Hey all,

Just heard that Will and Grace is being released on DVD in France. Does anyone know if there are any extras? What are the plans for releasing the series? Will it be similar to Friends? Is it JUST available in France?

According to DVDFr, there are no extras, and no English subtitles either (though of course there is an English audio track).

I have a similar question to yours, which is, why are they releasing the first 14 episodes (of 22) of the first season? Sort of a strange way of releasing it.

Does any one knows whether the show is just beginning in France?

Cheers.

May not be aware?
I emailed them other day with questions.
There are French subtitles on English soundtrack (forced).
That ends the sale for me!

Well, I suppose as long as the subtitles are not burnt in, there is always some modified player (with user override functions) that can view it without the subtitles... but still, that is quite a nasty thing to do.

I will be buy a copy to see what is really going on.

This is a (semi) review that I got from a newsgroup. Take from it what you will:

Ok, so there are two DVDs starting with Season 1 - of course. On the first
DVD it says episodes 1-7 and the second says 8-14. BUT it is not the same
sequence of episodes as is shown on Rob Durfrees site.
What Ive got on the DVDs is (French titles with English titles in
brackets):

1. La mariée était en pleurs (Pilot)
2. Ca déménage (New Lease on Life)
3. Affaire de gout (Head Case)
4. Le décor est planté (Between A Rock and Harlan's Place)
5. Joyeux Halloween! (Boo! Humbug)
6. Les p'tits secrets (William,Tell)
7. A qui la faute ? (Where there's a Will There's No Way)
8. On se passe de la pommade (The Buying Game)
9. Nos voisins, ces héros (The Big Vent)
10. La Vérité sur Will et les chiens (The Truth About Will&Dogs)
11. L'anniversaire de glace (Will On Ice)
12. Bonne à tout faire (My Fair Maidy)
13. Telle mère, telle fille (The Unsinkable Mommy Adler)
17. Secrets d'alcôve (Secrets & Lays)

So for some reason they have left out the double "Big Brother is Coming"
episode. And the episode "Yours, Mine or Ours" is not there.
Dont really understand why they left out these episodes, but added "Secrets
& Lays"

As for extras.. nope nothing.. Im really not happy about this.. There are
just no extras at all.. Or could they be hidden? Doubt it. And there are no curs scens or anything.

Can anyone who has this disc confirm that the French subtitles are forced on the English soundtrack?

Yes...

confirmed.

The disc has burnt in French subtitles.


So amazingly disappointed.

NO.

That's not true. The DVDs do not have burnt in subtitles. It is true however that they are forced, meaning you cannot turn them off IF the English soundtrack is playing.

The subtitles do not appear when the French soundtrack is playing.

Those who has players that allows User Override, you can indeed turn off the subtitles.

Anyone else wish this show was Jack & Karen instead of Will & Grace? Please tell me those two are still in the later seasons.

I totally agree that Jack and Karen shines, especially the way they are written, but I personally like to see the anchor of the series being a little less exaggerated, like Will and Grace. Otherwise wouldn't the storyline be a little more difficult to sustain, and especially, to relate to?

Unlike most fans, I actually like Will and Grace better. Though can't imagine the series without Jack and Karen... and of course that will never happen. (fingers crossed)

Now...

How do we go about petitioning the show's release on DVD in the UK (knowing that a US release would be pretty much improbable)?

Yes, Jack and Karen are still a large part of the show in the current season. I wouldn't have it any other way.

One more question, anyone know if the Malata can turn these subtitles off?

Still a good show but Jack and Karen have become carictures of there selves.
I am glad Will and Grace are there.


I would like this on DVD.

Well, here are my thoughts on these two DVDs for those who are thinking of purchase:

I find the encoding a little problematic. My Mac simply refuses to play them. The Halloween episode (towards the end) also refuses to play properly on a Phillips player I tested on.

On a DVD player, the quality of the episodes are quite good, the soundtrack is very good. The image is on par with new non-anamorphic television shows.

Please note that all the credit sequences are in French.

There are two 'versions' included on the disc. A French language track 'version'. When played, there are no subtitles displayed. When the English original 'version' is played, French subtitles are forced, and cannot be switched off on normal players. If you have a modified player that allows user override, then you can switch these off.

Anyone at all with news on when new volumes will be released?

I keep hearing about these mythical modified players that can override user prohibited functions, but nobody ever actually names any of the actual models that do this.

I have a (CR)Apex 703 which is Shinco based. Someone recently released
a program (EZPATCH) which will allow override of user prohibited functions among other things...not to mention the loophole menu and minidvd support.

The GE 5803P and 1101P can also use the same firmware which will allow for
UPF override.

I had the 4 hour extended cut DVD of Dances With Wolves. It is a German
Disc and subtitles are mandatory when the German audio track is playing......
well they USED to be mandatory anyway......It was great to be able to turn them off as well as being able to skip those damn FBI warnings at the beginning of every DVD.

The Malata probably has the better PAL conversion and picture quality, but
for the price (assuming you get a good working one) I'm satisfied with
my Apex.

Now, if someone could figure out how to hack the XBOX (it can already convert NTSC to PAL very well) that would be something.......

Hmm... I hear that you can add (by soldering) a hardware mod to most players to make them overriding user prohibited functions.

I had my Sony 7700 modified so I could watch RCE, and it also allows the turning off of those annoying French subtitles and whatnot on the Will & Grace discs. Even skipping long animated menus, of course.

Modifying players for the purpose of playing other region DVDs is of course, perfectly legal, as well as skipping warnings and subtitles, as long as it doesn't enable the use of illegal DVDs.

I had it done for me in a Shop in Australia.

They also ship the mods internationally, I think, but I'm sure there are heaps of places in the States that has the same. Mods are available for most brand players.

Here's some info:
http://www.dvdshop.com.au/mods.html

Note to see the Key at the bottom of the page for explanations.

Thanks for the replies and info.

It doesn't look like many players can be modified to do this (not my Pioneer 344 unfortunately). Nor is there a PC solution which I found amazing.

I had that German DWW / 4 hour disc and struggled on here for agres to find some way to disable the subtitles but eventually gave up and sold it. The transfer quality is atrocious in comparison to the DTS version by the way.