PJ

screams in the void said:

one way I get around the color saturation issues with the blu ray is that I have a 55 inch LG smart tv that allows me to apply various filters …so for the 2011 blu ray release , I just apply the “cinema” filter ,which automatically desaturates the image and gives it a more filmic look . For the 2019 release , I apply the "vivid " filter ,which helps boost the color a little bit .Now , if I hook my vcr up to that tv and pop in the 97 SE ,it strikes a nice balance , at the loss of hd of course ,but the colors look nice .

Interesting work around. I’ll keep that in mind next time I feel like watching them. I honestly find it funyy how it never seems we can get an entirely solid release of the OT. The 2011 blu ray is too dim and saturated, but then you have the reverse issue with the 2019 releases. It just sucks that fans have to resort to fixes like that in order to enjoy a movie.

I’ll have to take a look at that. I didn’t think the GOAT releases would have a project like that given it’s questionable quality. I wish at some point we can get a blu-ray release one of these centuries that is color matched to the Tech print. It’s coloring is crisp yet not overly saturated. It finds ways to liven up the image even in areas that seem borderline monochromatic.

Stotchy said:

Even the “digital” home video remasters deliberately departed from the theatrical colors to create a specific “aesthetic” to their look.

The 04 and 11SEs, I really don’t know what they we’re going for. Incompetence maybe?

The 1920SEs have gone for a muted and more desaturated look. Empire has a green/blue push introduced, whilst Jedi has a red push making everything look kinda brown. However in these releases there is pretty good shot to shot consistency so you can do a lot with a single color correction to the whole films to improve them.

Check out Jedi Destiny if you’re interested. We’re also working on Empire atm.

If memory serves me, George wanted the 2004/2011 releases to have a similar look to the prequels…which really doesn’t work on films from the late 70s and 80s. I think if the blacks weren’t crushed, highlights weren’t clipped and the overall saturation was brought down by 20%, they could’ve been better.

I REALLY don’t know how to feel about the 2019 releases. They just look so desaturated. The original cuts weren’t that saturated to begin with, but they still found ways to make the image vibrant. You aren’t wrong though, a bit of correction would definitely work considering the image is consistent in color. In fact, don’t the 2019 releases base the color timing on the 1997 releases? Obviously not one to one, but I compared certain frames to 1997 scans and they match up with the exception of color temperature.

I’ll definitely check that out. Been looking at newer projects lately ever since I joined recently. I’m a kid in a candy store right now.

Of all the official releases of the OT, which ones do you like the most for their color grading? I often find when watching a release I havent seen before, the grading is what often has the biggest part in whether I like it or not. If for some reason you don’t like the entire set of films in one release, then pick for each individual film.

Going off of 35mm scans I’ve seen and certain aspects of the home releases on VHS and Laserdisc, my personal favorite is all three of the 1997 Special Editions. For as controversial as they may be (not to mention despised), I think they do a good job of giving the films an updated and vibrant color grade that still has the spirit of the original grading. Best of all, the blacks aren’t crushed into submission.

Very true. We’re fortunate to have enough people passionate about the films as well as knowing what to do with the surviving materials.

True. With how digital mastering and all that other technical stuff is so complicated and difficult to get right, I would guess some accuracy is lost. I just wouldn’t think it would be drastically different in terms of color pallette. The home releases look to have a lot of blue and teal in the image. Tatooine has a bizarre amount of it for being a desert location. I mainly asked because I kinda prefer Harmy’s Respecialized color timing.

Interesting.

Everytime I try remuxing an mp4 using constant bitrate, I get these errors saying “VBV Overflow at Position xxx.xx” If anyone has had this issue before, do they have a solution for it? Should I just avoid CBR?

Hey everyone. I was hoping to get some info on the color timing of the 1997 Special Editions. It mainly comes down to debunking conflicting information I keep seeing across internet.

1. I’ve been told that when the 1997 versions came out on VHS and Laserdisc, the color timing wasn’t the same as when it was in theaters. Is that really the case?

2. Between Team Blu’s 720p upscale of ANH and Harmy’s Respecialized, which one is considered to be the more accurate to how they were released theaters?