Regarding my restoration of Cutie Honey (1973)

[StainlessS]

Main page of Wiki:- http://avisynth.nl/index.php/Main_Page
Avisynth is basically a simple programming language, if you are not up to that, then you need look elsewhere.
[a programming language provides much more user control and flexibility]

[Troc]

Originally Posted by videoh

Sorry to say it but that is nonsense. Here is a way to correctly write your first line using (for example) DGDecNV tools:

DGSource(""C:\Users\Troc\Music\Be My Baby - Koda Kumi - Live.dgi")
# now all your other filters go here

You create the dgi file (called the index file) by indexing the MP4 file in DGIndexNV.

It doesn't work. Opening the video file in question in DG results in this: https://ibb.co/GVcQVdw
I thought it simply thought that the video output was glitched so I pressed play and the program crashed.
I tried to get around this by aliasing the video into .dgi, but then VirtualDub said "I don't know what 'DGSource' means". Why isn't there a "Mp4 source"?
I tried also FFmpegSource. I downloaded the files from https://github.com/FFMS/ffms2/releases and placed them into my Avisynth install directory.
"I don't know what 'FFmpegSource' means".
I then removed everything except for file path and Sharpen.
"Script error: Invalid arguments to function 'Sharpen'."
I then removed even Sharpen and tried with only the filepath.
"The script's return value was not a video clip, (Is a string, [PATH])."

No, you simply open your script in the desired application.

Apparently I cannot open the script in my desired application.
I'll keep trying to make this work somehow, I guess. My experience so far with Avisynth is less than satisfactory.

Originally Posted by StainlessS

Main page of Wiki:- http://avisynth.nl/index.php/Main_Page
Avisynth is basically a simple programming language, if you are not up to that, then you need look elsewhere.
[a programming language provides much more user control a flexibility]

I'm up to learning enough in order to use some scripts I cannot for some reason get with any other tool. If I can get some good debanding and despotting stuff working, I can save myself a few hundred hours of work. I'm positive that trying to get this working will still take less time than that.

[videoh]

DGIndex/DGDecode does not support MP4 files. You need DGDecNV or some other source filter.

You can however open the VOB in DGIndex. Try that.

If you tried and failed with some other source filter then give us your script! Stop making us ask for it every time. We're not mind readers.

Sheesh.

[Troc]

Okay, here's the code:

DGSource"C:\Users\Troc\Music\Be My Baby - Koda Kumi - Live.dgi" [Note, same exact situation with .mp4]
nnedi3_rpow2(4, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=2556, fheight=1440)
aWarpSharp2(depth=10)
Sharpen(0.5)

I'm sorry for not including it. Every line gives an error and I was frustrated.

If DGIndex doesn't support mp4, that's too bad. The vast majority of the files I work on is in mp4 directly or mp4 within .mkv container. I do have a lot of DVDs and this will be useful for that. That is, if I can get Avisynth to know what DGSource is.

[StainlessS]

DGSource is a filter function call, and must be enclosed in parenthesis

DGSource("C:\Users\Troc\Music\Be My Baby - Koda Kumi - Live.dgi")       #  [Note, same exact situation with .mp4] ::: Comments are preceded by '#'
nnedi3_rpow2(4, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=2556, fheight=1440)
aWarpSharp2(depth=10)
Sharpen(0.5)

Untested

[Troc]

Okay, I ran this. Result:
"Script error: There is no function named 'DGSource'."

Same with FFmpegSource.

I do have Avisynth installed, "Version()" works. "Avisynth+ 3.6.1 (r3300, 3.6, x86_64)"

[StainlessS]

Well either you have to manually load the plugins by LoadPlugin("...\pluginName.dll") # where "..." is path to the dll
or put the dll in the autoload plugins directory.

DGSource, nnedi3, and awarpsharp2, are all non builtin filters, ie dll plugins.

[videoh]

Originally Posted by Troc

Okay, here's the code:

DGSource"C:\Users\Troc\Music\Be My Baby - Koda Kumi - Live.dgi" [Note, same exact situation with .mp4]
nnedi3_rpow2(4, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=2556, fheight=1440)
aWarpSharp2(depth=10)
Sharpen(0.5)

I'm sorry for not including it. Every line gives an error and I was frustrated.

If DGIndex doesn't support mp4, that's too bad. The vast majority of the files I work on is in mp4 directly or mp4 within .mkv container. I do have a lot of DVDs and this will be useful for that. That is, if I can get Avisynth to know what DGSource is.

I don't have time to do it all for you, especially when you don't listen and follow instructions. You can send me a PM and I'll be happy to offer you my consulting services at $200/hour (that's cheap these days).

Most people figure this stuff out quickly without all this nonsense. Don't blame highly respected tools used by hundreds of thousands.

I'll give you a few clues for free and then I'm done:

* You need the parentheses as I clearly explained in a previous post. Why don't you listen?

* You need to load the plugins (as I told you earlier and StainlessS repeated). I doubt you have DGDecNV (it requires a $15 donation and I don't think you did that) and thus you don't have the DGSource() call available. If you use a different source filter put it in your autoload directory or load it directly via LoadPlugin(). I told you all this. Why don't you listen?

* Open your VOB in DGIndex, index it using 'Save project' (that will make a .d2v file), and then use MPEG2Source() as your source filter. E.g.:

LoadPlugin("your path\DGDecode.dll")
MPEG2Source("myvob.d2v")

The distribution includes a QuickStart manual. Read it!

* If you have MP4/MKV, you cannot use DGIndex/MPEG2Source(). You need DGIndexNV/DGSource(), which requires an nVidia card.
If you don't want to use those, use another source filter and load the plugin.

[Troc]

I deleted everything, downloaded Avisynth+ again, followed a step by step video setup guide and read both of your comments again very slowly.

I seem to have gotten Avisynth to work with FFmpeg Source and LSmash Source. I then found a quality debander and am currently enjoying fiddling with it. I find it easier to get somewhere with more concrete feedback(Edit: From the software, not you guys) and hammering the correct syntax has also been beneficial. I'm extremely sorry for taking up your time and hope that this blunder doesn't negatively affect our future engagements. Any opinions on the portion of Cutie Honey that I cut? What filters should I use on it?

[Ghitulescu]

Oh dear
yet another thread where the initiator has far less competences than his ambitions...

Cutey Honey was a rather beloved anime and it was once that the internet was full of all kind of "restorations", which (now that you provided a copy of the DVD they probably originated) were worse than the source (Indian movies come to mind ). Not to mention the hideous 6 lines of double subtitles (Japanese and Italian or Spanish), covering half of the frame and the final aggressive recompression that killed all the "restoration work" they did (think only of blocking and mosquito noise).

If the "restoration" was just a simple choice of filters and some tweaks (one-fits-all scheme), don't you think it was this obvious also for the producers to use them? They also benefited from the calibration marks (if got the originals), which you don't have and only guess, the original scan files you don't have (but rather a distribution format) and other things.

In one thing you were right - proper restorations are done frame by frame, but without loosing the big picture.

Anyway, if you do not consider yourself reading some documentation, you may search a bit the forum, read here a bit, there another bit, one third of all the posts written in the last decade was concerned only with anime (please raise hands those restoring Disney cartoons ) and inspire from there...
Otherwise, asking StainlessS or videoh for help, it's like they that did the restoring not you.

[Troc]

Originally Posted by Ghitulescu

Oh dear
yet another thread where the initiator has far less competences than his ambitions...

I'm fully aware of this fact and have been open about my lacking abilities. Everyone needs to start somewhere, right?

Cutey Honey was a rather beloved anime and it was once that the internet was full of all kind of "restorations", which (now that you provided a copy of the DVD they probably originated)

I haven't seen previous restoration attempts. Even if I had, I would start with a clean slate from as close to original source as I can reasonably get, which in this case is the DVD I got for a reasonable price of 40 bucks.

Not to mention the hideous 6 lines of double subtitles (Japanese and Italian or Spanish), covering half of the frame

Not going to be a problem for me, I know how to make MKVs. If I can get links for the SRTs somewhere, that is. The DVD only contains English subtitles.

and the final aggressive recompression that killed all the "restoration work" they did (think only of blocking and mosquito noise).

I've also learned a lot about filetypes and compressions and intend to keep learning. I won't just output to .AVI at default settings, I intend to make a quality restoration.

If the "restoration" was just a simple choice of filters and some tweaks (one-fits-all scheme), don't you think it was this obvious also for the producers to use them?

You would think that. I however collect DVDs and so many have blatant and easy to fix issues (such as the movie not being in frame, tilted by a few degrees, or a furious rainbow/checkerboard pattern on the left side of the frame) that I have come to think that many studios simply do not care. Most normies will just see "movie on dvd", plop it into a TV and watch 5 meters away. If they cared, they could've fixed a lot of problems but decided not to put in the effort.

In one thing you were right - proper restorations are done frame by frame, but without loosing the big picture.

I'm going to do that to the OP, after some denoising. Not to the entire series though, since that would be a forever project instead of a long project.

Anyway, if you do not consider yourself reading some documentation, you may search a bit the forum, read here a bit, there another bit, one third of all the posts written in the last decade was concerned only with anime

I've come to know that many communities have in their lifetime built routine answers that are faster, and more precise than going forum surfing. I have done a lot of surfing and this forum in particular is very interesting. I made the post since I thought it'd be nice to know early on if I'm going entirely down the gutter from the getgo. Anime community is very large. The amount of technology enthusiasts who are also anime fans is impressive.

Otherwise, asking StainlessS or videoh for help, it's like they that did the restoring not you.

That's why I was asking for opinions on what would be fit for purpose and after that how to use a central tool. I genuinely hadn't figured it out. At no point did I ask either of these gentlemen to do the work for me. Unless you count consultation as the bulk of the work?
I don't meant to be mean or super confrontational, I just had some disagreements with you there. Let's get along, shall we?

[videoh]

Everything is fine Troc. You're doing great in learning Avisynth after a rocky start (happens for a lot of people including me) and we are still here to help you. Rock on!

[Troc]

Originally Posted by videoh

Everything is fine Troc. You're doing great in learning Avisynth after a rocky start (happens for a lot of people including me) and we are still here to help you. Rock on!

I'm glad that we're cool. I got great results from a debanding filter called Flashkyuu. It's really nice since the banding was in a DAIN video that I had rendered for 13 hours.

I just came home from seeing the new 4K restauration of Akira and my mind feels refreshed from how much I didn't see anything wrong with it. The visual and sound quality were both stellar.

[ReinerSchweinlin]

For restoring old Anime - take a look at:

waifu2x
Anime4k
Topaz Video Enhance AI

Some problems (like tha shaking) hyve to be adressed before running the above tools, but cleaining out some edges, getting rid of some of the noise, etc.. can be adressed by these "AI" apporaches rather good.

Video2x is a GUI for the first two, hybrid has filters in it - so you might consider to look at these to get some inspiration for you own scripts.