Convert SD to HD ? Is it really possible ? « Videomaker Community Forums

Mike Comeau
Member

Hi everyone,
I produced a fabulous 80-min DVD about Lake Winnipesaukee in NH 5 years ago and it's been selling as a SD DVD since then. Now, I would like to convert the entire video to HD and re-master the DVD.
Is this something can be be done efficiently in 2011 ? :-)
Thanks,
Mike

Posted 1 year ago #
XTR-91
Member

It can sort of be done, but 80 minutes on DVD probably means it's not in high quality, which upconverting to HD isn't going to make much better.

Use sharpen in Sony Vegas Pro or whatever NLE you have

Posted 1 year ago #
Mike Comeau
Member

Thanks.
OK, forget about 80 minutes on the DVD.
What if I am simply converting the MPEG-2 file to an HD format. Is there any software available that can do this ?
Thanks,
Mike

Posted 1 year ago #
birdcat
Moderator

Red Giant has Instant HD (http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/magic-bullet-instant-hd/) for $99 and I hear it does an OK job.

There is also the problem of framing as SD is usually in 4:3 and HD is usually 16:9 so you're gonna need to letterbox or crop.

You could also put multiple SD segments on the screen simultaneously (tough to watch but it makes a point).

Bruce Paul
7Squared Productions
http://www.7squared.com

Posted 1 year ago #
Rob Grauert
Post Production Host

Not that I'm trying to split hairs, but you said you want to up-convert to HD and then remaster your DVD. Generally speaking, DVDs are only SD. So you'll end up going SD > HD > Back to SD. That's just silly and worse than where you're starting.

Do you mean Blu-ray?

"What if I am simplyÂ converting the MPEG-2 file to an HD format."

What MPEG-2 files are you talking about? I hope you're not talking about the ones on the DVD. As XTR already explained, it's low quality.

Where is your full-quality Master? Up-convert that. Not material pulled from a DVD.

Rob Grauert, Jr
http://www.robgrauert.com
http://command-r.tumblr.com

Posted 1 year ago #
signmax
Member

Hi,

First rule:

You cannot produce more quality than the original quality in hand but some software can push on maximum image quality. and maximum bit rate allowed.

Rule 2

SD is 4:3 ratio HD is 16:9 ratio you need to crop your movie screen some software like Sothink from Sourtec can do the work.

Nobody can obtain the B-R quality 720 x 480 is far than 1920 x 1080 but not to far 1280 x 720.

You can save your DVD try with demo before to invest in costly software mathematic is mathematic.

Regards,

YR

Posted 1 year ago #
Ian James Smith
Member

Mike,

Many years ago, the 'Ilford' company, makers of film-stock in Britain, had a most effective advertisement. It was a shot of a 35mm photographic negative, with the caption, 'If you haven't got it here......You haven't got it'. Truer words were never spoken.

Like you I have been searching for the 'Holy Grail' In doing so, I have upscaled some of my earlier footage from High Quality mpg2 to Hi-Def formats. The results have been, at best, inconclusive......at worst, a waste of time. After using some high-powered codecs, I have concluded that changing my stuff from mpg2 is a waste-of-time. What I am looking forward to, though, is downscaling from AVCHD to 720 x 576 SD. Our video-recorder/player, a Panasonic, makes a marvellous job of it and direct loading from the camcorder I have in-mind, via a HDMI cable, is likely to be a breeze. In my humble experience, nothing already changed into a compressed format, such as mpg2, ever benefits from being changed back. I am 5 years into an on-going project, and downscaling to match what I already have, makes good perfectly good sense, to me.

Posted 1 year ago #