Open plea to European cappers...

[Karyudo]

I am looking for someone who might be able to help me acquire some specific program material capped from German satellite station "Premiere" (now "Premiere World"?) between the beginning of April and the beginning of June, 2001, or similar programming on German free-to-air satellite during about May, 2002.

If you have been capping those stations for that long, and are interested in giving a poor Canadian a hand, please either PM me or post here (and I'll PM you back to provide details).

Thanks for your time,

Karyudo

[Karyudo]

Well, clearly my first post is going over like a lead balloon: lots of reads (121 as of when I write this), but no replies. Maybe it's time for some more specifics:

I have it on good authority (i.e. I checked here, on AVS, and on the stations' sites) that the "SW trilogie" was broadcast on German DVB station Premiere multiple times during April, May and June 2001, and again sometime in May, 2002. This was the good stuff: an anamrphic PAL broadcast, at 720 x 576, OAR. And DD 5.1, to top it off. :)

Even though I don't speak German, I really, really, *really* want to get my hands on a copy of this material, in as close to its original form as possible. I've been working on an LD backup, but I suspect this would blow it away.

So, can anyone help me out? Do you have what I'm looking for, or have some hints as to how I can get it? Reply here, or PM me. I don't *think* this violates any sort of forum rules, but I apologize in advance if it does. I promise I'll have many more on-topic posts to follow, if someone does come through with the raw materials for me to work with... :D

Thanks,
Karyudo

[cofferscuffs]

It violates forums rules.

[Karyudo]

I think the most conclusive thing you (as a non-moderator) can write is that *you think* it violates forum rules. Because I've read them, and I don't think it does. My post has been up for a while, and I haven't heard from a moderator to the contrary, so I suspect my interpretation isn't wrong.

Sort of moot, anyway, since I've had no replies.

Karyudo

[cofferscuffs]

6) No warez, cracks or serials! Links to content of a questionable nature, asking or offering in any way or form is not tolerated.

asking or offering in any way or form is not tolerated

and for your information i was once a supermod here.

[Karyudo]

6) No warez, cracks or serials! Links to content of a questionable nature, asking or offering in any way or form is not tolerated.

asking or offering in any way or form is not tolerated


I have "asked or offered", that is true, but I don't believe I asked or offered "warez, cracks or serials" or "content of a questionable nature". No more so than if I asked if anybody could lend me a tape of last week's "Friends" because mine was taped from the crappiest channel on my cable system. *That* is why I don't believe it has violated any forum rules, not because of "asking or offering."


and for your information i was once a supermod here.


I see. But you're not now, are you?

My post has been up for a good long time now, and if it were to come down permanently, that wouldn't bother me at all. But it does sort of bother me to see a four-word message posted by a non-moderator (former or not, you are not now a moderator) saying unequivocally "it violates forums rules," when the rule we're both looking at to decide whether it does or not is particularly vague and open to interpretation. If you become a moderator again any time soon, and wish me to remove my post -- or remove it yourself -- that's cool. But until then, I'm not sure I see the point of your message, other than to just be posting. Which, if I'm not mistaken, violates Forum Rule 11. :D

Back to (mostly) lurking...

Karyudo

[cofferscuffs]

Why are you wording your messages in a way to try being provocative... basically going "you're not of importance here so you must be automatically wrong"... why do you think no-one has replied?

[Karyudo]

I'm sorry if that's how it sounded. I wasn't trying to be deliberately provocative -- but I wasn't planning to roll over and take it, either. I think it's a bit rude to jump in with a four-word post expressing an opinion as fact. Not the end of the world, but not exactly "non-provacative", itself, either.

I don't know why anyone hasn't replied, but I don't automatically assume it's because my post is in violation. I would assume it was in violation if I went to visit "my" thread, and it was gone...

I have been lurking for a while, I have seen your many useful posts, I enjoy your avatar -- but I missed the time where you were a supermod, I guess. That's commendable, and had I known, I probably would have taken your opinion more seriously. But maybe you could also have posted, "As a former supermod around these parts, I believe your post is in violation," instead?

Best regards,
Karyudo

[Zhnujm]

... why do you think no-one has replied?

because my dvb card was a few weeks late :D
and now please both relax.

[kindred]

The trilogy was also aired here in the UK on the BBC IIRC (maybe ITV), which would have been at full PAL D1 res (can't remember if it was DD5.1).

Haven't seen or heard of any more future replays of them. Wish I had my DVB back then :-(

[cofferscuffs]

yes but itv still had gay 192kbit sound then and they had crap bitrates! although.... they did have proper ws

[Karyudo]

As to whether ITV (et al?) have crappy 192k audio or not, well, it wouldn't bother me. Why not? I have the NTSC LD (actually *many* LDs), and I have been able to rip the 5.1 audio directly from them. (Yes, really!) So because I'd have to convert the PAL video to NTSC anyway, I'd have the opportunity to re-mux with 5.1 audio.

The low bitrate video isn't great, either, but I'd have to re-render that, too, so maybe a few VDub or ASynth filters might take care of macroblocks, etc., on the way?

The trilogy has been shown on Fox 480p digital OTA in the US last year -- but I'm in Canada, it was before my time, and I've heard even that was messed up somehow. Largely by having too many commercials, I understand, but also by various Fox affiliates screwing up the AR, etc.

I'd like to get my hands on a nice, pretty-clean digital WS source somehow. Almost not worth bothering messing around with the LD caps, when I know something better exists! All that work for something sub-optimal? No, thanks... too disheartening. Being here on Doom9 means I'm after *quality*!

Karyudo

[blixi]

I don't think a missed TV recording is against the forum rules. I guess there is noone answering simply because:

There are not enough dvb-freaks arround here, since this category is even for me new.

The few DVB people here maybe did not record it

Then somebody did record it, he does not have it on HD anymore.

One or more of the above may lead to no responses.

Sorry that I can't help. Yes Premiere has a really good quality on their broadcasts. Often you have even luck that they broadcast mp2 audio in original language.

[dar1us]

The original trilogy was broadcast here (logo free) on the Digital Freeview and general terrestrial last year, you could easily pick it up for free with any Digital Satellite card OR a DVB-T card here in the uk, point your sat dish to astra and SOMEHOW obtain a VideoGuard+ cam. As U can guess, it wasn't in german!


See a past post on it now: on ITV, it wasn't DD5.1, but it was when it was on SKY Premiere Channels (and in 2.35:1 WWWIIIDDDEEE:))

[kindred]

Sky Premiere is 544x576, and not that great a bitrate - so would be worse than on ITV (although some nice audio hacking could use the video from ITV and audio from Sky :))

[dar1us]

544x576 - THE SKANKS, about the audio hacking (hardly hacking) but matching it up with the adverts removed would be basically impossible, hope you dont get a frame drop at all, not even one:)!

[kindred]

Since there was a little interest with the Star Wars films, its worth noting that ITV (UK channel) are airing them over the next 3 weeks, starting with A New Hope on Saturday.

IIRC ITV is 720x576 and will be aired 16:9, although that will still be a pan&scan I think since the original was 2.25:1 (or whatever the cinema ratio is).

Still, might be better than any other digital copies out there.

[Karyudo]

Needless to say (as the thread starter), I'd be very interested to strike some sort of deal with any kind soul who might be in a position to cap this. Or, if you happen to have capped it already (before you read this). PM me, and I'll get right back to you...

I do hope "conventional wisdom" is wrong, and the films will be shown in their original aspect ratio (2.35:1 theatrical release). Yeah, I know I'm dreaming...

Thanks,
Karyudo

[trbarry]

Karyudo -

I was not a mod at the time of your first post above but this does indeed violate forum rules. Please do not solicit to exchange copyrighted materials here.

- Tom

[Zhnujm]

I would be very happy if somebody could post here or sent me a PM if he/she knows that one of the Star Wars triologie is shown on a digital channel available on Astra satelite (wherever you come from, whenever it is shown, doesnt matter)
I still need some parts :(

[cofferscuffs]

its being repeated on itv1 from this sunday (or sat?) each weekend.

[Zhnujm]

mmmh, videoguard :scared:
but thanks

[Karyudo]

Not being located in Europe, I'm not familiar with "videoguard". Could you elaborate?? Izzat the same as Macrovision? Or...?

[Zhnujm]

Its an encryption system for pay-tv. (and an almost secure one, as far as i know...)

[Karyudo]

I see. So then making digital archives of programming so broadcast is impossible, correct?

How about high-quality analog signals: Is it possible to output an anamorphic S-video from a legit decoder (such as I'd imagine you could/should have for output to a 16:9 set), and digitize that?

Here in North America, the only programming that routinely is broadcast in either an anamorphic or native 16:9 presentation is HDTV, and Fox's 480p stuff. I don't have a digital cable or satellite box, but I'm not sure there's any provision for anything enhanced for 16:9 TVs unless the source is ATSC.

[Zhnujm]

well, here where i live i would go this way:
-buy a cam module with the encryption system of the pay-tv channel
-plug it into the dvb card
-get a subscription from the tv channel (a key card wich you can plug into the cam module)
And then i could view and record digital as if its a free tv channel.
It works the same if you have a digital receiver.

But there are some encryption systems where no cam module is available and you need a special decoder (especially in the uk) so you have to go the way you describe (analog output from the decoder to the pc)

Theres no big problem here with getting widescreen versions of a movie, most times it shown even in free tv in its original format, sometimes also anamorphic, only older movies are shown pan&scan, some pay-tv channels also show anamorphic versions.