Anyone ever see a 16mm print like this before?

[slashmaster]

I had a huge disappointment today. I bought a 2 reel 16mm police training film off ebay. The content of the film and condition were great but the problem is it was transfered from videotape. It's low definition and you can clearly see the aliasing on flannel jackets people are wearing in this film. The entire film is like this! Not just one or 2 scenes. I don't know what year the film is from but I saw a 75 caddy in it so after 75. It has the typical red tint so it must be before 82. Has anyone else ever seen a film like this?

[jpolzfuss]

Up to the end of the 1970s, special "film-cameras with integrated TVs" were used as "video-recorders" - even by TV-stations (s. http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?en ... =kinescope ). In most cases 16mm or 35mm was used. However at least Sony Japan offered an "video-recording-service" to record educational TV-programs on Super8/Single8 (as most Japanese schools did have film-projectors but no video-recorders).

Such "video to film"-devices are still produced - but now to transfer DIs back to to film, e.g. http://www.arri.com/digital_intermediat ... laser.html
Up to somewhere in 2010 or 2011 such a "video to film"-service was even available for Super8:
http://web.archive.org/web/201004141349 ... ansfer.htm

[slashmaster]

Thanks Jpolzfuss. Sorry I didn't get back to this right away. I just made the same mistake AGAIN on ebay and got another standard def film recorded off a tv set:( I guess these films are more common than I thought but seem to be more prevelant in the 70's? What is a good way to ask on ebay if the film is like that? Shall I just ask "Is this film made from a Kinescope?"?

[RogerG]

I have an '80s education film named "Read to Succeed" featuring Tempestt Bledsoe from the Cosby Show. Wonderful condition polyester print, but it's mastered from video. This kind of makes sense because it contains clips from the Cosby Show and some NFL football. It's a very professional job, but still clearly video.

I paid $.01 for it on eBay, with $25 shipping from Canada. Didn't know it was mastered from video. It's kind of a bummer, but the cheesy '80s music and hair mostly make it worthwhile. I did try to sell it on eBay last year, with an accurate description and screen shots. No takers, so I guess it's a keeper.

Here's a screenshot:

read_02.jpg

[slashmaster]

I have an '80s education film named "Read to Succeed" featuring Tempestt Bledsoe from the Cosby Show. Wonderful condition polyester print, but it's mastered from video. This kind of makes sense because it contains clips from the Cosby Show and some NFL football. It's a very professional job, but still clearly video.

I paid $.01 for it on eBay, with $25 shipping from Canada. Didn't know it was mastered from video. It's kind of a bummer, but the cheesy '80s music and hair mostly make it worthwhile. I did try to sell it on eBay last year, with an accurate description and screen shots. No takers, so I guess it's a keeper.

Here's a screenshot:

read_02.jpg

Yeah, when it's like that, I'd rather have a vhs version. Judging by that frame it looks like it doesn't have any scratches so makes a good test film in an unknown projector. Do you know what year it's from? The one I just got is called "What's the energy crisis all about?" It's from 1974. The contrast and of course the definition are horrible. Who made your film? The one I just got is from CBS news but I didn't know it at the time I bought it.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Alas, the B/W Film Factory is no more here in Toronto.

However both Niagara Custom Lab and LIFT offer similar "kinescope" services but with a twist, i.e. digital files to Oxberry printer.

Your S8/R8/UP8/16mm "master" image sequence (JPGs) files reside on a PC which are in turn output on a HD LCD screen (1920 x 1080 HD) one frame at a time synchronized with the Oxberry 16 or 35mm film printer cameras. Open source software controls the Oxberry and PC single frame synchronicity.

I will have a sample by the end of the year.

Up to somewhere in 2010 or 2011 such a "video to film"-service was even available for Super8:
http://web.archive.org/web/201004141349 ... ansfer.htm

[RogerG]

Judging by that frame it looks like it doesn't have any scratches so makes a good test film in an unknown projector.

Coincidentally, I recently bought a rebuilt 16mm projector, and this was the first film I ran through it. It's an ideal test film because it's practically mint.

It's an MTI production released in 1987.