Why do the sfx shots in the dvd release look so blurry compared to the original tv broadcast? Was this because they had to blow them up for the 16:9 aspect ratio due to them only being done in 4:3? Why would they have done this, if this is the case?
Why do I feel like I have asked this before?
How are you comparing one and the other?
Only by memory or do you have a recording of the original TV broadcast?
I doubt that they have 'blown up' the image, because then everything on screen would also look distorted,
and it doesn't... I have the DVD version, never saw it on TV in 4:3... but to me it looks more than OK for a
1997 TV production.
Memory AND because I have a VHS of the original broadcast, also watched it as it first aired.
And it is possible that they only produced the sfx in 4:3 (why on earth is beyond me), yet filmed the entire show in 16:9 to be enlarged to take up a 4:3 monitor.
Interesting fact for what I'm saying: if you watched the 4:3 full screen version of Austin Powers (1st one) you can see where some of the sfx in regards to the "Big Boy" are actually cropped (top and bottom of shots are invisibly missing), even though the image is full screen. Now if you would go and watch said scene on the widescreen version those same scenes are now cropped to 16:9 and you cannot tell anything is wrong, other than some screen information is missing on the top and bottom since you had watched it first in the full screen 4:3 image (it would now have a black bar across the top and bottom.)
I have a feeling they filmed the miniseries in wide but the sfx department ONLY produced the sfx in full 4:3, not compensating for the fact that it may be rereleased in the future in it's wide 16:9 original aspect, therefore the said scenes with the sfx needed to be "blown up" for the widescreen release. I hope your still following. Too bad we can't get someone who worked on the visual sfx to comment on this, that would be great!