CatBus

Project files have been updated to version 8.3 (original post has been updated as well). Please PM me for the temporary download links until the files are available in a more permanent location.

Rough summary of changes:

- Added new language: Malay.
- Improved Icelandic subtitles (thanks to spaceghost)
- Fixed a potentially big problem in the README: Added warnings that the Blu-ray format is limited to 32 PGS subtitle tracks (tsMuxerGUI allows you to add more and create a non-compliant disc, so an explicit warning was really needed).  On a related note, I also fixed glaring oversight: the README now includes instructions for how to mux subtitles into an MKV (which AFAIK has no such limitation).  That's graphical SUP subtitles, of course--using SRT files directly is still discouraged as anything but a last resort.
- More improvements to text layout for RTL scripts (Arabic, Persian/Farsi, Hebrew)
- Created new instructions and scripts to easily allow subtitles to be synchronized to video using another frame reference (e.g. PAL GOUT, Puggo 16mm [PG & PSB], Team Negative 1 [ESB Grindhouse]), and allowing subtitles to be shifted for optimal placement within different-sized video frames.  Combined with the existing scripts that allow Project Threepio to accomodate preservations without burnt-in alien subtitles, this should allow Project Threepio to be easily incorporated into any past, present, or future Star Wars preservation.
- Improvements to the Star Wars mono mix support. The English SRT file was improved, and a script was created to convert subtitle files that were designed for the stereo mix into files that better align with the audio timing of the mono mix (but they will still be missing subtitles for audio unique to the mono mixes).  I have no plans for more comprehensive support for the mono mixes, or any support at all for the 70mm/8mm Empire audio mix, dubs, or later audio revisions.
- Project Threepio is branching out into the apparel department. Included in the resources folder are some high-resolution (~300dpi at 10") preservation-themed images appropriate for use in creating T-shirts, or anything you like. Previews of these images can be found in the first post.

As you may have noticed, we're still missing our two big-ticket items--Japanese SRT files for ROTJ, and subtitle re-timing to match the burnt-in subtitles for Despecialized ROTJ 2.x (which will presumably match theatrical timing).  Enough important changes had accumulated to warrant a release without these long-desired items.  Never fear, they are still on my radar.

In addition to the warnings, the new README will include suggestions on how to trim back subtitle tracks for disc-based formats, based on number of speakers, language overlap, and quality of translations. This is sure to offend someone, particularly those very kind and generous people who helped us have first-rate Icelandic subtitles, only to see them left off the disc.  You don't have to follow these guidelines, of course, but if you do, you can blame me when people complain ;)

Sorry again, I was led astray by the fact that tsMuxerGUI allows you to create non-compliant discs, software players didn't mind playing them, and the Blu-ray spec itself is so readily available*.

* "It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."  --Douglas Adams

Cross-posted but I swear it's topical.  Sorry if I ran afoul of a rule.

---

Argh!  I have discovered a terrible, terrible truth (er, at least I think it's the truth...).  The Blu-ray format supports only 32 subtitles in PGS format.  It supports a few more than that in text format, but there actually is a hard limit either way and it is not merely the bandwidth used by those subtitles.  Sorry it took so long to discover this, but it's not very well documented and not many discs even approach that limit.

So, if you want to make a truly universal preservation, it looks like MKV is the format you should use (I still recommend graphical subtitles though).  For a Blu-ray, you're going to really have to cut those subtitles down, or make different editions including different sets of languages.  Sorry again that I didn't see this earlier... I'll update the Project Threepio README to make sure there's plenty of warning for anyone with such a plan.

Argh!  I have discovered a terrible, terrible truth (er, at least I think it's the truth...).  The Blu-ray format supports only 32 subtitles in PGS format.  It supports a few more than that in text format, but there actually is a hard limit either way and it is not merely the bandwidth used by those subtitles.  Sorry it took so long to discover this, but it's not very well documented and not many discs even approach that limit.

So, if you want to make a truly universal preservation, it looks like MKV is the format you should use (I still recommend graphical subtitles though).  For a Blu-ray, you're going to really have to cut those subtitles down, or make different editions including different sets of languages.  Sorry again that I didn't see this earlier... I'll update the Project Threepio README to make sure there's plenty of warning for anyone with such a plan.

Nathan Fillion.

ray_afraid said:

So, Disney's makin' a movie about a young gunslingin' drug smuggler?
Yeah, right.
There's zero chance the young Han I've always envisioned (and SW alluded to) will be the character in this film.

How I Met Your Smuggler.  It'll be wacky fun, centered on how Chewie and Han meet.  Chewie's always having unintelligible arguments with Itchy, Malla, and Lumpy.  Han rolls his eyes.  There'll be a laugh track.

I apologize if I sighed loud enough to bother anyone.

There are a few problems in 2.0, which I'm sure would be fixed.  I'm not sure if Harmy wants us blabbing them to the world, because it does kinda ruin the magic (you can't unsee them).

Plus, you know, Thai dub, improved subtitles.  At least that's my area of concern.  No changes to English audio that I know of at all.

Darth Mallwalker said:

team_negative1 said:

False alarm, after close inspection, the jump is still there. You can verify it in the Grindhouse version.

Team Negative1

If your Grindhouse had had that extra frame,
'we' would have known it since December
when Chewtobacca made his GOUT-sync script

 10-9-10: not a traditional Haiku, but still perfect in its way.

PM sent.

AntcuFaalb said:

My father watches VHS over composite stretched to 16:9 on a contrast-boosted over-sharpened LCD TV with a terrible black level and he thinks it looks fine.

I'll see you that and raise you a "and the VHS tape is recorded from an OTA broadcast", with now-vintage commercials and everything.  In EP mode, so he can fit three movies on one tape.

Agreed.  Most of the world does not care about quality, and furthermore, they seem to aggressively prefer the worst quality just to annoy us.

May it's just, but like the new lack of personal pronouns.  It suits.

Whoah.  A good-quality still of the missing frame would be pretty cool too.

TV's Frink said:

_,,,^..^,,,_ said:

...I'm a bit worry for the lack of Team jmow's answers... and the fact that Team Olie is a team at only 99%... I wonder what's in the missing 1%!

 Margin of error.

Team Olie

Car Talk's statistician has gone missing?!? Alert Barb Dwyer!

I dunno, this could still be topical, as a prelude to a Buffy Blu-ray preservation.  If all we're left with is that Pivot HD crap and Joss doesn't step in and set things right, then we've got some DVDs to upscale.

In fact I've already done this for myself, but I'm really hoping this small effort of mine doesn't qualify as the be-all-end-all version of Buffy, because frankly, it still doesn't look so hot (kinda like an upscaled DVD...).

Funcha said:

That wasn't very friendly!

Kinda warranted though.  Sure he asked a question that was more like a demand and was kinda hard to respond to directly, but seriously this thread is more derailed than Harmy's threads on a bad day.  I like to think I'm a lovable jerk, though.

jedimasterobiwan said:

sorry about how bad i came across on forums

with both my posts i guess i might have been a little impatient.

i just thought people were starting to ignore me on here.

i'll try to be a little better.

i guess i don't come across to well i don't mean to be annoying again i'm sorry.

i'll try to be a little better if someone could tell me my grammer mistake i'd appreciate it.

You're fine, we're weird.  We have a lot of running inside jokes here, and we don't have a solid answer for you.  So since we don't have the answer, you get the jokes instead.  Not a very good substitute, I know, but it's all we have to give.

I'm sure he will be asked about that (and all the Pivot BS, OAR, etc)... and the Dr. Horrible sequel, and much much more, so no worries.  He has issued at least one very cryptic tweet on the subject recently, so it's on his radar for sure.

No, I'm not going.  Frink and I can never be in the same place at the same time.  It's either a superhero thing or a restraining order, I forget.  It's increasingly difficult to accomplish, though, because there are so many of them.  And so handsome.  So very handsome.

Yeah, I think it was the restraining order.

Stinky-Dinkins said:

Because if -1 is no longer on Team -1 (and he's not, they said so), but Team -1 continues his work and is now imitating his posting style perfectly - there's only one conclusion I can make. The sincerest form of flattery:

Murder.

...

Shows what you know. When the team decides to name the team solely after the member that doesn't want to be implicated, it makes it almost impossible to figure out who the man behind the curtain is. Listen, if you were working on a project that made you nervous, the first thing you'd want to do to throw them off your trail is the change your user account from ww12345 to Team ww12345.... then it's like checkmate, suckers!

...although I have to admit, this post comes close to making it worthwhile.

towne32 said:

Are you saying the ruse is that negative1 is no longer a part of the project (I think virtually everyone is in agreement about that...), or that there is indeed mid-to-large size group working on this stuff, rather than just one guy? Aspects of their updates and progress do suggest to me that it's a team.

It's no secret that -1 worked closely with other people long before the team identity was dreamed up, don't see any reason to suggest that this has changed.  There was already a team before the Team.

I'm kind of on the fence about caring about this. On the one hand, I think deception is unnecessary and strange. On the other hand, as far as I can tell it is 100% about privacy concerns and/or paranoia than a need to trick people. As people have pointed out, there is no real privacy when it comes to Disney/law/anyone who cares to really figure it out. But if it's only a silly motive, and not a malicious one, I don't quite see what's offensive about it. Most people would probably be dishonest to received credit for something they haven't done rather than exactly the opposite.

Well, part of it certainly is the futility of the act, and part of it is the quality of the acting. I haven't seen anything so transparent since Monty Python's North Minehead by-election skit. If I'm going to have to sit through that sort of act, I want at least that much entertainment value (no offense to Frink).

Ergh, I'll stop editing my posts if you do.  It's a "community" thing.  First, trying to trick your community isn't cool, no matter how poorly it's executed.  Secondly, trying to get your community to lie on your behalf (by nod and wink if not by fooling them) is also not cool.  Thus the occasional flare-up.  It has nothing to do with the project itself.

Cue the Luke "I Care" image.

Some would say not wanting to play along with the charade qualifies as caring.  If you do, then I care.  If you don't, then I don't.

EDIT: Sorry, I was responding to the original question "Who cares?"  As for the point, our failure to entertain the ruse will hardly slow this project down. Maybe I've had too many friends ask me to lie for them in the past. It's just not healthy for a community for people to ask that of them.

AntcuFaalb said:

MrPib said:

Darth / Frink, could you take a moment and explain what you're talking about with respect to the makeup of Team Negative1?  I see cryptic comments here and there, and I'd love to know what you're talking about.

Thanks!

They're claiming that the original member, negative1, is still a member of the team despite the team frequently claiming otherwise because the team account has written several posts in negative1's idiosyncratic style.

Not to mention the frequency and vehemence of those denials is pretty wildly out of proportion to any casual mention of -1 (even to people who accidentally choose the wrong shortened form of team_negative1, not intending to say anything at all about membership of the team), considering they engage in no other discussion of specific current or former team members whatsoever.

jimbotron235 said:

You should not need to reencode the video.  It is already in h264 format.  You would just need to change the container from MKV.

Simply demuxing it and putting it on a BD-R using tsMuxer resulted in an unplayable disc for me (admittedly on a sample of one player, but it's an Oppo BDP-93, which is decently well-regarded, and isn't showing any issues on other BD-R's).  Sure it's h264 and 16:9, but there are a few other restrictions when you make a BD-compliant stream too, and maybe one of those is off.  Just re-encoding in x264 with the "--bluray-compat" flag produced a stream that worked without problems for me.  YMMV.  Not really sure about the audio, but since the main track works, I don't care to dig deeper.

If you want to play off the coffee connotations of Puggo Grande, you could call it "Puggo Ristretto".  A short shot with the same amount of coffee as a full shot.  Or just "Puggo Breve", which is a little easier to say.