It happens I have both versions (MPEG2 and AVC "remastered") BDs, but I bought them when I had no HDTV, so they remained unseen - until today!

So, which I should watch first?

MPEG2 BD was the winner... what I can say? IT... IS... GORGEOUS!!! To anyone who says the contrary, or that MPEG2 is simply not capable to deliver stunning picture at medium (20mbps) bitrate, just watch it (again, if necessary)!

This version of the movie is wonderful; no sign of compression artifacts, natural colors, grain was never excessive (apart in few instances, four or five shots, for a total of maybe a dozen second, where it was really excessive, like if 16mm - or even 8mm - film was used for those shots...

Is it perfect? Well, apart those shots, yes...

So, what's about AVC version? I started to watch it just the moment I finished the other, and I was disappointed... not because the AVC was really really bad - it is not - but in comparison, it's really REALLY waxy, less detailed, lacks a sort of tridimensionality that was present in the MPEG2... maybe because it lacks grain, or it's DNRed to death, or both... even those brief shots with excessive grain were better than the waxy AVC versions... I must admit I haven't watched it all, but I played all the first part until the helicopter scene, then I started to skip scenes here and there.

At the end, I'm happy to have both, just because the AVC has the bonus material and more audio options, and *maybe* the AVC color grading is the *right* one - according to something I read on some forums months ago, so *at least* it could be useful to be used as color reference for a restoration project... probably it's also due to the fact I paid them €4 each!

I made a custom BD of RotLA.  It is sourced from the WOWOW broadcast but uses another broadcast encoded from the same master to remove the logo and the Japanese subtitles.  I also replaced a few frames that the WOWOW was missing before the close-up of the snake in the Well of Souls.  The custom BD is synchronized to the official one, so people should be able to mux in whatever dub tracks they want.

Details
BD-50
PCM from the LD
DTS-HD MA (from the official BD)
various subtitles
I made this for my own use because I like the color-timing of the WOWOW broadcast.  (Please don't argue about the color-timing in this thread.)  I sent it to a few friends, and to my surprise, there has been a fair amount of interest.  Andrea forced me at gunpoint to post a thread about it here, so here it is.
PM me (preferably on ot.com) if you are interested.

Thanks
Andrea
Booshman
msycamore
PDB
The Aluminum Falcon

Please do not:

pass on my links;
remux my releases;
re-encode my releases.

As many of you know, few months ago my 55' HDTV died; it was a great direct LED backlight LCD; today, it's almost impossible to find one with the same technology - not under around 3000€... and, used one are disappeared from the market... I searched a lot, here and there, and nothing... the few ones I found were all sold!

OK, so I tought about plasma - quite the same situation; no new ones under the same price, and good used ones are quite pricey...

So, I felt the "urge" to buy a non-direct LED TV - an edge LED backlight LCD - because, at the same size, prices starts from 600€; few days ago a whopping 25% discount, just for a day, convinced me to go to the store and I said myself: "it's time to come back with a new TV"... but, when I was there, all the cheap models were really ugly, with all the problems one could spot on an LCD TV... only the top models were good, and still not as good as a direct LED - I must admit I was too used to my TV, so I found all sort of problems... I repeated myself: "you have to live with these problems, if you want an HDTV that big AND spend not too much..."

But, again, spending 600€ - 450€ with the discount - for an entry level 55' edge LED was not a great deal, in my opinion... and I couldn't afford much more than this... I also thought to go for a smaller size, that, at the same price, could be better; they were indeed better, but always... don't know... not good enough... I know, I am a sorta "permanent discontent" for this kind of things... also, almost all have that "stupid" tiny stand that will SURELY not be enough to fight with my cats, plus the SDTV (yes, we watch it, too) is really ugly...

Then, I started to read an audio-video Italian forum, on the HDTV section, and (re)discovered that Panasonic made the only 42' plasma HDTV... so, I thought: "well, we (me and my brain) could like with it for a while, until we (me, as my brain never pay anything) could afford a bigger/better/(put your superlative here)"

Searching for an used one (because new were not available since months ago) and all of them were around 300/400€, many hundred kms away, while the HDready (1366x768, or, worst, 1024x768) were available for not less than 150€, when... hey, this *seems* an HDTV model... but it CAN'T be, at 125€... let's phone the guy, to know more about it...

-Hello, I'm interested in your TV, what model is it?
-Dunno, I'm away home, I'll let you know in few hours...
-Can you say something more about it?
-Well, I bought brand new in 2009 for 2000€ $) I used for few hours a day and it's in a very good condition...
-Does it have the DVB, right?
-Well, no... or, better, dunno...
(mmh, bad sign, or simply he doesn't know?)
-OK, let me know the model...

Few hours later, I was aware of the model, but strangely really few info were available on the net... it *seemed* a rebadged version of another HDTV good model, but it *can* also be another lower HDready one... so, after (literally) have spent all the last night searching for info, I said myself: "what the heck, it cost a fraction of the original price, and I could afford the risk..."

Took the car, made a long trip (300km back and forth, still half the way of the ones which cost three times) and finally was at the guy's home... it was huge (not really, "just a tiny" 42', but after few months forced to watch first 28' CRT and then for the last few weeks a small 14' CRT, it seemed really huge)... in very good condition, no burn-in, no retention, no dead pixels... I took the remote, and press some "magic keys" (that what's the guy said) and ta-dah! the lifespan of the TV comes out: 9400 (and something) hours, around 4hrs a day, so the guy was right... not bad, because those plasma TVs go down to 50% brightness in 100,000 hours, so now it's a bit more 95%... take a look in the rear, and the smart cam slot was here, so DVB was indeed present... time to pay "120€, is it OK?" - "OK... do you want the TV furniture as well?"

So, after have it "rest" for some hours - it was laid down on the back during the trip - I have switched it on, and with just low bitrate SDTV broadcast, it-is-won-der-ful!!! I can't wait to spend some hours with BD, DVD, PS3, PC etc.

The model is TH-D42PT84E, a rebadged TH-42PZ80E; it is the same, apart it has the lower front silver, instead black, and SRS tru-surround XT - indeed, audio is waaay better than any thin edge LED!

If you are curious, spend few minutes to read the review here: http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/panasonic...514109.htm
It's a perfect TV? Of course not; but for the price of few brand new movies on BD, I have a great HDTV, with better features than a lot of edge LED modern TVs... a smart move, I think... and, of course, I'm still looking for direct LED TV - if/when I'll find a suitable one, this Panasonic will remain with us, I think it's a great option to watch laserdiscs in a "vintage" way!

(if someone has read everything until here, could understand how much I'm excited about this... OK, it's not a life-changing event, but finally I'm able again to watch HD material, really important to check my own projects, too!)

As a fan of the Terminator series, I found this the most solid entry since T2 and entirely undeserving of the hate it's getting online.

Because, I wrote what almost amounted to an essay on originaltrilogy.com. Thought I'd just copy it verbatim:

A Defense of Terminator Genisys

I wholeheartedly agree with Cameron and Arnold that this is the "official" third movie in the franchise, being superior to Salvation and the utterly abysmal Terminator 3. Visually, it hearkens back to James Cameron's films. The opening war scene set near Skynet's time displacement machine is a great spectacle. It's fulfilling to witness the 2029 victory that has been talked about since the first movie. You can see why Cameron considered using it as the opening of T2. Thankfully, unlike Terminator 3, there is no hamfisted inclusion of the American flag, which entirely belittles the fact that this is the struggle of a united race to survive. Independence Day, this is not. Jason Clarke did a good job as the weary, messianic leader of the Human Resistance, much better than Christian "Batman voice" Bale or Nick "paintball gun" Stahl. I appreciated that they resisted the urge to throw in a wife. Having a partner humanizes John Connor, and, for reasons I'll expand on later, the character should not be humanized.

Once Reese travels back in time, he finds, as I assume most of you know, the 1984 world of the first Terminator with marked differences. The editing and effects are markedly improved from the promotional material. I was worried by a lot of amateurish cuts in the TV spots, but none of those are replicated in the actual movie. Similarly, I was impressed by how the CGI young Arnold looked. Though superior to the instances in Tron Legacy and Terminator Salvation, it's not perfect, but I daresay we're only about a decade away from photorealistic replication of actors. Overall, it was exciting to watch this new Terminator flick, especially since it didn't adhere to the tried formula without adding anything new (Terminator 3, I'm looking at you.). Except for the well-known SPOILER that John Connor had been converted to a Terminator, I didn't know what was coming next most of the time, and, for fear of ruining anyone experiencing it for the first time, I think I'll stop divulging plot details here.

Alan Taylor is admittedly no James Cameron when it comes to action and suspense, but his directing worked for the most part. He, without a doubt, trumps McG, whose movie contained baffling lapses in logic (open heart surgery in a post-apocalyptic wasteland?). The rather large budget shows, making it feel more epic and like an open world, unlike the cheap looking Terminator 3. Until the end, the film continues to feel like the spiritual successor to the Terminator and T2, visually continuing with a color Cameron-like palette, staying away from dwelling in warm colors (Terminator 3) and desaturated ones (Salvation.)

I think the main reason that Terminator Genisys works much better than Terminator 3 or Salvation is that it fits the criteria for a good sequel, expanding on the themes of the last installment and growing the characters to create an emotionally satisfying follow-up. Despite being a fantastic movie taken in a vacuum and one I personally love, Alien 3 is a prime example of an unfulfilling sequel. With Hicks and Newt so unceremoniously killed off, Ripley is regressed, going from lone survivor (Alien) to mother of makeshift family unit (Aliens) to lone survivor once more. The audience at least partially rejected Alien 3 because they, on a conscious or subconscious level, felt cheated. Alien 3 makes Aliens useless, as it renders the extensive character development there inconsequential.

Amazingly, Terminator 3 does the same thing as Alien 3 but even worse and without the benefit of being a good movie on its own. In a nutshell, The Terminator was about maintaining the world's destiny. Kyle Reese ensures that John Connor is born, and the T-800 inadvertently (as shown by T2) ensuring that Skynet is also likewise born. Brilliantly, T2 alludes that the future may be altered, taking to heart- John Connor's iconic message— “no fate but what we make.” The ending is wonderfully open-ended, not stating whether or not the events did make a difference. But, then Terminator 3 completely betrays this! In stating that Judgment Day is inevitable, it not only completely disregards the hope of T2 but also John Connor's iconic message. On the other hand, Terminator Genisys expands on the idea that the future may be changed, and Judgment Day may be stopped. It leaves open the possibility that preventing Skynet from rising is possible, albeit really complicated. Yet, as the mid-credits scene shows, Judgment Day may still come. Ambiguity is essential in this franchise, as James Cameron and the makers of Genisys understand.

A running sub-theme of T2 is that man is becoming more machine-like in the name of victory. Sarah Connor, with her knowledge of the horrible future, teeters close to the edge of Terminator-esque merciless efficiency. This is particularly highlighted in the scene where she tries to kill Miles Dyson. The picture of the future John Connor is an even bleaker one; in the once scene we see him, he is emotionlessly scanning the battlefield like a Terminator. Those behind Terminator 3 thought the most interesting progression would be to turn John Connor into a hobo played by Nick Stahl, who gets bullied by Arnold for the length of a movie. They humanize him by showing that he has weaknesses and has qualms about violence, as shown with the paintball gun. Giving him a wife and “important,” assassination-worthy lieutenants undermines James Cameron's depiction of John Connor as a “Great Man” of history, who used his burdensome knowledge of the future to save the human race. John Connor is supposed to be distant and rather inhuman; having him be married and overly friendly with anyone but Kyle Reese betrays that. Like Salvation almost did beforehand, Genisys has the novel idea of making John's machine-like tendencies literal. This completes the progression of him slowly losing his humanity.

Terminator Genisys also is superior to Terminator 3 in terms of character progression. In their modifications to the timeline, the creators of Genisys ensure Sarah Connor is still a badass like we saw in T2, albeit one who has her humanity fully intact. It would be awful to have Sarah regress to being a waitress, a passive character, as she would be, had the timeline not been rebooted. They go on to explore the interesting possibility of Kyle Reese meeting this toughened Sarah Connor, which he didn't get to originally because of his death at the end of the first Terminator. The character who the Genisys filmmakers did justice most in terms of logical progression was Arnold's. Now, let me preface this by declaring that I understand Arnold is playing a different Terminator in every movie. Even so, because it's always Arnold, it's hard for an audience not to at least subconsciously think of him as a single entity. Between Terminator 2, he undergoes a radical character arc in the eyes of the audience, from unfeeling monster to benevolent compassionate surrogate father figure. It is unsatisfying in Terminator 3 to “regress” to unfeeling but benevolent, with occasional outbursts of physical violence towards John. Genisys instead continues along the natural arc set up by two, showing him turn to a more positive character— from the father figure in T2 to a literal father named “Pops,” who basically raises Sarah from the age of 9.

Sorry if this post has been long, but I really wanted to explain why I feel that Genisys doesn't deserve all the wanton bashing it gets throughout the Internet. To conclude, in no way am I saying that Terminator Genisys is better than T2 or The Terminator but it is the sequel I can put next to those classics without regret.

Hey folks,
I just wanted to say 'hello' to everyone and add that it's very exciting to see these kind of projects passionately tackled and restored for the benefit of all that love them.

Cheers!  

Sometimes you want to change the frame-rate of a video but not re-encode it. This is straightforward, but not all video editors comply. For instance, FFmpeg won't do it for you. The frame-rate is not stored in the video stream header, it's stored throughout the stream (hence why you can have a variable frame rate video file if you want). The easiest way to change the framerate is with MP4Box. First you need the raw video file...

I wrote to the service provider, and they told me there were some accounts which overloaded the server where fanres is located, but now these accounts are suspended and so the downtime *should* be reduced...

Please let me know if, from now, you experience less downtime, more, or equal...

I'm looking for a copy of this logo in HD:

https://youtu.be/QzW0ScFsxM4

I'm hoping it's out there on an Italian blu ray or HDTV broadcast. Any thoughts spoRv?

Hi,

I'm pretty new to the fan restoration scene, but I'm really enthusiastic about joining in!

So I'm looking to upgrade my current computer (a Toshiba Satellite L755 - old, and very slow; I know) to something that can handle faster processing and do a better job running film-cleanup programs than mine does now. Is this computer any good? I was looking at it and the price is OK, but wondered if it was worth getting or if there are others I should look into. I'd like to keep the budget at or below $500 if at all possible (which I know is a severe limitation).

http://slickdeals.net/f/7902729-toshiba-...ommentsBox