Here is the first clip. I had a few new challenges, but more about that later...
Update: Clips removed to make space for new clips.
The solution is to remove the black bars in the frames. The black bars introduce a ghosting effect under some conditions, resulting in vague horizontal lines.
I now use the following procedure:
I start from the PAL versions of the GOUT.
1) Convert the dvd to a high quality mkv (8000kbps) without the black bars, resulting in a 720x326 video. I use Handbrake for the conversion.
2) Apply the super resolution algorithm in Infognition, and upscale to 2160x1296, with the actual video size 2160x815. This will also reintroduce the black bars (this does not affect the super resolution). The output is raw video (avi), so the file is very large (600GB). You can also use compression codecs you can download via the Infognition site. However, I prefer to post-process the upscaled video in Handbrake.
3) Convert the raw video to a mkv file with the proper size (1920x1080, 80000kbps) using Handbrake, resulting in a 20GB per movie HD GOUT.
In all the steps I copy the original audio, so it's an exact copy of the GOUT PAL soundtrack.
The problem with the artifacts has been fixed. The first screenshots for Star Wars should be up later today. I must say I'm really satisfied with the results. The amount of detail that is reconstructed is pretty impressive. It really looks like a high definition video.
One more thing for those of you that are interested. Since a super resolution algorithm generally predicts structure (details) from neighbouring frames, it generally doesn't predict noise very well, since many types of noise have no structure. So a good super resolution algorithm should also act as a noise filter...
At this point I have two options:
1) Use commercially available software
2) Write my own super resolution algorithm
I will first test the commercially available software, which in this case involves two choices: STOIK video enhancer and Infognition video enhancer. Both are relatively easy to use. My first tests indicate the Infognition algorithm clearly outperforms the STOIK algorithm. However, the Infognition algorithm sometimes results in clearly visible artifacts. I'm now working on a way around this. The preliminary results look promising. I think I will be able to show some screenshots pretty soon. To be continued...
Something similar could indeed have been done to those Simpsons episodes. If this project is successful, I may proceed with other projects, like those PT deleted scenes.
I hope I can get some screenshots on here soon...
As I'm sure DJ and You_Too have experienced there are quite a few methods of upscaling. The devil is in the details as they say... I'm mostly interested in the upscale of the GOUT, and will leave the restoration, which is a somewhat subjective process, to others that are more capable.
Yes, it is a similar principle. Of course you will never be able to obtain the true HD source material. It will drastically improve the quality of the GOUT though with a frame detail somewhere between standard definition and true HD. In my view this is the closest you can get to a HD original trilogy, outside of the massive achievement of Harmy's despecialized edition. I do believe it is an interesting experiment in itself to see what the maximum quality is in terms of detail that can be squeezed from those three imperfect bonus DVDs.
Yes it is rather scientific, but that's what us scientists do ;-). Here's a more down to earth explanation of the super resolution theory:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/132950-csi-style-super-resolution-image-enlargment-yeeaaaah
I'm afraid you really need a magician to make the PT into better movies...
Hello everyone,
Since I have a background in image analysis and enhancement, I thought I would have a go at enhancing the GOUT to high definition using a super resolution algorithm. Rather than simply upscaling the frames, a super resolution algorithm uses neighbouring frames to reconstruct a high definition frame.
The goal of this project:
Create a 1080p high definition anamorphic version of the GOUT in the form of one 25 GB mkv file for each film.
Next to having significantly increased detail, the upscales will have significantly less grain and aliasing.
The films will have the GOUT color palette, and will stay true to it’s source, the master tapes that spawned the Star Wars Trilogy - The Definitive Collection laserdiscs, and of course the GOUT DVDs themselves.
The source:
The NTSC versions of the 2006 Star Wars bonus DVDs aka the GOUT.
For more information about super resolution: