DVD movies

[wrcalhoun]

DVD movies are not in high definition. Does VOOM get its HD movies from film reels? How does this work?

 

[Lobstah]

For the VOOM originals, I believe I read some time ago that they had contracted a firm to perform HD transfers from original film...so NOT just upconverted. These HD xfrs are "VOOM exclusives"...bought and paid for by VOOM.

Lob

 

[Cris]

It is interesting that most movies and shows that were recorded on celuloid or similar media will be inherrently HD and fairly easily made available for HD broadcasts, however, the so-called modern technology of video-cams essentially use SDTV quality. Many daytime TV shows and series have been recorded at this lower definition quality.

So it will seem odd that many old movies using an apparent old technology, i.e. made before videotape, will be convertable to HD while a great deal of modern material will remain forever at the lower quality. I suspect that current video-cam technology will be seen as an unfortunate low quality blip in the history of TV and Film.

 

[Vicki]

Oh yeah...!!!

It is interesting that most movies and shows that were recorded on celuloid or similar media will be inherrently HD and fairly easily made available for HD broadcasts, however, the so-called modern technology of video-cams essentially use SDTV quality. Many daytime TV shows and series have been recorded at this lower definition quality.

So it will seem odd that many old movies using an apparent old technology, i.e. made before videotape, will be convertable to HD while a great deal of modern material will remain forever at the lower quality. I suspect that current video-cam technology will be seen as an unfortunate low quality blip in the history of TV and Film.

BUT...l admit...before the bricks start flying...that I am not "tech" savvy, and don't know this to be fact...it's just how it seems to me.... Vicki

 

[gutter]

Chris you got it almost right. All movies going back almost 100 years was filmed on celluloid as you call it. Just as all movies are today. In fact most people like the look of film more than live TV. That is why many programs, such as American Chopper and actually videotaped and then put through a process called film look, to make them appear as if they were filmed. But you are right about old TV shows shot on video. they are forever in SD while the older movies are inheritantly HD. In fact many of the older films, those shot on 3 strip negative technicolor, are more vivid and color saturdated than today. I believe those films are probably made from the positive prints. today's films are now transferred from the negative for the most part. I myself have shot in SD Video and sent it to a California shop to apply film look to make it look like film.

 

[who_the]

Prices I've seen come to about $1,000/hour for HD telecine of 35mm. I'm sure there's some of this in the billion or so dollars Voom has burned through, hopefully to our advantage!

 

[SeattleVoomer1]

Same problem with digital music storage technology. Music from analog tape sources from 20-50 years ago is often of higher quality than music recorded "digitally" in the 80s and 90s. Many recording engineers and musicians still insist on recording to analog tape.
However, digital recording has improved dramatically.

Yes, enjoying hi-rez music as well as HDTV under cloudless Seattle skies, Gill

 

[deeann]

Prices I've seen come to about $1,000/hour for HD telecine of 35mm. I'm sure there's some of this in the billion or so dollars Voom has burned through, hopefully to our advantage!

Is that $1000/hour of film footage or for project time (setup, labor, etc)?

 

[who_the]

The outfit I've seen charges $0.06/foot for cleaning and prep of 35mm film, then $650 per hour of HD Telecine. This is for tapeless transfer that they deliver to you on hard drive.

 

[JMikeF]

I believe that most DVDs today are mastered from HD telecine transfers - of course they are down-rezed to 480p. Some early DVD were mastered from LDs!

Therefore, a HD copy should be available to HBO, SHO, VOOM, etc.