Any rumors about Buffy the Vampire Slayer show coming out on Blu-ray?

[Drewbee87]

I'll email them again, and send them a second email asking about Dark Angel... lol

[samukas]

Originally Posted by NileQT87

However, there is a hand reaching below Buffy as she comes out of the ceiling after getting the yearbook (the hand is reaching from below to help SMG down, not from the sides), but it's actually in the original 4:3 frame! That shot is a lot darker, but you can also see the phantom hand in the DVD version, too.

Hum... I spent the last minutes looking for this and couldn't spot it Are you sure it's not actually SMG's hand holding to the wall/wood shelf?

[NileQT87]

Ah, sorry... I just rewatched it a few more times... She's grabbing the wall, but the hand ends up looking upside-down. There's a blur of it moving that proves it's hers. Though it's certainly a case of the Pivot copy being a lot brighter than the DVD.

Cripes. Now I'm looking for bloopers that aren't. ::embarrassed::

Scenes that were too dark to see much of anything at all suddenly have all these new details turning up. They're practically like entirely new shots. WOW at the visibility difference.

[slainery]

And to close the chapter once and for all on this (as far as I'm concerned):

Originally Posted by mayorofsmpleton

The show is art. You may not feel that way but it is. It deserves to be presented on BD the way it was intended to be seen.

Art is subjective by nature and its value is as much in the eye of the artist as it is in the eye of the beholder. Whedon & co are absolutely free to say what they want (entitled to, actually), but it doesn't mean I should follow it blindly and disregard what I prefer. I mean, we're in 2014 and I still won't buy into

[Show spoiler]Spuffy and Spike's redemption post Seeing Red

even though the TPTB pushed it.

As for as the wishes of the creator go and how it is intended to be seen, I only have two words:

[Show spoiler]STAR

[Show spoiler]WARS

.

[NileQT87]

Here's a scene with some very different cropping choices (not to mention those strong pinks again), which I wish were more faithful (the Xander shot is probably a case of unnecessary close-ups):

[Drewbee87]

The inconsistent framing/cropping doesn't make sense to me. And seeing certain scenes in the opening credits and "Previously On" segments being opened up unlike they are in the actual episode makes it even more confusing. Like the Buffy stare down and the Buffy & Angel kiss. Why crop them to make them 16:9 if there's more than enough footage to open it up?

[GenPion]

For all the shots that might look impressive on a show like this in 16X9 widescreen, you are not allowing the series to be seen the way it was framed by the director. It also affects a number of set-related issues and for the good portions who actually wants any moments where boom-mics, prop men, and other people loom in the background? It wasn't meant to be seen that way.

[Nico Darko]

Originally Posted by Drewbee87

The inconsistent framing/cropping doesn't make sense to me. And seeing certain scenes in the opening credits and "Previously On" segments being opened up unlike they are in the actual episode makes it even more confusing. Like the Buffy stare down and the Buffy & Angel kiss. Why crop them to make them 16:9 if there's more than enough footage to open it up?

It is very confusing. But the occasional re-framing will hopefully be better for season 2. And season 3 being 35mm probably won't need any cropping (except to hide "goofs").


Here's my new e-mail to Fox. http://www.foxstudios.com/request.html

Hi,

I have already contacted you regarding the various problems of the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' HD remaster (airing on the Pivot channel). I was pleased to see that the color balance was much better in episodes 2x01 and 2x02, and didn't notice any "goofs" in the opened-up 16:9 version (unlike season 1). The image definition still looks like upscaled SD though, but that might be due to Pivot's broadcast. And the brightness/contrast still needs to be readjusted in several scenes.

But the reason I'm writing to you (again) is the new CGI effects. The fans really appreciate that you are spending the time and money to redo the effects in HD. But there is something very wrong with your vampire dusting. It looks far too different from the original effect. The vampires seem to turn to smoke rather than dust and the size and timing of the dusting doesn't match the original. Did you contact Loni Peristere, the Buffy visual effects supervisor ?

You should be aware that many Buffy fans, like Star Trek fans, know every shot and every effect in the series, and will notice when something betrays what was originally done. The dusting effect is one of the show's signatures, it is a big part of its history, it really shouldn't be altered the way it is in the HD version.

So please, could you try to match the original effect, instead of creating a new one that betrays the original intent ? The people working on the 'Star Trek : The Next Generation' remaster did a wonderful job matching the few CGI original effects, I really wished Buffy could be given the same treatment. Those effects are supposed to be re-rendered in HD, not redone in a different way. I'm guessing you still have the original computer files, it must be possible to match what was done back in 1997. If not, I would rather have a good upscale than an effect so far from what was created at the time.

The dusting was my biggest concern, I like what you did for the other CGI effects (the portal in ep 1x10, Moloch's death in ep 1x08), and hope the ones in the following seasons will stay true to the originals.

I hope you can take the fans' wishes into consideration. We will be the ones buying the Blu-Ray after all.

Thank you for your time and the work you're doing.

Best regards

[goldnnck]

Originally Posted by GenPion

For all the shots that might look impressive on a show like this in 16X9 widescreen, you are not allowing the series to be seen the way it was framed by the director. It also affects a number of set-related issues and for the good portions who actually wants any moments where boom-mics, prop men, and other people loom in the background? It wasn't meant to be seen that way.

jesus stop that already, there are already a number of dvd sets and whatnot containing the 4:3 versions. if u don't like 16:9 just go watch those dvds thanks.

it's not disrespectful to release a widescreen version of buffy. yes joss whedon intended it to be shown in 4:3 and it's been like that for the last 17 YEARS! it's time for some change if u ask me.

I dont see anything wrong with being able to see a bit more of what was meant to be seen, i personally find that the best bonus feature ever! if there needs to be cropping done, i'm totally fine with that cos, AGAIN, we already have so many dvd sets that show buffy 'the way it was meant to be seen'.

anyway if ur not happy with that, just think about how buffy was also never meant to be seen in HD, it was meant to be seen in standard def, so much that the cgi were rendered in SD and composed for that definition. so stop that weak argument already please.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by slainery

If I've always watched S4-7 in widescreen, I've never had any issues with the first seasons in 4:3... what I'm saying is that it's a bit eye-roll worthy when people wake up with some new issues they didn't have before (for the most part) and think they should stop enjoying what they've had for more than a decade now. It's a tad patronising too when they push it up onto others.

I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to believe that peoples tastes change. We can learn new information that put passed experiences into a different perspective. Like others I watched the widescreen airings on BBC2 or R2 DVDs and enjoyed them immensely but with new information I now know that I wasn't watching the show at it's fullest visual potential and seeing the show as intended in HD would fulfil (and exceed) that experience.

[Drewbee87]

I watched the show in it's intended ratio until last year and knew that's how I was supposed to watch it, but still prefer to watch it in 16:9 after watching 4-7 on Netflix... But apparently to some there's something very wrong with that and I must be some idiot that just wants my screen filled. Despite the fact I've already said many times why I enjoy the the 16:9 versions more.

[NileQT87]

I would love more than anything to have a properly done 16:9 version (not a 4:3 purist at all--I love my PAL 4-7 rips so much more than my NTSC 4-7 rips) that doesn't have these sort of bizarre reframings where they're taking image away that they emphatically DON'T NEED TO. And I definitely would prefer more faithful frame-by-frame CGI.

Speaking of When She Was Bad's 'previously on' segment...

Remember I commented about the oh-so-slight cropping (a bit off of DB's hair and SMG's dress from the DVD)? Well, guess just how much image they really had to choose from. (A lot!)

When She Was Bad 'previously on' version:

Prophecy Girl version:

[Drewbee87]

Originally Posted by NileQT87

I would love more than anything to have a properly done 16:9 version (not a 4:3 purist at all--I love my PAL 4-7 rips so much more than my NTSC 4-7 rips) that doesn't have these sort of bizarre reframings where they're taking image away that they emphatically DON'T NEED TO. And I definitely would prefer more faithful frame-by-frame CGI.

Speaking of When She Was Bad's 'previously on' segment...

Remember I commented about the oh-so-slight cropping (a bit off of DB's hair and SMG's dress from the DVD)? Well, guess just how image they really had to choose from. (A lot!)

When She Was Bad 'previously on' version:

Prophecy Girl version:

I noticed that earlier and was going to post it, but had to go to the store. lol Just more proof that they don't need to be doing all this re-framing/cropping to get a 16:9 frame, I do however agree with Nico Darko that the re-framing does work better in some cases.

[Nico Darko]

Originally Posted by Buffdale

I admit that I am very satisfied with the second season (so far). No major loss of height, and above all... the colors ! Many scenes of the second season on DVD look very desaturated.

Yes, several scenes look much better in HD in terms of colors. But the contrast is overall still not what it should be. It makes the actors look incredibly pale in some scenes. The brightness is much better than in S1, but it obviously need more adjustment.

Ep 2x02 :

[GoldMotel]

I wonder if the Pivot airings are a test-run for how Buffy will look in HD, with Fox fixing all the problems for a home video release.

While not quite the same, the practice is commonly done in anime.

[Nico Darko]

Made a gif of the new dusting, and yeah, bad :

[Drewbee87]

The best way I can describe the effects in season 2 is they look like a dusty water balloon exploding... lol Especially the one she kicks onto the tree.

[rewak]

There comes a point where you're just going to have to accept compromise, the fact they're actually re-rendering these SFX shots is pretty commendable in and of itself, the standard fare would be to just upscale those shots and then you'd all ***** about that too.

[timzy007]

All I can say is that I'm anticipating what the giant green monster will look like in the Season 3 finale

[samukas]

Originally Posted by GoldMotel

I wonder if the Pivot airings are a test-run for how Buffy will look in HD, with Fox fixing all the problems for a home video release.

While not quite the same, the practice is commonly done in anime.

I don't see why they'd have to "test-run" it. They probably want to make money from it from broadcast first, we should see probably other stations (European? Hopefully?) picking it up if they are interested in the product, but to test-run it?
I can see them rushing a few things here and there to get masters out quickly for broadcast, yes, but other than that, they don't need Pivot, the viewers or anyone else to tell them how Buffy will look in HD, they have the freaking source material

Originally Posted by NileQT87

...bizarre reframings where they're taking image away that they emphatically DON'T NEED TO...

Speaking of When She Was Bad's 'previously on' segment...

Remember I commented about the oh-so-slight cropping (a bit off of DB's hair and SMG's dress from the DVD)? Well, guess just how much image they really had to choose from. (A lot!)

While the framing seems a bit all over the place and not really understandable - talking about episodes after 1x08, the ones before that are atrocious - do keep in mind that sometimes we might see this kind of "zoom-in" because of equipment or crew appearing either in that specific shot at a given time or something that's visible in that whole "take" that they filmed so they just zoom everything anyway. Something that would be visible in the episode itself and not in those frames that appear in the opening credits. Just a theory, of course, that scene is so quick, it might not be at all what happened there.

For example, in 1x11, in the scene with Buffy falling into the classroom, when the "flying" syringe attacks her, you can tell they zoomed a lot on the left side, most likely because there was a hand that should not be seen handling the syringe.

Originally Posted by Nico Darko

Made a gif of the new dusting, and yeah, bad :

That one really annoys me because it's not in sync!!!

Originally Posted by timzy007

All I can say is that I'm anticipating what the giant green monster will look like in the Season 3 finale

Oh, I'm betting they will upscale that one! Too lazy to redo it :P

Edit: Hum... interesting! The shot that they messed up of Giles in 1x12, is actually in 2x01 for the "Previously On"