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Topic: Film to HD - upgrade?

Terry Lagler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 525
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008

posted October 30, 2009 09:41 AM

This Q&A was in todays flyer for the Future Shop store (electronics store).I thought members would find this of interest.

Ask an expert:
How is it that shows and movies that were made before HD can be upgraded to high definition for Blu-ray?

The older material that you'll see on Blu-ray was shot on 35mm film; while this is an older "technology" the equivalent resolution of film is incredibly high. Film restoration professionals will scan the film, frame by frame, importing it into digital workstations at a resolution of up to 8000 lines - far greater than the 1080 lines currently used for Blu-ray.
Many movies that are being shot still use film; those that don't use HD cameras that capture a very high resolution picture. When processing the film for Blu-ray, the film will be output at 1920x1080, giving the image the clean, crisp look that we've becom used to in high definition.
With enough time and effort invested, any motion picture material can look better on Blu-ray than on DVD - no matter how old the source is. In some cases a great deal of effort goes into the preservation and restoration of classic films, in order to keep them in the best condition for enjoyment by future generations. Blu-ray gives film restoration professionals a great showcase for their art - and lets all of us enjoy movies the way they were meant to be seen

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Steven Sigel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 701
From: Massachusetts
Registered: Jun 2003

posted October 30, 2009 09:53 AM

It's not an upgrade.
The point is the film (especially 35mm) has a MUCH HIGHER effective resolution than Blu-Ray. The whole idea that older movies don't look as good as newer ones is complete nonsense.

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Steven J Kirk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 873
From: Southern England
Registered: Apr 2008

posted October 30, 2009 09:58 AM

The article doesn't present HD as an upgrade. It recognises 35mm as very high resolution. I go by a rule of thumb when telling 'lay' people about the difference, saying 35mm movies are equivilent to 12 megapixels, 70mm to 25 megapixels. Only a rule of thumb and direct comparison is moot, but it gives an idea.

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VistaVision
Motion Picture High-Fidelity

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Terry Lagler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 525
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008

posted October 30, 2009 10:08 AM

Probably should have given it a different topic name.
I realize it is not an upgrade - the person with the question thinks it must be - it's just nice to see it explained this way as many people beleive HD is always the best quality.
Cheers
Terry

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