[Proposal] Buffy the Vampire Slayer series remaster

[spoRv]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer opening sequence - PAL DVD bicubic VS high quality upscale + denoise + grain plate:

https://www.sendspace.com/file/jq029c (will expire in 60 days)

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compar...n/DL7PWNNX

just a test, opinions are welcome.

To whom it may concern - it takes around 60x running time to enhance video; hence, a 45m episode will take 45x60=2700m, or 45h, or almost two days... so, the complete 144 episodes will take about 9 months (24/7) only to process video!!!

[LucasGodzilla]

I think the enhancement does magic for both the text and the face, but the shadowy area in the middle since although the nasty blocking is less prominent, the grain plate is too heavy for my taste.

[deleted user]

Nice start. Gigapixel?

[ChainsawAsh]

Oh wow, that looks fantastic!

[FrankT]

Hey, that's pretty good! What software did you use for it?

[Chris Knight]

Nice improvment...but maybe too much noise reduction / wax skin?

Anyway, it's very sad to have no way to watch this great show in good condtions...
We've got crappy but accurate dvd's on one side, and horrible remasters on the others.
I've been wanting to watch this show again for years, but i just can't go with any of those choices..

I don't know if we have anyhope they will do a new remaster...(don't think so..)
but at least, like i read someone suggesting it, they could do new dvd's from a new master, so we could have it in the best quality SD can be, with originals effects,colors,brightness,framing....

[farerb]

At this point I'm fine if they just upscaled the DVDs, but even that won't happen.

[farerb]

More Image != Better.
Framing is important. There are a lot of instances in the UK DVD where you see crew members and equipment and then there are some instances where there's no more image to the sides (6x15 is a good example). There's also the explanation of how framing is important to convey the feelings of a character (like how the framing in The Body is supposed to convey the feeling that Buffy is trapped).
Not liking Whedon is fine, I don't care about they guy myself, but that doesn't automatically mean that Buffy is suitable for 1.78 and I don't understand why it's used as an excuse (?). That's nonsense.

[krenko]

It's also worth noting that the HD versions of "Once More With Feeling" and "Bargaining, Parts 1&2" used the syndicated broadcast versions and not the versions on dvd. There is a good 5 minutes cut from "Once More..." and a couple of scenes from "Bargaining".

[narth]

Some info that may be helpful:

- Seasons 1-3 were filmed on 16mm film. As such there's not really much more visual information than in the original 1.33:1 frame, so the 16:9 versions of the first three seasons have the top and bottom cropped off.
- Seasons 4-7 were filmed on 35mm film in widescreen, but framed for 4:3 from the get-go. Against creator Joss Whedon's wishes, the full 16:9 versions of these episodes were sold outside the US, hence the 16:9 PAL DVD sets.
- Season 6's "Once More With Feeling," the only episode filmed with the intention to air it in 16:9, is presented in widescreen on the US DVD, but it's non-anamorphic and *windowboxed* (presumably to compensate for overscan on CRT TVs). The PAL set is anamorphic with no letterboxing or windowboxing.

I don’t know if this thread is active anymore, but I wanted to make a few corrections to the information. Season 1-2 were filmed in Super 16mm, then 3-7 were filmed in 35mm. Most of Season 2-3 were edited in 16:9 (from the previously segments and upscaled effects in the HD remaster), then of course cropped down to the 4:3 aspect ratio that Joss Whedon intended for the whole show except for Season 6, Episode 7: Once More, with Feeling.

I am working on a project, that is very slow going, to sync the 5.1 surround sound mix from the HD remaster to the iTunes release. Since the iTunes release is the most complete SD release of the show available.