posted 11-07-2003 08:19 AM                       

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"I have had the privilege of 2K scanning and processing images from the "I Love Lucy" series in recent weeks. The film we worked with, shot in 1953, has a quality level which can only be exceeded today by the use of the newer color films. (In fact we recommended that these programs should be scanned at 4K to capture, for the long term future, everything on these aging 50 year old films.)

The very best television image capture systems in 1953 used black and white 525 lines or 625 lines and kinescope recordings. Video tape did not come along for another three years. Had these wonderful programs been shot with the latest electronic equipment at that time the results would have been effectively lost forever. How do you feel "The Honeymooners" kinescopes look today?

Film created via HD 24P 1920 X 1080 capture, presents reasonable images on the theatre screen (Eg: Spy Kids 2). The audience probably does not notice the difference between film and HD capture since the pre-emphasis of the low frequency information appears to carry the resolution at an acceptable level. Lots of close-ups work very well. (Close-ups look good almost regardless of resolution since we already have too much information about the face. The details of the pores in the skin are just not necessary.) The subtle details in long shots are a tougher issue for HD and are often lost due to the bandwidth constraints of the present system.

In my opinion both HD and film have a place in the capture of motion pictures today from an economics perspective. But, if you are interested in the long term value of a special motion picture property to be shot today, history suggests that film has significant advantages.

John D. Lowry
Lowry Digital Images, Inc.
Burbank, CA"

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