Why do films released in the U.S. have longer running times than U.K. releases? - Blu-ray Forum

teartray · 09-21-2009, 09:13 AM

I have noticed that most films seem to be around 6 minutes longer in the U.S. than than the U.K. Does anyone know why? I would rather buy the U.S. versions if they are longer with more scenes.

Satans Puppet · 09-21-2009, 09:35 AM

Shoudln't be the case with HD anymore but with DVD/VHS you had the PAL/NTSC speed issue thing...

So vague it's almost an answer

DRS · 09-21-2009, 09:58 AM

Because of PAL. Movies are sped up by 4%, though you don't actually notice it at all. They aren't actually missing any footage.

Though I think Blu-Rays are not affected by this? Am I correct?

RiseDarthVader · 09-21-2009, 10:17 AM

Blu-rays run at 24fps for 24fps source material no matter where you view it or buy it.

teartray · 09-21-2009, 11:10 AM

It's from browsing Blu-ray titles that I have discovered this. The Dark knight for example is 146 minutes long in the U.K. and the U.S. version is 152 minutes long.

Satans Puppet · 09-21-2009, 11:11 AM

They're probably taking the running time from the DVDs when they put them on the system, assuming they're the same for Bluray.

sokrman14 · 09-21-2009, 11:12 AM

Because of those damn conversion rates

JK

kacihd · 09-21-2009, 11:40 AM

so if you watch the same exact movie you just watched here in the US on pal you're going to finish it 6 minutes earlier? I don't see how that wouldn't effect the watching of the movie. Like watching it in fast forward or something.

RiseDarthVader · 09-21-2009, 12:00 PM

All PAL movies are sped up by 4%.

benricci · 09-21-2009, 01:18 PM

It's most likely a packaging error, as mentioned earlier.

PAL speedup issues shouldn't exist with films on blu-ray.

Wdm81 · 09-21-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiseDarthVader

All PAL movies are sped up by 4%.

Yeah and the audio is adjusted to play the Benny Hill music over every scene

thankyouforthevenom · 07-22-2014, 02:51 PM

I've imported several blu rays from the US for this reason, only to find the running times were wrong. Unless there is mention somewhere of different cuts, it's probably safe to assume the running times are the same and the information is wrong. Though if they are the same price and you don't mind waiting, and it's region free or you can play region a blu rays, you may as well get the US one anyway if it says it's longer. Though personally i hate the US blu ray case. I don't mind them being slim, it's the great big hole in the case i hate. When you hold it, you have to be careful not to squash the cover. Whoever thought that was a good idea i've no idea. Supposedly cuts down on plastic, well not really cos i usually throw them in the bin and replace them with better ones.

Also most movies i have, i also have a loosely or not-so loosely related dvd. Which i then put in a swing tray inside the case, throw out the dvd case and file away the cover. Like in my Hustler blu ray, i have The Color of Money dvd inside it. Inside my Arthur and Arthur 2 blu ray, i have Blame the Bellboy dvd. Not really related, but it's the only other Dudley Moore movie i own so it goes in there to save a bit of shalf space. With the slim US cases, you can't do that cos they dont have the little plastic bit where you attach the swing tray.

jscoggins · 07-22-2014, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thankyouforthevenom

I've imported several blu rays from the US for this reason, only to find the running times were wrong. Unless there is mention somewhere of different cuts, it's probably safe to assume the running times are the same and the information is wrong. Though if they are the same price and you don't mind waiting, and it's region free or you can play region a blu rays, you may as well get the US one anyway if it says it's longer. Though personally i hate the US blu ray case. I don't mind them being slim, it's the great big hole in the case i hate. When you hold it, you have to be careful not to squash the cover. Whoever thought that was a good idea i've no idea. Supposedly cuts down on plastic, well not really cos i usually throw them in the bin and replace them with better ones.

No, the source of conflicting information arises due to the coexistence of Blu-ray and PAL DVDs. Many running times are still listed according to what the PAL transfer has, even if a Blu-ray is also available.

bigdaddyhorse · 07-22-2014, 03:31 PM

Because those British censors make the MPAA look like the Manson family living in Larry Flynt's house!

Seriously though, it's old specs from PAL dvds, lazy websites and lazy layout artists (when wrong on covers too).

CinemaScope · 07-22-2014, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacihd

so if you watch the same exact movie you just watched here in the US on pal you're going to finish it 6 minutes earlier? I don't see how that wouldn't effect the watching of the movie. Like watching it in fast forward or something.

We in the UK never noticed anything wrong, any more than Americans noticed that every other frame was 50% longer than it should be in NTSC (the 3-2 pulldown). The funny thing is, now I'm watching movies in the proper 24fps, I don't really notice anything different from the old PAL days.

And yeah, the time difference is Amazon getting it wrong, they get a lot of things wrong.

jscoggins · 07-22-2014, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

We in the UK never noticed anything wrong, any more than Americans noticed that every other frame was 50% longer than it should be in NTSC (the 3-2 pulldown). The funny thing is, now I'm watching movies in the proper 24fps, I don't really notice anything different from the old PAL days.

The change in audio pitch didn't bother you?

Simon_LDT · 07-22-2014, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jscoggins

The change in audio pitch didn't bother you?

It bothers me. It happens still on TV shows and it's annoying. Stargate SG-1 for example gets shown a lot over here but the theme tune you can tell straight away is just wrong (too high pitched!).

That's why I purchased the US set.

Indiana Jones · 07-22-2014, 04:01 PM

I started noticing PAL speed-up once I begin importing US DVD's in the late 90s, until then I had never known anything was wrong but watching some of my all time fav films in the correct pitch for the first time was quite a revelation.

Now I find it quite difficult to sit through any US TV show on UK TV as most just sound wrong.

jscoggins · 07-22-2014, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indiana Jones

I started noticing PAL speed-up once I begin importing US DVD's in the late 90s, until then I had never known anything was wrong but watching some of my all time fav films in the correct pitch for the first time was quite a revelation.

Now I find it quite difficult to sit through any US TV show on UK TV as most just sound wrong.

Doesn't that impact British voices, too?

CinemaScope · 07-22-2014, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jscoggins

The change in audio pitch didn't bother you?

Can't say I noticed, they may have re-pitched it, an easy job - I'll ask an engineer I know, who used to work for the BBC on tellycine back in the day. It's only one frame extra per second, & tellys in the old days only had a crappy little speaker. And NTSC isn't 24fps, it's 23.97. I remember trying to laydown a soundtrack that was done at 24fps onto an NTSC transfer & wondering why, after around five minutes it was out of sync, until the penny dropped. A teeny tiny difference, but then not much in this universe is perfect!

09-21-2009, 09:13 AM	#1
teartray New Member Member since:Sep 2009	Why do films released in the U.S. have longer running times than U.K. releases? I have noticed that most films seem to be around 6 minutes longer in the U.S. than than the U.K. Does anyone know why? I would rather buy the U.S. versions if they are longer with more scenes.

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09-21-2009, 09:35 AM	#2
Satans Puppet Active Member Member since:Jul 2009 Blu-ray collection:166	Shoudln't be the case with HD anymore but with DVD/VHS you had the PAL/NTSC speed issue thing... So vague it's almost an answer

09-21-2009, 09:58 AM	#3
DRS Special Member Member since:Apr 2008 4K collection:21 Blu-ray collection:56	Because of PAL. Movies are sped up by 4%, though you don't actually notice it at all. They aren't actually missing any footage. Though I think Blu-Rays are not affected by this? Am I correct?

09-21-2009, 10:17 AM	#4
RiseDarthVader Power Member Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Australia Blu-ray collection:136	Blu-rays run at 24fps for 24fps source material no matter where you view it or buy it.

09-21-2009, 11:10 AM	#5
teartray New Member Member since:Sep 2009	It's from browsing Blu-ray titles that I have discovered this. The Dark knight for example is 146 minutes long in the U.K. and the U.S. version is 152 minutes long.

09-21-2009, 11:11 AM	#6
Satans Puppet Active Member Member since:Jul 2009 Blu-ray collection:166	They're probably taking the running time from the DVDs when they put them on the system, assuming they're the same for Bluray.

09-21-2009, 11:12 AM	#7
sokrman14 Special Member Member since:Mar 2006 Location:Omaha, NE Home Theater Gallery:9 Blu-ray collection:32 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	Because of those damn conversion rates JK

09-21-2009, 11:40 AM	#8
kacihd Member Member since:Jun 2009	so if you watch the same exact movie you just watched here in the US on pal you're going to finish it 6 minutes earlier? I don't see how that wouldn't effect the watching of the movie. Like watching it in fast forward or something.

09-21-2009, 12:00 PM	#9
RiseDarthVader Power Member Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Australia Blu-ray collection:136	All PAL movies are sped up by 4%.

09-21-2009, 01:18 PM	#10
benricci Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Sep 2008 Blu-ray reviews:1	It's most likely a packaging error, as mentioned earlier. PAL speedup issues shouldn't exist with films on blu-ray.

07-22-2014, 02:51 PM	#12
thankyouforthevenom Active Member Member since:Jul 2014 Location:England Blu-ray collection:294	I've imported several blu rays from the US for this reason, only to find the running times were wrong. Unless there is mention somewhere of different cuts, it's probably safe to assume the running times are the same and the information is wrong. Though if they are the same price and you don't mind waiting, and it's region free or you can play region a blu rays, you may as well get the US one anyway if it says it's longer. Though personally i hate the US blu ray case. I don't mind them being slim, it's the great big hole in the case i hate. When you hold it, you have to be careful not to squash the cover. Whoever thought that was a good idea i've no idea. Supposedly cuts down on plastic, well not really cos i usually throw them in the bin and replace them with better ones. Also most movies i have, i also have a loosely or not-so loosely related dvd. Which i then put in a swing tray inside the case, throw out the dvd case and file away the cover. Like in my Hustler blu ray, i have The Color of Money dvd inside it. Inside my Arthur and Arthur 2 blu ray, i have Blame the Bellboy dvd. Not really related, but it's the only other Dudley Moore movie i own so it goes in there to save a bit of shalf space. With the slim US cases, you can't do that cos they dont have the little plastic bit where you attach the swing tray.

07-22-2014, 03:31 PM	#14
bigdaddyhorse Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Oct 2012 Location:SE MI. 4K collection:152 Blu-ray collection:1243 DVD collection:1148 Blu-ray reviews:5 Trading Score:103	Because those British censors make the MPAA look like the Manson family living in Larry Flynt's house! Seriously though, it's old specs from PAL dvds, lazy websites and lazy layout artists (when wrong on covers too).

07-22-2014, 04:01 PM	#18
Indiana Jones Blu-ray Champion Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009 Location:Bristol, England 4K collection:7 Blu-ray collection:17 Trading Score:42	I started noticing PAL speed-up once I begin importing US DVD's in the late 90s, until then I had never known anything was wrong but watching some of my all time fav films in the correct pitch for the first time was quite a revelation. Now I find it quite difficult to sit through any US TV show on UK TV as most just sound wrong.

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