grafxuser your NTSC DVD upscales look nice. Whose NTSC release are you working with? I have two, Frontrow and Westlake, and both seem like a worse source than what your upscales seem to come from.
Not sure just purchased the NTSC version on eBay (DVD container/label are custom). But I am finding if I keep to the same resolution as the laserdisc it works better.
I am also needing to do 2 x AI upscaled versions. The reason being that one AI works great for strands of hair but terrible on faces skin, and another AI does vice versa.
I also viewed the stills on my projector and they look great 😃