Buffy on Tubi

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

So, I finally got around to hooking up my Roku. I've started watching Buffy again, and something just seems off to me. Like the colors are off...like its been recolored or something...

Anyone also watching on Tubi and noticing this too?

Also, rhe show was filmed in full screen and meant to be viewed like that. I resent that is not an option on Roku. You cab only in widescreen, which cuts off a lot of the picture.

 

[Stake fodder]

I haven't watched on Tubi, but I've noticed in general that shows filmed for older TVs (@EthanReigns could no doubt tell us the technical term) don't look quite right on LCD TVs. My Buffy DVDs have always looked too dark for me, so I have a custom color scheme just for them. It may be that Roku tried to adjust for that, and made the colors appear wrong.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

I haven't watched on Tubi, but I've noticed in general that shows filmed for older TVs (@EthanReigns could no doubt tell us the technical term) don't look quite right on LCD TVs. My Buffy DVDs have always looked too dark for me, so I have a custom color scheme just for them. It may be that Roku tried to adjust for that, and made the colors appear wrong.

Television was originally in a 4:3 (equivalent to 12:9) horizontal to vertical aspect ratio because it was easier and cheaper to film in a studio and the program material usually did not need the scope needed in movies. Movies originally used the 16:9 ratio because scenes like cavalry charges needed scope to show the grandeur of the scene and the size of screen was easier to fit in a movie theatre building.

There were some original 16:9 Buffy DVD's that showed studio equipment on the sides because the scene was shot in 16:9 but shown on TV in 4:3, so the sides would be chopped off. There was a DVD set that had the colours far more pastel then the original TV show for some reason - there have been a few threads about that.

 

[silvermoon]

i've enjoyed rewatching buffy on tubi. dont use roku. on tubi it seems pretty much the same.
ive heard that things were added to buffy on european releases? for instance, a longer sex scene in smashed ? i was curious if there were other additions if that's true.

 

[The Bronze]

I've started watching Buffy again, and something just seems off to me. Like the colors are off...like its been recolored or something...

Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Tubi has the HD remaster, so everything is off.

No one bothered to remaster it properly so you get:

16:9 with incorrect framing and cropping.
Colour and brightness issues. Vampires hanging out in the sun. Brightly lit underground lairs. Everyone looks a bit like a doll. Etc.

All for a slightly cleaner image.

DVDs are more or less the only way to watch the show unbutcheted.

i've enjoyed rewatching buffy on tubi. dont use roku. on tubi it seems pretty much the same.
ive heard that things were added to buffy on european releases? for instance, a longer sex scene in smashed ? i was curious if there were other additions if that's true.

Don't think that's true. There are big differences between the US and European releases though:

European release is PAL format. It's sped up, so quicker run time and higher pitch voices.

From Season 4 the European release is 16:9 instead of the original 4:3. All the US is 4:3.

The US release doesn't include the "previously on Buffy" intros.

The US release doesn't have the opening montage from The Gift.

Bargaining is combined into 1 feature length episode on the US release.

Once More With Feeling is letterboxed on the US release. So instead of expanding out to fill the TV it shrinks so you've got black bars all round.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

It might be because I am in Australia not the U.S. or Europe but I would like to understand what you people have written about. So can you please explain to me what Tubi (tubi) or Roku (roku) are, or are they something in their own rights?

 

[The Bronze]

Tubi is a streaming service available in the US. Basically a free Netflix.

Roku is more of a hardware company. They make TVs and streaming boxes. Like a varient of an Amazon firestick.

 

[TheMaster666]

Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Tubi has the HD remaster, so everything is off.

No one bothered to remaster it properly so you get:

16:9 with incorrect framing and cropping.
Colour and brightness issues. Vampires hanging out in the sun. Brightly lit underground lairs. Everyone looks a bit like a doll. Etc.

All for a slightly cleaner image.

DVDs are more or less the only way to watch the show unbutcheted.

Don't think that's true. There are big differences between the US and European releases though:

European release is PAL format. It's sped up, so quicker run time and higher pitch voices.

From Season 4 the European release is 16:9 instead of the original 4:3. All the US is 4:3.

The US release doesn't include the "previously on Buffy" intros.

The US release doesn't have the opening montage from The Gift.

Bargaining is combined into 1 feature length episode on the US release.

Once More With Feeling is letterboxed on the US release. So instead of expanding out to fill the TV it shrinks so you've got black bars all round.

Yeah there is a definite vibe shift in the Remaster.

Personally, the version of Buffy I encountered first on streaming was the HD BluRay one, so I didn't know any better. I saw some episodes of the original DVD 4:3 release after finishing the show, and I was taken back by how different it is. The HD one has bright colors which give everything a more campy vibe, while the original DVD (what aired I'm assuming) is much darker and more gothic, which I guess works for the doomy, demony vibe of the show.

Even the famous library set just feels different when seen in 16:9 vs 4:3. The sizing and framing of it is different.

It depends on what you're going for. Buffy was simultaneously hilarious camp and also serious and dark. This was on Amazon Prime. On Hulu, they have the original, more gothic 4:3 version for streaming.

 

[The Bronze]

Remasters are supposed to take advantage of improved tech to bring out more details, enhance colours etc. from the source material. They're not supposed to start slapping the picture about all over the place so you've got the tops of peoples heads cut out of the frame.

Like you say if people haven't seen the show then they wouldn't know any better. It definitely could do with a team of professionals to remaster it properly for a better experience but that doesn't seem at all likely. Maybe the reboot will spur someone on.