Crossing the Pale

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Well folks, it's finally happened to me. I saw the code, then I saw the Matrix, and now all I see is the code again. In my wanderings around various DVD sites, I came across the phrase "edge enhancement." The first time I saw it, it didn't mean anything to me, and any usual complaints about DVD transfers having an abundance of it merely caused me to shrug.

One day, however, my curiosity got the better of me, and I took a spin around the 'net to see what I could learn about this strange effect. Luckily for me the first hit on the search engine landed this wonderfully informative explanation. After the copious examples provided, I began to see why edge enhancement wasn't only not what it appeared, but that it actually lowered the resolution on the images it affected. The subtle haloing effect also became more pronounced in my eyes. I could see why edge enhancement, to those who noticed such things, was more a detriment than a help.

And then it happened. I'd seen countless examples, I could recognize the signs on sight, but it wasn't until I bought my standard def copy of Hellboy II yesterday that it finally all came home. I popped the DVD into my laptop, booted up the DVD player, and started the movie. But what's this? The opening titles look kinda odd; there's something strange about this white/yellow text on this black background...nawwww, it couldn't be. But those are some crazy halos around the text, maybe it's just a fluke....::the next scene comes, with more text and more....:: AH MY GAHHHD!

Now, to be fair, the enhancement is only really noticeable around text, but there were a few times when I noticed it elsewhere. The very fact that I now notice it all on my own has made me one of THOSE PEOPLE. You know the ones, who know just a tad much more than others in a certain area, who know how it's all done, and because of their knowledge they focus more on the process that leaks around the edges than the actual product. It's also kinda happened to me with cinematic editing tricks, a condition brought about by exposure to a sheer amount of "making-of" documentaries and subsequent exposure to many, many movies.

This is, I think, my turning point for purchasing High-Def hardware. I've been a little ambivalent up to now about getting an HDTV/Blue-Ray Player/Replacing my standard def collection, mainly from the practical standpoint of the price. I've still be in the rut of "Wait a few more months to pass and see if the price drops..." and then, when a few more months have passed, repeat the mantra. I mean, I've seen high def before, and it's a fantastic thing to behold, but I've never really had a reason up 'till now. Time to start socking money away!


Enough, More Later.
- James