Interesting, it means there's a credit free scan out there (since they obviously redid those for the remaster too)

It's funny those idiots don't even blur sightly the text so that it looks organic with the video. They obviously are done by some unpaid intern, using adobe on an old battered pc.

(2017-10-29, 01:17 PM)Beber Wrote:

(2017-10-29, 01:14 PM)Evit Wrote: If RTL9's Predator is in HD it might be very useful for proper restoration of several localized versions

It is: my recording is 1440x1080i. But how can it be useful for other countries? It doesn't give you the picture without the texts.

Well, deleting credits from a film is hard work, the parts where the text is have to be filled in manually. Easy if the background is black or dark anyway, and still. But if the picture is moving then it's near impossible. Having an alternate version (like the French one) can make a huge difference, the text will be nearly in the same spot as the original one but not quite in the same EXACT spot. Different letters and different positioning allow access to parts that before were covered by the US credits. If the two sources are color matched then we MAY have enough material to create a clean-slate version or clean enough, and from there produce any other localized version (and even re-do the French one accurately).
Another reason why I'm always on the hunt for localized versions in HD, they can be priceless for "filling the gaps".

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, theatrical cut, France 2, alas SD only as I was more interested in Jaws the same night on Arte.







The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, extended cut (talk about consistency!), France 2, 1080i:




Being the extended cut might explain why it's not so much localized but at least there are no English subs on the master, even though the French subs are poorly made not even using the proper font.

I wonder what they'll do next week for The Battle of the Five Armies.

Black Hawk Down, RTL9:





We Were Soldiers, RTL9. It's a mixed bag:

(2017-10-30, 12:58 PM)Beber Wrote: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, theatrical cut, France 2, alas SD only as I was more interested in Jaws the same night on Arte.


The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, extended cut (talk about consistency!), France 2, 1080i:

Being the extended cut might explain why it's not so much localized but at least there are no English subs on the master, even though the French subs are poorly made not even using the proper font.

I wonder what they'll do next week for The Battle of the Five Armies.

I compared your screenshots with the recordings I have of the trilogy from TVA (Quebec) and from an On-Demand service.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, theatrical cut, TVA, 16:9 1080i
The title screen is identical for both An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug:

This one has a different font:

The rest of the subtitles look like this:


The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, theatrical cut, TVA, 16:9 1080i
The title is better than France 2:

Subs are also better:


The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, theatrical cut, TVA, 16:9 1080i.
I only have a partial recording so I don't know what the title looks like.
The subs look like they do on the last screenshot I provided from The Desolation of Smaug.

An unexpected Journey, cable provider On-Demand service, 720p original aspect ratio. Identical to France 2.


Desolation of Smaug, cable provider On-Demand service, 1080p 16:9. Subs are all incorrectly placed partially off-screen. All texts excepts subs are in English.
There is even a missing "é" in the title: "LA DSOLATION DE SMAUG".
It can't really be worse.

Days of Thunder, Paramount Channel. Doesn't seem to be the same master as Blu-ray:

Well, this is what France 2 did with The Battle of the Five Armies. Same as The Desolation of Smaug. Apparently, the extended cut, with English titles but only French burnt-in subtitles without the proper font:

Titanic, remastered, TMC :






The Living Daylights, France 4 :




For a Few Dollars More, 6ter :


Title card only.

Was that FAFDM title card used anywhere else?

Notting Hill, TMC, title card only.