Thanks for the link. There are a few references there to the problem being only on the downmixes.

I'm now unsure whether to bother getting a replacement or not.

I saw the special originally at a cinema - presumably at 24fps. When I watched the broadcast - which must've been at 25fps - I didn't spot any difference in pitch. Either I just didn't notice it, or the pitch correction was done very well.

My gripe wasn't so much with the audio as I think they must have pitch corrected it, it does kinda sound slower though, I more prefer to have it in it's proper form.

I think it depends how much it affects your enjoyment when viewing it. If you don't really notice any issues you're probably ok with the disc you have. If it distracts you then swap it. It's free, after all.

That's very true it is a free replacement which is why I'm using it.

I wonder if anyone has made their own version of the 2D HD Day of the Doctor? I know it would technically be a grey area but if someone had the right software and the 3D BluRay and the R2 DVD they could take the DVD audio and the BluRay video.
Of course to fix the visual issues use software that is used to steady images so as to make the left and right eyes match up rather than having the 3D effect so getting rid of the black lines in the wrong places. Then fuse together the left and right eye images that have already been realigned, then speed it up to 25fps and interlace it.
Finally match it with the DVD audio extract the menu structure and other extras from the original day of the doctor BluRay, excluding the bits referring to 3D as that's now gone and burn to a new BluRay along with print a new design on the disk.

Although the replacement program does negate this, for those who don't have the collectors box set, it could be shared on fan edit sites as a fan fix for those who own the 3D version.

I guess the definition of "proper form" is the key.

I assume 25fps is the way it was made, and then a version was prepped at 24fps for the cinema, US (maybe?) and Blu Ray 3D (this second, slightly slower version is the one with the tinnyness on the downmixes).

The makers prepped it with that in mind, so, in a way, both versions are as intended by them (except for the tinnyness in the downmixes, which is a fault). "As intended by the maker" is the usual definition of proper form.

You could argue that watching it in 2D (at any frame rate) is not the proper form.

I saw the 24fps version first, and I've watched it more times on 24fps Blu Ray, than the 25fps broadcast, so to me, the slowed version feels like the correct version. It's the one I'm used to, at any rate.

Then again, 25fps is the real speed it was captured from reality.

Oh dear!

I've got the individual release of Day of the Doctor on DVD. There doesn't seem to be any problems with the picture, sound or anything else. Looks and sounds the same as the BBC1 broadcast.

Do you have the UK DVD then? As that will be 25fps packaged as 576i 50Hz and will be a downscale of the original (that was made in 1080 25fps) used for the 2D broadcast on BBC 1. So I wouldn't expect it to have issues, its only the BluRay in the UK that has issues, other countries are a different matter!

The 25fps should be the 'proper' version as that's how it was made and how it was broadcast on TV as it was made for TV first, then altered to work in the cinema.

So does that mean if I watched the slower version, everything would look slower? Even the characters moving and talking slower?

I just don't get it.

The correct way to do it, is to have the story on DVD as the BBC1 2D broadcast version, then have the same on Blu-Ray, but with the BBC1 HD edition.

As I said before, in another comment, I've got the UK DVD edition, which is just the standard BBC1 broadcast transferred to disc. I watched this again on DVD last August, just before Peter Capaldi's first series aired.

If you have two TVs a BluRay player and a DVD/second BluRay player you could put both versions on at the same time and you will see the difference! I have done this with a film I have on DVD and BluRay as its quite weird seeing the time differences, in the case of Day of the Doctor though the 50Hz speed will be the right one!
Its a shame that the 3D disk didn't have the 50Hz version in 2D on there as well.
Its also a shame that BluRay players can't do pal speed-up or slowdown in the player then the issue could be negligent.

Audio fault aside, the speed difference we're talking about is roughly 4%. It's less than most people would notice. It was (is?) common practise for 24fps films and imported TV series that were shot on film to be broadcast at 25fps in PAL countries. In other words, slightly speeded up. There was no alternative then because TV broadcasts (PAL) only ran at 25fps.

Now, with the 50th, there is the opposite problem: I believe it was shot at 25fps and broadcast in the UK at 25fps. Therefore 25fps, no doubt, is the right frame rate to view it in.

The problem is the standard for 3D Blu Ray doesn't allow 25fps. In other words, you can't have a 3D blu ray at 25fps. Apart from special HFR showings or other special formats, cinemas still run at 24fps as well. All of which forced the producers to prepare the 50th at 24fps for 3D Blu ray (and, I think, for the cinema showings as well - though that's an assumption).

So, no 3D at 25fps, or in 3D at 24fps? Which to choose?

The mistake they then made was to also use 24fps for the standard 2D Blu rays.

The only point I'm really making is that 4% is a small speed change that most would not notice (unless played back to back for comparison as in A/B testing). So, if someone happens to have seen a 24fps version first, and more often since, they're likely to perceive the 25fps version is not what they're used to, and speeded up. 25fps remains the correct frame rate though.

I have it my replacement disk came today, its perfect all audio and video issues are gone and it plays at the right 50Hz 25fps speed! Watched bits of it but will be wanting a proper watch later.

A 9 day turnaround for this wasn't bad too, I posted it Tuesday last week, I don't know if say posting on a Saturday and it arriving to them say Tuesday would mean a shorter turnaround meaning it could be back by the following Saturday? Ether way its good.
Also I have just checked the setup options on the disk and there is a 2.0 downmix as well as the 5.1 mix but I don't know if that is supposed to be an audio description mix? I will have to check properly later.

I'm just wondering what the BBC will do with all those duff disks that get sent back? Do they just recycle the plastic?

Oh and regarding the 2.0 downmix its not an audio description track its an ordinary mix so its good for anyone who wants it in that form instead.

Here's another thought on this:

Many slightly older TVs (mine included) don't support 24fps, so what do blu ray players do then when the source is flagged as 24fps? I guess they playback at 25fps. In this case, they playback at the correct frame rate!

As for the audio being correct, that leads to another possible problem. If the 24fps version was pitch corrected, then playing that back at 25fps means the audio is slightly higher pitched than it should be, unless the player pitch corrects it back down.

I guess the only way to be sure you've got both correct is to get the replacement 2D disc.

No it won't play back at 25fps 50Hz I tried changing things on my BluRay player all it did was apply the NTSC 2:3 pulldown and played out at 60Hz! So no speed up and the audio comes out exactly the same!

To change the playout speed and actual frame rate rather than just a pulldown, you would need a special player or rip the disk and put it though software that can alter the speed, or use Reclock which I have not been able to work yet and I don't have a BD drive for a PC anyway.

Oh and I didn't need the replacement disk to know that the original disk or the 3D(playing the 2D version) were not playing back at 25fps, my TV can tell me the refresh rate its in 24Hz, 50Hz or 60Hz over HDMI, or just 50Hz or 60Hz over other inputs, vga can do more but that's irrelevant. It also reports what vertical resolution is input and if its interlaced or progressive unless its a composite connection and then it says if its PAL or NTSC at 50 or 60 Hz.
So I always know what is input into my TV, also if my BluRay player outputs a 24p film at SD resolution it will output at NTSC res, frame rate and colour which is annoying if I use an older TV as it looses the colour where it wont do PAL colour or NTSC 3.5 colour (I think it is) over NTSC res and frame rate for older TVs.