Ordinary Gweilo

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In one ear and out the other

In spite of everything, cinemas are still around – though they now pack eight screens into the space previously occupied by one, which makes it a rather less impressive experience.

There are many advantages of watching a DVD, and one is that you can choose the language (both for the dialogue and the subtitles).  Similarly, NICAM allows Hong Kong TV to offer viewers a choice of languages (Cantonese and English, or Cantonese and Mandarin, or Cantonese and Japanese). 

Hong Kong cinemas seem to be moving in the opposite direction, and currently offer many English language films dubbed into Cantonese with Chinese subtitles.  If you want the English version you have to go to Pacific Place or Kowloon Tong or one or two other locations.

Which makes me wonder whether a NICAM facility could be made available in cinemas.  Obviously they could only offer one main language, but if airlines can give out headsets for customers, why couldn’t cinemas do the same thing? 

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3 responses to “In one ear and out the other”

  1. Spike avatar
    Spike

    In the US, they have ALD – assisted listening devices, for the hard of hearing, in US movie theatres. Plug in a set of headphones. No option for multiple audio tracks. Pirates use this to get stereo surround direct from the theatres’ sound system, just run a cable from the headphone jack to the camcorder. So the odds of seeing this in Hong Kong are, um, 1 in a billion?

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  2. Bromgrev avatar
    Bromgrev

    Meh. I can peel a biiig plasma screen coming on. And no mobiles in my living room I can tell you.

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  3. Bromgrev avatar
    Bromgrev

    Chain-post! You’re it! I’ve nominated you to continue the “weird habits” chain blog. The idea is to reveal 5 weird habits and nominate 5 more bloggers to do the same. Of cours, you don’t have to accept …

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