Posted by Stuart on 09/21/07 23:38

"Kimba W. Lion" <kimbawlion> wrote in message
news:4ck7f39pt7is97m1beoqg46quo11kladt5@4ax.com...
> none@given.now (Joe) wrote:
>
>>A lot of programs are being sped up, probably to free up more time for
>>commercials.
>>
>>It looks roughly like a 10% or more speed up.
>>
>>This speed up was even on a movie *DVD* that I checked out from the
>>library.
>>
>>What is this process called? I haven't seen or heard anything about it,
>>except with my own TV viewing.
>
> It's called time compression.
>
> Some of the movie channels will tell you that they've done it, in a
> disclaimer at the beginning of the movie. TVLand seems to do it to
> everything they show.
>
> They can get an extra minute of commercials into a half-hour show with
> just a 4% speedup, the same amount applied to all films for broadcast in
> PAL countries, and the PAL folks will tell you no one ever notices. Right.
>
> There is no reason to do this to a DVD, but I've also seen chopped-up
> syndicated versions of TV shows make it to DVD, so it depends on the DVD
> maker and how diligent they are in getting the proper materials.


Half right! In PAL countries "shot on film" movies from foreign sources like
the USA etc are shot at 24 fps and shown at 25 fps on TV (at 24fps in
cinemas) so yes that's 4% fast. Where you do hear the difference is if an US
actor is being interviewed live on TV and then a film clip is shown suddenly
it sounds like he's lost one of his ***** !!

On the other hand all TV produced material in PAL countries is produced at
25 fps and indeed some but not very much film material is also shot at 25
fps especially if it is for local TV use - so it's a mixed bag really.

The technology to speed up audio without affecting the pitch has been around
since the early 1950's. The EMT Pitch and Tempo regulator a tape technology
does this, these days it's dead easy with a plug-in in Adobe Audition...

The other complication with DVD's is where they are authored. In most PAL
countries modern TV's and DVD players are multi- standard, ie PAL or NTSC
and most are easily multi region. So I can play a NTSC DVD on my DVD player
set my TV on NTSC and play as intended or basically leave it on automatic
and it all just happens..

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