#### ***This is not a DVD/LD upscale. This release is 100% sourced from the USBD.***
**full resolution: https://files.catbox.moe/dp1l8g.png**
***This release is in no way related to any earlier attempts to restore EP16 by pwnsweet and Sephirotic***
Episode 16 of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' is infamous for it's sudden drop in quality on recent BD releases compared to all other episodes in the series due to it's original film master being lost between 1996-2003. All official Blu-Ray releases use an SD upscale of an earlier 2003 scan of the surviving 35mm interpositive that was *telecined* and then further ITVC'd on recent releases. This has resulted in all releases since 2003 suffering from a myriad of problems including blurriness, haloing and black crush. This release attempts to fix many of these issues using the BD source.
| Source | Resolution | FPS | Format | Encoder | MediaInfo
| ------------- |:-------------:|:-------------:|:-------------:|:-------------:|:-------------:|
| 2021 GKIDS USBD | 1440x1080p | 24000/1001 | H.264 | Zeruel84 | [MediaInfo](https://pastebin.com/raw/0GCT4AN9)
This release features the USBD, downscaled and then re-upscaled with multiple ESRGAN models. The models have been trained to fix the various issues with the BD master, notably the strong haloing. The goal was to preserve the detail of the linework, while improving upon it and getting the source closer to the rest of Renewal. Color correction has also been applied throughout the video, using surviving references to get the upscale closer to what an actual remaster could have looked like. A grain effect has been added, being a custom one created with frames from Episode 26.
**Video by Zeruel84**
**Audio and Subtitles by HRSM (subs based on Dekinai release)**
**Special thanks to:**
**HRSM, Krycek7o2, Reibro, Rrobynne**
___
**Q: What about the black crush?**
A: There's nothing that can be done. The detail is gone forever and no ESRGAN magic can fix it.
**Q: Why not upscale the DVD/LaserDisc then?**
A: Putting aside the fact that this wouldn't be allowed on Nyaa, I have tried this to pretty good results. The main issue is the massive frame-blending present in the 1997 DVD/LD master. Ideally, one would combine the dark details from that with the main video from this release. A *merge*, if you will. I may try something with the DVD in the future, but this release is meant to be Nyaa-compliant and 100% BD sourced.
**Q: Is this related to any other Eva releases?**
A: No, at the moment this is my own stand-alone project.
**Q: How is this different from Sephirotic's main release?**
A: This uses *custom* trained AI models to re-upscale instead of whatever Avisynth script he used. A comparison with his release can be found here: https://slow.pics/c/CuFQW7kV
**Q: Why is the file over 4GB? That's too big!**
A: The size is bigger in order to preserve the added grain and minimize compression artifacts. The audio & subtitles are a GB alone.
**Q: Why so many audio options?**
A: The ADV 2.0 and 5.1 tracks are pretty different from each other, and including the VSI Dub doesn't hurt anyone
**Q: Where can I find happiness?**
A: Stop watching Evangelion for a start, maybe go outside as well.
Just to clarify, I'm **not** the person who made this, just uploading this in proxy. As the description says, it is not related to any other Eva releases, including anything I'm personally working on. The subtitles are modified from my previous release of Evangelion, sourced from the USBD with some small fixes. Preference is given to terminology consistent with the respective dub [ADV = Classic, VSI = Official]. Audio is sourced from the JPBD (Japanese Tracks), USBD (VSI Dub), ADV Perfect Collection and Platinum Collection.
Not a fan of saturation/contrast boosts in general (even if the original is clearly underexposed), but everything else about this looks much better.
Though I'm really just here because I thought someone had made a 4.7gb encode of the whole series and wanted to see how bad it was.
for me, it's the 8 comparison screenshots with a combined resolution of 640x960. without them, i just wouldn't be ablt to tell the significant improvement over the source.
Thanks for sharing this, the screenshots look impressive. I personally don't have the Laserdisc but I'm thinking it's probably way better than the old DVD. Those old KIBA DVDs are quite terrible but that's kinda to be expected of early DVDs. Unless some super magic can be done with that or unless Archive DVD is used. Domesday Duplicate captures are quite incredible and I feel that at least having that for episode 16 would be essential for restoring it (unless Gainax was bad at mastering LDs as well).
@ZaphodBeebblebrox I personally can't see any issues with the lineart around reds, but if you could show where the issue is I'll be happy to pass it on
@Damian V8501 The 1996 LaserDisc is the exact same master as used on the KIBA DVDs, and aren't that much better in comparison to those DVDs (Zeruel has found the Archives DVD to be generally worse than the 1997 DVD for EP16). In addition, something about the LaserDiscs makes them harder to upscale, not sure what it is though.
Zeruel does have all the LaserDiscs however and is currently working on an encode of them with myself. I have some screenshots from his capture of EP16 if you'd like to have a look: https://imgur.com/a/HRyB0iC. It's via standard capturing instead of a Domesday Duplicator, but the results look pretty decent. Here's a comparison with Tanks404's own Domesday capture https://slow.pics/c/DmFLNhFt
@ZaphodBeebblebrox those seem to be inherent in the original source ([comparison with the direct USBD](https://slow.pics/c/ljyJb30L)). I personally don't really see much of an issue with it, although I can see where you are you coming from
Thank you very much for the information. I was thinking of bad MPEG2 compression, especially from a 90's DVD, along with frame tearing(?) artifacts along with the "freeze-framing" as to reasons against the DVD as for which I do not know exist or not on the LD version. The only Eva LD I have is the Revival BOX set but my player is currently out of commission. I think it might've just been a drive belt or something that wore down since it will still operate but when it tries to play a disc it'll just clunk back into place. I kinda wanted to try out a little project with YOU-GEN-KAI-SYA (Phantom Quest Corp). I have USA and JPN DVD along with the JPN LDs. Aside from have the original Japanese credits and non-hardcoded sign translations, I was definitely disappointed with the video quality of the Japan DVD having very severe rainbowing and also being 29.98. It made me think of the Evangelion ones except the rainbowing is not nearly as bad on those.
Those screenshots actually look quite good, I'm really surprised how well it turned out. I still feel like I'd want to see a domesday capture though. If I ever fix my Laserdisc player, I don't know if there's a better capture device but I was thinking of using my Hauppauge HD-PVR since it has analog video input and also digital audio input so I (should) be able to directly copy the digital audio tracks at the very least.
It's still insane to me that the negatives for the episode with arguably one of the most iconic sequences of this series is completely lost. Like, the shenanigans that went on in GAINAX during and after the production of Eva seems like a shitshow. Even the opening to 'Chainsaw Man' has a nod to a scene from this episode, and is why I wanted to see if any progress had been made to improving the quality.
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