Updated SpongeBob Episodes in Google Play Canada

JaiSponge

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I just found out the the updated episodes from iTunes and Prime Video are now available in HD (season 3 at least), and are also on Google Play.... in the states

Here in Canada, we still have the old versions of the episodes in their low quality, artifact-ridden, desaturated and cut Procrastination/I'm with Stupid glory. iTunes Canada does has the updated versions, but they're literally only accessible if you have an iDevice or computer (I have a Galaxy S8). Plus iTunes on Windows is very slow.

Since we don't really have the full version of Prime Video here (just the Netflix-style streaming service version without purchasable episodes), and Google Play is the most accessible video streaming service on any device, something should really be done about this. Being familiar of the usual situation when it comes to streaming services in maple leaf land, I feel like nothing will be done about it unless someone says something.

Here's a few screenshots of SpongeBob on Google Play in the US (Notice the brighter colors and pillarboxing indicating they're the new versions):
11018110191102011021

And here's the Canadian ones (Take special note of Procrastination's thumbnail vs. the US one):11024110251102711026

Thoughts on this?
 

Bianca

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This is really just upsetting and unacceptable in this day and age. Is it possible to report quality issues to Google Play? Or maybe send an email to Nickelodeon Canada and ask them nicely to update their Google Play episodes? It doesn't hurt to try.

But this is really, truly unacceptable.
 

JaiSponge

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This is really just upsetting and unacceptable in this day and age. Is it possible to report quality issues to Google Play? Or maybe send an email to Nickelodeon Canada and ask them nicely to update their Google Play episodes? It doesn't hurt to try.

But this is really, truly unacceptable.

I've made an attempt to contact YTV (essentially the Canadian version of the Nickelodeon TV channel) through email asking who I can speak to regarding digital distribution of Nickelodeon shows. Basically i wanna know the right person to talk to before i say anything. I've yet to get a response.

It is very unacceptable and quite unfair too how neglectful digital distributors in Canada are to popular American shows. Might I also mention that SpongeBob has aired well into season 12 here on YTV, but both iTunes and Google Play Canada still hasn't added anything past the Cuddle E Hugs episode. The reason i didn't bring this up is because I'm not as passionate when it comes to the newer episodes (i, myself, haven't watched any episodes past Bubbletown / Girl's Night Out as of yet). Fairly OddParents, another show I really enjoy, is a complete disaster on all Canadian digital distribution mediums. And that's only a really small percentage of the tons of neglectful problems of many shows on these platforms. I don't want to go into detail as that'll take all day. But yeah...
 
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spongebranch

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This is really just upsetting and unacceptable in this day and age. Is it possible to report quality issues to Google Play? Or maybe send an email to Nickelodeon Canada and ask them nicely to update their Google Play episodes? It doesn't hurt to try.

But this is really, truly unacceptable.
what's also unacceptable is that they are literally using US masters when they aren't the USA and they should be using international masters or Canadian broadcast masters.
 

JaiSponge

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what's also unacceptable is that they are literally using US masters when they aren't the USA and they should be using international masters or Canadian broadcast masters.

How bout no. The Canadian masters aren't all that special. We have the Something Smells audio glitch, various outdated versions of each episode, some of the episodes are stretched vertically, etc.

The only benefit to them is we have the Just One Bite deleted scene.

If these were the only prints we had a choice of viewing anywhere in Canada, then chances of getting these HD remasters go from a hopeful possibility to absolute zero, because that would mean we'd have an entirely different distributor of the show for every area. As a result, that means they'd have to go through a load of legal paperwork and money to obtain the new prints from Viacom, who would still be the direct distributor for the states. And it's not like they'd be able to make HD remasters themselves (or would even care to do so), because they don't directly own the show, so we'd be stuck with outdated Canadian prints for god knows how long. At least with having the US prints, that's a sign our digital distributor must be a subsidiary of Viacom, so updates to US prints can be more easily achieved here, even if they aren't yet. Look at The Fairly OddParents in Canada for a perfect example of what'd happen if they used prints from a different distributor for digital services. Total disaster.

Plus with the updated HD versions, quality and "VHS artifacts" aren't (or wouldn't be) much of a problem anymore. Heck, I'd say now because of these versions, the Canadian masters are now worse than the US prints.
 
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spongebranch

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How bout no. The Canadian masters aren't all that special. We have the Something Smells audio glitch, various outdated versions of each episode, some of the episodes are stretched vertically, etc.

The only benefit to them is we have the Just One Bite deleted scene.

If these were the only prints we had a choice of viewing anywhere in Canada, then chances of getting these HD remasters go from a hopeful possibility to absolute zero, because that would mean we'd have an entirely different distributor of the show for every area. As a result, that means they'd have to go through a load of legal paperwork and money to obtain the new prints from Viacom, who would still be the direct distributor for the states. And it's not like they'd be able to make HD remasters themselves (or would even care to do so), because they don't directly own the show, so we'd be stuck with outdated Canadian prints for god knows how long. At least with having the US prints, that's a sign our digital distributor must be a subsidiary of Viacom, so updates to US prints can be more easily achieved here, even if they aren't yet. Look at The Fairly OddParents in Canada for a perfect example of what'd happen if they used prints from a different distributor for digital services. Total disaster.

Plus with the updated HD versions, quality and "VHS artifacts" aren't (or wouldn't be) much of a problem anymore. Heck, I'd say now because of these versions, the Canadian masters are now worse than the US prints.

The base international masters are much higher quality than the Canadian broadcast masters. Just look at the German prints. I wonder if there are examples of bad Canadian masters. (Just One Bite has composite in some scenes for example)
 

JaiSponge

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Welp... I give up. I tried contacting Viacom directly, and for some reason they won't let me send my email on their contact form.

As SpongeBob said in "The Sponge Who Could Fly", I guess some dreams aren't meant to come true. Back to reality.
 

YouDontKnowSponge

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Amazon also updated the episodes. SpongeBob's whitish-yellow from Season 2 was actually just an error this whole time and Season 2 is actually meant to look like Season 3.
 

JaiSponge

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Amazon also updated the episodes. SpongeBob's whitish-yellow from Season 2 was actually just an error this whole time and Season 2 is actually meant to look like Season 3.
That's great that the Amazon prints are updated! But like I said, the full version of Prime Video isn't available here. That includes any and all SpongeBob episodes that are available in the American store :(

Also, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see how the erroneous off-color DVD transfers of all the Season 2 episodes have anything to do with this issue.
 
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