The Tourist

[Arborbridge]

One thing - when watching it with the iPlayer "app" on my 4K smart TV, it says it's in Ultra-HD. So presumably a bit better than as broadcast.

Scott.

I don't have the benefit of a 4k TV. I should say that either my Roku or connecting my laptop to stream iplayer, both produce results inferior to the direct broadcast, particularly in terms of colour saturation and contrast. It reminds me of a copy of a copy. So I only resort to those when there is no alternative.

Arb.

[Hallucigenia]

There's a more practical issue too, I like watching with sub titles these days, and on the Roku, although there is a facility for them, they hardly ever are broadcast through Roku, I find.

If you're watching on iPlayer via Roku then you should have no problems with subtitles?

[mc2fool]

A couple of interesting articles on the series (no spoilers in either)...

This one on the locations, should any of you want to note them for a post covid trip to Aus ... although it also mentions some of the problems on set, which might put you off! (Why were none of the characters wearing the traditional Australian dangling-corks hat? ):

"“There were so many [flies] consumed [on set]. There were a lot of Australian salutes going on in the show,” Macdonald told Express.co.uk.

“[Flies] were crawling in my eyes. I tried to leave them alone and then our cinematographer, who is incredible, was like, ‘I wanted to throw up as it was digging in your eye’. I was l know.'”

Director Chris Sweeney added: “We’ve literally had to pay so much money to remove flies from shots.”"

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-tourist-bbc-one-filming-locations/

And then there's this interview with Harry & Jack Williams, the Writers & Executive Producers, which is interesting.

"Jack: I don’t think when we first wrote episode one, we intended to do something that was quite as offbeat as it became. In writing it, we found a language emerging that felt to us sometimes quite funny, and that’s something we started to explore.

Harry: We’ve exclusively written very serious, very dark dramas and I think glimpses of humour started to make their way into the scripts. We felt that we shouldn’t stop ourselves from exploring that and really enjoyed doing it. It lived well within the show and added to it, rather than detracting from the drama in any way."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/9fe7a686-9dea-4372-ba56-1d0f67c4d77c

[Arborbridge]

There's a more practical issue too, I like watching with sub titles these days, and on the Roku, although there is a facility for them, they hardly ever are broadcast through Roku, I find.

If you're watching on iPlayer via Roku then you should have no problems with subtitles?

I've not managed to get them to show, so far. I have subtitles on in the Roku settings, but they do also say they show only when broadcast by the particular network . The only one showing subtitles was ITV, I think.

My theory is that watching via Roku, is not the same as watching via iplayer directly, and that Roku are not paying some fee to the BBC necessary for decoding the subtitles.

Any ideas? Perhaps I should put a question up on the computers board.

Arb.

[Hallucigenia]

My theory is that watching via Roku, is not the same as watching via iplayer directly, and that Roku are not paying some fee to the BBC necessary for decoding the subtitles.

Any ideas?

What do you mean - "watching via Roku"? From the Roku homepage I go to the iPlayer icon, and from there it's just "normal" iPlayer with subtitles in the normal place.

[Arborbridge]

My theory is that watching via Roku, is not the same as watching via iplayer directly, and that Roku are not paying some fee to the BBC necessary for decoding the subtitles.

Any ideas?

What do you mean - "watching via Roku"? From the Roku homepage I go to the iPlayer icon, and from there it's just "normal" iPlayer with subtitles in the normal place.

You have a Roku sreaming stick, like me? I see no subtitles on any BBC program, either live or historic.

I am not sure that it is the same as going directly to iplayer - could it be one is actually going through a third party, i.e. Roku? Roku only has certain channel available, so it isn't like plugging in to your laptop.

[Hallucigenia]

You have a Roku sreaming stick, like me?

I have one of the little boxes, a 3940EU Roku Express 4K to be precise, but my old one (ancient, pre-HD) had the same software. If you go up in the hierarchy as far as you can go (home button and back button as far as they go) then I end up at a screen that looks like


and then click onto the iPlayer button to launch the full iPlayer thing which is essentially identical to what you get on the web.

It sounds like you're accessing BBC channels via the Roku channel maybe? You want to exit that and get to the homescreen above.

It's possible that for whatever reason (non-UK box?) iPlayer isn't installed on your Roku, in which case you'll need to add it.

[Arborbridge]

You have a Roku sreaming stick, like me?

I have one of the little boxes, a 3940EU Roku Express 4K to be precise, but my old one (ancient, pre-HD) had the same software. If you go up in the hierarchy as far as you can go (home button and back button as far as they go) then I end up at a screen that looks like


and then click onto the iPlayer button to launch the full iPlayer thing which is essentially identical to what you get on the web.

It sounds like you're accessing BBC channels via the Roku channel maybe? You want to exit that and get to the homescreen above.

It's possible that for whatever reason (non-UK box?) iPlayer isn't installed on your Roku, in which case you'll need to add it.

I access the iplayer in the way you described, from the home button with the icons you show and selecting the iplayer icon. I've not tried the Roku channel yet. In settings from the home page, I've selected "Captions" on (I think it was marked "Always on") - I assume "captions" is what normal people call subtitles since there is no other likely choice.

I take it, you find you get subtitles on the BBC output using Roku? I've not seen any at all.

Arb.

[servodude]

I access the iplayer in the way you described, from the home button with the icons you show and selecting the iplayer icon. I've not tried the Roku channel yet. In settings from the home page, I've selected "Captions" on (I think it was marked "Always on") - I assume "captions" is what normal people call subtitles since there is no other likely choice.

I take it, you find you get subtitles on the BBC output using Roku? I've not seen any at all.

Arb.

Does this help?

The iPlayer app puts subtitle selection and other controls in an unusual place for a Roku app. I think the BBC decided to make their app as similar as possible across many platforms (Smart TVs, Youview, Netgem, etc.)

When the programme is playing, press up arrow twice, you will see some icons at top left of screen, use arrows to select the "text bubble", press OK, and you will get options to turn on & configure subtitles (colour, font, size, language if alternative available).

it does sound a bit arcane - but plausible

-sd

[Hallucigenia]

I access the iplayer in the way you described, from the home button with the icons you show and selecting the iplayer icon. I've not tried the Roku channel yet. In settings from the home page, I've selected "Captions" on (I think it was marked "Always on") - I assume "captions" is what normal people call subtitles since there is no other likely choice.

I take it, you find you get subtitles on the BBC output using Roku? I've not seen any at all.

Arb.

Yep - as sd says, it's slightly obscure and hidden up in the top-left.

[Arborbridge]

I access the iplayer in the way you described, from the home button with the icons you show and selecting the iplayer icon. I've not tried the Roku channel yet. In settings from the home page, I've selected "Captions" on (I think it was marked "Always on") - I assume "captions" is what normal people call subtitles since there is no other likely choice.

I take it, you find you get subtitles on the BBC output using Roku? I've not seen any at all.

Arb.

Does this help?

The iPlayer app puts subtitle selection and other controls in an unusual place for a Roku app. I think the BBC decided to make their app as similar as possible across many platforms (Smart TVs, Youview, Netgem, etc.)

When the programme is playing, press up arrow twice, you will see some icons at top left of screen, use arrows to select the "text bubble", press OK, and you will get options to turn on & configure subtitles (colour, font, size, language if alternative available).

it does sound a bit arcane - but plausible

-sd

Thank you, thank you! I woke up this morning thinking I must find that roku community.... but you saved me from that.

Yes, it works. I'm not sure I would ever have found it, except by some random chance, but it is the equivalent of the toolbar using iplayer on the PC. So, all good now, and I've tested it on BBC both live and old progs and films, then on All Four. Seems to have done the trick.

Arb.

[didds]

I've watched the first 3 (of 6) episodes. Need to have the credibility monitor turned off

Im up to episode 5 now... really enjoying it but 100% agree with b;luedonkey's sentiment above. Maybe I've got used to it, or maybe the story has got "better" but the early episodes needed a lot of "suspension of disbelief" to get through them.

the idea that somebody British in an accident with amnesia woluldnt be crawled all over by police/medical staff/the British consulate is laughable.
(none of that is really a spoiler - its all happens in the first few minutes and is spalshed all over the blurb for the series )

didds

[mc2fool]

What's the plural of Deus ex machina?

Increasingly bizarre, and as for the ending ...................................................

[Arborbridge]

What's the plural of Deus ex machina?

Increasingly bizarre, and as for the ending ...................................................

Can we talk about yet???


as for the ending.....Spoiler





















































I suppose it was in line with the slightly odd events previously. I like to think she sent to message in time, don't you?

[mc2fool]

"Slightly odd" is somewhat of an understatement! And yeah, ending on a cliffhanger ... wonder what they'll come up with for season 2 ...