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I calculated the following numbers after disneyunlimited made a comment in the Darby O'Hill topic and instead of letting them go to waste (i punched many calculator buttons to do this
) i'll post them here in case anyone is disneycurious or would just like to compare resolutions.Notes on the numbers.
1-Average pixels per picture height: Since DVD's resolution numbers are in non-square pixels, I've averaged them into equivalent square pixels numbers. For example the biggest Avatars here have a resolution of 140 pixels vertically , and since they are square, 140 pixels in the width dimension too, therefore they have 140 pixels per picture height. So when it says a dvd format/aspect ratio combination has 509 pixels per picture height it means the average resolution on a central square section of the image will have just that: 509 pixels per picture height (and 509 in that square's width) after averaging the vertical and horizontal pixels. To get the total equivalent square pixel dimensions multiply the number by the aspect ratio:
For example let's suppose Mickey's the Sorcerer Apprentice segment was transfered as a NTSC "4:3" DVD @ 1.33 on Fantasia.
509 x 1.333 = 679
So it's equivalent in quality to a 509 x 679 image.
Now on Fantasia2000, if we make the assumption the segment was transfered as a NTSC "16:9" DVD @ 1.33 the numbers become 441 per picture height x 1.33 = 588
So in there it is 441 x 588.
Aproximately a 13% reduction in pixels per picture height, enough that the eye will judge the onen in Fantasia2000 as less sharp than the one in Fantasia, all other factors being equal (Source print, contrast, noise, edge enhancement, etc)
(Likewise, I also did the same equivalent per picture height averageing to get the numbers for anamorphic negative films formats like Cinemascope, Technirama, and UltraPanavision, since those negatives have different image resolutions in their two dimensions.)
2-Aspect ratio base: we all know DVD's come in two flavors: Coded for "4:3" displays and coded for "16:9" displays. What's not commonly know, is, that if DVD's are made to conform with Digital Video Standarts, their true aspect ratio base is not 1.33 or 1.78 when displaying the whole 720 pixel width on a correctly timed video display but 1.37 and 1.82. So I've given numbers for both the "commonly accepted" number, and the precise number. There are probably many DVD's that fall into one or the other, since some will be mastered, knowingly or unknowingly, into one of the two numbers.
3- The human eye. According to Kodak you need about a change of near12% in resolution per picture height to think something sharper or blurrier. So if the difference is around 5% you won't notice a difference. Widescreen movies encoded for "16:9" are 15% sharper than "letterboxed" ones. PAL discs are 10% sharper than NTSC discs.
This leads, for example, to PAL open matte or "letterboxed" versions of widescreen movies being almost equivalently sharp as NTSC coded for 16:9 versions of widescreen movies.
4- Film resolution and DVD and HDTV. Although film resolution is measured in cycles per millimeter (also known as line/pairs per millimeter) (a cycle or a line pair being one white line followed by one black line), and being analog those lines can be positioned infinitevely anywhere on the negative, instead of in a fixed pixel grid; digital pixels have the advantage of being 100% sharp and capable of being manipulated, while film lines at the emulsion resolution limit are soft and blurry with little contrast.
so here's Deathies sharp projection film quality equivalents :
(numbers are approximate)
Super35-2.39: 1000 pixels per picture height
standart Widescreen 1.66->1.85: 1250->1150 pph
Cinemascope: 1250 p/ph
Academy1.375: 1500 pph
VistaVision1.85/70mm2.20/Technirama2.25/UltraPanavision2.75: 2000 pph
Most Disney film are either in standart Widescreen 1.66-1.85 or Academy 1.375 aspect ratios.
Notable exeptions are Lady and the Tramp, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Atlantis, Brother Bear in Cinemasope 2.39-2.55; and Sleeping Beauty, The Black Cauldron in Technirama 2.20-2.40
If HDTV reaches 1080x1920, movies are gonna be from around a maximum of 1080 for standart Widescreen and Academys, to a minimum of 800 for Cinemascope and Super-35, and 700 for Ben Hur (cus they'll still be letterboxed!)
If HD-DVD is gonna be 720 x 1280, movies are gonna be from around a maximum of 720 for standart Widescreen and Academys, to a minimum of 535 for Cinemascope and Super-35, and 465 for Ben Hur
Here's the current DVD's derivations:
The first number in the colum is the movie's aspect ratio. The second number is the NTSC resolution. The thrid number is the PAL resolution
average pixels per picture height
common aspect ratio base: "4:3" disc
1.17 509 558
1.33 509 558
1.37 494 541
1.50 453 496
1.66 409 448
1.75 388 425
1.78 382 418
1.85 367 402
2.00 339 372
2.20 309 338
2.25 302 330
2.35 289 316
2.39 284 311
2.40 283 310
2.55 266 292
2.59 262 287
2.75 247 270
4.00 170 186
average pixels per picture height
common aspect ratio base: "16:9" disc
1.17 441 483
1.33 441 483
1.37 441 483
1.50 441 483
1.66 441 483
1.75 441 483
1.78 441 483
1.85 424 464
2.00 392 429
2.20 356 390
2.25 348 382
2.35 334 365
2.39 328 359
2.40 327 358
2.55 307 337
2.59 303 332
2.75 285 312
4.00 196 215
average pixels per picture height
common aspect ratio base: 1.37 disc
1.17 503 550
1.33 503 550
1.37 500 548
1.50 458 502
1.66 414 454
1.75 393 430
1.78 387 423
1.85 372 407
2.00 344 377
2.20 312 342
2.25 306 335
2.35 293 320
2.39 288 315
2.40 287 314
2.55 270 295
2.59 265 291
2.75 249 274
4.00 172 188
average pixels per picture height
common aspect ratio base: 1.82 disc
1.17 435 477
1.33 435 477
1.37 435 477
1.50 435 477
1.66 435 477
1.75 435 477
1.78 435 477
1.85 429 470
2.00 397 435
2.20 361 395
2.25 353 386
2.35 338 370
2.39 332 364
2.40 331 362
2.55 311 341
2.59 306 336
2.75 289 316
4.00 198 217
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I want 23:9 displays
Edit: Added Atlantis to the Disney "Cinemascope" wide list!
