Is out-of-lip-sync driving you MAD?

[pgoat]

Okay about a year ago we noticed lots of cable tv programs - including my beloved TCM movies - were out of sync - to comic or tragic degrees. You expect this from a bad Godzilla movie, and I don't care if the Yoga instructor is a few seconds off. But during a tender love scene or a classic dramatic speech, you want things synched properly (especially if you're taping for your home library...:rage: ). This just happened to me today - I aborted taping Paris Blues (probably a blessing in disguise - I forgot I kinda hated this film)

Supposedly it has something to do with the HDTV signal? The breif pixelation that happens form time to time is bad enough, but this synch problem essentially ruins a whole film.

Anyone else having these issues? We have Time Warner cable, fwtw.....

 

[sweetfrancaise]

In the past that's happened to me, but I think it's your provider. Truly irritating, yes, so maybe bring it up with them or switch?

 

[Rhofal]

Not really related to HDTV, but I thought I'd share this one.

Two years ago I was in Wrocław, Poland to assist with the start-up of new production plant for my company. Anyway, at night in my hotel room, I checked the TV to see if I couldn't catch a movie. There was a movie on; about three people in a crashed airplane.

What made it so funny I watched it entirely is the way it was dubbed (post-sync). All of the three voices - two male and one female - were done by one and the same guy. To make things worse (or funnier) is that he absolutely made no effort of any kind to put some feeling into the dialogue; he just read aloud the lines with no change in intonation.

When I told my colleague about it next day at work, he told me the person doing the texts was actually quite famous and did most of the movies. In fact so famous that when another person would dub a movie people would write letters to make sure "the voice guy" was not ill or anything. :eusa_clap (YMMV; If Miłosz exagerated, so am I now )

Cheers,
Peter

PS: I hope no Polish readers take offence in my telling this story. It is not meant derogatory or as a slur towards your lovely country. In fact, I loved it so much that as soon as time and funds permit I will go back for a long vacation.

 

[Bassman]

I'm a video editor for network TV and when I encounter this during the course of my job, I correct it.
I occasionally notice this on the air also (I don't have cable or a dish) and while the origination of the problem could be a technical issue, I find it's often laziness or ignorance or just plain unprofessionalism of the "hired hands" that doesn't see or ignores the problem.

 

[GwenLake]

Not really related to HDTV, but I thought I'd share this one.

Two years ago I was in Wrocław, Poland to assist with the start-up of new production plant for my company. Anyway, at night in my hotel room, I checked the TV to see if I couldn't catch a movie. There was a movie on; about three people in a crashed airplane.

What made it so funny I watched it entirely is the way it was dubbed (post-sync). All of the three voices - two male and one female - were done by one and the same guy. To make things worse (or funnier) is that he absolutely made no effort of any kind to put some feeling into the dialogue; he just read aloud the lines with no change in intonation.

When I told my colleague about it next day at work, he told me the person doing the texts was actually quite famous and did most of the movies. In fact so famous that when another person would dub a movie people would write letters to make sure "the voice guy" was not ill or anything. :eusa_clap (YMMV; If Miłosz exagerated, so am I now )

Cheers,
Peter

PS: I hope no Polish readers take offence in my telling this story. It is not meant derogatory or as a slur towards your lovely country. In fact, I loved it so much that as soon as time and funds permit I will go back for a long vacation.

You mean it isn't like that everywhere?! That's strange...

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Okay about a year ago we noticed lots of cable tv programs - including my beloved TCM movies - were out of sync - to comic or tragic degrees. You expect this from a bad Godzilla movie, and I don't care if the Yoga instructor is a few seconds off. But during a tender love scene or a classic dramatic speech, you want things synched properly (especially if you're taping for your home library...:rage: ). This just happened to me today - I aborted taping Paris Blues (probably a blessing in disguise - I forgot I kinda hated this film)

Supposedly it has something to do with the HDTV signal? The breif pixelation that happens form time to time is bad enough, but this synch problem essentially ruins a whole film.

Anyone else having these issues? We have Time Warner cable, fwtw.....

I'd have to guess it's a problem with your cable provider, or as you suggest, perhaps just the HDTV signal they're sending out. We've had satellite for about 15 years and have never ever noticed a sync problem on TCM, and I watch it frequently.

 

[Rhofal]

You mean it isn't like that everywhere?! That's strange...

Well; it isn't here in Belgium. We always get the original soundtrack with subtitles. Twenty years ago even subtitles in French and Flemish.

In the Netherlands they use subtitles as well, though the French and the Germans have most films dubbed.

Cheers,
Peter


Edit: Ahem, just saw your location Gwenlake; I suppose your reply was a toungue-in-cheek and nice way of correcting my sillyness. Dziękuję bardzo for not clipping me around the ear ;-)

 

[pgoat]

For the record, it comes and goes during the course of a film, and is also on other stations - even during commercials.

It does make me want to switch providers or even drop cable entirely (I could certainly use that extra $100 a month!). But I can't imagine being without the Weather Channel and TCM......

 

[Woland]

Hi.

Does sound-design for movies as a living.
A few possible problems involved.

1.
Your TV-apparatus has a technical problem.
(A HD-Ready Flatscreen?)
Very few providers of tv-signals can get away with delivering a faulty signal.
Bad for business...

The occasional broadcast master tape can be out of sync, but it sounds like this is not the problem.

Get a second and third opinion.
In other words, try a couple of other TVs.

2.
If the problem consist you should contact your provider for a technical check-up of your connection.

 

[pgoat]

We're using an old (1995ish) standard TV. Never had any issues before the last year or so, and we've had the same cable provider since 1999.

 

[Woland]

We're using an old (1995ish) standard TV. Never had any issues before the last year or so, and we've had the same cable provider since 1999.

Hmmm...
I would borrow another TV in order to rule out that the problem is with your current apparatus.
At least that will give you ammo to use in a discussion with your cable provider.

 

[Twitch]

Know what still ticks me off after decades? In the olden days of animation cartoons were drawn to life. It took lotsa drawings for the characters to move and flow like real.

Well back when the production went to the Orient they began the cardboard faces with no-sync lip movement. The faces were drawn with one expression and the lips just flapped. Less drawing per second of filming equals cheap production.

Anyhow it still makes me sore:rage:

 

[DutchIndo]

It doesn't bother me I grew up watching Godzilla flicks !