Project Info
Despite having a lovely restored transfer on DVD, Brides of Dracula has been unable to be brought to BD in equal quality. In a shockingly tragic turn of events, the restored master burned in a Universal. As a result, all BD releases stem from an earlier master, possibly dating back to the LD era.

Aside from having dark, magenta-shifted color timing and enough EE to make the grain turn into noise, the original UK BD (as well as the subsequent Australian and US BDs) were cropped to the incorrect aspect ratio of 2.00. The film, generally recognized as being theatrically presented in either 1.75 or 1.66 (the ratio of the DVD release), was never meant to be cropped this way. However, the DE BD presented the film in 1.78, closer to the correct ratio; unfortunately, it still used the same dark, magenta-tinted, EE-wrought master.

This custom release attempts to address most of the issues baked into the master. Fortunately, color correction and a general increase in brightness bring the master much closer to the look of other Technicolor Hammer horror films; it is a close but not 100% emulation of the restored Universal DVD, which was not absolutely perfect itself. In an attempt to mitigate the EE and noise, the picture has also been slightly softened; the picture has been cropped to 1.66, bringing it to its correct aspect ratio, albeit slightly zoomed (in a similar way that 35mm prints may have been.) The final result looks quite similar to the restored UK master of its predecessor, Dracula '58.

Because I realize the softening of the picture and the cropping to 1.66 might be slightly controversial, I am also making available a Purist Edition, which keeps the 1.78 aspect ratio and leaves the EE and noise, as they are. The color grading and brightness boost is the same between the two releases.

The commercial UK BD is encoded at 24fps, an unusual format which causes issues with some Blu-Ray players; this custom BD has been normalized to 23.976fps, with the audio tracks having been slightly resynced (without any pitch shift) to fit.

Video

• DE BD - color-corrected, cropped to correct ratio, and slightly softened to mitigate EE.
  

• 2.0 LPCM English Audio
  

Project Info
Despite being restored by the BFI, Dracula's UK Blu-Ray release has been met with no small amount of controversy. The image is a lot cooler and darker than previous releases.

Using the recently recovered Japanese 35mm reels and the trailer as a rough reference, it seems that the color timing was indeed incorrect but actually closer than previous home video releases. In this vein, this preservation removes the worst of the blue cast, restoring flesh tones to a natural hue, and also brightens the image, which looked unnaturally dim. However, this does not emulate the color timing of the WB US DVD master, which is far too warm and magenta, looking to have been also taken from a low-contrast interpositive, ruining the mood of the original photography. 

The commercial UK BD is encoded at 24fps, an unusual format which causes issues with some Blu-Ray players; this custom BD has been normalized to 23.976fps, with the audio tracks having been slightly resynced (without any pitch shift) to fit.

Video

• UK BD - color-corrected to remove blue cast and brightened
  

• 2.0 LPCM English Audio
  
• 2.0 LPCM Commentary
  

I've completed a composite version of the RIC in 720p. I have built 5.1 audio for the new scenes that were only ever in stereo or more likely mono on the broadcast. The original release of the RIC has a low bitrate ac3 file, so 5.1 DTSHD-MA is a marked step up.

If anyone with a surround sound set up would like a preview and can offer feedback on the mix, let me know. I only have stereo speakers, so I would like a second opinion before I release the edit to the masses.

Does anyone have experience with capturing u-matic tapes? I have some stuff that I really need to have captured and am looking into the various ways of doing that.

I've been capturing my EPK's from Betacam SP, which is much, much simpler.

With U-matic, you have the question of high-band or low-band and the machines/tapes are much more of a PITA. I don't know anything about baking either, to try and get the footage off the tapes one last time.

Does anyone have any suggestions of places that do capturing? Would really appreciate any suggestions...

jasonwc wrote in this post on Doom9 forum:' Wrote:I did some more testing and I figured out why I thought the delay was 24 ms while others said it was 21ms. We're both right. We were just counting differently. I assumed that if you simply calculated the difference in length between the DTS-HD MA --> WAV output and the Source PCM output, you would find the delay, since I assumed it was just added that number of samples of digital silence to the beginning of the track.

In fact, it seems more complicated but the bottom line is that the delay information is contained in the "Codec delay" tag which can be found in the DTS-HD MA header, readable by DTS-HD Streamtools. All BD sourced DTS-HD MA tracks lack this tag, and therefore decode properly with no delay. "Raw" DTS-HD MA files created with MAS have a Codec Delay of 1024 samples. A DTS frame is 512 samples, so the delay is always 2 DTS frames, or 21.33ms (assuming 48 Khz source). eac3to need merely read the DTS-HD MA header to properly decode the track. Unfortunately the Arcsoft DTS decoder does not strip the first 2 DTS frames as instructed by the header. In contrast, DTS Streamplayer does. Thus, eac3to ought to either read the DTS-HD MA header to detect the codec delay, or, if that is not possible, simply strip the first 2 DTS frames from any raw DTS-HD MA track.


I tested this way using eac3to 3.24 - Source (TrueHD) ---> WAVS ---> DTS-HD MA ---> WAVS
I compared the Center channel mono-wavs.

Original Source: 54:09.288 (155965840 samples)
DTS-HD MA --> WAV: 54:09.312 (155966976 samples)

Difference: 1136 Samples / 48,000 Samples/sec = 23.666 ms

I checked the length/# of samples in foobar2000 and Adobe Audition, and they matched. The DTS-HD MA --> WAV track is 23.666 ms longer than the source WAV.

However, when I checked the actual audio delay in Adobe Audition, I found the delay was actually only 21.35 ms.

Attached I have posted an Adobe Audition screenshot with 4 WAVs compared side-by-side. See
[url=http://img823.imageshack.us/i/audition5.png/][/url]

Wave 1: Source (TrueHD --> WAVS)
Wave 2: DTS-HD MA --> WAVS with -20ms delay
Wave 3: DTS-HD MA --> WAVS with -21ms delay
Wave 4: DTS-HD MA --> WAVS with -22 ms delay

The closest match is Wave3 (-21ms). However, the -21ms sample still appears to be behind by 0.35ms. I calculated this in two ways. First, I calculated the delay visually and saw that the difference was approximately 10:41.777 seconds - 10:41.77665 seconds, which is 0.00035 seconds, or 3.5 ms. I also counted the number of audio samples within the selection and found 17 (18 appear highlighted, but that's because Audition doesn't allow you to precisely select, and it went a bit too far to the right).

17 samples / 48,000 samples/sec = 0.354 ms
Total Delay = 21.35 ms

Thus, it appears that raw DTS-HD MA tracks encoded with the DTS-HD Master Audio Suite (Version 2.50.20) when decoded in eac3to using the Arcsoft DTS decoder, have an additional 23.66 ms in length, but only have a positive delay of 21.35 ms. I have no idea what is going on with the additional 2.3 ms of samples.

Both jj666 and I were able to replicate the same results using a source THD from the Dexter S04 BDs.

Source ---> WAVS ---> DTS-HD MA (MAS Encoder) ---> WAVS

DTS-HD MA WAVS v. Source WAVS:
Additional 23.66 ms in Length
Positive delay of 21.35 ms (appx)

As a DTS frame is 10.666 ms, it appears we were right that the delay is exactly 2 DTS frames, or 21.33 ms.

But it turns out all this testing was unnecessary. Here's the relevant portion of the DTS-HD MA header:

...

Source Samples : 155965840
Sample Rate : 48000Hz
Samples Per Frame : 512
Codec Delay : 1024
...

In other words, the delay can be calculated simply by reading the DTS-HD MA header, and from what we've seen it should always be exactly 2 DTS frames.

1024 samples / 48,000 samples/sec = 21.33 ms delay

So, all eac3to has to do is to read the DTS-HD MA header. DTS-HD MA tracks sourced from Blu-Rays do not have a "Codec Delay" tag in the header, and thus are decoded properly. In contrast, raw DTS-HD MA files produced with MAS do have such a header, and appear to always add a delay of 1024 PCM samples/2 DTS frames. The DTS Streamplayer reads the header and outputs accordingly. Arcsoft does not head the delay info, explaining the 21.33 ms delay in eac3to.

In keeping with both spoRv and Koopa Luath, I'm starting my own unofficial line of custom Blu-Ray releases. I've retroactively added the ones already released to this line. 

TAF Restored Masters (TRM) aims to fix releases of Blu-Rays that are problematic due to incorrect color timing, DNR, and/or other problems, creating Restored Masters. In addition, TRM also provides Reconstructions for alternate cuts of films, using as much HD footage as possible to create a higher quality presentation than currently available; in many instances, an inferior cut, widely available on BD, was used as a source.

As has already become evident, TRM tends to focus on older films, pre-1980 that wouldn't normally get as much attention 'round these parts. A lot of films restored here are from the 1940s to the 1960s, which tends to be outside the purview of most preservationists here. This is by no means a strict policy: there are exceptions (eg. Reservoir Dogs, Star Wars: Episode II), of course, if a particular modern title is in need of help.

Available Now:

• TRM001: Psycho (1960): Uncut Reconstruction - December 28, 2016
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1214.html https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Psycho-Blu-ray/221564/
   
  
• TRM002: Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones (2002): IMAX Cut Reconstruction - January 11, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1243.html
   
  
• TRM003: Journey into Fear (1943): Preview Cut Reconstruction - January 12, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1245.html 
   
  
• TRM004: Trainspotting (1996): Uncut Reconstruction - January 15, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1011.html
   
  
• TRM005: Peeping Tom (1960): Restored UK Master - May 24, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1463.html
   
  
• TRM006: Zulu (1964): Restored UK Master - May 24, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1462.html
   
  
• TRM007: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964): Restored US Master - June 8, 2017 
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1536.html
   
  
• TRM008: Le Samourai (1967): Restored FR Master - June 8, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1464.html https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Le-Samour...ray/79910/
   
  
• TRM009: Dracula (1958): Restored UK Master - June 8, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1534.html https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Horror-of...ray/43453/
  
  
• TRM010: Brides of Dracula (1960): Restored DE Master [1.66]- June 9, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1535.html 
   
  
• TRM011: Brides of Dracula (1960): Restored DE Master [Purist Edition - 1.78] - June 9, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1535.html 
  
  
• TRM012: Curse of Frankenstein (1957): Restored UK Master - June 9, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1558.html
   
  
• TRM013: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969): Restored US Master - June 12, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1560.html 
  

• TRM014: The Exorcist (1973): Theatrical Cut Reconstruction - June 17, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1586.html 
  

• TRM015: Reservoir Dogs (1992): Tarantino's 35mm Reconstruction - June 18, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1461.html  
   
  
• TRM016: Reservoir Dogs (1992): Open Matte Premiere Reconstruction - June 18, 2017
  https://fanrestore.com/thread-1461-post-...l#pid30910
  

• TRM017: Mr. Arkadin (1962): Corinth Cut Reconstruction - May 2020
  

• TRM018: Mr. Arkadin (1962): US Cut Reconstruction - May 2020
  

• TRM019: Possession (1981): US Cut Reconstruction - May 2020
  

• TRM020: The Third Man (1949): US Cut Reconstruction - ?
  

Aim: To provide the original cut of The Warriors in full HD.

Release Format: MKV, Blu Ray compliant x264 encode, 8.6GB

Video Source: High quality HDTV cap (1080i MPEG2, Broadcast on Film4 HD), NetFlix HD cap (1080p). Synced to US R1 DVD

Audio Source: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192kb/s) From US R1 DVD

Both sources share the same HD master but the HDTV does a better job of preserving detail and grain whilst the NetFlix cap is more filtered and 'smooth'. Where frames are missing from the HDTV broadcast (at commercial breaks) they are replaced by the NetFlix cap. The notorious 'spotlight' shot (<1 sec) is an upscale from the original DVD as all HD versions have been irreversibly overexposed. The Paramount opening logos are repeated after the end credits to maintain sync with the DVD.

No processing has been applied to the video file apart from the necessary standards conversions for editing/encoding. For this project I adopted a CRF approach to the final encode, whilst the file may seem small it is essentially transparent to the source material.

Uploaded to MEGA. Please PM for links, feedback is appreciated. Available to active members of the forum only.

https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comm..._marathon/

On May 29, Comedy Central will be airing a marathon of Scrubs episodes. (Possibly more after the marathon as well??) The clips of the show used in the promo for the marathon were in widescreen, leading me to believe these episodes will be broadcast that way. Scrubs was one of those shows that was framed for 4:3 broadcast, but protected for the widescreen format. The clips from the promos appeared to have the frames opened up horizontally.

The only seasons currently available in widescreen (as far as I know) are Season 8 and 9.

My question is... Is anyone out there capable of (or even interested in) capturing these episodes? Ordinarily I would not ask, but I don't have the technological capabilities to do so myself.

EDIT: If this is not in the correct thread I do apologize!

Thus far, the U.S. of A. has 12 locations confirmed for 70mm presentation of Christopher Nolan's new film, Dunkirk:

• AMC Universal CityWalk IMAX (Los Angeles, CA) IMAX 15/70
• AMC CityPlace 20 (West Palm Beach, FL)
• The Somerville Theatre (MA)
• Willow Creek (Plymouth, MN)
• The Hollywood Theatre (Portland, OR)
• Virginia Theater (Champaign IL)
• The Music Box Theater (Chicago, IL)
• Lincoln Square Cinemas (Bellevue, WA)
• Grand Lake (Oakland, CA)
• Seattle Cinerama (Seattle, WA)
• Esquire IMAX (Sacramento, California) IMAX 15/70
• Colorado Center (__) IMAX 15/70

Locations confirmed for Europe:

• Arcadia Cinema, Melzo-Milan
• ASTOR Grand Cinema, Hannover
• BFI IMAX (London) IMAX 15/70
• Imperial Bio, Copenhagen
• Lichtburg, Essen
• Odeon Leicester Sq. (London)
• Savoy, Hamburg,
• Schauburg Cinerama, Karlsruhe
• Zoo Palast, Berlin

Locations confirmed for Australia:

• The Sun Theater, Yarraville
• IMAX Melbourne

There may be more to come, I'll keep this forum posted as I learn of more. I'm especially interested to know if Opry Mills in Nashville is going to play it in 15/70.

Hi!

Found your forum via another guy who posted some links of the Alien Fundamental-Movies (offline... ;-)!
Like all of you i like movies and especially following interesting projects with edited versions of our favourite movies.

I highly respect the people who have the skills to do these magic things and even more if they make their work public.

Best regards