DVDizzy Forum

So, I just purchased the 40th Anniversary edition of Mary Poppins on Region 2. On trying out the disc, some things struck me as odd.

First, the opening Walt Disney Pictures Logo is not quite the same as the usual ones ... the blue fairy castle ones I mean. This one is of the blue fairy castle variants too, but it's animated a kind of differently.

Secondly, the music of the film. The overture at the beginning too sounded kinda different. I noticed first at the part where it transitions into a lively tune. It seemed too fast! "What on earth is happening here!?" I thought. Then I listened carefully, and felt that although the melody was the same, the music seemed to be played differently. Even the last lively notes on the trumpet don't revervrate the way they do on the official soundtrack.

In a nutshell: I felt like the overture had been played by a completely different orchestra than the one I used to hear on my Mary Poppins VHS, Mary Poppins Gold Classic Collection DVD and Mary Poppins Original Soundtrack CD.

Please tell me I'm wrong.

PAL speedup?

Billy Moon wrote:PAL speedup?

I don't think so. Firstly, I've never noticed PAL speedup before. Secondly, I'm almost sure PAL speedup alone can't nearly change the tempo of a song so drastically.

PAL may really speed up video and sound, but we're talking of a speedup so small that only few people notice.

Think of it this way. At times. the way the overture sounded was like you were playing a vynil record intended for 33 rpm at 38 rpm.

Sound to me like you're experiencing the wonder that is PAL speedup too. Are you definite that the tempo is different from your old DVD and VHS?

ichabod wrote:Sound to me like you're experiencing the wonder that is PAL speedup too. Are you definite that the tempo is different from your old DVD and VHS?

It does seem different, yes. But mostly, it's the different-sounding score that is troubling me. Why doesn't the trumpet sound the same as before? Why does it feel like a different musician is playing it? Why are some of the lovely sounding percussive instruments now barely audible?

Could it be the Disney Enhanced Home Theatre Mix? I haven't tried the standard 5.1 Dolby Digital Track yet. If this really is PAL speedup, then this is the first time it's annoying me.

Oh, and what's up with the abnormal Walt Disney Pictures logo anyway?

Julian Carter wrote:Could it be the Disney Enhanced Home Theatre Mix? I haven't tried the standard 5.1 Dolby Digital Track yet. If this really is PAL speedup, then this is the first time it's annoying me.

Well listen to the other audio tracks on the DVD and see if any of those tickle your fancy.

Oh, and what's up with the abnormal Walt Disney Pictures logo anyway?

I don't see anything wrong with it. Abnormal in what way?

UPDATE!

I just inserted my new Poppins disc in my PC.

First I tried the Enhanced HTM, and the music sounded strange like I described it above.

Then I went in the setup menu and chose "English". This one was not the EHTM. I don't even know if it's in 5.1 or 2.0 cos I'm on my PC.

Anyways, I tried that one and NOW the music sounds the way I remember it!

That means the problem is with the EHTM track! Why does the music sound so distant on that track!? Yuck! It's supposed to be better than a standard 5.1 mix!

Note that on the standard English track the music still sounds ever so slightly sped up.

ichabod wrote:

Oh, and what's up with the abnormal Walt Disney Pictures logo anyway?

I don't see anything wrong with it. Abnormal in what way?

Well, it looks like the normal blue fairy castle Walt Disney Pictures logo, but it seems to have been reanimated. The way the castle gently materializes is different. There's less light. And the sudden blast of light that forms the Words "Walt Disney" is different. It's shaped differently. Oh, and the background colour seems to be a slightly darker blue than the usual.

Surely its not PAL speed-up if its the same as his VHS (which I assume is PAL or SECAM). What region is your Gold DVD Julian?

2099net wrote:Surely its not PAL speed-up if its the same as his VHS (which I assume is PAL or SECAM). What region is your Gold DVD Julian?

Well, I had the VHS yeeeeeeeaaaaaars ago so I was simply relying on memory when I referenced it. And it was a bootleg. But anyway, it must have been bootlegged off the real Mary Poppins VHS (or bootlegged off a bootleg of the real mary Poppins VHS ) and it HAD to be PAL because the video recorder we used to have (still have actually) was ancient (Graetz, bought in 1985 before I was born - still works to this day) and was certainly made for PAL as you can see that on a small VHS logo on its front panel. NTSC signals made it go wonky.

My Gold Collection DVD is a Region 1 NTSC.

Just in case, here is a pic of the VCR: