I suspect that there are a number of issues here. One is compression and re-compression. HBO distributes the show to its partners globally, and probably in a fairly high definition version. But the local carrier than re-compresses that for delivery to homes. Different carriers do very different things. I think it can be particularly bad if you're watching a streamed version of a video - and especially if it's live. The compression algorithms are just set to work "averagely" and that can lead to bad compression.
I watched a recorded-as-live version from Sky in the UK in HD and there was lots of blockiness in the dark scenes. Sky's picture is decent, but they compress too much. I remember seeing the same years ago watching Das Boot on DVD with submarines floating around in murky waters. Compression just does a really bad job unless someone spends a lot of time doing it well. When the BluRays of GOT come out (I've been buying them all), the picture will undoubtedly look better. I think that as well as for artistic reasons, they chose darkness to cover up CGI issues. Since this was such a CGI-heavy episode that in full brightness I suspect that it wouldn't look as good. But add darkness and a snowstorm, and you hide a lot of the joins. But this was definitely a dark episode. I watched in a darkened room with the curtains drawn and didn't have too many problems. I could see what was happening when I was supposed to. I think some sections, they were trying to convey confusion in the heat of war. I have a circa 2012 Samsung TV - so nothing too high end. I definitely wouldn't want to watch on a shiny laptop screen or an iPad. But yes, this would look awesome on an OLED screen. But those screens are four figures. The sound, by the way, is exceptional. If you have a separates system, it really makes a difference. I invested in a Denon Atmos enabled receiver a few months ago, and I can feel the room shake! Adam On Wed, May 1, 2019 at 3:20 PM PGage <pga...@gmail.com> wrote: > > The dim lighting used in much of prestige television has been one of my > major irritations in recent years. Nowhere was that more evident than in > the most recent, otherwise fairly epic (though I know there are > contrarians) GOT episode. I have not been sure if the dark was a > pseudo-artistic pretension or a cover for other technical problems. The > linked article provides evidence it is both. The CGI In this action packed, > stunt heavy, monster laden episode may have looked too clunky in adequate > light. But cinematographer Fabian Wagner’s Hyper defensive explanations > confirm my worst fears about this trend. There is literally no reason they > could not have had both the drama of the Dothraki riding into the dark, or > the various light changes to mark the different stages of the episode and > still have adequately lit most of it. And his blaming viewers for not > having state of the art equipment and theater conditions is both outrageous > and inaccurate (I watched in the dark with a properly adjusted digital TV). > The second act, which they wanted to feel like a horror film, was > undermined, because half the time the viewer is left not in suspense or > fear, but confusion. It’s a shame, because I did like the episode, and by > all accounts it was a long, cold and brutal shoot for actors and crew. > Their work deserved to be served better by the cinematographer, who instead > indulged his own ego. > > > https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/game-of-thrones-cinematographer-show-too-dark-battle-winterfell-1202129682/ > -- > Sent from Gmail Mobile > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to tvornottv+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
