It seems there has been a thread going around the web of Disc 2 and 3 of the Back To The Future boxset being misframed. Apparently BTTF 2 and 3 have both been cropped from the pan&scan version instead of being properly framed in widescreen (that is, instead of getting the full picture, your getting a top and bottom cropped version of the already cropped pan&scan version). This doesn't effect the first movie.

Apparently, despite being told that they had this problem by a million and one fans, they did the same thing on the US R1 release. however there they've offered a recall. No word on a recall here in Aus (R4) or UK (R2).

They're re-releasing a "fixed" version apparently but not until Feb.

Funny thing is.... I didn't notice, so why do I care? As a friend once said, it's much harder to notice when something is missing.

Although, now that I think about it, I'm sure I watched it on DVD and then on TV a week later and I remember the scene in BTTF 2 where Jennifer is picked up by the police in the alley and on TV you couldn't see huge sections of that scene on the left but on the DVD you could. The TV version was noticibly different and had less picture. Maybe the TV version was a cropped version of the cropped version of the cropped version? I'm confused.

Update: OK. The DVD has less top and bottom compared to the Pan&Scan but more left and right. So the DVD should have full Pan&Scan top and bottom and left and right... all this stuff is weird. Surely someone would have noticed? Apparently BTTF 2 was "soft matted" in the cinema. That is, they cropped the film with the projector when played, so each time you saw it at the time it might have been different. Anyway, this version isn't what the director wanted and he was pissed enough to "make" Universal re-do it. If he hadn't have said anything it probably would never happen (like the current stuff up with the effects sequences of the Babylon 5 PAL Season 1 boxsets). Who'd have thought this stuff was so damn hard?

Here are screenshots of the problem.

Meanwhile, here is an obsessive article about the timeline in BTTF.

How many times can I say apparently? Damn...

etree.org archives live recordings of bands that allow audience taping. The Internet Archive is now archiving these recordings. Oh yeah.

Like Tenacious D. Woo! (and Dave Matthews Band and John Butler Trio).

Subject URL: YES!

Band Phish are selling soundboard recordings of their concerts in MP3 and (lossless compression format) SHN. Most full gigs will cost $10 (MP3) or $13 (SHN). They're using no rights management on their files and are relying on an honour system.

This is, by far, the best thing to happen in digital music this year. I give Phish a massive pat on the back and I'll be watching to see how this goes. I've wanted something like this forever. Buying excellent quality "bootlegs" direct from the band. There is nothing better.

Does the rise in blogging have anything to do with the rise in unemployeed techheads? Personally... no. I believe it might have something to do with the ease of the tool, constant internet access at work, free time at work. When I'm busy I don't blog as often. When at home I barely blog at all, even when I'm on the net. I have better things to do at home.