to rise to that level of a national scandal / tragedy.

The subject matter is handled delicately, but on looking up the actual events, they are far more extensive than what is alluded to in the film and the back and forth with the victims and the school took place over decades, which is something the film leaves out. Somewhat surprisingly, especially given that all names seem to be changed, the film was apparently shot on the grounds of the Odenwaldschule itself, which remained open until 2015.

Fernsehjuwelen's disc is good, but I was a little surprised to see it is 1080p24 and not 1080/50i. A lot of the music in the film is English pop/rock and it sounds like it is running a touch slowly, so perhaps this was slowed to 24 fps. The DVD, which was released on the same date, says it is PAL and runs 89 minutes. The film premiered on Das Erste in 2014 and obviously would have been shown as a 1080/50i master. Otherwise, the stereo sound is nice and full, with clear dialogue. Despite a modest bitrate, I didn't notice any compression issues, but I wasn't looking for them, either. The image looks bright and vivid, with a couple nice shots of the greenery surrounding the school. The subtitles are generally excellent, though a disclaimer added at the beginning, which I believe is related to a lawsuit, is translated a bit quickly and the grammar is slightly off. The film itself is subtitled perfectly.

The booklet looks nice, with full color photos on glossy paper, though sadly, the text is all in German, and the release comes in a nice, glossy slipbox made of thick cardboard. The jacket is reversible to hide the FSK rating logo.

It's very rare to get German TV on Blu-ray with English subtitles, so this release is greatly appreciated by me for that reason. I hope in the future, ARD and/or Alive would consider releasing more German TV films and series on Blu-ray with English subtitles.