spoRv

Yes, I heard about it...

Well, IF it will be 1.66:1, with the right color grading and right soundtrack, it's fine!

If the color grading isn't right, we could fix it; if the soundtrack isn't right, we could replace it; if the cropping isn't right... well, if it has more info at sides, we could crop it! (^^,)

Just a bit more than two months: I think we could wait, and strongly hope it will receive THE right HD treatment.

Asaki said:

Is that anti-aliasing in the video, or is that just from scaling down the image?

no, it's just the downscale... request the clip you'd like to watch CM'ed (1 minute long at max) and I'll render it ASAP.

Yes, I agree that the THX DVD colors are really wonderful!

But I must admit that, if I didn't know of its existence, the 35th BD could seem to have a very good color grading - indeed, it has that "real look" that's good, but it's not the right one for the movie... and, it's not the total color mess that is "The Matrix"; infact, quite a lot scenes are really close, color wise, between the two versions. I felt to write this out because the 35th BD is a really good version, but the THX DVD is better, IMHO, in respect to the color grading.

So, I hope to bring the "best of both world" with this project!

...another flaw... (^^,) yes, it's my fault, I mistyped it on TSmuxer... but you know, I'm getting old, and sight is not the same of the time I was young...

about subtitles quality, it seems that they are upscaled from 720x480 - as they imported them from the ones made for DVD... don't know exactly if it's true, I'm not the subtitle man, you are!

Changing topic...

SOUNDTRACKS!

if someone has the german soundtrack, I would like to know if wants to share it, as it will be included in the next version instead of the four commentary.

plus, I remember, IIRC, that the DVD (and LD) soundtrack (the english one, at least) is different from the BD; is it confirmed?

WARNING! I'm pretty sure the file on rutracker is a re-encoded version! Infact, it's X264, while the original, AFAIK, was mpeg2.

UPDATE: FIRST TEST CLIP

actual image of the first ColourMatch test - top, CM'ed BD, bottom, THX DVD:

the comparison test clip (Blu-ray, DVD, ColourMatch, ColourLikeFBF) could be downloaded here (23.5MB, full HD, no sound):

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q6ew7x

ColourMatch is the best, even if not perfect is a vast improvement over the BD, towards the THX DVD color grading.

ask for another shot - max 1 minute - and I'll render it ASAP; try to choose a problematic one!

I think it's the same I was talking about into post #72; are you able to transfer it on PC?

Well, the less filtered clip should be the ideal choice... I should test further, though... I don't want to let my PC on for a week, processing the video using the wrong script... (^^,)

LATEST TEST CLIPS

Here you are the latest test clips (20MB each, no sound):

no dnr - bicubic resize: http://www.sendspace.com/file/754x9v

less dnr - magicup resize: http://www.sendspace.com/file/1sy2wd

more dnr - magicup resize: http://www.sendspace.com/file/v1fihh

So, a color regrading is necessary in every case, right?

Blur-ay... good joke! (^^,)

Hello, glad to hear you again! Your opinions matter, as usual, and you and other person made me think about this preservation, and I want to share with you all my thought about it.

To preserve "The Matrix" color grading perfectly, using the BD as video source, and the DVD as color reference, is impossible, as there are contrast/brightness problems in a lot of scene that actually could be not recovered to be exactly the same as in the DVD.

Anyway, if someone has a (lot of) patience and time to spend on this project, I think that actually could be possible to color regrading perfectly about 95% of the scenes, doing it scene by scene, shot by shot; for the others - the ones with contrast/brightness problems - the color matching will be partial, as the color grading process in not only about chroma, but luma too... so, those scenes could be similar to the DVD, but they will never be perfectly identical.

But, as I wrote before, I have not time nor patience to devote a year or two to this task - until the Wachowskis will decide to pay me to do it... (^^,)

So, to me, there are other practical way to accomplish the mission better than what I did:

1. Upscaling the whole DVD: while this could seem the worst solution, it will be 100% color wise accurate - of course, and it will look (almost always) better than a "on the fly" upconversion done by a TV or computer.
2. Using the BD luma, and colourmatch'ed BD chroma; this solution should avoid artifacts, but color wise will not be so close to the DVD, color wise; but at the end color grading will be WAY better than DVD.
3. Using the BD as main video source, and HDTV as color reference, should avoid some imperfections in the color matching process; plus, it will be possible to use the superior quality of the HDTV, instead of upscaled DVD, for those scenes that need to be replaced.

I think the first solution has perfect color matching but not so good resolution; second has the best resolution with not so good color regrading; hopefully, third will be the best compromise, with the most scenes with resolution intact (and the replaced ones with better quality than upscaled DVD) and color grading should produce less, if any, artifacts, remaining as close to the color reference as possible...

Further tests are needed, as always. Opinions are welcome!

...don't know... even if I'm really happy with what I have achieved until now, in particular lately using the HLD-X9 as source for my laserdisc captures, the result is exceptional thinking that the source is a "mere" laserdisc, but subpar in comparison to HD sources...

The idea of using the WOWOW source and another HDTV (or BD) to overlay the japanese subtitles is intriguing... about loss of quality, there will be some, but probably still lower than the BD mess, don't you think?

And, color wise, are the HDTV better than the BD?

Thanks to Jetrell for kindly providing the 1999 THX DVD iso file; without you, this project will be stucked...

Now, it's time to receive the other languages soundtrack files... anyone?

Hey, glad to hear you!

Yes, I remember our BTTF talks; I've just watched the clip, and you are right; NTSC has slightly more details on the left side; color wise, though, the PAL is not that bad, only too much "pinky" (^^,)

Please refresh my mind, as I'm too lazy to re-read the BTTF thread: where are they about preservation? I mean, IIRC the HDTV has less compression artefacts than the BD, so will it be used as main video source?

...my wife says TOO MUCH! (^^,)

But I like to do it, and it's a creative process... instead to be a couch potato, sitting in front of a big TV watching stupid television programs, I prefer to be a couch potato, sitting in front of a big TV - used as monitor - creating something interesting...

Usually, I spend about two/three hours a day; the least time is used for capture/rip; the most time to process, test, upload, receive feedbacks, reprocess, retest, reupload etc.

...and you?

You know what? Maybe you are right, and, if those HDTV scenes' colors are similar to DVD, maybe it's better to use them, instead the upscaled DVD scenes... a question: are the latter easily visible? I mean, could you discern, without direct comparison with the BD or DVD, which scene of the [spoRv] version is an upscaled DVD, and which is not? Just to know, I have great difficult to spot them, even if I did it and know where they are!

last attempt... http://www.sendspace.com/file/2hl7py

Just released, and just found the first bug... (--_)

You are right, it is there; as the artifacts last one frame each, and it's a fast moving shot, I simply didn't note them; obviously, this is not an excuse, but I was so tired to watch it for the Nth time; please, understand me... hope this will not ruin the whole experience - at least, it's better than GOUT's speeder shot, with the infamous "no legs" dude, and I'm pat my back myself, because I have not spent million$$$ to do it like GL...

Here you are the differences - screenshots of actual .m2ts file, zoomed in with MSpaint, PNG pictures (click for larger versions):

test clip 3 (4000kbps)

test clip 4 (16000kbps)

just for the sake of comparison, bicubic uncompressed:

Now, maybe the second image has a bit too much dnr; but the difference between it and the first could be seen perfectly when magnified; then, if it could not be seen in motion, at the native resolution, is another matter... (^^,)

A second opionion is welcome!

Here you are: http://www.sendspace.com/file/bm0k43 - 66.6MB...

(OO!) I WANT IT! RIGHT NOW! But, wait... on ebay it costs "only" 700+ euro... is out of question, for the moment and for the near future... (XX/)

poita, could you please reveal us how to perform the phase-inversion trick? Please...

I captured "Beauty and the Beast" with these settings:

• Y/C   : C-Wide (others are Normal and HR)
• 3D.Y/C: 2      (0 min, 8 max)
• 3D.YNR: 2      (0 min, 8 max)
• 3D.CNR: 2      (0 min, 8 max)

the result is quite good.

About comb filter: I tried everything I have at home (laserdisc composite and S-video out in combination with or without three different DVD recorder) but nothing gives me the quality I'm looking for...

The last resource will be the phase-inversion trick... poita, if you really had positive results, could you please explain how did you do it?

You know what? I watched the test clip on VirtualDub (uncompressed) and it was good; then, after you pointed out the faces looked waxy, I took a look at the compressed file, and indeed it looks awful... at the end, it was the high compression that gave that s***ty look! And I thought X264 @4000kbps could be good enough...

I just tested few seconds at 16000kbps, and it's just another story; it looks like almost as good as the uncompressed version... so, I'm encoding it right now, and it will be ready in less than an hour - bigger file, but more quality this time, I promise!

Thanks for the comment, Dr. M, I was waiting for your intervention! You are the expert here, and I'm glad you punctualize the fact that the original work has been changed not once, but twice, on BD... well, the idea to use the BD and color grading using the laserdisc as color reference was, well... just an idea!

I think I should stick with the original mission: to use the laserdisc as video source. But please, download the test clip and tell me what do you think about it; as the processing is really slow, I must receive some feedbacks before I start the processing - I could not let my poor PC work for a week, discovering at the end that the result is not good enough... (^^,)

Here you are the test clip (the same I posted into my projects thread) - I repost here because I'd like to receive some feedbacks (17MB, with sound):

http://www.sendspace.com/file/92dksk

Probably the project will be futile, as the new Robocop BD is announced for the next January... will it be 1.66:1? will the color grading be right? will the soundtrack be right?

You know, there were so many wrong releases lately, that I will be sure the BD is made right only when someone will review it positively (someone who is trusted, like one member of this forum)...

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for your opinions.