logo Sign In

Info: OT Bootleg DVDs — Page 65

Author
Time
Post link
Oh man, a friend of mine works at blockbuster and brought over the official DVD release of Star Wars. OMG the transfer is incredible, I hate to say it but this is truly a reference transfer... Why oh why can't he release an unmodified version.
There is no way to get the laserdisc to look anywhere near this good, even running the LD through a terranex doesn't get close.
I am still going to attempt my despecialising project, matching the colour grade will be easy enough, but I really wasn't expecting them to make the old films look this incredibly good. The only option may be to slightly degrade the new releases and do my best to improve the LD originals and meet halfway.
Dammit, how hard would it have been for him to put the original scenes in the (endless) extras. Bizzarely the qulaity of this transfer makes me even angrier to think what could've been.

*sigh*
Author
Time
Post link
Those were my thoughts exactly when I saw it, but to be honest after seeing what Lowry has done with other old great films, I knew that no matter what is done with any OT transfer we can get it'll never match what it would look like if released by Lucasfilm.

Author
Time
Post link
Wow MeBeJedi, those new screenshots from today look even better then before! Keep up the great work, I'll be for sure picking up a set when they become available. Can't wait to get my hands on your sets.
Author
Time
Post link
"There is no way to get the laserdisc to look anywhere near this good"

Agreed. Fucking Lucas.

laserman, READ YOUR PMs!!!!!!!!

BTW, folks, I'm working on the XVID of the first transfer right now.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

Author
Time
Post link
If Luc"ass" Claims that the original trilogy (unaltered) doesnt exist anymore, doesnt that make it public domain or abandonware?
Author
Time
Post link
XD

Good one Alfredsson.

Moll.

"Right now the coffees are doing their final work." (Airi, Masked Rider Den-o episode 1)

Author
Time
Post link
I just read my Pm's
Its 2am here, I'll reply in the morning.
Mebejedi, I got your disk today, just had a look at it. Nice job! Congratulations, this stuff aint easy!
Liked the menus and chapters, the commentary shortcuts were really nice also.
To anyone doing this stuff, recreating a 24fps master is *the* way to go, and as mebejedi said, it aint hard.

however to nit pick
Did you take this from the faces set? The huge number of sparklies throughout the transfer would seem to suggest it. Also, on my BIG screen (4m wide) the difference between the faces set video quality and the Definitive video quality is instantly noticeable. I found I couldn't get as good a capture from the faces set either - could be just my player, but I would really suggest using the definitive edition if you move onto Jedi and ESB.

Also, I would strongly suggest calibrating your video capture card to the laserdisc. Grab a copy of video essentials on laserdisc and go through the calibration via your capture card. The gamma and white balance is off on the disc you sent me compared to the LD, especially around 20-40 IRE.
The image is a little dark, which although it takes away from the video feel, a lot of detail was lost in the shadows. Also there is some strobing artifacts on quite a few scenes.

All in all though, I am being a turd, it is a very nice job indeed, and looks great on a standard size TV or on a digital projector where the lack of shadow detail doesn't show.

Well DONE !!!!
Author
Time
Post link
"Did you take this from the faces set? The huge number of sparklies throughout the transfer would seem to suggest it."

Yes, but like I said, my Def. Col. has many more flaws. It's the lesser of two evils.

"Also, I would strongly suggest calibrating your video capture card to the laserdisc. Grab a copy of video essentials on laserdisc and go through the calibration via your capture card."

My capture settings were at default. I'm playing with those now.

BTW, anyone got Video Essentials on LD?

"Also there is some strobing artifacts on quite a few scenes."

Which scenes? The lightsabers? Does anyone know of a way (VirtualDub or otherwise) to IVTC specific segments? Some did not come out as well as others.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

Author
Time
Post link
A friend of mine IVTC's segments. What they did was capture each side and IVTC that before putting it together. They said there are two places in the Def. Col. version of ANH where the pattern is off. One is where you see Ben and Luke go by the camera before switching to Han and Greedo. What they did there was capture that segment and IVTC it separately before they put it all together. I believe they also did all of the filtering.

If you just want to IVTC a segment in Virtual Dub, you can set the beginning and end of your captured file and cut the rest out.

BTW. Someone mentioned a few days ago that they knew an easy way to fix the TR47 4 second pause on ESB. However, they never posted the solution. I hope they come back.

Patrick
"When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk." - Tuco from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Author
Time
Post link
"What they did was capture each side and IVTC that before putting it together."

I did that as well.

"They said there are two places in the Def. Col. version of ANH where the pattern is off."

I heard that two. I'll have to find the post that describes the two points. I think you are right about the Greedo scene, but I can't rememeber the other.

"If you just want to IVTC a segment in Virtual Dub, you can set the beginning and end of your captured file and cut the rest out."

Yeah, you're right. I just wasn't thinking. BTW, there's a manual IVTC setting. Ask your friend how that works, and if it's worth it to try.

"they knew an easy way to fix the TR47 4 second pause on ESB. However, they never posted the solution."

Sure they did.....get MY version.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

Author
Time
Post link
If VirtualDub's internal IVTC is leaving some interlacing artifacts, you could try Donald Graft's "Decomb" filter for AVISynth - I've had much more luck with it.

For me at least, interlacing artifacts can spoil an otherwise outstanding transfer (in the TR47 versions, see the brief lightsaber glitch just before Luke drives Vader off the carbon-freezing level in ESB or the more obvious full frame combing for a second when the Emperor is frying Luke in ROTJ), so it's important to find a setting(s) that works and to check the whole final product for errors. Please keep up the good work, MeBeJedi!
Author
Time
Post link
Might I suggest:

Buying/renting the official DVDs and using the transfers as reference for balancing your LD transfers. I'm not saying use the transfers replacing the SE scenes with the LD scenes, I'm saying color-correct/grade the LD transfer using the DVD as a reference.

Maybe rather than use VE on laserdisc use DVE on DVD, it might end up looking better.
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: ChainsawAsh
Might I suggest:

Buying/renting the official DVDs and using the transfers as reference for balancing your LD transfers. I'm not saying use the transfers replacing the SE scenes with the LD scenes, I'm saying color-correct/grade the LD transfer using the DVD as a reference.

Maybe rather than use VE on laserdisc use DVE on DVD, it might end up looking better.


Sounds like a good idea.
Author
Time
Post link
From the last crop of screen shots MeBeJedi posted, it looks as if he may be doing this already... or at least using screen shots from the "official" set as reference points for his brightness/contrast settings.

I don't know... but those last shots looked damn good
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: ChainsawAsh
Might I suggest:

Buying/renting the official DVDs and using the transfers as reference for balancing your LD transfers. I'm not saying use the transfers replacing the SE scenes with the LD scenes, I'm saying color-correct/grade the LD transfer using the DVD as a reference.

Maybe rather than use VE on laserdisc use DVE on DVD, it might end up looking better.



That's not a very good idea, well it is in theory but there have been numerous reports on another forum (http://thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318660) that colour levels aswell as the sound levels are way off, at least in certain parts.

I agree that best thing to do would be to calibrate the LD with something like Video Esentials, but I would also think thats now expensive and hard to find

We Got Death Star!
We Got Death Star!
Author
Time
Post link
Hmm, I'll have to watch them first.

It looks to me like some faces in the new screens look quite sunburnt, maybe you could do something about that while preserving everything else?
Author
Time
Post link
"If VirtualDub's internal IVTC is leaving some interlacing artifacts, you could try Donald Graft's "Decomb" filter for AVISynth - I've had much more luck with it."

I don't know how to write the scripts, and I like the real-time visual interface of VirtualDub. That's not to say I can't learn how to use AVISynth, but someone will need to hold my hand.

"ybe rather than use VE on laserdisc use DVE on DVD, it might end up looking better."

The problem is that I have to calibrate the video from my LD player. The signal has to come from it, not a DVD player.

Good news: I made an XVID
Bad news: I didn't realize I needed to rotate it 90 degress (my first time with FairUse. )

Is there a program that will make an XVID of the MPEG file by itself, or do I need to do it from a mastered DVD?

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

Author
Time
Post link
Ah, I see your point (about VE/DVE). But I do think the faces look a little red now, but I have yet to see them in motion.

Cool on getting the XviD done! I'll be among the first to DL it when you put it out!
Author
Time
Post link

Is there a program that will make an XVID of the MPEG file by itself, or do I need to do it from a mastered DVD?


You can load MPEG-2 files directly into VirtualDubMod. P.S. I PMed you some info about AVISynth/Decomb.

Author
Time
Post link
ok here is my soultion to fix the 4 sec gap in the TR47 version with out rencoding http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl5hum/index.htm. downside is when 3PO turns he turns a bit to quick.
Also MeBeJedi i could give you my SE LDs to make transfers of them, just got to go down to the basement to look for them.

btw i got the dvds rik the look se dvds imo are better than the five star se dvds, not too bright pretty good sound and the picture quality is the same.
Author
Time
Post link
I'm sure you could borrow a video essentials laserdisc in return for giving the owner a DVD set.
It will make a huge difference to the quality.
You can buy it from http://discountlaserdisc.com for 25 bucks.
I'd try and bowwow a better player if you can score one, the amt of sparklies your shows is the most I have ever seen!

Try some of the Home Theater forums like AVS, you may find someone in your area who would be willing to loan you a unit in return for some DVDs
Author
Time
Post link
"You can buy it from http://discountlaserdisc.com for 25 bucks."

Just ordered it. Thanks!

"You can load MPEG-2 files directly into VirtualDubMod."

No kidding!?! I never saw an XVID option (though I admit I never looked.) What about the audio? FairUse converted the audio along with it (I dropped the 5.1 from 448kbps to 224). I've always run the video by itself through VDM (The PCM is a separate capture)

"P.S. I PMed you some info about AVISynth/Decomb."

I saw it. Nice stuff. When I get to my hom computer (Man, my father-in-law's DSL is fast!), I'll give it a shot. One quick question: at first glance, it lookss like you hacve me running an AVIsynth in VDM. Is this the case? If so, why use this versus VDM's own IVTC?

"Also MeBeJedi i could give you my SE LDs to make transfers of them"

Thus earning yourself a free set. In fact, I've beat laserman to the punch - I've already got 5 people on my personal "free set" list for lending necessary materials to me (mostly misc SW footage for my supplements disc - various "Making of" films and stuff.)

I can't promise when I'll get them back to you, since the O-OT has precedence right now, so if you want to hold off until I'm ready for them, that's cool. (Of course, if they are lying around in your basement, then you probably won't miss them for a while anyways. )

Just so you guys know, I am in talks with a few other important people (I don't want to mention who yet, until things are finalized) about a multi-version ultimate edition SW DVD (hopefully dual-layer), so your LD's would certainly come in handy for that.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

Author
Time
Post link
If you have the xvid codec installed it will be under Video \ Compression. It decompresses the AC3 audio in mpeg-2 files so you'll prolly want to go to Streams \ Stream List, select the stream, right click and select Full Processing, then right click again and click Compression. Best codec I've used for audio is the Radium MP3 codec, because most of the LAME formats seem to be VBR.

Now, I use mencoder...

Moll.

"Right now the coffees are doing their final work." (Airi, Masked Rider Den-o episode 1)

Author
Time
Post link
"because most of the LAME formats seem to be VBR."

I was under the impression that this was generally a good thing...?

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

Author
Time
Post link
LAME is the best tool for converting to mP3, and you can encode at constant bit rates easily. MeBeJedi, please tell me you will use the PAL DVD's as a source, and not the NTSC ones.