Upscaled SD Content Blu-rays

[Prox]

I'm looking for a list of Blu-ray releases which are merely upscaled standard-definition content (a la the original release of The Fifth Element). Can anyone help me find such a collection?

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Prox

I'm looking for a list of Blu-ray releases which are merely upscaled standard-definition content (a la the original release of The Fifth Element). Can anyone help me find such a collection?

The original release of The Fifth Element was indeed HD, but an old master was used so it looked rather poor. The only ones I can think of off hand are the John Wayne Collection and the U.K. release of Escape From New York.

[Exist2Inspire]

U.K. release of Until Death looks to be an upscale, or one horrible HD master.

The German version, however, is absolutely breathtaking.

[42041]

Most of 28 Days Later was shot in SD.
The Blair Witch Project had an SD post-production process, though it was partially shot on 16mm.

[DarknessBDJM]

Several German releases are upconverts like Nighthawks.

[BluProofie]

I believe Paranormal Activity was shot in SD, or just really shitty 2006 consumer grade "HD". This isn't the fault of the director, though. He only had like $15,000.

[Jompa]

The Fog: http://www.caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergl...ID=667#auswahl

[JavaJulien]

The first It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia release i believe.

[PuppyJonathan]

The Simpsons are upscaled, but if Season 14 to now is a digital transfer than how is it an upscale though? It's not my area to wonder though

[rickah88]

The bulk of Universal's catalog! I'm just kidding, they've gotten much better this year!

[chronoclast]

Quite a few anime releases are SD upscales. For most of them, that's the resolution the shows were actually produced at so that's as good as it gets for them.

Spice and Wolf Season 1 and xxxHolic/Tsubasa Double Feature are SD upscales of HD content though. That's the only two cases I know of for anime at least.

[DarknessBDJM]

Originally Posted by Jompa

The Fog: http://www.caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergl...ID=667#auswahl

What's the deal with so many upconverts released in Germany?

[bigshot]

Ricky Oh: The Story of Ricky

[Clark Kent]

Echo Bridge and Mill Creek have released a number of Blu-rays for movies they've licensed from major studios, that are suspiciously close to upscaled DVD transfers.

There are too many to list for Echo Bridge.

[MOONPHASE]

Any Funimation title that says SD Remaster on it plus some of their older titles before they mentioned that on the packaging like Gunslinger Girl and I think Tsubasa.

[lilboyblu]

Originally Posted by morriscroy

Any extremely egregious cases worth mentioning?

Halloween H20 - The final words in Martin Liebman's review are, "Skip it and hang onto the (superior!!!!) DVD."

[bondfooll]

The Farscape Blu-rays are upscales. They look pretty nice, though.

[joltman]

This brings up an interesting question, if a film or TV show was shot in SD, would a studio done upscaled Blu-ray be better than a Blu-ray player or HDTV doing the upscale?

[Indiana Jones]

Originally Posted by joltman

This brings up an interesting question, if a film or TV show was shot in SD, would a studio done upscaled Blu-ray be better than a Blu-ray player or HDTV doing the upscale?

Most likely as a studio upscaled BD could get the very best from the source material, the Farscape BD's are a good example as while both they and the DVD's are taken from the same SD source the improved bitrate has resulted in less compression so annoying things like artefacts which plagued the DVD's are gone.

[Rizor]

"The Next Doctor" from the "Doctor Who: The Complete Specials" set is upscaled from 576p because they didn't switch over to HD cameras until the next special.

The UK BDs of "Life On Mars" series 1 & 2 are upscaled from 576p as well. The show was finished in SD.