Godfather II disk 1 - GLITCH on Masters?

[vipera]

Hello fellow Godfather fans,

Has anyone noticed that on the 1st disk of the Godfather Part II, there is quite a noticable glitch on chapter 10? It is at the scene when Michael Corleone visits PENTANGELI (Just after visiting HYMAN ROTH) :

When Pentangeli arrives his estate, he is notified that he has a guest - that Michael is waiting inside for him. Just as Pentangeli walks into his house via the front door (and at the same shot his body guard turning his head around to face the other side), there goes the monster glitch! (Which is followed by the change in angle of camera shot from the house, watching Pentangeli stepping into the house. )

Note that it isn't a chapter change, and I doubt it was a layer change since the Part II is already using 2 disks. I have tried running the disk on another DVD player with a progressive scan feature- which basically guarantees smooth layer changes, but nevertheless the glitch remained at the same place.

Discovering the fault I exchanged it with another copy, but the same thing happened! I even went out of my way to experiment with a different region zone Godfather DVD set, and the SAME thing happened on the SAME place. Which only hints it is the problem with the master disks. And if so it is very careless of whoever the publisher was for the DVD release.

If this is indeed a master's problem, I really wish the publisher of the DVD release to take some sort of responsibility and address this problem.

Has anyone else noticed this? Although it is not a serious problem that affected the disk playing, for collectors who truly enjoyed the trilogy and purchased the DVD release - It feels like being betrayed - We waited, we paid the price, yet we're not getting quality.


Gordon Chong,
Auckland, New Zealand

[1138]

Welcome to the forum vipera!

[vipera]

Thanks for the welcome. But has anyone who cares about quality encountered or noticed the same glitch on their disks?

If this was a problem, together with the problems from the Bonus Disk incompatibility that ppl seem to be suffering from, the publisher ought to do a partial recall of some sort!

Gordon
New Zealand

[c_ray_t]

Hello,
This glitch, as far as I can see, is indeed a layer change. Total movie time is 200 min. Disc 1 alone , is over 2 hours and, in my experience, layer changes will occur at 50 to 70 min.
I completely agree that it is as clumsy and ill-chosen a spot as possible. Layer changes should coincide with a still scene (or better- fade to black).
I use a Toshiba sd-5109 Progressive scan player and virtually all layer changes are detectable.
Anyone involved in mastering care to comment?

C_ray_T

[vipera]

Thanks for your feeback c_ray_t -)

I've now heard quite a few people suggesting its a layer change.. I would like to believe that's the case, so that its the limitation of our technology rather than a publishing mistake.

Anyone who has other opinions to voice?

Gordon

[fb288]

Originally posted by vipera
Thanks for your feeback c_ray_t -)

I've now heard quite a few people suggesting its a layer change.. I would like to believe that's the case, so that its the limitation of our technology rather than a publishing mistake.

Anyone who has other opinions to voice?

Gordon

My DVD player can show the layer, the head position, and audio/video bit rates information as a nice animated picture on the TV screen...

I will try my GF DVD tomorrow and see if it's indeed a layer change...

[vipera]

That will be great fb288! That will solve the mystery.

Which DVD player model are you using?

Gords

[tomdkat]

Originally posted by vipera

Note that it isn't a chapter change, and I doubt it was a layer change since the Part II is already using 2 disks. I have tried running the disk on another DVD player with a progressive scan feature- which basically guarantees smooth layer changes,

First, the number of discs in the set doesn't have anything to do with layer changes since it's the length of movie on any given disc that determines if a layer change is needed or not. Pearl Harbor is on two discs and has layer changes, on BOTH discs I believe.

Second, progressive scan has nothing to do with layer changes. It has to do with video image processing.

As for seeing layer changes on DVD players, MOST standalone DVD players will pause when a layer change happens. It's just a matter of how short the pause will be. HTPCs (Home Theater PCs) do NOT show layer changes because they tend to have enough RAM to allow the DVD player software to buffer the video and smooth out the layer change.

As for WHEN the layer change happens, I'm not sure if the DVD authors can control when it happens outside of after some period of time elapses. I DO agree that a LOT of DVDs have layer changes in very bad places and even after watching hundreds of DVDs, I still notice the layer changes when they are in bad places and I think "yuck".

My Pioneer DVL-919 will pause for up to 2 sec (yuck) when processing a layer change which means I sometimes see some VERY UGLY layer changes....

Peace.....

[vipera]

Thanks tomdkat

Now I can be sure of the cause of the problem, it really does give me a peace of mind. Instead of looking at my set of Godfather DVD disks, I should focus on my wallet and get a Home Theatre PC upgrade... sounds like a treat! heh.

Gordon