Tweet TCM Airing Of "Another Language" (1933)

Watching the start of Another Language today on TCM (8AM, 21 May 2012), I saw video defects in the print material that were unusual for TCM. At least three times in the first two minutes, there was a wavy ribbon distortion, the type of defect I associate with a VHS tape chewed up by a bad VHS player. I have had JVC VHS recorders, so I am well familiar with how a VHS recorder can sometimes damage tapes. I have read that TCM transfers movies to digital Betacam recorders and stores the digital images on a server for broadcast. Today's airing of Another Language looked as if the source was a VHS tape, not a transfer from film. Since the movie is an MGM production, TCM should have had a good print source for making a digital copy. White speckles aside on the TV image I saw, the ribbon distortion video defect did not show up again after the start. I recorded the rest of the movie for later viewing. I wonder if TCM HD also had this video defect when that channel showed Another Language.

I added captures from my DVDR recording of the movie. These captures show as image pixelation what appeared to me as wavy distortions. The image quality for the rest of the movie was fine, with no more instances of distortions or color bleed.

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another language - 2.jpg (38.98 KiB) Viewed 760 times

Watching the start of Another Language today on TCM (8AM, 21 May 2012), I saw video defects in the print material that were unusual for TCM. At least three times in the first two minutes, there was a wavy ribbon distortion, the type of defect I associate with a VHS tape chewed up by a bad VHS player. I have had JVC VHS recorders, so I am well familiar with how a VHS recorder can sometimes damage tapes. I have read that TCM transfers movies to digital Betacam recorders and stores the digital images on a server for broadcast. Today's airing of Another Language looked as if the source was a VHS tape, not a transfer from film. Since the movie is an MGM production, TCM should have had a good print source for making a digital copy. White speckles aside on the TV image I saw, the ribbon distortion video defect did not show up again after the start. I recorded the rest of the movie for later viewing. I wonder if TCM HD also had this video defect when that channel showed Another Language.

I added captures from my DVDR recording of the movie. These captures show as image pixelation what appeared to me as wavy distortions. The image quality for the rest of the movie was fine, with no more instances of distortions or color bleed.

My guess is that when it was transferred to Digibeta, it was recorded from an analogue source such as Beta SP and they break ups were never noticed or the tape was never QC'd. Even though they have access to the print, it still would cost money to make a transfer.

Watching the start of Another Language today on TCM (8AM, 21 May 2012), I saw video defects in the print material that were unusual for TCM. At least three times in the first two minutes, there was a wavy ribbon distortion, the type of defect I associate with a VHS tape chewed up by a bad VHS player. I have had JVC VHS recorders, so I am well familiar with how a VHS recorder can sometimes damage tapes. I have read that TCM transfers movies to digital Betacam recorders and stores the digital images on a server for broadcast. Today's airing of Another Language looked as if the source was a VHS tape, not a transfer from film. Since the movie is an MGM production, TCM should have had a good print source for making a digital copy. White speckles aside on the TV image I saw, the ribbon distortion video defect did not show up again after the start. I recorded the rest of the movie for later viewing. I wonder if TCM HD also had this video defect when that channel showed Another Language.

I added captures from my DVDR recording of the movie. These captures show as image pixelation what appeared to me as wavy distortions. The image quality for the rest of the movie was fine, with no more instances of distortions or color bleed.

My guess is that when it was transferred to Digibeta, it was recorded from an analogue source such as Beta SP and they break ups were never noticed or the tape was never QC'd. Even though they have access to the print, it still would cost money to make a transfer.

If you tell me where in the film the problem area lies, I have an older copy I can compare this to. I recorded it when it ran in May 2008.