Color Correcting the Dragon Box - 3 Part Spectacular

[Trachta10]

What do you think of this quality?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75D1syhm-k8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0ZcB0VsXvo

I'm not sure but I think it was done by an AI Neural Networks being used to generate HQ textures, called Esrgan,
it's for video games but I guess it can be used for anime too.

Dragon Ball Final Bout Intro, the input quality is really bad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c15ACdWcFHc





other good example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd_3wyRk4fo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_fysUqVUlE

[Trachta10]

But I can't use that in my crap PC, so tried a software called Topaz Gigapixel AI which should look similar

Upscaled this random image to 4K


and this is what it shows


Maybe color correction is easier after enlarging the image

[Shaddy]

Both of these seem to be running into the same Funi issue of blurring the lines and colors together so that the image looks like a washed-out watercolor painting.

[Kuwabara]

The output kind of reminds me of how a cel looks when you flip it over...

[Trachta10]

When you see a cel scan close, most has dirt or normal imperfections. So maybe is normal if the output have imperfections to, even in colors.

Example of cel scan

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Before I tried to use waifu2x but it destroy small details
original

waifux2

gigapixel

This one is better showing those imperfections, and maybe that's mean is better showing true color?

[Kuwabara]

I'll admit that these results are interesting, I'd like the Gigapixel shot if not for what looks to be a sort of haloing effect around defined lines. It's also kind of hard for me to reconcile tons of artificial detail, even if this method yields more perceived depth than the usual upscale.

[Trachta10]

Other example, vs the blu ray 2014

[Cold Skin]

^ Gigapixel seems more performant than Waifu and seems to be favored in various remastering projects here and there.
But while the result is more impressive and probably much less destructive, Waifu is easily accessible and free to anybody, that's a point to consider.
That's not the case with Gigapixel and his 99$ price for what could be just casual home entertainement (it would be nothing for a company to pay for a professional project, but a little less tempting for your everyday man wanting to do a one-off remastering project of sorts).

So it's the usual deal of "are you ready to pay to have better quality or will you stay with the more basic results for free?".
However, I would be curious to see more AI-upscaled pictures from Gigapixels and other AI programs deemed better than Waifu.

[ronaldnorth_03]

I made a color correction using Photoshop CS5 in an episode of Level Sets. I was inspired by the colors of Toei's remastering movie 1 last year.

[superfan2024]

A few dumb questions but:

1: Kai uses the exact same masters that the DBoxes use correct? So why does Boo Kai looks so hideous? I know Boo Kai obviously didn't get the same treatment Kai 1.0 did with Q-Tec, but why was it stretched to 16:9, why did it have that green tint, and why was the animation linework red and weird?

2. Isn't Kai 1.0 the best remaster of Z (not including the movies) we have to date other than the Level Sets and the new Bardock and Future Trunks TV special remasters? Why couldn't Toei just remaster all of Z using using the Q-Tec treatment (only they need to not do is to redraw frames because that was horrible) so we can finally have the definitive release? If i'm not mistaken the new remasters for the Bardock and Future Trunks TV specials have some DNR and crushed blacks don't they?

[Robo4900]

1: Kai uses the exact same masters that the DBoxes use correct? So why does Boo Kai looks so hideous? I know Boo Kai obviously didn't get the same treatment Kai 1.0 did with Q-Tec, but why was it stretched to 16:9, why did it have that green tint, and why was the animation linework red and weird?

Both are scanned from the same physical film into a digital video file, but exactly what they did to that digital video from there is where things diverge. DBox, they cleaned up some damage, applied some motion blur to reduce noise, and then called it a day. Gives us a very raw, very detailed, very sharp image. Though one prone to various issues that should have been fixed (screwy brightness/contrast, screwy colours, etc. etc.).
Kai 1.0 was given to Q-TEC, who cleaned up the picture, fixed the colours, and applied some heavy blurring to eliminate noise, giving us a very soft image.
Boo Kai was handled by Toei, who cropped the picture, applied some rather haphazard colour correction, used some automatic filters to remove dirt, dust, etc., applied some blurring to reduce noise, and thus gave us a cropped, soft, improperly colour-corrected image.

2. Isn't Kai 1.0 the best remaster of Z (not including the movies) we have to date other than the Level Sets and the new Bardock and Future Trunks TV special remasters? Why couldn't Toei just remaster all of Z using using the Q-Tec treatment (only they need to not do is to redraw frames because that was horrible) so we can finally have the definitive release? If i'm not mistaken the new remasters for the Bardock and Future Trunks TV specials have some DNR and crushed blacks don't they?

Kai 1.0 is a bit crap, really. Its colours are rather nice, but it's far too soft. They blurred the image so heavily, its detail level is barely greater than the Dragon Box, even if the colours are usually better. Q-TEC just have something against grain, and end up softening the picture so much, it barely even qualifies as HD.

[superfan2024]

1: Kai uses the exact same masters that the DBoxes use correct? So why does Boo Kai looks so hideous? I know Boo Kai obviously didn't get the same treatment Kai 1.0 did with Q-Tec, but why was it stretched to 16:9, why did it have that green tint, and why was the animation linework red and weird?

Both are scanned from the same physical film into a digital video file, but exactly what they did to that digital video from there is where things diverge. DBox, they cleaned up some damage, applied some motion blur to reduce noise, and then called it a day. Gives us a very raw, very detailed, very sharp image. Though one prone to various issues that should have been fixed (screwy brightness/contrast, screwy colours, etc. etc.).
Kai 1.0 was given to Q-TEC, who cleaned up the picture, fixed the colours, and applied some heavy blurring to eliminate noise, giving us a very soft image.
Boo Kai was handled by Toei, who cropped the picture, applied some rather haphazard colour correction, used some automatic filters to remove dirt, dust, etc., applied some blurring to reduce noise, and thus gave us a cropped, soft, improperly colour-corrected image.

2. Isn't Kai 1.0 the best remaster of Z (not including the movies) we have to date other than the Level Sets and the new Bardock and Future Trunks TV special remasters? Why couldn't Toei just remaster all of Z using using the Q-Tec treatment (only they need to not do is to redraw frames because that was horrible) so we can finally have the definitive release? If i'm not mistaken the new remasters for the Bardock and Future Trunks TV specials have some DNR and crushed blacks don't they?

Kai 1.0 is a bit crap, really. Its colours are rather nice, but it's far too soft. They blurred the image so heavily, its detail level is barely greater than the Dragon Box, even if the colours are usually better. Q-TEC just have something against grain, and end up softening the picture so much, it barely even qualifies as HD.

So what if Kai 1.0 didn't have intensive blur and redrawn frames? How would it fair then?

[Robo4900]

So what if Kai 1.0 didn't have intensive blur and redrawn frames? How would it fair then?

It would be pretty good. The redrawn frames would still be an embuggerance, and the fact it's cut-down as Kai rather than the full Z run would lose it points, but in general, yeah, it'd be pretty decent.

Problem is, by the same hypothetical lens, one could say "The Dragon Boxes would be good if they had some competent colour correction". Even if the faults in something are largely down to one, major flaw, that flaw is still pretty bad.

[Scsigs]

Kai 1.0 was also largely a rotoscoped job, I'm pretty sure. Some shots are more obvious than others, since they traced over badly-drawn frames & I'm assuming manually when a computer probably took care of the rest of them.
2.0 was mainly just a slight clean-up of the footage, which, even in FUNi's shit remasters, aren't that badly screwed with as much as the first 3 arcs.

[armyandstuff]

So what if Kai 1.0 didn't have intensive blur and redrawn frames? How would it fair then?

It would be pretty good. The redrawn frames would still be an embuggerance, and the fact it's cut-down as Kai rather than the full Z run would lose it points, but in general, yeah, it'd be pretty decent.

Problem is, by the same hypothetical lens, one could say "The Dragon Boxes would be good if they had some competent colour correction". Even if the faults in something are largely down to one, major flaw, that flaw is still pretty bad.

I'm actually working on creating a version of kai that replaces the redrawn frames with color corrected Dragon Box footage, I wasn't really aware of the blur being put there on purpose. is there a way to fix it or make it less noticeable? Because I want this edit to look as good as I can possibly make it.

[Scsigs]

So what if Kai 1.0 didn't have intensive blur and redrawn frames? How would it fair then?

It would be pretty good. The redrawn frames would still be an embuggerance, and the fact it's cut-down as Kai rather than the full Z run would lose it points, but in general, yeah, it'd be pretty decent.

Problem is, by the same hypothetical lens, one could say "The Dragon Boxes would be good if they had some competent colour correction". Even if the faults in something are largely down to one, major flaw, that flaw is still pretty bad.

I'm actually working on creating a version of kai that replaces the redrawn frames with color corrected Dragon Box footage, I wasn't really aware of the blur being put there on purpose. is there a way to fix it or make it less noticeable? Because I want this edit to look as good as I can possibly make it.

Possibly a sharpening tool, or another editing tool that'll bring it more into focus. I'd also monitor how it does it if you use an automated process. It probably won't work like FUNi's does, since they also use a smearing tool to try to remove the grain & it looks like watercolors as a result.

[Robo4900]

So what if Kai 1.0 didn't have intensive blur and redrawn frames? How would it fair then?

It would be pretty good. The redrawn frames would still be an embuggerance, and the fact it's cut-down as Kai rather than the full Z run would lose it points, but in general, yeah, it'd be pretty decent.

Problem is, by the same hypothetical lens, one could say "The Dragon Boxes would be good if they had some competent colour correction". Even if the faults in something are largely down to one, major flaw, that flaw is still pretty bad.

I'm actually working on creating a version of kai that replaces the redrawn frames with color corrected Dragon Box footage, I wasn't really aware of the blur being put there on purpose. is there a way to fix it or make it less noticeable? Because I want this edit to look as good as I can possibly make it.

It's difficult. You can experiment with some light sharpening and putting a grain plate on top, I suppose. But it'd take a really subtle hand to make it look any good and actually be a worthwhile improvement.

Personally, I'd just downscale it to 720p but make no other adjustments, then upscale the DBox to 720p and if it's too sharp-looking, blur it to fit the look of Kai. That should make the footage gel together decently.

[armyandstuff]

It would be pretty good. The redrawn frames would still be an embuggerance, and the fact it's cut-down as Kai rather than the full Z run would lose it points, but in general, yeah, it'd be pretty decent.

Problem is, by the same hypothetical lens, one could say "The Dragon Boxes would be good if they had some competent colour correction". Even if the faults in something are largely down to one, major flaw, that flaw is still pretty bad.

I'm actually working on creating a version of kai that replaces the redrawn frames with color corrected Dragon Box footage, I wasn't really aware of the blur being put there on purpose. is there a way to fix it or make it less noticeable? Because I want this edit to look as good as I can possibly make it.

It's difficult. You can experiment with some light sharpening and putting a grain plate on top, I suppose. But it'd take a really subtle hand to make it look any good and actually be a worthwhile improvement.

Personally, I'd just downscale it to 720p but make no other adjustments, then upscale the DBox to 720p and if it's too sharp-looking, blur it to fit the look of Kai. That should make the footage gel together decently.

the footage I'm using is already at 720p so thankfully I don't need to downscale anything, but anyway thanks for the help, I'll try out what you said.

[crabshank1]

Updated my AvsPmod distro:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjHPdv1_75reiSRjDJEb6yCwBYEu

[jaisonas]

Some random color corrections. No clipping