3D Blu-ray and DVD submissions
- Anaglyph 3D submissions (i.e. older style 3D works which require red/green glasses) for release on DVD must be submitted on DVD. Â Occasionally Anaglyph 3D works are intended to be released on Blu-ray, Â if this is the case they can be submitted on Blu-ray or DVD.
- Stereoscopic 3D works for release on 3D Blu-ray must be submitted on Blu-ray disc – we cannot accept an Anaglyph 3D DVD in place of a Stereoscopic release. Â This is due to the different delivery methods used by the Anaglyph and Stereoscopic formats and the difference in quality of the 3D effect.
- Anaglyph 3D DVD submissions must be supplied with a pair of 3D glasses and are subject to the normal technical requirements for DVD.
- 3D Blu-ray discs submitted to the BBFC must play in normal domestic region B 3D Blu-ray players and therefore should adhere to the 3D Blu-ray specification as set out by the Blu-ray Disc Association:
‘The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. Â MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players. Â The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video’.
- Please see BDA 3D Specification Press Release for further details.
- For reference the BBFC uses Samsung BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray players and Sony Playstation 3s to view 3D Blu-ray discs.
- For information on  3D theatrical submissions (ie for cinema release) please go here.
Multiple audio, language and subtitles tracks on Blu-ray and DVD
DVD and Blu-ray submissions often contain multiple audio and subtitles tracks.
For foreign language works, the BBFC will classify the original language that the work was produced in and any English language tracks, if present. Any other language tracks will be ignored.
Therefore:
- If the work is a foreign language production and will be released in the UK with subtitles, then this will need to be submitted for classification.
- If the work is also available in a dubbed English version, this will also need to classified.
- If the work is an English language production it is not necessary to submit foreign language tracks or foreign language subtitles which may be featured on a DVD. If these are submitted they will be ignored.
- If a work is to be released with subtitles for the hard of hearing then these may also be submitted.
- The BBFC received legal advice on 17th October 2007 on the issue of audio commentaries. Our advice is that audio commentaries will almost always constitute new video works and consequently require classification.
- The only exceptions are audio descriptive tracks which involve very simple and short descriptions of the action on screen (eg for the visually impaired). Â Please note that audio descriptive works are charged at a charity rate. Â Please see the fees section for more information.
- There are no particular restrictions on audio formats, although surround sound audio tracks will generally be ignored unless this is the only audio track present.
Seamless Branching
What is Seamless Branching?
Seamless Branching is a facility on both DVD and Blu-ray discs whereby a feature can be played with additional material (eg deleted scenes or behind the scenes material) edited or ‘branched’ in, sometimes in a variety of combinations. It includes the facility to play a feature with the original ending replaced by an alternative ending.
Why does this matter?
The facility allows the creation of different versions of features; essentially different edits which may present different classification issues to the original feature and may even attract a different rating.
Legal advice has confirmed that this facility creates new video works (see Video Recordings Act (VRA) 1984 s22 (3)). If the new video works created by the use of the facility were not taken into account when issuing the relevant video certificate(s) to the feature and to the additional material, the new video works would not form part of the classified work. In such circumstances, supplying the relevant video recording would be in breach of the VRA.
What do I need to do to get Seamless Branching features classified?
Seamless Branching can potentially lead to many possible versions of a feature (for example by branching in only some deleted scenes, or all the deleted scenes, or none of the deleted scenes). Â It would be impractical for the BBFC to classify every possible permutation, therefore, after consultation with the industry it was decided that Seamless Branching works must be classified in the following ways:
(a) the feature with no additional material added;
(b) the additional material as stand-alone items if the retail disc allows the material to be viewed in that manner;
(c) the feature with all additional material (excluding alternative endings*) branched into the feature.
*Any alternate endings would still need to be classified but these can simply be submitted as stand alone items and do not need to be seen branched into the feature.
The elements can be submitted on:
(i) separate discs forming a single or multiple submissions; or
(ii) a single disc which allows the material to be accessed as required in (a), (b) and (c).
We will accept finished retail discs, check discs or linear recordings of the required versions of the feature. Â These can be submitted on Blu-ray or DVD, subject to our usual submission criteria.
