Hamburg Conference Best Practices Preparing Content for Blu Ray
Content has come a Long Way The Evolution of Media and how we consume it has gone through many evolutions but in what ever form we consume it the quality of the original content is Key in how its has been shot, stored and mastered.
keys to success for Quality Blu Ray Content High Resolution master Clean, dirt and scratch free Artefact free clean up Original Standard with no cross or upconversions Where available 5.1 Sound Transferred in Original Aspect Ratio Quality Extras, commentaries etc A reliable, knowledgeable and Consistent, Quality Authoring house Media type High-density optical disc Encoding MPEG-2 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC VC-1
Source To Screen The source and condition of the master material supplied for Authoring is paramount. In the case of originated HD and born Digital material, sticking to to the original format and specifications without upstream standards or cross conversions reduces Artifacting issues. Compression rates are also key with as close to a lossless form of compression being ideal. The less processed an image sequence is, the better the computer can encode it. Sometimes, overuse of noise and grain reduction techniques can fool the computer into creating blurred images that would be better off without the processing. A QC pass on every level is mandatory in making sure there are no mishaps. Having the Blu Ray Disc authoring done at the same vendor can really keep you sane.
Aspect Ratio Aspect Ratios In Television Terms; HD is pretty much all 16x9. When Mastering images to HD Images are sized within the available 1080x1920 / 16x9 frame, i.e. 16x9FH uses the entire active area 16x9 original ratio - would have a letterbox 4:3/1.33:1 would be side matted However Original film ratios can be confusing as there are many: Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65 were, from 1957 to 1966 VistaVision, 1.50:1 ratio used standard 35 mm film running sideways through the camera gate, so that the sprocket holes were above and below frame, The above framing scenarios are correct. The Key thing is not to fake a wide screen image by blowing up a 4x3 image to fill the 16x9 frame. CinemaScope: Aspect Ratio 2.66:1 Panavision format or 'Scope. Specified as 2.40:1 for Blu-ray Disc film releases (1920 800 resolution)
Sound Restoration Restoration of the sound track to decrackle de-hiss and de-pop using tools such as Sonic Solutions Creation of 5.1 audio if unavailable there is now technology to split out tracks from the final full mix. DTS is one of the best sound streams for BD. The streams are backwards compatible with legacy audio receivers and that's very important.
Creating High Definition Masters from 35mm Film Wonderful medium both for preservation of picture and sound. Ultra high resolution source for High Definition 1080 and above. The resolution of 35mm film is far higher than 1080 and closer to 6 or 8K in digital terms. Can scan to 2, 4 or 6K resolution. High resolution scanning allows output back to film as well as data files and new High Definition video masters. Still from Black Narcissus(1947) before restoration Screen grab of Black Narcissus taken from HD master
First Steps :Research The First step in any restoration or remastering project is the research to find the original elements. This often means checking,multiple sources and measuring the length of the reels. This is ensure to complete and uncut original version is found. Often original negatives have been sensor cut and finding and inserting the missing scenes can involve much detective work.
The next stage is condition checking: Comparisons made between the various reels of film combine the best possible elements. Decisions are made on how best to repair any damage and, where multiple sources exist, to compare and eye match reel by reel.
Next is the Scan or TeleCine to Data or Tape SPIRIT 1 Datacine; equipped for standard and high definition. Used for HD and SD Video Mastering and Rushes SPIRIT 2 Datacine; High Spec Spirit 4K, 2K, HD and SD Datacine. Capable of HD/SD grading (Pogle Platinum and Pixi MegaDef Colour correction) but also 2K and 4K data scanning at very high speeds Sony HD Cam SR: Still a popular Mastering Tape Format. Full resolution and less compression than HD Cam
Colour grading Dirt and Scratch Removal in the Digital Domain Some of the Tools Used; Da-Vinci Revival; Uncompressed Pen-and-tablet despotting work station and is resolution independent. Pogle Platinum with Pixi secondary colour correctors; used to control the Spirit Datacines and colour correct film and tape Images. Smoke; Uncompressed and resolution independent Penand-tablet based Non linear Online and VFX work station TERANEX Xantus; Real-time HD dirt, grain and scratch concealment. Edifis Scratchbox; Uncompressed Pen-and-tablet de-spotting work station for SD and HD Formats.
Lawrence Olivier Centenary Henry V (1945) Screen grabs before restoration Screen grabs taken from HD Master
Restorations mean Premiers
Digital Restoration and Re-Release Means Awards In Addition to digital restoration work benefiting authoring to Standard Definition DVD and Blu Ray formats. High resolution scanning to DCP and output back to Film can support a Blu Ray Release
The Future As Seen at this Years NAB Dolby 3D In conjunction with Philips Full HD Quality Without Glasses Compatible all Players