~n
What if we had Full-HD videos from the early 90s? What would it look like? This stuff surprisingly exists. A video format that probably never made it into your living rooms was D-VHS. Digital VHS made it possible to store 25 GB of data on a standard VHS tape. It never caught on as there were few TV sets to render that content and even fewer 1080i cameras. But there were recordings made and miraculously they survived for over two decades. Here you go! NYC in 1993 in 1080:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4lDU-QLUY
New York City in 1993 in HD - DTheater DVHS Demo Tape

YouTube
Jan 24, 2023 at 12:54amWeb
Show threadMarc WiedenJan 24, 2023
@nblr Krass!
Show thread~nJan 24, 2023
@howie_mw Wa? 🤯
Show threadguentherJan 24, 2023
@nblr lol the SS shirt guy trying not to be on camera at 1:42
Show threadTrolli Schmittlauch 🦥Jan 24, 2023

@nblr HD-Auflösung sei Dank kann ich lesen, dass auf dem Pullover des weißen Dudes mit den SS-Runen auch noch “Support the Third [irgendwas]" steht.

FML.

Show threadMaxi 12x 💉Jan 24, 2023
@nblr Kenne die Aufnahmen. Ist interessant, andererseits sind auch *Spielfilme* mit Stadthandlung aus der Zeit auf Analogfilm in mindestens der Auflösung. Der Reiz dieser Bilder ist, dass sie rein dokumentarisch sind.
Show threadPendolino70Feb 13, 2023
@frumble @nblr Film ist ja immer noch besser als HD und neu abgescannt und restauriert in 4 oder 8k grandios. Ich empfehle die Apollo 11-Doku. 1969 als wäre es heute 😍
Show threadAhleworschttoupetJan 24, 2023
@nblr 😍
Show threadderPUPEJan 24, 2023
@nblr Falls Du soass am Parametefriemeln hast: Spiele gerade mit #Topaz Video AI auf alten Super8 Video rum. Und bin teilweise bei Upscaling super berrasch ob des Qualitätsimprovement
Show threadUd😷 SauerJan 24, 2023
@derPUPE @nblr wenn du ein Super8 Rabithole besuchen möchtest: https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=144271
The power of Avisynth: restoring old 8mm films. - Doom9's Forum

The power of Avisynth: restoring old 8mm films. Avisynth Usage

Show threadderPUPEJan 25, 2023
@nblr @fernsehmuell oh, dickes danke fuer den tip. Habe hier noch 4minuten von der Hochzeit meienr Eltern. weclhe mir sehr wichtig waeren sie in beste Quali zu bekommen
Show threadDon AristarcoJan 24, 2023
@nblr Impressive! FullHD crouded streets without any smartphone ;-)
Show threadMichael DexterJan 24, 2023
@nblr
I watched a bit of Until the End of the World and wow the early analog HD stands out. More or less a big Sony ad.
@wiedi
Show threadSienna Ruigrok  🌈♾️Jan 24, 2023
@nblr Hey this is some cool footage! Techmoan did a video on D-VHS some years ago which is really interesting:
https://youtu.be/jiu0LPeLQPE Also Linus Tech Tips just a couple months ago https://youtu.be/papQ8xQxizA
Remember when HD Movies came on VHS tapes?

YouTube
Show threadFrankenmichlJan 24, 2023
@nblr Das ist ziemlich cool!
Show threadBrian MarickJan 24, 2023

@nblr Quite an interesting tune to use as the opening sound track, as the lyrics to "Living for the City" are not exactly boosterish.

"His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty.
He spends his life walking the streets of New York City.
He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution.
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution.
Living just enough, just enough for the city."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsqEk6v6t1A

Stevie Wonder - Living for the City

YouTube
Show threadit's B! Cavello 🐝Jan 25, 2023
@nblr wow, what a treat! I’m frustrated that YouTube defaults to showing at a lower res so I had to watch it over again after realizing, but it really is cool to see! I had an eerie sensation watching it because one of the people really looked like my mom, but she probably wouldn’t have been there in ‘93. Probably the date is correct, but it makes me wonder…
Show threadSIEM ShadyJan 25, 2023

@nblr This is great, thanks for sharing.

Hair color has certainly become more exciting since then. What a sea of brown...

Show threadUrsaJan 25, 2023
@nblr
Apart from D-VHS, anything that was captured on high quality film instead of videotape can be transferred to a 4k quality video. Examples of this are remastered episodes of Star Trek TNG, and the re-released music video for Whaam!'s 'Last Christmas'.
@TechConnectify did a great video about it over at https://youtu.be/rVpABCxiDaU
Film: the reason some of the past was in HD

YouTube
Show thread@CaleyGJan 26, 2023
@nblr @ja2ke Amazing to see this. What a time capsule!
Show threadMrCJan 26, 2023
@nblr Love these kind of things. I can't find it now but somebody uploaded a "San Francisco for Japanese Tourists" video that had been captured from an HD source (MUSE/HighVision laserdisc I think) and it was a nice time capsule of late 80s/early 90s SF
Show thread~nJan 26, 2023
@ScotttSee While there are plenty 4K restorations such as Star Trek TNG, only these videos offer the candid look at the ephemeral everyday life.
@UrsaAshBear 👀
Show threadColin M. FordFeb 12, 2023
@nblr that footage is so clear! Really amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Jun 2, 2023
@nblr That is really impressive!
Show thread~nJun 2, 2023
@jackyan I mean… there is high-res film from that period and earlier… But causal city scenes on video? Hits differently.
Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Jun 2, 2023
@nblr Youʼre right. Across the Sea of Time was from around that period IIRC.