How come the TOTP version of We Are The Champions is different? I've seen it on TOTP2 recently and for a start its a much better video than the normal one. The picture quality is a million times better. Why isn't it on the Greatest Hits DVD - is the copyright owned by the BBC?
Infact, while I'm on the subject - why is the picture quality so rubbish on the Greatest Hits DVD. It claims on the box that it is "completely restored" and yet it seems virtually no picture cleanup has been done aside from a bit of grading (and I stress ..."a bit"). "We Are The Champions " and "Another One Bites The Dust" are really blurred and on AOBTD any fast movement leaves an mpeg artefact trail behind it, "Dont Stop Me Now" needs a good deblobbing as theres dirt and sparkle all over the place and all the promos sourced from video are really soft and have VT dropouts everywhere and horrible bleed on the red/orange colours (look at the candles on "You're My Best Friend" to see what I mean)....OK...sorry...rant over!
Peace,
Steve B
Yes, i noticed the same. Probably if they tried to fixed more it would seem "fake". I think AOBTD was bad since the begining, it probably has something to do with the tapes used, since for some reason there are ones that detiorates faster than the others!
Take care
Greatest Hits 1 DVD is quite simple the worst DVD pic quality I have ever seen in 6 years of owning a DVD player (the authors should have been fired!). That's what happens when you start messing around with the OAR 4:3 and try to convert it to something it isn't, 16:9..REAL AMATEUR STUFF!
The promo G Flix DVD is MUCH better pic quality and in OAR 4:3!, albeit without the DTS
The BBC would own the copyright in any TV appearances. But the royalties involved in allowing Queen to release it as part of a DVD package should make them consider allowing it.
The other thing is the Greatest Hits DVD's are releases of Queen's promo videos, not there live TV appearances. Queen on TOTP probably has less appeal in foreign territories than it would in the UK.
I would also think the band use the official releases as a way of showcasing their work, and to show how they have progressed in the art of making (if not pioneering) the music video.
Did you know that the BBC charge £3000 per minute of clip for TOTP studio recordings.
It's this fact that's holding up the release of the Adam & The Ants Hits DVD as Sony refuse to cough up but Marco Pironi (Adam's former 'Ant Partmer') insists that they are included on the DVD.
Thought you all might like to know that.
Got a cheek the BEEB!
Kevo wrote: Greatest Hits 1 DVD is quite simple the worst DVD pic quality I have ever seen in 6 years of owning a DVD player (the authors should have been fired!). That's what happens when you start messing around with the OAR 4:3 and try to convert it to something it isn't, 16:9..REAL AMATEUR STUFF!
The promo G Flix DVD is MUCH better pic quality and in OAR 4:3!, albeit without the DTS
What you're saying doesn't figure right.
The authors are not to blame for the condition the videos are in.
Messing with the AR is NOTHING to do with the video errors.
And the promo flix was a copy of the 1992 release, so it probably has a bit of an advantage in that respect.
They can fix a few little things, but without spending thousands and thousands of pounds, it's not going to happen. And the really bad stuff we've seen can't be fixed. They'd be better seeking out copies like those seen on the original flix vids. But then, that's a bit pants.
Peace,
Adam.
Kevo wrote: Did you know that the BBC charge £3000 per minute of clip for TOTP studio recordings.
It's this fact that's holding up the release of the Adam & The Ants Hits DVD as Sony refuse to cough up but Marco Pironi (Adam's former 'Ant Partmer') insists that they are included on the DVD.
Thought you all might like to know that.
Got a cheek the BEEB!
Good god! What gits to charge so much when artists look for a return on their performance and time dedicated to that little totp show of theirs. Tut Tut, huh?
Peace,
Adam.
But £3000 a minute is proably a drop in the ocean when it comes to the costs of the BBC keeping all that footage in archive.
Just think, Top of the Pops alone, 30 mins per show, 50 shows per year, for 41 years.
That is over 1000 hours of footage alone, that has to be stored in a climate controlled building, and maintained forever. And that total increases by 40 minutes a week.
But it is not just TOTP that is kept, there are all the other shows too. And it is not kept on something small and easy to store like a dvd, but most of it (well the first 15-20 years) is stored on 20" reels.
With the amount Sony BMG is going to be paying out in lawsuits to money grabbing Americans over the next few years it is no wonder they are trying to save money.
Er, the BBC own the rights to BBC performances, but not to videos they've shown.
Which is what WATC is. Just because they got a different edit to show, doesn't mean they have the rights to it in perpetuity.
Not to mention the fact that the BBC have NOT been keeping their shows in pristine condition in good controlled environments. Is it not common knowledge that the BBC have been very dumb when it comes to storing old tapes?
I remember a story my brother told me about Peter Cook asking the BBC to keep tapes of his work, but they wouldn't. When he offered to pay for their storage, they refused still!
And of course, we in the UK are all too aware of the amount of shows that have been lost to tape wiping, damage and careless decision making. If anything, the BBC until fairly recently in history have not done well to keep important things. This is why I feel the asking price is ridiculous on top of what PG has already said.
Peace,
Adam.
EDIT: You can find a good docu on the BBC's tape policy on a Doctor Who dvd. Can't remember which one it was, but it was very interesting.
The BBC wiped the original Doctor Who tapes in London. But some copies sent to the USA in the 60/70's were safe and were sent back to the UK for the dvd's. And to convert them back to PAL involved huge amounts of processing to get them looking correct. Un-bloody-believable!
Rereading the thread, I would agree. I was thinking about live performances, and iirc Queens last performance for the BBC would have been Killer Queen.
I know the BBC were lax in the past, and they must be kicking themselves when they think how much money they have lost by deleting the old Doctor Who masters alone (just so they could reuse the tapes) But they do seem to make more of an effort these days.