T2: Extreme Edition

[Calculon]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, but I don't know where to put it. I generally hate M$, but this sounds interesting... or is dangerous the word that I'm thinking of... ;)





April 09, 2003 - Today the final specs for Artisan's upcoming re-re-release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day arrived and they confirmed a long-running rumor that the DVD would include a high-definition version of the film using a Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 file.

This may sound strange to you, but it is actually quite cool. Microsoft has developed a low-bitrate HD compression codec that is just now being experimented with on some Artisan DVDs. It allows high-def quality video on the same amount of disc space as a regular single-layer DVD. Artisan's Standing in the Shadows of Motown includes a Windows Media Player 9 version of the film in high-def on disc two. Not only does it look incredible; it only takes up about 3 gigs on the disc.

Naturally, you'll need some horsepower to correctly run these files on your PC. You'll need at least a 1.8ghz Pentium 4 with a nice chunk of RAM and a 5.1 compatible soundcard to take advantage of the audio. However, if you have all of that the high-def version looks a lot nicer than running the regular DVD on your PC.

Here are the complete, and final, specs for the upcoming T2: Extreme Edition

# 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer digitally mastered from a brand-new 1080p, 24sf high-definition digital telecine transfer.
# Dolby Digital 5.1 EX audio.
# Dolby headphone audio track
# All-new audio commentary by James Cameron and co-screenwriter William Wisher.
# Extreme interactive mode with graphic commentary and behind-the-scenes footage
# 16 minutes of additional scenes.
# "No Feat But What We Make": an all-new documentary.
# "T2: On the Set" retrospective montage
# "T2: High Definition": the complete theatrical version of the film in Microsoft Windows Media 9 series, playable in high resolution and 5.1 sound directly from your PC
# Infiltration Unit Simulator and T2 FX Studio: morph your imported images into a T-1000 or T-800 Terminator
# Skynet Combat Chassis Designer: Construct and field-test your own ultimate fighting machine and track your progress online
# THX optimizer
# Metal collectible sculpture embossed package


http://dvd.ign.com/articles/393/393023p1.html

[kaitsuburi]

Just read this too... I haven't seen anything encoded with WM9 so I don't know what to expect from this "hi res" quality that "not only does ... look incredible; it only takes up about 3 gigs on the disc."

Couldn't the same be said about XviD? 3 Gigs, wow. How about putting a 3gig XviD encode with AC3 sound and all on the DVD eh? Quantizer 2 with chroma motion, qpel and perhaps one of those custom MPEG matrices. How about that. I don't know what the "hi res" is they are referring to, but I suspect an XviD encode with a current alpha build should be able to smoke WM9 :D:D:D

Or maybe I am just a deluded XviD convert/fan who has not yet seen the truth ...

-kaitsuburi

[downloada]

hi,

i haven't seen anything in wm9, too, but i don't think that xvid could do an hdtv-encode of t2 with only 3 gigs space.

if that version used the same master the dvd-version did, than it could have a resolution of up to 1920x1080 progressive with 24fps ("1080p, 24sf high-definition", i think that the 24sf means 24fps, but i could be wrong...).

i think this kind of video would be perfect for h.264, it gives decent dvd-quality with about 1mbit, so hdtv at the same quality would need about 5mbit, that would be great! but it's slow as hell right now...

cu

[trbarry]

i haven't seen anything in wm9, too, but i don't think that xvid could do an hdtv-encode of t2 with only 3 gigs space.

This was discussed in another forum. The 3 gigs is for Shadows of motown. The T2 size isn't known yet.

- Tom

[intel4004]

there are samples to watch on the ms website

http://windowsmedia.com/9series/DemoCenter/VideoQuality.asp?page=6&lookup=VideoQuality

[The Belgain]

The other post was in this thread by the way

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52567

Where did you get the info for the res it was at by the way trbarry? And is there a release date yet? Will it be released in the US only, or worldwide?

Also, what kind of copy-protection/region-coding/DRM is there on the WM9 version (if any)?

[Doom9]

there's a thread where a guy working for M$ gave some info about the resolution of the upcoming release. You'll find it in the new a/v formats.

[The Belgain]

Thanks for that...plenty of decent info there.

trbarry, you said you owned the WM9 DVD they've already released (can't remember what it's called now). What kind of copy protection was on the WM9 portion? Any chance of just copying the file directly across to Hard Disk?

[trbarry]

The DRM is set up so if you have the original DVD you can copy it to your hard drive.

OTOH, my copy will no longer even play from the DVD for some reason. It just gives me a copy protection error. However now that it is installed I seem to be able to play the wmv files on it one at a time with WMP, just not as a DVD.

I guess it is the nature of all DRM plans to not be understandable. ;)

- Tom

[The Belgain]

How long before the equivalent to DeCSS comes along to break this DRM scheme then (or is it actually properly secure)? I suppose we'll have to wait until there's enough interest for people to start trying.