[No Longer Available]Aliens SE, TV and Theatrical Cut (Japanese WOWOW HDTV Broadcast)

[PDB]

Project Info:

I'd like to start out by acknowledging that Chewtobbaca greatly contributed to this project.

This project is a pseudo replacement to my Aliens THX regrade (https://fanrestore.com/thread-43-post-163.html#pid163).

The Japanese channel WOWOW has shown many interesting HDTV masters including a rare HDTV broast of the SE of Aliens. This broadcast of Aliens is derived from the same master as the 1999 DVD, so it predates Cameron fixes and color changes. I've found many numerous re-encodes of it but never the original cap till Chew help me find it. Since this master has an unique color timing and has original grain unlike many HD broadcast of Aliens, I thought it would be nice to preserve it not only in its SE form but cut it down other forms, like the TV and theatrical cuts.

Like many Mpeg-2 broadcasts, this cap has a host of minor problems. After IVTC'ing the cap I noticed a lot of macro-blocking to cleanup, which came in the form of deblocking and soften filters. Even then certain shots had macro-blocking to sever to fix. For those shots I used matieral from other HDTV broadcasts. Another problem is certain shots where there are muzzle flashes, show that the encoder destroyed the highlights and colors. For these shot I took the 99 DVD or other HDTV broadcasts (the BD was too different) and then blended the highlights of the DVD with the mids/shadows of the HDTV and then color matched the final image.



I also did a very slight color correction to lessen the base pink/magenta bias typical of video masters of the time.



Finally the few frames of Japanese subtitles and station logos were removed by patching in the DVD or other HDTV broadcasts.


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1. Special Edition Cut (Japanese WOWOW HDTV Broadcast v1.2)

Video:
The Japanese WOWOW SE HDTV broadcast which has the '99 color timing with slight color correction to remove the base pink/magenta bias. The HDTV was cleaned up with IVTC and deblocking. Furthermore Japanese subtitles and text are removed by patching in the BD or other HDTV broadcasts.

Audio:
1. PCM 2.0 Dolby Surround (from the SE LD - synced by Chewtobbaca)
2. DTS-HD MA 5.1 (from the BD)

Pics:

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2. TV Cut (Japanese WOWOW HDTV Broadcast v1.2)

Video:
This is the same as above but cut down to the TV cut with added pieces from other broadcasts.

Audio:
1. PCM 2.0 Dolby Surround (from the THX LD mixed with the SE LD - synced by Chewtobbaca)

Pics:

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3. Theatrical Cut (Japanese WOWOW HDTV Broadcast v1.2)

Video:
This is the same as above but cut down to the theatrical cut with added pieces from other broadcasts.

Audio:
1. PCM 2.0 Dolby Surround (from the P&S LD)
2. PCM 2.0 Dolby Surround (from the THX LD - Synced by Jonno)
3. Dolby Digital 5.1 (from the THX LD - Ripped by zoidberg)
4. Dolby Digital 4.1 (from the BD)
5. DTS-HD MA 5.1 (from the BD)

Pics:

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Collaborators and Thanks:
Chewtobbaca: For the WOWOW, aviscript, PCM SE sync, etc
jonno: For LD soundtracks and syncs
zoidberg: For LD soundtracks

[Chewtobacca]

I'd like to start out by acknowledging that Chewtobbaca greatly contributed to this project.

It was fun.  

[Stamper]

Looks really cool. So basically this is the old HDTV (ie DVD master) that has been available for decades, but with grain?

We should try list all masters of Aliens:


1987 - Pan & Scan LD TC (would love a rip of this!)

1991 - THX SE LD first widescreen

1992 - THX TC first widescreen same master.

1995 - new THX Theatrical version. Lightstorm went back to the original camera negative to produce this film-to-tape transfer.

1999 - DVD master (also HDTV) TC + SE

2010 - Blu-ray 4K remaster with digital fixes.

[Stamper]

Addition it looks like the 1991 master was the one used for DVD as it was the only one of both cuts?

I don't think the 1995 ever appeared on any DVD release.

Too bad it was the best.

[CSchmidlapp]

Addition it looks like the 1991 master was the one used for DVD as it was the only one of both cuts?

I don't think the 1995 ever appeared on any DVD release.

Too bad it was the best.

Interesting.

I was under the impression the SE was assembled from the Lightstorm negative scans.
Assembling the SE was why they did fresh scans for a proper home video release after the feedback by fans over the TV cut, which was assembled from old materials.
Didn't Cameron drive the engineers mad because he insisted they monitor the grade ect on his personal home CRT screen?

The 1995 THX I thought was just a fresh playback from the same HD master / scan utilizing better equipment and methods of transfer (thus removing the 'Cameron CRT' grade) , the same was used later again for the DVD and HDTV airings.

[PDB]

Just a small update. I lost a lot of information and work on a recent HDD crash. That killed the work I had finished on this project and others. It's a real depressing setback, especially since I lost a lot of my previously finished project, other's projects and temp work. And frankly made me not want to work on any projects for a bit.

Anyway, assuming no one wants to contribute money to get the HDD fixed , I have to start over on this and a few other projects that I luckily had backed up elsewhere. So this is still in progress, I already have the SE and TC rebuilt and done.

[Chewtobacca]

Keep soldiering on! The finished project is gonna rock -- no question of it.

[Stamper]

Hold on! Was your hard drive internal, or external? Some external can be taken out of the case, and used with a USB hard drive dock.

On a side note it look like the open matte UK LD was uploaded a while back on the russian tracker.

It has VAR and is open most of the time.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Like The Terminator, Cameron did 80% of Aliens with most shots hard masked in camera to aprox 1.60:1, while the SFX shots were full 1.37 (sometimes with unfinished animation or seeing equipment/operators under certain shots).

[applesandrice]

PDB -- I had typed a big response to your most recent update on my phone the other day, only to somehow erase it when I clicked "post reply". Sheesh.

I'm sorry to hear about your crashed hard drive! That totally stinks. You put so much time and effort into these projects, I know this has to be terribly frustrating for you. Is there any chance for a DIY recovery solution? One of these days, I'm going to try cracking open my own recently-deceased drive and see if I can get it running again -- if only just for long enough to salvage everything I can from it.

Anyway. I've said it before, and I'll go on saying it: I really appreciate you and all of the work you do for this community. I know I'm not alone in that. I know this experience has set you back, but I hope you'll keep pressing forward. Best wishes, my friend!