HBO's Static Intro
April 17, 2015 5:24 AM Subscribe
I only read it for the articles
about the TV network
where you go to watch shows
that feature sex and boobs.
posted by phunniemee at 5:41 AM on April 17, 2015 [16 favorites]
about the TV network
where you go to watch shows
that feature sex and boobs.
posted by phunniemee at 5:41 AM on April 17, 2015 [16 favorites]
The HBO static intro, aside from being welcoming, also provides a nice "hooooly shit I need to turn the volume down" warning before any of the real action starts.
posted by phunniemee at 5:42 AM on April 17, 2015 [16 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 5:42 AM on April 17, 2015 [16 favorites]
"Only reading it for the articles" will not fly if I try to read this at work.
posted by Badgermann at 5:42 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Badgermann at 5:42 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
My brain STILL fills in the tuba intro to Curb Your Enthusiasm when I hear it.
Bom bom bomp...
posted by supercres at 5:53 AM on April 17, 2015 [13 favorites]
Bom bom bomp...
posted by supercres at 5:53 AM on April 17, 2015 [13 favorites]
As someone who hasn't had access to HBO since the mid 90's all I can associate that into with is the Crypt Keeper shrieking, "Next up is 'Dream On', the BREAST show on television! Hee hee hee hee!"
posted by charred husk at 6:08 AM on April 17, 2015 [14 favorites]
posted by charred husk at 6:08 AM on April 17, 2015 [14 favorites]
If it's true "static", i.e. randomness, you can't compress it.
Which is why it looks bad on any sort of digital distribution system.
posted by Hatashran at 6:11 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Which is why it looks bad on any sort of digital distribution system.
posted by Hatashran at 6:11 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
The only place on a modern TV where you can even see static.
posted by nev at 6:11 AM on April 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by nev at 6:11 AM on April 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
I think William Gibson should get a design credit.
HBO: The color of television, tuned to a dead channel.
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:20 AM on April 17, 2015 [10 favorites]
HBO: The color of television, tuned to a dead channel.
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:20 AM on April 17, 2015 [10 favorites]
If you want a picture of the future of cable, imagine the color of television tuned to a dead channel -- FOREVER!
posted by Herodios at 6:27 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Herodios at 6:27 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
I clicked, not having seen it was playboy, and really just wanting to see more history behind what I thought was an article about that famous long-form HBO intro that I watched a million times before Aliens, and that I've seen the making of. Instead, I saw the video was 8 seconds long and before I could close the tab in a disappointed huff I got a "45 YEAR OLD WITH AN AMAZING BOOTY!!" popup.
posted by cashman at 6:30 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by cashman at 6:30 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
It doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 intro.
posted by grumpybear69 at 6:30 AM on April 17, 2015 [26 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 6:30 AM on April 17, 2015 [26 favorites]
It doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 intro.
That's the one.
posted by cashman at 6:31 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
That's the one.
posted by cashman at 6:31 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
I mean, I do have an amazing booty, but I'm not 45.
posted by cashman at 6:32 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by cashman at 6:32 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
grumpybear69: "It doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 intro."
No one would sit still for a minute and a half intro now.
posted by octothorpe at 6:50 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
No one would sit still for a minute and a half intro now.
posted by octothorpe at 6:50 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
I clicked, not having seen it was playboy. . .
Me too. And I actually read the whole thing without realizing it was Playboy and just thinking it was a nice, somewhat fluffy discussion of the intro.
And then I got to: "The HBO Static Intro has an appeal similar to the sound of a zipper opening on a woman’s dress. It’s the promise of good things to come." And I was like... wait that's a little... what?
And then I noticed the "Popular Videos" at the bottom of the page, and it all made sense.
posted by The Bellman at 6:58 AM on April 17, 2015 [5 favorites]
Me too. And I actually read the whole thing without realizing it was Playboy and just thinking it was a nice, somewhat fluffy discussion of the intro.
And then I got to: "The HBO Static Intro has an appeal similar to the sound of a zipper opening on a woman’s dress. It’s the promise of good things to come." And I was like... wait that's a little... what?
And then I noticed the "Popular Videos" at the bottom of the page, and it all made sense.
posted by The Bellman at 6:58 AM on April 17, 2015 [5 favorites]
Is this something I would have to own a TV to understand? [Suddenly turns to minimize Vuze on monitor]
posted by CynicalKnight at 6:59 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by CynicalKnight at 6:59 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
It doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 intro.
Oh man, just a few seconds I felt like I was in middle school again, constantly checking my six to make sure my mom doesn't walk in the room.
I really want to read the article right now, but there's no way I'm going to Playboy on my work computer.
posted by General Malaise at 7:03 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
Oh man, just a few seconds I felt like I was in middle school again, constantly checking my six to make sure my mom doesn't walk in the room.
I really want to read the article right now, but there's no way I'm going to Playboy on my work computer.
posted by General Malaise at 7:03 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
Never had HBO as a kid, only started watching HBO shows through Netflix DVDs as an adult.
As a result in my mind the HBO sound is immediately followed by this, regardless of what show I'm actually watching.
posted by komara at 7:04 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
As a result in my mind the HBO sound is immediately followed by this, regardless of what show I'm actually watching.
posted by komara at 7:04 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
Vincent: I don't watch TV.
Jules: Yeah, but, you are aware that there's an invention called television, and on this invention theyshow shows had static, right?
posted by kokaku at 7:04 AM on April 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
Jules: Yeah, but, you are aware that there's an invention called television, and on this invention they
posted by kokaku at 7:04 AM on April 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'll take the 1980s intro, thanks anyway.
posted by Liquidwolf at 7:08 AM on April 17, 2015
posted by Liquidwolf at 7:08 AM on April 17, 2015
HBO: The color of television, tuned to a dead channel.
Redone by Robert Sawyer to describe a bright blue sky.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 7:09 AM on April 17, 2015
Redone by Robert Sawyer to describe a bright blue sky.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 7:09 AM on April 17, 2015
And then Sawyer's use of the metaphor became an anachronism even more quickly.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 7:11 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 7:11 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
It doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 intro.
You can't link to one without the other, the Making of the HBO Intro.
posted by hwyengr at 7:28 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
You can't link to one without the other, the Making of the HBO Intro.
posted by hwyengr at 7:28 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
It doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 intro.
I loved this as a kid. The production value was the same as for some of my favorite movies. In fact, I'm pretty sure the intro is superior to The Last Starfighter in every way, including plot and acting.
posted by echocollate at 7:36 AM on April 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
I loved this as a kid. The production value was the same as for some of my favorite movies. In fact, I'm pretty sure the intro is superior to The Last Starfighter in every way, including plot and acting.
posted by echocollate at 7:36 AM on April 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
This brings to mind dotflist's "tv themes", each of which begins with the HBO intro. Holy shit, these were funny.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:44 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:44 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I found it amusing that at the beginning of the 1983 intro is the current HBO intro.
There is definitely a commentary on attention spans there.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:49 AM on April 17, 2015
There is definitely a commentary on attention spans there.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:49 AM on April 17, 2015
Not only does the 1983 intro make me feel really old, it makes me realize that I am now living in the future that Max Headroom predicted.
posted by entropicamericana at 7:53 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by entropicamericana at 7:53 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
In fact, I'm pretty sure the intro is superior to The Last Starfighter in every way, including plot and acting.
YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 8:04 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 8:04 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm pretty sure the intro is superior to The Last Starfighter in every way, including plot and acting.
first of all how dare you
posted by poffin boffin at 8:46 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
first of all how dare you
posted by poffin boffin at 8:46 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
It doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 intro.
Isn't that 1983 intro actually for a "Feature Presentation", which means a movie is about to start (hence the careful showing of a movie theater marquee)?
The intro being talked about here is for original HBO programming.
I didn't have HBO in 1983, but I had friends who did. And that intro ran before movies, not before Fraggle Rock.
posted by hippybear at 9:33 AM on April 17, 2015
Isn't that 1983 intro actually for a "Feature Presentation", which means a movie is about to start (hence the careful showing of a movie theater marquee)?
The intro being talked about here is for original HBO programming.
I didn't have HBO in 1983, but I had friends who did. And that intro ran before movies, not before Fraggle Rock.
posted by hippybear at 9:33 AM on April 17, 2015
At the end of the HBO static intro, I still can't help humming the pitch of that first bass note in the Sopranos theme.
Which is how having relative pitch works, I guess.
posted by emelenjr at 10:04 AM on April 17, 2015
Which is how having relative pitch works, I guess.
posted by emelenjr at 10:04 AM on April 17, 2015
Wow, watching that 1980s intro really brought me back to both the feeling of excitement it induced in me (those first harp notes!) and the feeling of the nearly inevitable disappointment at what came next -- oh darn, yet another showing of Boring Movie That Doesn't Interest 10 Year Old Me in the Slightest.
posted by treepour at 10:12 AM on April 17, 2015
posted by treepour at 10:12 AM on April 17, 2015
Remember when HBO used to sign-off, too?
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:41 PM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:41 PM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
I found it amusing that at the beginning of the 1983 intro is the current HBO intro.
There is definitely a commentary on attention spans there.
Err, I believe that's because the video repost of the '83 intro is being put up BY the current HBO. That's added in after, not the last remnant of the original. Note that it also pops up at the end of the vid.
posted by FatherDagon at 12:55 PM on April 17, 2015
There is definitely a commentary on attention spans there.
Err, I believe that's because the video repost of the '83 intro is being put up BY the current HBO. That's added in after, not the last remnant of the original. Note that it also pops up at the end of the vid.
posted by FatherDagon at 12:55 PM on April 17, 2015
Remember when HBO used to sign-off , too?
YES. I'm totally going to sample that sweet, over-compressed music and make something with it.
posted by grumpybear69 at 1:17 PM on April 17, 2015
YES. I'm totally going to sample that sweet, over-compressed music and make something with it.
posted by grumpybear69 at 1:17 PM on April 17, 2015
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