HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Mike_Quigley@mindlink.bc.ca (Mike Quigley)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Warner Bros. Plant is Defective!
Date: 23 Aug 92 14:43:28 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

Regarding Excalibur, I have now seen 3 different "reviews" of this disk that
have all commented on "speckles" or "white marks" which are a result of the
pressing, not the print. When will Warner Bros. clean up their act? You may
recall I was complaining about laser lock on the ends of 3 sides of my JFK a
couple of days ago. Well, last night I finally got around to watching Tom Jones
which has been sitting here unwatched for a while. I got the same laser lock
problem at the end of side 1 of that disk. The manufacturer? Warner Brothers
"new" plant...
From: jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov (Stephen Jonke)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Re: La Femme Nikita (Was: Top Laserdisc Sales)
Date: 19 Aug 92 22:54:30 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

In article <1992Aug19.132916.16019@cpqhou.compaq.com>, dpruitt@cpqhou.compaq.com (Daniel Pruitt) writes:
> 
> In article <1992Aug12.215733.17891@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov> jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov (Stephen Jonke) writes:
> >[...]  Still, it's the only letterbox version
> >available.  I'd recommend renting it first, if possible, to decide if you
> >don't mind the problems with it.
> 
> The tape that I rented not long ago was letterboxed...  I haven't been able
> to find the LD to rent so I broke down and rented the tape expecting the usual
> pan & scan crap.  I was surprised that the tape was in widescreen.
> 
> Daniel
> 

Did it have the same problems as the disc -- not giving you the full width
(characters partially or completely cut off), what looks like film jumping,
monophonic sound, etc.?  If it's the same, that might explain why the disc
looks so grainy -- it's probably taken right from the tape.

Steve
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: datri@convex.com (Anthony A. Datri)
Subject: Re: SUBTITLES (Re: Star Trek VI -- Additional Footage?)
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 17:13:36 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

>ratio. I believe Thompson has sold these in Europe, though try as I might I couldn't find
>anywhere to see one in Paris, Zurich, or Montpelier.

I saw one in Wales.

>The question is: will I have control over the amount of expansion

I don't think so.  The universe is 16:9, after all.

>drop titles in the black bar will be no problem), or will the box detect the black
>area above and below the image area and do some automatic and probably wrong
>picture adjustment  on letterboxed movies?

As I was led to understand it, a cue can be broadcast in the unused scanlines
that the broadcast is letterboxed.  I saw at least one broadcast where the cue
was absent.

>I'm really looking forward to the supposed introduction later this year or early next
>in the US by RCA or widescreen TV!

Watch it be expensive.  Watch the dearth of compatible programming.  Store the
unit with your quad receiver from the 70's.


> HDTV is wonderful: I've seen it many times
>at the past 3 SIGGRAPHs,

They have time travel there?

-- 

======================================================================8--<
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: datri@convex.com (Anthony A. Datri)
Subject: Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit questions
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 16:13:22 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

>with Mickey and Bugs). This panning-&-scanning would also eliminate the
>possibility that the film was actually shot in Super 35, regardless of
>the Panavision credit.

Isn't it possible that some bone-head transfer house would pan & scan from
the composition area?  I think Bob Niland's articles describe this.

-- 

======================================================================8--<
From: levin@bbn.com (Joel B Levin)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit questions
Date: 14 Aug 92 21:03:44 GMT
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

bates@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Andrew Bates) writes:
|In article <1992Aug14.144806.28667@bilver.uucp> bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) writes:
|>
|>However the nudes scenes in the theatrical version have been cut
|>from the video.  I suspect these were also cut from the
|>broadcast too.

|    Pardon me, but where were there nude scenes in the theatrical version?
|I don't remember any....

He's referring to an animated frame or two that were reportedly
included in the film release (of Betty Boop, I heard).  I think it may
well be an urban legend.

	/JBL
=
Nets: levin@bbn.com  |  "There were sweetheart roses on Yancey Wilmerding's
POTS: (617)873-3463  |  bureau that morning.  Wide-eyed and distraught, she
              N1MNF  |  stood with all her faculties rooted to the floor."
                     |					-- S. J. Perelman
From: Mike_Quigley@mindlink.bc.ca (Mike Quigley)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: JFK Still Defective, So Is The Store!
Date: 21 Aug 92 19:13:28 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

I posted a message here a few days ago that my copy of JFK (allegedly from the
second pressing with the *** under the UPC) had laser lock on 3 of its 4 sides.
I took it back to the dealer, and after a mere week, he announced that he had
no problems with it. I took it to another store where I tried it out on the
cheapest new model Pioneer player (still no numbers on the remote for
programming -- DUMB!) and it didn't have any problems either.

This is quite annoying, especially since my pleas for a refund or credit fell
on deaf ears. Basically, the guy was inferring that I should either get my
player fixed so it will play this one disk out of the 100 or so I own which
won't work correctly, or perhaps get a new player. In other words, spend
anywhere from $100-$600 over and above the cost of the disk! I'm not willing to
do that, so I guess I'll just suffer. (The disk misses about 8-10 seconds at
the end of sides 1, 2 and 4). He said he couldn't just sell the disk to someone
else because that would be "cheating them" since it was opened. I pointed out
that almost all the stock in one of their local stores consists of "opened"
disks which are for rental and also for sale, but this argument didn't seem to
impress him. I also asked him if the store was dealing with Warner Brothers
Canada or Warner Brothers U.S. (they have a kind of scam set up for
distribution from the States which avoids the usual high-priced Canadian
middlemen). Despite the fact that either this guy is the manager of the store,
or the manager was standing right behind him, he kept insisting he didn't know
where the disk was obtained from!

People in Vancouver who deal with this store, Video Library, should be aware
that they have this "take it or leave it" policy. (Bob Niland, in his article
on disk defects warns of problems like this happening with laser lock.)

Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion)
Subject: Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit questions
Organization: W. J. Vermillion - Winter Park, FL
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 14:48:06 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.170545.23016@cbfsb.cb.att.com> tzung@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (tzung-i.lin) writes:
>I have compared the TV broadcast version and the CAV letterbox version ,
>and here is what I found: It's a combination of open-matte and
>pan&scan on the broadcast version.  The special effects part was 
>pan&scaned but normal sequences are open-matte.

>If the CLV full screen version is the same as the TV broadcast version,
>then you got the answer.  Oh, BTW, the broadcast version has some 
>footages added which was not shown in theater.  I think it's nice,
>but others think it gave away too many information early on.

However the nudes scenes in the theatrical version have been cut
from the video.  I suspect these were also cut from the
broadcast too.


-- 
Bill Vermillion - bill@bilver.oau.org  bill.vermillion@oau.org
                - bill@bilver.uucp 
                - ..!{peora|ge-dab|tous|tarpit}!bilver!bill
From: "eric walker" <eric.walker@channel1.com>
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: casablanca
Date: 18 Aug 92 22:28:47 EST
Reply-To: "eric walker" <eric.walker@channel1.com>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Channel 1 Communications

CO>>      The videotape and CLV laserdisc contain:
CO>>
CO>>           The movie.  (No kidding!)  "You must remember this..."

     Yep, black-and-white.  After the commercial failure of the colorized
     videotape, I think Turner buried that print in a vault somewhere.
     And hopefully it will never see the light of day again.
---
  SLMR 2.1a  Don't blame me for gravity; I voted for Velcro.
--
Channel 1 (R)   Cambridge, MA
From: ss@wpi.WPI.EDU (Scott Streeter)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: LBX Indy LD's
Date: 18 Aug 92 15:27:44 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Are the new LBX Indiana Jones movies coming out this month (August)
or next month?

-- 
                        Scott Streeter
                        ss@wpi.wpi.edu
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: ss@wpi.WPI.EDU (Scott Streeter)
Subject: Re: LBX Excalibur is out
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609-2280
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 13:00:23 GMT


>>>>> On 20 Aug 92 22:03:06 GMT, smah@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Steve Mah) said:

smah> This probably isn't news to some, but the local Music Plus had
smah> the new matted Excalibur LD in stock yesterday (8/19).  And yes,
smah> it's in Dolby Surround (8-))

smah> Reviews anyone?

Ok. I watched it last night. First the sound is very nice, and clear,
but there isn't much surround exept for the music. For the picture,
the first 20-30 minutes of the disc had alot of white dots in it, even
in the LBX bands. It is either from the original film, or from the
transfer, I don't know which. But after that the picture gets very
clear, and looks good til the end. Also side 3 is CAV.

--
                        Scott Streeter
                        ss@wpi.wpi.edu
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: cooper@cos.com (Gary Cooper)
Subject: LB Excalibur arrives!
Summary: subject says it all.....
Keywords: Laserdisc
Organization: Corporation for Open Systems
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 03:01:55 GMT

The new _Excalibur_ LB/LD is out ($39.95) - I'm watching it as I type.
since I own the P&S as well, I'll compare the two just a bit - hold on
while I swap disks.......


.....ok, I'm back - there's quite a bit more info on the sides, and
the top and bottom seem about the same - I'd hazard the guess that
the movie is, oh about a 1.8:1 hard matte.

Unfortunately, the picture quality isn't up a whole lot from the
P&S version - but it no longer looks like it used a dirty VHS third
gen copy as a master.  The colors aren't near as gorgeous as I
remembered them in the theatre (and I sat through it three times
in a row!)

oh well, at least it's out - now where in the hell is _Right Stuff_?!?

I also saw _Captain Blood_ (Uncut Flynn!) and _30 seconds over Tokyo_
sitting in the "new" bin.....

gary cooper (not the dead one)
should'a known all these great discs would come out the day I quit my job! 
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: cathys@Ingres.COM (Cathy Savino)
Subject: When will 'Paris is Burning' be released on video??
Reply-To: cathys@ingres.com (Cathy Savino)
Organization: ASK Computer Systems
Date: 18 Aug 92 20:41:58 GMT

That says it all. Does anyone know??

--
Cathy Savino 
   ___     _____   __  __       Ingres, An ASK Company
  / _ \   / ____\  | |/ /       1080 Marina Village Parkway
 / /_\ \  \____ \  | |\ \       Alameda, Ca 94501
/_/   \_\ \_____/  |_| \_\      (510) 748-3524
                                cathys@ingres.com
From: Mike_Quigley@mindlink.bc.ca (Mike Quigley)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Re: SUBTITLES (Re: Star Trek VI -- Additional Footage?)
Date: 18 Aug 92 08:15:08 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

> Otto J. Makela writes:
> 
> Talking of titles... are Closed Captioning devices available separately
> (let's say something to plug into a text generator), or only as a part
> of the TV ?  The reason I'm interested is I have several friends who have
> some problems picking up spoken english though they can read it well
> enough.  As a LaserDisc fan, I'm intrigued by the possibilities...
> 
> The standard TV technology over here in PAL land doesn't cut it, as
> subtitling is TeleText, which is a whole other bag of fish...


Sears used to sell the CC devices here as a separate entity and I think they
still do. I don't know if you could plug them into a text generator, however.

Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: wlrc@uhura.neoucom.edu (William R. Cruce)
Subject: Re: Barr Digital Database
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 06:45:51 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.123759.384@csc.canterbury.ac.nz> cowl@elec.canterbury.ac.nz (DAve.) writes:
>
>My current copy of the Barr Digital database does not have it listed. 
>Where can I get a more recent update of this (mine is March)?

There has been only one posting of the Barr Digital database.  The
Bulletin Board where they posted it (The Library in Seattle) has
closed down. :-) but they have promised to send me a current copy on
floppy disk with my next shipment.  As soon as I get a copy I will
send it to several ftp sites and post a notice.

-- 
                 "So many windows, So little time"

Bill Cruce, N.E. Ohio Univ. Coll. of Medicine, Box 95, Rootstown, OH 44272
VOICE: 216-325-2511,  FAX: 216-325-0522,  INTERNET: wlrc@uhura.neoucom.edu
From: tzung@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (tzung-i.lin)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: another mini LDs review (5 of them)
Date: 19 Aug 92 16:37:04 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

Well, these five LDs are not very new, but I havn't seen people talking
about them,so here is some mii-reviews:

Blackrobe

	A Canadian film presented in 1.66 (or 1.85:1? it's been awhile)
	Most of the shots are in winter, so color is not that obvious,
	Very good cinematography, and the transfer shows it.
	A very good film, it's as strong as the Mission, if not stronger.

At play of Lord's Land (P&S)

	P&S from maybe 1.85 or 1.66:1, transfer is good, color is good
	the story is, well, not as good as Blackrobe or Mission.
	(all with the same storyline: missionary in confrontation with indians)
	Though in a broader topic, but fail short.  The shot of the
	water fall is magnificant.

Addam's Family

	1.85:1 ratio, good transfer, good sound.  A must have if you
	like the movie or the comics.

Billy Bathgate

	1.85:1, very good transfer, both picture and sound.

Ladyhawke

	What can I say? 2.2:1, a magnificant transfer. well-worth $40
	I can't wait for Excalibur on LBX.

Tzung-I
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: rossmanj@rafael.rtp.dg.com (John Rossmann)
Subject: Re: Romancing the Stone Question
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 22:37:15 GMT
Organization: Data General Corporation. RTP, NC.

dweaver@earth.Eng.Sun.COM (David Weaver) writes:

>In article 10576@eng.umd.edu, whitefox@eng.umd.edu (M.S. Pope) writes:
>>In their catalog, they list
>>the letterboxed version of ROMANCING THE STONE for $34.95

>My guess is that this is an error in the listing, and it's the 
>pan-n'-scan version they're offering.  The LBX version was due out
>last year (did it ever come out?), and was to list for $59, not $35.

>> but I've heard that the transfer isn't very good.  Is this true?

Part right, part wrong. I got the letterboxed Romancing the Stone from
CHLDC, but it was quite a while ago, just after they changed their
catalog to indicate lbx. I believe the correct list price on the lbx
version is $49.95. Anyway, if you order it and it comes pan 'n scan, you
can return it - CHLDC is very good about that; they'll send you a mailing
label so you don't pay postage on the return.

Regarding the transfer, I haven't watched it in the last couple of
months, but I don't recall anything bad about it. Of course, I'm not
as picky as some here are. 

(Now I wish they'd letterbox Jewel of the Nile -- not nearly as good a
movie, but I'd like to have it, and I don't want to buy it pan 'n scan.)

John

John C. Rossmann, Data General Corp.  Research Triangle Park, NC 27709     
Work: rossmanj@dg-rtp.dg.com        Home: uunet!synsys!john or john@synsys.UUCP
  "... elegance is the achievement of a given functionality with a minimum
	of mechanism and a maximum of clarity." - F.J. Corbato
From: Mike_Quigley@mindlink.bc.ca (Mike Quigley)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Prince of Tides - What's the Scoop?
Date: 13 Aug 92 19:00:28 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada

I'm hearing all sorts of rumours about Prince of Tides today. First, the
Criterion edition has been scrapped entirely. (I had heard a few days ago that
Streisand had delayed its release because she wasn't happy with the
supplementary material.) Then I'm now hearing that the RCA/Columbia version is
being "completely recalled"... I can't determine if that's because again of La
Streisand or there is some flaw in the pressing, or some scenes were screwed up
in the order they were presented on the disk. Can anyone shed any light on all
of this?
From: Mike_Quigley@mindlink.bc.ca (Mike Quigley)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Re: SUBTITLES (Re: Star Trek VI -- Additional Footage?)
Date: 14 Aug 92 13:34:57 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

I too can't understand this complaint with the subtitles below, as opposed to
in, the picture. If you understand the film's language, you could make a mask
out of black paper, stick it on the bottom of your TV, and eliminate the
subtitles altogether!
From: Mike_Quigley@mindlink.bc.ca (Mike Quigley)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: LBX Indiana Jones Movies
Date: 18 Aug 92 22:53:24 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

The last I heard the release date was August 27th.

Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: wallace@titan.trl.OZ.AU (Glenn Wallace)
Subject: Re: Laser disc and video
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 03:17:59 GMT

trussell@cwis.unomaha.edu (Tim Russell) writes:

>    LD players are also great if there do happen to be video stores
>around that rent LDs.  For example, here in Omaha there's a renter that
>has a great selection of them for rental, they're more often in stock,
>don't degrade in quality after being rented many times, are often letter-
>boxed, etc etc.

You are, of course, assuming that the person who rented the disc before
you handled it carefully.

Gosh, even out here in the boonies they are renting LDs now!
They have a selection of about 10.... well, they had to start somewhere.

Glenn


Net: g.wallace@trl.oz.au | Please don't cut down the tall timber
IRC: HMMurdock           | Let it grow tall straight and true
RealTime: Glenn Wallace  | In this world we need tall tall timber
Work: Drift Project AOTC | Tall timber like me and you - Greg Macainsh
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: fineberg@win31.nas.nasa.gov (Samuel A. Fineberg)
Subject: Re: La Femme Nikita (Was: Top Laserdisc Sales)
Organization: CSC, NASA Ames Research Center, NAS Division
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 15:57:56 GMT
Reply-To: fineberg@nas.nasa.gov
Distribution: usa

In article <36834@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>, smah@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Steve Mah) writes:
|> In article <29384@alfred.Teknowledge.COM> tbarnes@teknowledge.com (Terry A Barnes) writes:
|> >
|> >The transfer to disc was a real hack job IMHO.  I suspect the disc was only
|> >partially letterboxed -- the composition was all wrong, with major characters
|> >partially to entirely off-screen.  The transfer was jittery and the film was
|> >dirty.  All in all, it was the worst recent LD transfer I've seen...
|> 
|> Although I haven't had a chance to pick up the disc yet, it sounds
|> like Vidmark used the exact same master that they used for the
|> widescreen tape.  If I recall correctly when I rented it, altho it
|> was letterboxed, characters were still being cut off on the ends,
What really bugged me was that they actually did fully letterbox the movie
for a few seconds at the beginning so they could fit the credits in.  After
renting this disc I was glad I didn't buy it, however, I was also disapointed
that there was no better version to purchase.

Sam
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: VHS camera prices
From: psyxsgp@otago.ac.nz
Date: 18 Aug 92 09:49:32 +1300
Organization: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand


	What is the best prices people have seen for HiFi VHS 
video cameras (8mm, C-format, and the ones that take VHS tape directly).
	Local dealers want approx $900-1200 US

	What we need is marginal picture quality, but 20-20000 Hz
audio freq responce.

-- 
Stephen Pearce, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
ph 064-3-4740999 ext 8166 home 064-3-4763778
From: "alan kennedy" <alan.kennedy@canrem.com>
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: off screen programmin
Date: 21 Aug 92 23:10:33 EST
Reply-To: "alan kennedy" <alan.kennedy@canrem.com>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Canada Remote Systems

There was another attempt at "off screen programming" prior to VCR+,
but it went nowhere. Panasonic (I think) had a UPC bar code reading
system. To program the VCR, you needed the wand, and a sheet with codes
on it. They eventually wanted to have the bar codes printed in the TV
Guide, like VCR+ codes are now.

However, there is a good alternative by Hitachi (or was). You would
programm everything with the remote, and it was displayed on a LCD
screen on the remote itself. When you were finished, you aimed at the
VCR and pushed "transmit".

Lastly, there was a brand (???) that allowed you to program via your
telephone (if you were out that is). This too went nowhere fast.

One really important thing to keep in mind is that if you live with
someone, you never know when they have left the only copy of your kids
first birthday or whatever in the VCR. I always check to see what I'm
going to record over. I learned the hard way.
--
Canada Remote Systems  - Toronto, Ontario/Detroit, MI
World's Largest PCBOARD System - 416-629-7000/629-7044