Lines (blocks) from a jumbotron screen

[Chief Mouse]

I realise they probably can't be removed since they are static on the image on the screen but is there any way to at least reduce them?

I attached a sample video. Any help would be appreciated!

[Cornucopia]

True "jumbotron" displays are/were videowall compilations of individual (usually direct LED, though occasionally backlit LCDs, or even old stitched CRTs) mini-panels, and it is very likely that what you are showing/describing are a combination of the seams between the panels and lighting/backlighting unevenness, including uncalibrated & non-coordinated dynamic contrast.
Throw in some program-dependent heavy compression, blockiness, and bad scaling, and that's about what it might look like.

Scott

[KarMa]

Also looks like the jumbotron picture was interlaced, as there seems to be two separate fields, making the picture even worse as there is no way to separate them.

[Chief Mouse]

It's a video taken it 1986, so it does look arse. I think there can only be a spatial solution. Large amounts of 2D Comb in virtualdub seem to help ever so slightly but it's hardly noticeable. Wasn't too pleased with Dehalo_Alpha since it strips away any remaining actual detail as well.

[pandy]

You could apply (proper software required) mask that unify luminance - first stabilize video then average bright frames, based on averaged frame create inverted luminance mask, apply to target. Advanced NLE should be capable to perform such operation alternatively manually frame by frame but i assume you are not so desperate...
Compensation of luminance in stitched displays is common procedure usually performed automatically with camera in a form of closed loop (can be even in real time if required).

My personal opinion is that you should allow history to be imperfect... Freddy is one of greatest and distortions are irrelevant.

[johnmeyer]

I'm pretty sure those artifacts were not in the original video taken from the jumbotron. Instead they look like artifacts from compressing the video at a very low bitrate. They are much too large to be the light bulbs in the big-screen display, and also they do not line up in the same location on the screen as the camera moves but instead line up in the same place relative the edge of the frame.

So, if you want to try improving this, look at applying some sort of standard de-blocking algorithms. There are many to choose from (e.g., QED), but unfortunately, I've never found any that work very well.

A better use of your time would be to keep looking around for a better source of this same video that is generationally closer to the original.