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Thread: What's the deal with the red tint in the Spirited Away Japn DVD?

  1. What's the deal with the red tint in the Spirited Away Japn DVD?

    I plan on getting into Miyazaki's work after Eva and Bebop. So I found this intresting and annoying. Very lame on both Studio Ghibli's part and Disney Home Video. From AICN Anime:

    "Japanese Spirited Away DVD Problems
    Many have been complaining about the red tint to the Japanese DVD release of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away". Nausicaa.net has an image illustrating the problem here, and a side by side comparison can be seen here. Buena Vista Home Entertainment explains, "The DVD has been examined at Studio Ghibli. It is not faulty." Ghibli also explained that they would not issue another version of the DVD with the tint removed. In a seperate statement BHVE explains that, along with Miyazaki and the photography director, they re-mastered the video to be more suitable for home video viewing on top of the line liquid crystal and plasma displays."

    Who the heck would stand for a crappy red tint on any other movie??? Here is the side by side comparison:

    http://bekkan.omosiro.com/img-box/img20020719011308.jpg

  2. Who the heck would stand for a crappy red tint on any other movie???
    Anyone who wasn't able to do some quick fiddling with their TV's "Color" and/or "Tint" controls? I know that sounds a bit snippy, but while I understand the percieved problem, the solutions seem pretty obvious.

    1)Don't buy the import disc and wait to see what the domestic release looks like. You'll wait a while to be sure, but it does save seconds of set-up time on an NTSC TV.

    2)Blow the cash to buy a plasma/LCD screen.

    3)Spend 10-15 second to color correct the picture and enjoy the show.

    Since you read the Nausicaa.net articles, I think it does sound a bit like something Miyazaki might do to alter the the overall "feel" of the film at least one viewer, using a 34" Sony HDTV reported "...is the color different than the trailer? Answer: absolutely. HOWEVER! I feel there is good news: it was not anywhere as distracting as the screen-capture that were shown on the forums. I'm not sure what they were using to capture it, but on my tv, the color shift seems a lot more subtle. For those of you that have my tv, I keep the color settings on "vivid" and "cool." The effect of the movie is almost akin to watching a movie like Amadeus, which it lit mostly by candles. Was it intentional? I believe so. There is a warmth to the color that reminds me of period pieces. I, for one, am willing to bite with these reports of Ghibli saying it is intentional. Looking at my tv and comparing it to the screen capture, I am convinced that had I not seen anything about this supposed color issue, I would not have questioned the colors at all."

    There is one further consideration, even assuming that the picture is as bad as the screen captures makes out. Miyazaki, like Lucas has a thing about "Best presentation possible" and thus, has rarely been happy with his theatrical features being on home video at all. I'm not saying that he purposefully sabotaged the DVD, but I'd be willing to think he saw this as a "reasonable" improvement that required the viewer to either fix their color settings for the best possible picture on less up to date sets or upgrade. A bit snotty attitude-wise, but possible.

    In any case, given the grief BVHE has been given by american anime fans in the past (Princess Mononoke) _when_ Spirited Away makes it to domestic release, I doubt the problem will still be there.

    Shade & Sweetwater,
    Jennifer ^_^

  3. Originally posted by JennRose Anyone who wasn't able to do some quick fiddling with their TV's "Color" and/or "Tint" controls? I know that sounds a bit snippy, but while I understand the percieved problem, the solutions seem pretty obvious.
    I'm just going with what the article said. If a site says there's a technical problem with a DVD *itself* and not my television, then naturally the first thing I'm going to investigate is the former, not the latter. I know AICN can be lame and nerdy but they're usually pretty tech savvy with DVDs and their information originated with reputable sites.

    Was it intentional? I believe so. There is a warmth to the color that reminds me of period pieces.
    If it's intentional, alright, that's their call. But when I buy a DVD, I want a crisp digital representaion of what was seen in the theater. I'd rather have soothing natural colors than an artifical effect supposedly intended to make it look like an older period film which (even if it's an artistic touch Miyazaki wanted at the last minute) is not necessary IMHO.

    Lucas's obsession for "best presentation possible" is partly what led to the lame Greedo/Han edit.

    Anyways, if changing settings or having a really good TV does indeed get rid of the red tint, then I'm happy.

    I really like your "Shade and sweetwater" sig, BTW.

  4. Believe it or not, I agree with most everything you've said. I'm just not so emphatic about it I guess. While I agree that the tint is a hassle that should not be there if it looks like what the cat dragged in on all but the the most high-end equipment unless you readjust your settings (the primary reason I gave up PC games btw), I don't see that you'll get Miyazaki to alter his "vision" anymore than you will get Lucas to allow the original trilogy to be released on DVD playable in both the original and special editions. That pretty much leaves you with the options I listed, or the ultimate vote of disfavor. Withold your cash.

    By example, I don't boycott Square games because I dislike them. They just get included because they're distributed by EA, who treated Sega and the DC most shamefully. Since EA gets cash for selling Square games, I don't buy them. Hurt's a bit waiting for them get it straight, but there you are. Same thing holds true here.

    OTOH, as I mentioned before, BVHE seems to be finally getting off its collective ass in getting Ghibli films to the states and after the crap they went through with fans over a missing sub in PM, I don't doubt that some arrangment will be made for the American release.

    It just sounded like you were a little over-excited in that first post and I only wanted to be sure you saw the alternatives for what they were, y'know? ^_^

    As for AICN, like most (news) organs, I take them with a grain of salt and wash throughly afterwards....some penicellin(sp?) prolly isn't a bad chaser either. ^_-

    Thank Wendy Pini for the Sig btw. ElfQuest may have gone to the dogs after the third series, but that statement still holds a world of meaning for me.

    Shade & Sweetwater,
    Jennifer ^_^

  5. Originally posted by JennRose It just sounded like you were a little over-excited in that first post and I only wanted to be sure you saw the alternatives for what they were, y'know? ^_^
    No problem. Thanks for the extensive and informative tech response. I love to hear about any TV setting fix.

    As for AICN, like most (news) organs, I take them with a grain of salt and wash throughly afterwards....some penicellin(sp?) prolly isn't a bad chaser either. ^_-
    I mainly visit for a quick news byte. The reviews are a disease that must be avoided at all costs.

    Thank Wendy Pini for the Sig btw. ElfQuest may have gone to the dogs after the third series, but that statement still holds a world of meaning for me.
    Hmmm. Not very familiar with Elfquest, I just know what it looks like. All I know is that "Shade and sweetwater" has such a nice soothing quality to it.

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