IMPORTANT UPDATE: Project released under the new [Fundamental Collection] label - please visit https://forum.fanres.com/thread-1348.html and post your comments there, thanks!
Project mission: restore John Carpenter's The Thing video to be closest to the theatrical version as could be possible at the present day, using the best video source chosen from all the various available versions; adding the best original and remastered audio soundtracks in different languages.
Video sources: HD-DVD Scream Factory BD, Laserdisc as color reference.
Audio sources: uncompressed PCM soundtracks captured directly from Laserdiscs; AC3 soundtracks from DVD; DTS soundtracks from BD.
Subtitles sources: from BD.
Video:
english, italian, french, spanish, german from the BD.
Hardware:
Video sources and processing:
HD-DVD VC-1 BD AVC and DVD MPEG2 are converted using the Lagarith lossless compression (YV12); laserdisc video is captured using the Lagarith lossless compression (YUY2).
HD-DVD BD is used as frame reference (so no frames are cut or duplicated); it's simply converted to lossless with not further processing.
PAL UK laserdisc is used as primary color reference: it's captured using AviSynth at its original resolution of 720x576@25fps; then frame rates is changed to 23.976; a rainbow remover is applied to the capture, along with mild noise reduction to get rid of eventual dropouts; at the end, video is upscaled to 1920x816 and frames are cut or duplicated to match the HD-DVD BD video.
PAL IT DVD is used as secondary color reference, just to replace two laserdisc fades: it's converted to lossless; then frame rates is changed to 23.976; at the end, video is upscaled to 1920x816.
After a lot (and when I mean a lot, I mean A LOT) of tests, the video will be treated as following:
Audio sources and processing:
PAL FR LD is captured (thanks to ilovewaterslides); then converted to 48KHz; as LD video frames are cut or duplicated to match the HD-DVD video, audio is adjusted accordingly to be in sync with the HD-DVD video.
NTSC US LDs are captured and processed to be in sync with the HD-DVD video (thanks to Jonno); the letterbox LD is converted to AC3.
PAL IT DVD italian, spanish and english commentary AC3 soundtracks are demuxed, then converted to PCM to be processed; as DVD video frames are cut or duplicated to match the HD-DVD video, all the soundtracks are adjusted accordingly to be in sync with the HD-DVD video; the resulted tracks are then reconverted to AC3 to be BD compliant.
UK BD english DTS-HD MA, french, italian, german DTS 5.1 and spanish DTS 2.0 (mono) are used as they are (thanks to Jonno)
Video:
english (full and SDH); french, italian, spanish, german (full and forced) from UK BD
Special thanks to:
Jonno, for english laserdisc, all BD soundtracks, missing frames, and A LOT OF HELP!!! Without you, this project could not be the same! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Other credits:
Full resolution, ready to print: outside cover - inside cover - disc label
The Thing (1982) [special preserved or Restored version] v2.0
Project mission: restore John Carpenter's The Thing video to be closest to the theatrical version as could be possible at the present day, using the best video source chosen from all the various available versions; adding the best original and remastered audio soundtracks in different languages.
Video sources: HD-DVD Scream Factory BD, Laserdisc as color reference.
Audio sources: uncompressed PCM soundtracks captured directly from Laserdiscs; AC3 soundtracks from DVD; DTS soundtracks from BD.
Subtitles sources: from BD.
The Thing [spoRv] v2.0
Source Material
Video:
- The Thing - US HD-DVD
- The Thing (Collector's Edition) - US BD
- The Thing (Pioneer Cinema) - PAL UK laserdisc CLV - for color reference
- La Cosa (The Thing) - PAL IT DVD - just for color reference where LD has fades
- The Thing (Signature Collection) - NTSC US laserdisc CLV/CAV - English soundtrack PCM 2.0 (original)
- The Thing (letterbox edition) - NTSC US laserdisc CLV - English soundtrack PCM 2.0 (changed)
- The Thing - PAL France laserdisc CLV - French soundtrack PCM 2.0
- The Thing - 1998 US DVD - English commentary AC3 1.0
- La Cosa (The Thing) - 1998 PAL IT DVD - Italian soundtrack AC3 2.0 (changed)
- La Cosa (The Thing) - 1998 PAL IT DVD - Spanish soundtrack AC3 1.0 (changed)
- The Thing - UK BD - English soundtrack DTS-HD MA (new remix)
- The Thing - UK BD - French soundtrack DTS 5.1 (new remix)
- The Thing - UK BD - Italian soundtrack DTS 5.1 (new remix)
- The Thing - UK BD - German soundtrack DTS 5.1 (new remix)
- The Thing - UK BD - Spanish soundtrack DTS 2.0 mono (new remix)
english, italian, french, spanish, german from the BD.
Capture setup & processing info
Hardware:
- Pioneer DVL-909 PAL/NTSC laserdisc/DVD player
- Sony Vaio VGX-XL201 PC CPU Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86Hz, 3GB RAM, 32GB+2TB+4TB HDDs, BD-RE
- AverMedia BDA A16C internal video card (with Philips SAA713x chipset)
- Western Digital Elements 1TB external USB HD
- Microsoft XBOX360 HD-DVD player
- Monster Cable S-Video 5pin cable (very high quality)
- SONY optical S/PDIF cable (very high quality)
- no-brand coaxial cable (very high quality)
- VirtualDub as capture software
- VirtualDub and AviSynth for video editing
- AviSynth + SoundOut and Foobar2000 for audio conversions
- tsMuxeR and AVIdemux for muxing/demuxing
- laserdisc video captured at card native resolution 720x576 @25fps (PAL), YUV Lagarith lossless compression
- PCM digital audio from Laserdisc to PC via S/PDIF bit-perfect 16bit 44.1KHz stereo
Project status: RELEASED on 2017-03-05
Video sources and processing:
HD-DVD VC-1 BD AVC and DVD MPEG2 are converted using the Lagarith lossless compression (YV12); laserdisc video is captured using the Lagarith lossless compression (YUY2).
HD-DVD BD is used as frame reference (so no frames are cut or duplicated); it's simply converted to lossless with not further processing.
PAL UK laserdisc is used as primary color reference: it's captured using AviSynth at its original resolution of 720x576@25fps; then frame rates is changed to 23.976; a rainbow remover is applied to the capture, along with mild noise reduction to get rid of eventual dropouts; at the end, video is upscaled to 1920x816 and frames are cut or duplicated to match the HD-DVD BD video.
PAL IT DVD is used as secondary color reference, just to replace two laserdisc fades: it's converted to lossless; then frame rates is changed to 23.976; at the end, video is upscaled to 1920x816.
After a lot (and when I mean a lot, I mean A LOT) of tests, the video will be treated as following:
- opening credits (up to "Antarctica, winter 1982") are taken untouched from HD-DVD BD video, because there is no need for color regrading, as the flying saucer and earth colors are almost the same of the laserdisc/DVD - for the end credits, from the last image of the movie, BD is used, but with zero saturation, because it has a lilac dominance
- the rest of the movie is regraded using the HD-DVD BD as source, and laserdisc as color reference; avisynth script ColourMatch is used
- except the laserdisc side 1 end / side 2 beginning scenes, as they have fade out / fade in, were not possible to be used, so I used the DVD there for color reference, tweaked a little bit to be as close as possible to the laserdisc
Audio sources and processing:
PAL FR LD is captured (thanks to ilovewaterslides); then converted to 48KHz; as LD video frames are cut or duplicated to match the HD-DVD video, audio is adjusted accordingly to be in sync with the HD-DVD video.
NTSC US LDs are captured and processed to be in sync with the HD-DVD video (thanks to Jonno); the letterbox LD is converted to AC3.
PAL IT DVD italian, spanish and english commentary AC3 soundtracks are demuxed, then converted to PCM to be processed; as DVD video frames are cut or duplicated to match the HD-DVD video, all the soundtracks are adjusted accordingly to be in sync with the HD-DVD video; the resulted tracks are then reconverted to AC3 to be BD compliant.
UK BD english DTS-HD MA, french, italian, german DTS 5.1 and spanish DTS 2.0 (mono) are used as they are (thanks to Jonno)
Final format: BD-25
Video:
- letterbox 2.35:1 1920x816 pixel inside the 16:9 1920x1080 pixel FHD frame, AVC (x264) 23.976fps, average bitrate 18500kbps
- english PCM 2.0 16bit 1536kbps - from NTSC Signature Collection LD
- english AC3 2.0 16bit 384kbps - from NTSC letterbox LD
- english DTS-HD MA 5.1 24bit 3900kbps (1536kbps core DTS) - from UK BD
- french PCM 2.0 16bit 1536kbps - from PAL french LD
- french DTS 5.1 24bit 768kbps - from UK BD
- italian AC3 2.0 16bit 192kbps - from PAL IT DVD
- italian DTS 5.1 24bit 768kbps - from UK BD
- spanish DTS 2.0 24bit 384kbps (mono) - from UK BD
- spanish AC3 1.0 16bit 96kbps - from PAL IT DVD
- german DTS 5.1 24bit 768kbps - from UK BD
- commentary AC3 16bit 1.0 96kbps - from PAL IT DVD
english (full and SDH); french, italian, spanish, german (full and forced) from UK BD
Special thanks to:
Jonno, for english laserdisc, all BD soundtracks, missing frames, and A LOT OF HELP!!! Without you, this project could not be the same! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Other credits:
- The Aluminum Falcon for the HD-DVD video
- zeropc for DVD english soundtrack and commentary
- ilovewaterslides for the PCM french soundtrack
- Namtar for the isolated score
- Jetrell Fo for general supporting and encouragement
- MrBrown for German and Spanish tracks
- everyone who showed interest and appreciation
Cover:
Blu-ray custom cover Full resolution, ready to print: outside cover - inside cover - disc label
Screenshot comparisons (top spoRv 2.0, middle LD, bottom BD):
Notes:
- v2.0 will use the new Scream Factory BD, due to its higher resolution and visible film grain in comparison to the HD-DVD used for the previous version; the upgrading aiming to improve the color regrading quality, and of course will benefit of the superior source resolution; audio and subtitles are the same.
- updated project info accordingly
Sadly my projects are lost due to an HDD crash...
Fundamental Collection | Vimeo channel | My blog
Fundamental Collection | Vimeo channel | My blog