Author Topic: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?  (Read 4300 times)

Offline Architekt

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Hi,

I want to get HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon" on DVD.

Which version has the better picture quality -  NTSC or PAL?
And is the 16:9 version just as sharp as the 4:3?


(I'm only going to watch it on my PC, so I can play either format).


Thanks!
PS: I'm soooo waiting for a Blu-Ray release... but that would mean re-doing all the visual effects which might be too expensive for HBO :(
« Last Edit: 03/28/2011 03:58 pm by Architekt »

Offline DMeader

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #1 on: 03/28/2011 05:45 pm »
It was produced back in 1998 when standard 4:3 television sets were the norm, so it was shot in 1.33 aspect ratio, intended to be viewed on the common TV sets of the day. It was remastered in 1.78 aspect ratio and rereleased in 2005 to be viewed on the increasingly-common 16:9 and 16:10 widescreen flatscreen TVs.  This new framing causes loss of top and bottom parts of the images from the original movie. It's your choice, but in this case I'd select the 4:3 version. I always select the format that the content was originally produced in. Otherwise, you lose part of the image.

I don't know what to tell you on NTSC vs. PAL.

Offline Architekt

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #2 on: 03/28/2011 06:04 pm »
Thanks, DMeader!

According to some sources, the 16:9 transfer shows MORE of the image in some parts. (source: german amazon review of a guy who owns 3 different editions http://www.amazon.de/review/R15CAALVSYTANW/ref=cm_cr_dp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000CQ97OC&nodeID=284266&tag=&linkCode=)
Another source I cannot find anymore says that they took widescreen into account during filming (remember that the series was filmed on film, not with video cameras).
So we have some conflicting information here. I'll love to hear some more input of this.

Also, I'm still unsure about NTSC vs PAL :)
« Last Edit: 03/28/2011 06:05 pm by Architekt »

Offline ugordan

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #3 on: 03/28/2011 06:09 pm »
If the original material was shot at film speed (24 fps), conversion to PAL will speed up the whole playback by some 4%. May not mean much to you, it's mostly noticeable as slightly higher audio pitch. NTSC conversion has other video artifacts, but video and audio at least play very close to their original recorded speed.
« Last Edit: 03/28/2011 06:10 pm by ugordan »

Offline Architekt

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #4 on: 03/28/2011 06:19 pm »
If it was filmed at 24fps, then the PAL version would run faster.
However, the NTSC version would run at 30fps and therefore require a 3:2 pulldown (explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine#2:3_pulldown). I don't know how much that affects quality!
That would mean that the PAL version runs faster, but is unconverted. The NTSC version runs (almost) at original speed, but required more conversion which could degrade quality. *

All of that under the assumption that it was recorded on 24fps.
If it was recorded in 30fps (which is possible, as HBO is an American company and they use NTSC in America), the NTSC version would require no framerate conversion.

* (it would also mean that I could get the ULTIMATE quality if I took the PAL version, slowed it down, and combined it with the NTSC soundtrack :) )
« Last Edit: 03/28/2011 06:24 pm by Architekt »

Offline ugordan

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #5 on: 03/28/2011 06:24 pm »
Or you could use the NTSC version and reverse telecine to 23,976 fps and just use the existing soundtrack.

Offline madscientist197

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #6 on: 03/29/2011 01:43 am »
PAL is higher resolution and has a much better colour encoding system (fewer artefacts).

I might be biased though!
« Last Edit: 03/29/2011 01:45 am by madscientist197 »
John

Offline Architekt

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #7 on: 04/06/2011 02:53 pm »
Thanks everyone,
I bought the signature edition (16:9, PAL).
It looks&sounds great :)

Offline MATTBLAK

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #8 on: 04/08/2011 04:58 am »
I've owned both versions and the original production batch on the NTSC 4:3 version had a major glitch on the Apollo 12 episode "Is That All There Is?" This episode would jump about 5 minutes to another scene, about halfway through the episode. And then there would be artifacts and distorted pixels in it thereafter.
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Offline pummuf

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Re: From the Earth to the Moon: NTSC or PAL? 16:9 or 4:3?
« Reply #9 on: 04/08/2011 05:42 am »
Just finished the 16:9 version from my local library. It was surprisingly good. Unique writing and story telling ... didn't follow a standard 'formula' for the writing. Still, I found it somewhat boring because it spent too much time on astronaut drama and not enough on the machines.

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