Converting & digitising

[deepu]

how come film-makers come out BLU-RAY and DVD version of their movies as old as 25 years ago & even more.

How do they digitise the picture quality since that age when movie came was like stone age for movies as there were those filthy VHS tapes and no word like digital ever existed in those days.

take eg. of movie THE TERMINATOR 1, how come the makers come up with BLU-RAY version, since in those days there were no HD cameras or something.

with what softwares or hardware they do the conversion, whats their technique, plz tell me the software name so that i can convert my movies in to HD like them. i have tried many converters but they only convert the format but dont bring any clarity.

plz tell me im dying to get the answer

[redwudz]

I'm guessing they are working from the 35mm file negatives or the film itself. Probably adding some image filtering and re-doing the audio. Of course the main reason for them doing this is to squeeze a few more dollars out of the film. But many times the Blu-ray version is a vast improvement over the DVD or especially the VHS version. They also have room to put in plenty of extras and that also helps to sell the BD version.

And welcome to our forums.

[guns1inger]

Film is far better than HD, as as it is analogue, does not have resolution limitations. Film is digitised at a minimum of 2000 x 2000 pixels for Bluray transfer, and can be as high as 4000. It is then processed through very expensive hardware, and in the case of things like the James Bond series, hand fixed to remove scratches and marks. The audio might be automatically remix, or hand restored and rebuilt into a multi-channel HD track.

A transfer of a movie to Bluray, including restoration, costs into the millions. You don't have the source material to do transfer like this, and if you have VHS source, then you are deluded if you think you will get even remorely close.

[deepu]

i get some idea, but can u elaborate it a bit or provide me link of some site related to such software hardware or tutorial based on this subject as i m keenly interested in knowing about this.

plz do tell about software used by SONY PICTURES, FOX and others for such conversion.

i have an idea that they do audio mixing may be with DOLBY's equipments never seen before.

kindly do tell about VIDEO digitising and how it works

[guns1inger]

Some starter reading :

http://digitalcontentproducer.com/mil/features/video_real_deal_2/
http://www.lowrydigital.com/restoration.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_preservation
http://www.hs-art.com/
http://www.digitalfilmrestoration.net/
http://www.broadcastpapers.com/whitepapers/da_Vinci_Revival%20White%20Paper_%20DigFilm...FCEF7E35DE31B5

[filmboss80]

Deepu, Deepu...

It is time to learn all you can about the magic and wonder of celluloid acetate motion picture film. You can actually hold it in your hand and see each and every frame shot with the naked eye.

The commercial films of the past were shot this way. (Many still are, although the editing process is much different now.) Film offers even higher resolution than HD. That's why it projects so well on the large movie theater screen. (Most movies that are shot digitally today are still scanned onto film after editing for projection in the theaters.)

I have decades-old motion picture films in my archives that have held up better than videocassettes from 15 to 20 years back. A film source, no matter how old, can be re-digitized on whatever new video media is coming out, both now and in the future.

These days, movie studios are migrating away from film and shooting more and more with digital cameras, although 35mm film remains a widely used acquisition format. The film is then digitized using VERY expensive hardware, then usually edited on Avid systems. The output depends on the final exhibition target. If it is for the cinema, the finished digital 2K or 4K footage is usually scanned back to motion picture film.

If there is an important project that needs long-term archiving, I will still shoot on film (16mm, not 35mm, since my projects are non-theatrical). I just recently did a new digital transfer of some old footage, reframing each shot to properly fit 16:9 widescreen TVs. The source still looked terrific.

[deepu]

sir u just said u digitised ur movie from vhs to fit on 16:9 tv, what hardware or software u used? u told that they use expensive hardware tell me their respective names first and how do they function?

i have found a few, but they are not available for downloading, so plz tell me any closest alternatives which incorporate such features and are available for public use?

thank very much

[16mmJunkie]

sir u just said u digitised ur movie from vhs to fit on 16:9 tv, what hardware or software u used? u told that they use expensive hardware tell me their respective names first and how do they function?

i have found a few, but they are not available for downloading, so plz tell me any closest alternatives which incorporate such features and are available for public use?

thank very much

The links supplied above have the additional links and information that you search for. Just take the time and read those provided(Wikipedia itself has numerous links at the bottom). And welcome to the forum.



If the Light ain't Bright, It ain't Right!!

[guns1inger]

VHS to 16:9 DVD you need

A good SVHS deck, a time base corrector, a good quality capture card, HDD space, virtualdub or avisynth experience, HCEnc, and authoring tool and Imgburn.

You also need to spend a lot of time reading through the Restoration forum

[filmboss80]

sir u just said u digitised ur movie from vhs to fit on 16:9 tv, what hardware or software u used? u told that they use expensive hardware tell me their respective names first and how do they function?

i have found a few, but they are not available for downloading, so plz tell me any closest alternatives which incorporate such features and are available for public use?

thank very much

What? Are you talking about my post? I NEVER mentioned VHS. I reconfigured 16mm motion picture footage for 16:9. Do you understand what motion picture footage is? (What do you think they project in cinemas?) Film is not anything near VHS, which is a magnetic video medium.

VHS has bad resolution to start with. I wouldn't waste my time reconfiguring VHS to 16:9 unless I absolutely had to. In that case, it could be done with VirtualDub or Avisynth.

[deepu]

sir, which authoring tool and capture card shud i use

what is SVHS DECK and time base corrector?

[guns1inger]

How about you spend a little time with Google, and reading the sticky posts in the restoration forum, and do a little research yourself.

But understand that a VHS source is never going to look as good a a DVD taken from film source or higher quality tape sources. You can clean it up and make it look better than your tape does, if you have patience, but you have to be realistic about what you are going to end up with.

And if you don't start putting a little effort into this from your end, people will stop answering your questions. If you really don't want to put any time into this yourself, you are better off finding a service to do the transfer for you.