X-Files (series) coming to Blu in ... I want to believe

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by blahsi

It really only affects seasons 1 and 2, and if you're watching the episodes in motion, it looks quite good. They have been much more careful with X-Files than whomever is working on Buffy currently.

Top and Bottom should NEVER be cut off!
If they want more Side Picture Info, then they should just "Zoom Out" more!

[hedge hog]

Originally Posted by CptSky

The X-Files 6ABX13 'Arcadia' 1080p iTunes Release

Poorly upscaled.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Gold Ranger

If they want more Side Picture Info, then they should just "Zoom Out" more!

That's why the height is lost there isn't anywhere to zoom out too. If you image that the border of the 16:9 version is the edge of the frame and the frame is 1.33:1 you can see why they have nowhere to go, that's it. That's assuming the 16:9 image is the edge of the frame (I've centralised the image the original maybe higher or lower), as the edges of frames aren't always usable. I'd imagine the 16:9 edges are in a bit from the original negatives. Assuming that's almost right, you can see that they can actually zoom out for more of a 4:3 image but they can't for 16:9 (and that's assuming a lot). Even then they can't go exactly to the edges because the edges aren't always square. That's why people have suggested that they show as much as they can and let people zoom-in if they want 16:9.

4-perf Super-35mm 1/4 Offset (Common Top) 1.33:1 (Yellow Box), 1.78:1
1x23 'Soft Light' Comparison

[chip75]

The X-Files 6x13 'Arcadia' DVD to 1080p iTunes Release Comparisons

Thanks to CptSky for the captures!

[Revolver31]

They've done some fine work with the ratio it looks pretty good while watching and better than 4:3 imo.

Anyway it's the best they can do with what they have all the complaining about what's being seen or what's not being seen with the netfix/ I-tunes/ pro-maxx screenshots and about the ratios & framing will only help to convince fox not to release it on Blu-ray.

There not going to go back over it all again and make any changes so this is what we have and although the video/audio quality will be a huge step up on Blu-ray the ratios and framing will remain the same all the complaining won't change anything except possibly seal the fate of a Blu-ray release any time soon in any form.

Give it a chance and watch an episode, I like it, it looks amazing and your watching the episode not the framing and imo while the picture is moving and your actually watching the episode and not looking for errors you don't even notice anything, you just enjoy the hd detail, something to think on.

I would buy it on Blu-ray in a heart beat.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Revolver31

They've done some fine work with the ratio it looks pretty good while watching and better than 4:3 imo.

Anyway it's the best they can do with what they have all the complaining about what's being seen or what's not being seen with the netfix/ I-tunes/ pro-maxx screenshots and about the ratios & framing will only help to convince fox not to release it on Blu-ray.

I don't think it will make any difference to Fox, what we say, if it did we'd have The X-Files on Blu-ray already!

Originally Posted by Revolver31

There not going to go back over it all again and make any changes so this is what we have and although the video/audio quality will be a huge step up on Blu-ray the ratios and framing will remain the same all the complaining won't change anything except possibly seal the fate of a Blu-ray release any time soon in any form.

There's a good chance that they've created two masters from the scans of the negatives (or at least saved the information!), that way they can create two versions, the 4:3 ones for a BD release and the widescreen one's for streaming / downloads and syndication.

Originally Posted by Revolver31

Give it a chance and watch an episode, I like it, it looks amazing and your watching the episode not the framing and imo while the picture is moving and your actually watching the episode and not looking for errors you don't even notice anything, you just enjoy the hd detail, something to think on.

Framing is very much part of what makes a film or show enjoyable, badly framed scenes will put you off, even if it's only on a subconscious level, there are times when filmmakers use it to disorientate the viewer on purpose. You must remember that there are very little errors in the original compositions and if errors do appear in widescreen masters it's because they've tried to do something with the material that it wasn't designed for.

I don't think anyone minds seasons three thru nine in widescreen, they extra information certainly doesn't hurt the compositions, our eyes are still drawn to where they should be, but seasons one and two need to be presented in 4:3 alongside their new widescreen masters, the current framing is just too much of a compromise, it's jarring in the medium, medium-close-ups and close-up shots. The loss in height hurts the show and [some] peoples' enjoyment of it. I honestly think if we'd never been shown widescreen versions and just remastered full-screen versions most people would be very enthusiastic about the huge benefits in video quality and not that worried about getting their screens filled.

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by chip75

[Show spoiler]I don't think it will make any difference to Fox, what we say, if it did we'd have The X-Files on Blu-ray already!

There's a good chance that they've created two masters from the scans of the negatives (or at least saved the information!), that way they can create two versions, the 4:3 ones for a BD release and the widescreen one's for streaming / downloads and syndication.

Framing is very much part of what makes a film or show enjoyable, badly framed scenes will put you off, even if it's only on a subconscious level, there are times when filmmakers use it to disorientate the viewer on purpose. You must remember that there are very little errors in the original compositions and if errors do appear in widescreen masters it's because they've tried to do something with the material that it wasn't designed for.

I don't think anyone minds seasons three thru nine in widescreen, they extra information certainly doesn't hurt the compositions, our eyes are still drawn to where they should be, but seasons one and two need to be presented in 4:3 alongside their new widescreen masters, the current framing is just too much of a compromise, it's jarring in the medium, medium-close-ups and close-up shots. The loss in height hurts the show and [some] peoples' enjoyment of it. I honestly think if we'd never been shown widescreen versions and just remastered full-screen versions most people would be very enthusiastic about the huge benefits in video quality and not that worried about getting their screens filled.

1 - I hope so!
Just like BattleStar Galactica!

2 - Exactly!

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Gold Ranger

Top and Bottom should NEVER be cut off!
If they want more Side Picture Info, then they should just "Zoom Out" more!

People want their TVs filled yo! Ain't got time for that "no cropping" nonsense!

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by chip75

Framing is very much part of what makes a film or show enjoyable, badly framed scenes will put you off, even if it's only on a subconscious level, there are times when filmmakers use it to disorientate the viewer on purpose. You must remember that there are very little errors in the original compositions and if errors do appear in widescreen masters it's because they've tried to do something with the material that it wasn't designed for.

I don't think anyone minds seasons three thru nine in widescreen, they extra information certainly doesn't hurt the compositions, our eyes are still drawn to where they should be, but seasons one and two need to be presented in 4:3 alongside their new widescreen masters, the current framing is just too much of a compromise, it's jarring in the medium, medium-close-ups and close-up shots. The loss in height hurts the show and [some] peoples' enjoyment of it. I honestly think if we'd never been shown widescreen versions and just remastered full-screen versions most people would be very enthusiastic about the huge benefits in video quality and not that worried about getting their screens filled.

Absotruthly. If people only care about filling their screens then by all means, knock yourselves out, but I hate seeing original framing compromised like this. Folks will scoff and say "it's only a TV show" but that does a disservice to the people who worked on it, people who did their jobs to the best of their ability in the short time that they had to do it, and there's definitely an actual sense of composition at work even in those earliest S1 episodes, they didn't just push the actors in front of the camera and call "action!". Take this shot for example, http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleich...ss=#vergleich; there's a decent 3-point composition in 4:3 with Mulder in the foreground, Scully in the mid and the digger in the background, whereas now the area to the left has been opened way out and the whole thing's totally off balance.

Chip, I'd go a bit further and say that they shouldn't go widescreen with the BDs until the show itself officially went widescreen (which was, what, S5?) but I'd begrudgingly accept it for S3 onwards in a pinch - though correcting any protection errors are a MUST, and that applies to the later seasons too because they still had a few. Still, Fox respected the will of the fans with Lost in Space so who knows what they'll do with X-Files, should it ever get released on BD. Maybe a Galactica-style complete set with both aspects and a separate 16:9-only version?

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Chip, I'd go a bit further and say that they shouldn't go widescreen with the BDs until the show itself officially went widescreen (which was, what, S5?) but I'd begrudgingly accept it for S3 onwards in a pinch - though correcting any protection errors are a MUST, and that applies to the later seasons too because they still had a few.

I'm not 100% about the widescreen transmissions, I think we had them in the UK, but I believe that the US transmissions were all initially in 4:3. Wikipedia says 4:3 for broadcasts with 5-9 in widescreen (for the DVDs) and IMDB says 5-9 in widescreen, but doesn't mention the DVDs. A US member could probably confirm, but it's quite possible they transmitted a mixture throughout the different stations that broadcasted the show.

It's season 5 on the DVDs at any rate and what few VHS recordings I have left are the same.

[iaragorn1]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Chip, I'd go a bit further and say that they shouldn't go widescreen with the BDs until the show itself officially went widescreen (which was, what, S5?) but I'd begrudgingly accept it for S3 onwards in a pinch - though correcting any protection errors are a MUST, and that applies to the later seasons too because they still had a few. Still, Fox respected the will of the fans with Lost in Space so who knows what they'll do with X-Files, should it ever get released on BD. Maybe a Galactica-style complete set with both aspects and a separate 16:9-only version?

The show was envisioned from the beginning to allow for a widescreen image ratio per the show's own Director of Photography for seasons 1-3. The choices that they made in terms of equipment, Super 35 format etc, was just so that they could future proof the series. At this point, nobody in this debate is going to switch sides.

Some people complain about headroom, other people like the sides being opened up and that it gives the show a more cinematic feel, etc, etc.. Some say you like potato and I like potahto. It's only among passionate fans that this sort of debate erupts and I doubt that many new fans will be gathering the townspeople and their pitchforks and lanterns.

From what I've seen, the framing has been pretty good, by and large, even in seasons 1-2.

[iaragorn1]

Originally Posted by chip75

I'm not 100% about the widescreen transmissions, I think we had them in the UK, but I believe that the US transmissions were all initially in 4:3. Wikipedia says 4:3 for broadcasts with 5-9 in widescreen (for the DVDs) and IMDB says 5-9 in widescreen, but doesn't mention the DVDs. A US member could probably confirm, but it's quite possible they transmitted a mixture throughout the different stations that broadcasted the show.

It's season 5 on the DVDs at any rate and what few VHS recordings I have left are the same.

I never saw a widescreen transmission of the X-Files in LA while the show was airing new episodes.

I have seen some people say that it was but I follow tech news and I don't recall any stations in LA that broadcast in widescreen until maybe late 2003. Either way it was a very small portion of the total population who even had the right equipment.

p.s.

I would venture to say that for most people, watching the DVD's from season 5 forward was watching it widescreen for the first time.

I didn't see X-Files in widescreen until the DVD's and everybody was so excited when they were released.

[Geoff D]

I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, I'm on a rant because the recent capsaholic comparison has stirred up old feelings.

And I'd still rather have 4:3 framing than 16:9 protection any day of the week, but that's just me.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by iaragorn1

I never saw a widescreen transmission of the X-Files in LA while the show was airing new episodes.

Thanks for the information. I thought as much, in the UK it aired in widescreen on the BBC, from season 5 onwards if I remember correctly. As I said, I still have some tapes left over (no VCR working unfortunately!).

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by iaragorn1

The show was envisioned from the beginning to allow for a widescreen image ratio per the show's own Director of Photography for seasons 1-3. The choices that they made in terms of equipment, Super 35 format etc, was just so that they could future proof the series. At this point, nobody in this debate is going to switch sides.

Protected for 16:9 isn't the same as framed for 16:9. A lot of people would prefer to see how it was framed and shot, because cinematography is important. Especially when cropping is involved, which it is in the early seasons.

I realize no one is going to change their minds. My parents didn't change their mind about buying "full screen" DVDs either, even though I explained to them they were cropped. That doesn't mean they had the right of it.

[frogmort]

I wish they would just open up the sides as much as they can without cropping the top & bottom.

[Imaginarion]

Originally Posted by frogmort

I wish they would just open up the sides as much as they can without cropping the top & bottom.

I wish they would just announce this for Blu-ray...

[Josh of the Decade]

Originally Posted by chip75

There's a good chance that they've created two masters from the scans of the negatives (or at least saved the information!), that way they can create two versions, the 4:3 ones for a BD release and the widescreen one's for streaming / downloads and syndication.

Call me pessimistic, but I reckon the creation of a second (4:3) master would require more love than Fox has for the show. But they would've probably archived that information for sure.

You should pick up a new VHS player, chip. I found mine at the end of my old street with a note saying it was free to a good home. Bargain!

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Josh of the Decade

You should pick up a new VHS player, chip. I found mine at the end of my old street with a note saying it was free to a good home. Bargain!

We never have streets like that around here, we're the family that usually gives our stuff away, we're rarely on the other end! I've been meaning to pop into a repair shop to see if they have any I don't think our trade-in stores have any, I'd like to get a HD-DVD player too, but they're always pick up and collect on Ebay!

[rishaadhosein1001]

Hi,
I saw up to season 6 in hd on itunes of the x files yesterday but now its all gone anyone knows what happened?