8mm Forum: DVD Edge enancement

This is topic DVD Edge enancement in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=003126

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on June 13, 2014, 03:55 PM:

I seem to be getting more critical of digital media. Watched a dvd of an old RKO feature 'The Gay Falcon' I was sure I could see a black outline around all the actors in the film. It looked a bit like the effect you got an some films when the matte didn't line up correctly.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on June 13, 2014, 06:07 PM:

I have several bad quality dvds, so I am not surprised.

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on June 14, 2014, 01:47 AM:

The transfer on this was good with good detail. I have noticed this on quite a few titles both dvd & blu-ray.

I think its to make them look better and give a sharper (false) image.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on June 14, 2014, 01:58 AM:

I have several films that were obviousely transfered with a box that has a glas and the result is that the picture is grany ! It looks like if it was made by an amateur.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on June 14, 2014, 04:00 AM:

It may be that as the original prints are quite old DVD makers are perhaps trying to enhance their releases.

BBC Television have the rights to hundreds of old RKO films. Their prints always look first class. As they seem to repeat their material quite often perhaps they will show The Gay Falcon (1941) again. I see from my records that I recorded it in December 2006.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on June 14, 2014, 09:58 AM:

One of the huge advantages of blu-ray is mastering without edge enhancement; just one of many reasons why blu-ray is a format which more accurately portrays film originals.

As beneficial as DVD was as a format, blu-ray releases are generally in a different league. And you don't need a huge display to benefit from the improvements either.

If any collector is in any doubt about moving to blu-ray from DVD, just do it; you won't regret it and players and discs are pretty reasonably priced these days.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on June 14, 2014, 10:24 AM:

Rob, you need to have a full hd tv set to see the difference, don't you ?

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on June 14, 2014, 12:11 PM:

Well to fully appreciate it, really yes, but that said my mate who is really into his films uses an "HD Ready", or 720 line Panasonic plasma and he still swears by blu-ray and sees a big difference.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 14, 2014, 01:09 PM:

As a rule Blu Rays are vastly superior to their DVD equivalents. But I have seen plenty of blu rays that don't look any better than DVD's. And I have seen plenty of DVD's that I would have sworn were blu -rays.
Before I got my 1080p Panasonic I had a 720p model and immediately saw a huge improvement in PQ when playing blu rays. When I took the final leap to 1080p the PQ was even more improved.
Basically, blu rays projected through a good 1080p projector are as good, or better, than anything you will see in a professional digital cinema.

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on June 14, 2014, 04:04 PM:

Although I mentioned The Gay Falcon I do seem to notice it on more releases and up to date stuff too. Blu-ray some seem to have it too.

I will add that dvd does have that little bit of use to me, cheap for the stuff I like. The older titles that were never going to get on 8mm, but were on 16mm I would imagine. I never recall them on video tape.

Posted by Christian Bjorgen (Member # 1780) on June 15, 2014, 08:55 AM:

One of the biggest problems with DVDs if you ask me is companies that release films or other media without taking the time to restore them properly.

I remember buying a copy of Guns N Roses Use Your Illusion, the Tokyo Concerts on DVD a few years back, from a German company. The quality was dreadful - like a worn, washed out VHS, and the sound was flat and had a mains hum that annoyed me greatly. Ended up demanding a refund.

Since then I've looked for proper copies, but the problem is that the German company who owns the rights just keeps releasing that same, piss-poor VHS master. I ended up buying the original VHS tapes from 1993, still in shrinkwrap, and transferring them myself with my high-end VHS player, before remastering the picture and sound myself on my computer. Probably ten times better than the official DVD.

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2