ColourMatch new script variations:

After a lot of testings, I managed to refine the new ColourMatch script, and ended with two variations; one with a color grading more similar to DVD, but still with some artefacts, the other with no artefacts but with a not so good (quite bad, indeed) color grading... let's call them for the moment CMnew2 and CMnew3.

I'm very happy about CMnew2, because improves the good results of the latest version; I tried to delete the artefacts and it seems it works with CMnew3, but color grading sometime is quite different from the DVD, as you can see in the following image - reason why I would NOT to use it (at least not for this project), but I added in the comparison just for knowledge:

From top to bottom:

CMold - the first ColourMatch script, the one I used for most part of The Matrix [spoRv]
CMnew1 - the new version I posted results two days ago, with less artefacts in comparison to CMold, but with a worst color grading
CMnew2 - improved version of CMnew1, with better color grading, even if still not on par with CMold
CMnew3 - no artefacts, but worst color grading than the previous one
DVD - used for color grading reference

So, apart the fact - now obvious - that I WILL DO the open matte version, I thought to do the following for the OAR one:

continue to use CMold for about 90% of the movie like the old [spoRv] version, retaining 95-100% color grading accuracy
use CMnew2 for the remaining 10%, retaining about 85-90% color grading accuracy
for the few "survived" shots with artefacts, either using the upscaled DVD or, better, the cropped HDTV - where the side details are intact, and I could confirm that, even if in a lot of scenes there is not true, few are "pseudo-open-matte", loosing very little details at the sides, and adding many top and bottom.

It's qute difficult to say how many "survived" shots will remain, but looking at the screenshot comparisons of two days ago, where I picked up some of the worst offender, I guess they will be around 1 or 2% - a lot better than the old percentage, I think!

Plus, as I still have (of course!) the avisynth script where I used the upscaled DVD shots, I just have to replace them with the new CMnew2, make a test video, watch it CAREFULLY - another pair of eyes are welcome, though - and then locate the few shots with artefacts and replace them with HDTV or upscaled DVD (possibly using the PaNup technique and a real 35mm grain plate, to recall better the BD)... easy, no? (^^,)

Opinions?

JEDIT: I decided, ten minutes after the post, to put in action what I wrote, so now the test encoding is running, and it should be finished the day after tomorrow; then, I'll post my thoughts; meanwhile, still waiting for your opinions...