Beowulf (Blu-Ray) Question / Problem

[powerknowledge]

Yesterday, I sampled some scenes from the new Beowulf disc and saw something in two scenes that might or might not be a glitch with my player (Panny BD-30) and/or disc.

The two scenes are 1) near the end of the "nude smackdown" between Beowulf and Grendel, specifically when G throws B up in the air toward the chandelier, and 2) The final dragon scene, specifically when the dragon goes underwater and approaches the wreckage of the boat (the POV shot of the wreckage).

At both of those moments, there was an effect that looked like frame-skipping, or even the framerate drop during processing-intensive video game cutscenes: a certain jumpy, almost stuttery thing. In both cases I was able to repeatedly replicate the issue. The disc is clean as a whistle, and my bd-30's firmware is up to date.

I don't remember this being part of the theatrical release, and haven't watched it since, so I don't know if this is an intended effect in these moments or a glitch.

Can anyone help?

[powerknowledge]

Time codes where the weird effect occurs for me in the above-mentioned scenes:

41:29-41:42

1:33:05-1:33:08

As these both are single shots -- with the stuttering/frame-dropping beginning with the cut on one end and ending with the cut on the other -- I *think* this might be an intentional effect, but again I'm not sure.

Update as I'm writing:
Watching them in slow motion reveals something interesting. In the second, shorter shot, every other frame is held twice as long. In the first, longer shot, every 5th frame is held twice as long. BUT, in the first shot between 41:32 and 41:33 -- when the foreground character turns to camera and says "the beast shrieks" -- there is no doubling; once that character's line is done and his head exits right frame, it resumes.

I'm not crazy, right? Can anyone confirm whether this is happening on their setups, and/or if it's an effect they recall from the theatrical (or even HDDVD) release? (Maybe I AM crazy to let this bug me so much...).

[PS: Running the Panasonic BD-30 through an Onkyo 805 to a Sony 60A2020 SXRD; the Sony does not do 24fps, so that known issue with this disc and BD player isn't at stake]

[Derb]

Don't have my copy yet but thanks for posting those times codes.

I will try it out on the PS3 & BDP-S300 & get back to ya. If I have no issues, its likely a glitch with the Panasonic deck which would need a firmware update for.

[umainebearman]

Sounds like what happened to me with the ps3. Any disk I played after about 30 minutes would look like a pc game that was dropping frames. It was a video output setting that read :

BD 1080p 24hz. output (HDMI) - Auto

I turned the auto to off and it fixed the problem.

Maybe if your panny has a similar setting you could try that.

Does it do it with any other disks??

[powerknowledge]

I have 24p disabled, and I've never had this happen on any other disc. My BD-30 FW is up do date (but that doesn't rule out a FW fix, if this is in fact a HW or SW glitch; if this all points to an actual problem -- the BD30 has had some issues with Paramount BDs, but only with 1080p24 playback enabled -- I'll report it to Panasonic as an issue to look into).

Given that it's consistently replicatable, limited to single shots, and seems to "disengage" intentionally (e.g., at the end of the shot, for a moment of dialogue within the shot), my sense is that it's an intentional effect. BUT it could also be a weird mastering thing that's causing the BD30 to do something funky. I simply don't know.

Thanks for the interest and help so far; keep me posted...

[powerknowledge]

Bump!

Anyone else checked out the above yet?

[esc]

wow. no responses. i'll at least put in my HD DVD and let you know what I see in about 10 minutes
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in the naked fight scene when the chandelier comes right up into camera there appears to be a single frame drop and then a cut to more jumping atop the rafters and chain swinging.

in the second scene just as the camera is approaching the jagged end of the underwater log there appears to be some slow down, maybe to 3/4 frame rate or something like that... kind of a slo-mo effect which seems to be intentional. other than that everything in those scenes was smooth and clear.

I think I see what you are talking about in these scenes, but for the most part it looks normal or intentional to me. Some of the jumping/tossing could look weird as it may be a fully CG shot instead of motion capture and animators have yet to perfect the way a human body moves when animating, so sometimes slow down or frame rate tricks are used to hide what the animators cant do. thats my guess anyways.

does anyone know if the time indexes are the same on the BD and HD? my counter may have been a few seconds off of his.

[cherno]

I would respond but I haven't bought it yet because walmart sucks and doesn't know how to order blurays around here.

[umainebearman]

I actually rented the dvd it was a free rental. The dvd looked great and I think next time I'm into Best Buy it'll end up going home with me. I mean after I've paid for it. Acting was kinda stiff though.

[Derb]

I got the disc but have been busy playing catch up with my previous purchases. I note those time codes & check it out soon.

It could be your tvs refresh rate now that I think about it. I have a few discs from both formats where some scenes look like the picture is skippin frames. Its called picture jutter or stutter. Some reviews I've read online indicate 120hz doesn't always solve this issue. I only watched Beowulf once on HD DVD & barely recall wether it had picture stutter. Examples of the worst out there imo would have to be The Scorpion King & Gone in 60 Seconds.

[Derb]

Alrighty checked both those scenes out on the BD & I believe both are intentional & not a transfer issue. The first scene speeds up a few frames & the second one slows down a few frames & in each case it looks like common video stutter. Both scenes could have been spliced together for the director's cut causing this.

[powerknowledge]

Thanks, Derb. What player are you using?

[Derb]

Sinse I noticed this on the PS3, I didn't bother putting it in the Sony BDP-S300.

I forgot to mention if you think the stutter in Beowulf is bad, ya better avoid Next which has this stutter issue constantly!