No problems for the english tracks; just wonder if there is a 5.1 german track; if not, I'll sadly be forced to include only the 2.0 one.
UPDATES:
I put in sync the italian, french and german audio tracks - for the latter, I was not able to find a 5.1 track, does is exist?
Tomorrow I'll finish the spanish track, plus I plan to capture the commentary track from LD BOX (finally!!!) still shrinkwrapped... it will be a gloriuos day!
I still miss the subtitles tracks, though... any help will be more than welcome!
Oh, yes, sorry, you are right... because there is a really faint grain in my version (^^,)
Well, at the time of making (few months ago) I was not aware of grain plate technique, so the fine grain was the default setting of the MagicUp upscale script... but I forgot it, I remembered it just after you have mentioned it, because I've deleted the added grain at all since a long time... it's a bad thing to grow old... (^^,)
Doctor M said:
I wanted to ask, Catman Scruthers,
it's me, right?
what your script looked like for the 'raw' screenshot you posted before.
It's already been resized and I'm curious if that's all or what filter(s) you used to enlarge the frame.
I used only my "secret recipe" MagicUp upscaler AviSynth script; sorry, my fault, I usually use this one for any of my upscales... well, here you are the unresized frame saved as .png (I just cropped the borders):
mvd24, thanks for your post; I'm glad you liked this project, and hope to have made some others happy, too!
Last week I captured the french PAL laserdisc of BATB and, despite the fact video quality is lower (because PAL laserdiscs are almost always worst than their NTSC counterparts, and the best PAL player could be worth, quality wise, maybe 1/5th of a Pioneer HLD-X9) I noted colors are better; don't know if it's caused by the new capture card I used, or due to the master used for the PAL version, which is near 1.33:1 (more something like 1.45:1 because it's stretched)...
When I'll find a little bit of free time (in months, probably) I'd like to make some test captures to see if the NTSC LD captured with the new card has better colors, and at least the same details, of the old capture; if so, maybe - and I'm writing MAYBE (so, don't take this for granted) I will do an improved version.
Avoid USB capture card as long as possible, because they aren't usually very good and could lead to some errors/delays/frame drops etc. during capture; the same for USB audio card...
Take a look at my threads:
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/High-End-video-capture-cards/topic/15115/
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/High-End-audio-capture-cards/topic/15214/
just to have an idea which ones are the best; of course, you could still obtain very good results using other cards, but if you are lucky, you could grab one of the high-end video capture card for less than 100US$, and audio card for about 50US$ - very well invested money IMHO!
After you have bought both card, start a thread about audio and video capture technique, I'll be happy to help you then.
I should finish The Arrival first; plus, I have not all the needed sources for MM2, and kk650 did a good job with his regrading.
Nope... sorry, too much important projects before, and, as it is more an "hobby project", it has low priority... I SHOULD finish at least the projects based on movies that I have announced here, but I'm pretty confident to do them a lot quicker, now that I have almost the needed audio/video sources... so, a LOT of patience is needed, because you have to wait - how much, frankly, I don't know now; at least, during the last months, I discovered how to author a BD with menu, so completion is possible now, and I don't hyde the chance that a day I wake up with the idea to complete it in three days... you know, I'm a bit mad sometime (sometime?!?)
Nooo... a BD-50... I should break my piggy bank now! (^^,)
You know I'd like to have two BD-25 instead one BD-50, but it's your project and it's up to you; so, if you will release in on a BD-50 anyway, just fill the disc with every possible audio tracks!!!
Hint: never done a BD-50 before, but could be useful to do the main features in two .m2ts files, the first to be a little smaller than one BD layer; this should avoid eventual lag when the laser passes from a layer to the other - a thing sometimes noticeable on DVD9, don't know if it is the same with BD-50, but I'd prefer to stay on the safe side anyway!
I should study a more relaxed schedule... I have so many projects in the drawer, that I think when I'll finish to upload them I'll find myself an old grumpy man - older and grumpier than now, anyway! (^^,)
OK, they are in the list, I'll update this thread with further info when it will be the time.
kk650, DoomBot; thanks to your feedbacks on The Arrival project, I think I'll should test these final settings (or similar) even for this project.. but Waterworld shout wait a bit, though...
Thanks kk650, happy you like it!
DoomBot, actually my old pc is not warm, is literally on fire! After I can't remember how many weeks switched on, indeed he should rest for at least half a day... after I finished this very project, maybe! (-^,)
Well, now I'm pretty tired - ok, just 1:30 a.m. but I'm getting old... the most important thing is that the last setting has now THE general consensus - as the others members involved in this thread wrote nothing, it means they agree, I presume... so tomorrow I'll try to put audio tracks in sync... stay tuned for further updates!
Still waiting the final word from kk650, though...
Thanks guys for the feedbacks!
Here you are a 30s 99MB test clip, as requested; if, after you have seen that, you all agree it's good enough, I'll use these settings for the final release.
There will be ALWAYS some crush, unless the BD contrast level is left untouched... the fact is, untouched BD is not that good... now, we must find a right compromise, that's it, or leave the BD "as is" and just add grain (and eventually make a very fine color correction, but not touching contrast)...
Here you are my final2 attempt:
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/84959
below this level, image seems too "foggy" for my tastes! (^^,)
Let me know what do you think of the sample script; then, if you will not like it, I'll try fix the contrast issue - I could also merge the BD contrast level, but regraded, with the last settings...
I made a test clip; left BD, right latest UNTOUCHED settings (373MB, no sound), just to have an idea how these settings look in motion, with a direct comparison.
Plus, here you are the new screenshots comparisons:
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/84940
@thegroovologist: thanks for your inputs; they helped me to change my mind - that was not "set in the stone" yet, as confirmed by the latest settings
@DoomBot: you should know me... (^^,)
@kk650: I do know that sometimes blacks are a bit crushed, but as I'm using a script implementing a technique similar to HDR, I can't find a right contrast setting that could satisfy me... when the blacks are not crushed, the image looks too washed out...
I'm pretty sure it's quite impossible to avoid some crushed blacks and clipping whites, if one would like to obtain a satisfactory overall contrast level - due to the original level of the untouched BD...
It's a sort of trade-off, a compromise, where the actual settings are good enough (IMHO of course) for the most part of the overall picture, throughout the whole movie, plus it's a lot better than the untouched BD... the eventual crushed blacks will be "casualties of war", the clipping whites "necessary sacrifices" (^^,)
I took more than a deep breath... (^^,)
Well, you know what? Time to put the whole OLD settings apart (not discard, as could be useful maybe for another future project)...
Then, I was alone with the NEW settings... and, while I liked it, there was something missing, still can't imagine what... so, I tinkered with contrast and saturation, but still not completely satisfied... at the end, I tried one of my own old filters to add some "life" to it, and it seems now it's as good as I'd like to be...
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/84889
(post #2 updated with it as well)
Opinions? If you would like to see other comparison, please let me know three frames by the previous one.
Or, a small clip (30s) could do...
Interest arises... so, green light! (but be patient... a lot!)
Wow, here I am with the NINE screenshots comparison:
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/84855
I have mixed feelings about them... some are perfect, some could work - as the original BD grading (after contrast fix), others seems a bit too cold... don't know, maybe I should apply the NEW settings and see how they look like, or leave all the color grading alone, and just fix contrast and apply grain...
HELP!!!
Got it; but you have to wait... around two hours, as now I discovered there is an horror movie I haven't watched yet... I know, TV is for old dinosarus, but I am an old dinosaur, so... (^^,)
BD Vs OLD or OLD Vs NEW?!?
Shoot the frame numbers or h:mm:ss and I'll do it immediately!
So, have I the green light for the OLD settings?!?