Is this how PiP is supposed to work

[DaveS1138]

So I was trying out the In Movie Experience on 'The Matrix' and I found something very offputting with the PiP windows. They seem to pop in and out out of sequence with when people are talking. Is anybody else seeing this? IS this what is supposed to be happening? Is this how it worked on the HD-DVD?

Couple of examples so you know what I am talking about. These are all from the start of 'The Matrix'

John Gaeta is talking

1:39 He starts talking
1:41 the PiP window opens
1:46 the PiP window closes
1:51 He stops talking

Followed by the chubbier of the two Wakowski's

1:55 He starts talking
2:04 the PiP window opens
2:16 the PiP window closes
2:18 he stops talking

So in that first example he is talking for 12 seconds but the PiP window is only open for 5 seconds

In the second he talks for 23 seconds with the PiP window only open for 12 seconds.

It could be because the clips are so short that there is a lag with the PiP windows. I just find it really offputting.

EDIT: Another more extreame example

This is Keano talking

6:37 HE starts talking and the PiP window opens
6:42 PiP window closes
7:00 PiP window reopens
7:06 He stops talking and PiP window closes

[that1guypictures]

Yes. That's how it works.

[DaveS1138]

Yes. That's how it works.

That seems silly then. Why doesnt the PiP window just stay open all the time that somebody is talking? Or more to the point how come some times it does and some times it doesnt? It's very offputting.

[swarez]

PiP is useless anyway.

[Brad1963]

The Universal titles PIP (or U Control) works with a one touch push of the Red button on your remote.

[that1guypictures]

That seems silly then. Why doesnt the PiP window just stay open all the time that somebody is talking? Or more to the point how come some times it does and some times it doesnt? It's very offputting.

That is how Warner's titles work. They are not known for excellent PiP tracks. They can be used throughout the entire film, but they have to have footage for the whole film to show.

Sleeping Beauty and Hairspray use footage throughout the entirety, and some "video commentaries" stay up throughout nearly the entire run of the film. But the early Warner titles usually only pop-up for a few seconds and then go away. Probably due to the fact that they were originally engineered to fit on a 30GB HD-DVD disc, so space saving was needed sometimes.

[AmishFury]

and sometimes there is nothing to keep up for the entire runtime of the film... which is why it pops in and out... and the sound starting before th pip video depends on the disc and possibly the player... never had an issue on my xbox360 add-on with hd dvd and have yet to actually watch a PiP track on bluray... i don't even know if any of my discs have PiP (not counting hairspray with it's "burned in" PiP)

my problem which i also have with audio commentaries is when they interrupt a bit you want to hear... like in V for Vendetta when V is introducing himself using all those words starting with v... i like to hear that bit and here comes the IME with some guy talking over that entire line

[that1guypictures]

when V is introducing himself using all those words starting with v... i like to hear that bit and here comes the IME with some guy talking over that entire line

It frustrated me too. No one should ever talk over that amazing scene. :-)

[Columbo345]

I can't tell if I like this method or not.

If you keep the window open the entirety of the movie, some may not like having an annoying box staring right back in your face for two hours. Plus there just isn't enough info to last that long, so you might be looking at a black box just sitting there.

Occasionally popping it in might keep it "interesting" like those VH1 pop-ups.
I checked out the Sleeping Beauty and it was both informative yet annoying because the box kept changing places.

[taygan315]

It frustrated me too. No one should ever talk over that amazing scene. :-)

You could not be more right. I dont want anyone talking in my house when a particular memorable scene in a movie is about to happen....just ask my daughter,lol. Much less a PiP. However, after watching a film a few times...I do enjoy the PiP feature enhance the viewing a bit more. I loved Harry Potter: TOOTP when I watched it. After I had seen it a couple of times, I watched it again with the PiP and I enjoyed it even more. Probably my favorite PiP featured movie.

[that1guypictures]

So far, I still think the best use of Picture-in-Picture was on Hairspray...
since it was a musical there was a lot more things to show going on...
Vocal Recordings and Dance Rehearsal footage, Behind-Scenes Footage
and a commentary track on top of it.
Now if only the people talking weren't so annoying. Lol.

[DaveS1138]

Just a little update.

I was watching the 2 hour documentary on The Matrix disc which is where the clips for the PiP seem to come from. I noticed that in the above examples the clip in the documentary would show the person talking for a few seconds and then cut to a clip of the film, then back to the person talking.

So it looks like what Warner is doing is only having the PiP window open whilst the person is talking and not when it is showing the clip of the film (since the same film clip is playing in the background anyway. I'm guessing in that case that the HD-DVD does the exact same thing.

I have to say that my impression of this title is that the PiP track is just annoying as it cuts in and out all the time....the documentary on the other hand is absolutely fascinating.

In this example I think it shows that this type of information on the making of the film works much better in the extras section than it does as a PiP track.

[steve_kyle]

The best Picture in Picture tracks I have seen are:

Young Frankenstein which is the absolute best BD exclusive PiP track to date. All new material that is NOT lifted from documentaries, nice large picture window, and it comes in when needed and goes out just the same.

Transformers is another good one. You get PiP interviews, rehearsal footage, behind-the-scenes, looks inside the voice recording sessions, AND Steven Spielberg finally providing commentary on a film he helped make.

As for older PiP tracks recycled from the DVD...

Goonies has a great video commentary track that words can not describe. Lets just say the entire Goonies gang plus an older brother are back together.

[AmishFury]

yeah PiP that simply just chops up existing supplemental content is a bit worthless

[Philnerd]

Best PiP is easily 300, which apparently still isn't available on BD