Editing Remaster (section)

== Remastering ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
Remastering is the process of making a new master for an album,<ref name="popsci">{{Cite web |last=Hawking |first=Tom |date=2025-04-28 |title=What does 'remastering' an album actually mean? |url=https://www.popsci.com/science/what-does-remastering-an-album-mean/ |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=Popular Science |language=en-US}}</ref> film, or any other creation. It tends to refer to the process of porting a recording from an analog medium to a digital one, but this is not always the case.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

For example, a [[vinyl record|vinyl]] LP – originally pressed from a worn-out pressing master many [[generation loss|tape generations]] removed from the "original" master recording – could be remastered and re-pressed from a better-condition tape. All CDs created from analog sources are technically digitally remastered.

The process of creating a digital transfer of an analog tape remasters the material in the digital domain, even if no equalization, [[Audio level compression|compression]], or other processing is done to the material. Ideally, because of their higher resolution, a CD or [[DVD]] (or even higher quality like [[high-resolution audio]] or [[High-definition television|hi-def video]]) release should come from the best source possible, with the most care taken during its transfer.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Additionally, the earliest days of the CD era found [[Digital data|digital]] technology in its infancy, which sometimes resulted in poor-sounding digital transfers. The early DVD era was not much different, with copies of [[film]]s frequently being produced from worn prints, with low [[bitrate]]s and muffled audio.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} When the first CD remasters turned out to be bestsellers, companies soon realized that new editions of back-catalog items could compete with new releases as a source of revenue. Back-catalog values skyrocketed, and today it is not unusual to see expanded and remastered editions of relatively modern albums.

Master tapes, or something close to them, can be used to make CD releases. Better processing choices can be used. Better prints can be utilized, with sound elements remixed to [[5.1 surround sound]] and obvious print flaws digitally corrected. The modern era gives publishers almost unlimited ways to touch up, doctor, and "improve" their media, and as each release promises improved sound, video, extras and others, producers hope these upgrades will entice people into making a purchase.

=== Music ===
Remastering music for CD or even digital distribution starts from locating the original analog version.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster">{{cite web|title=How do they remaster CDs and DVDs?|date=13 October 2008 |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/remaster-cds-dvds2.htm|publisher=howstuffworks.com|access-date=24 March 2013}}</ref> The next step involves digitizing the track or tracks so it can be edited using a computer. Then the track order is chosen. This is something engineers often worry about because if the track order is not right, it may seem sonically unbalanced.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster" />

When the remastering starts, engineers use software tools such as a limiter, an equalizer, and a compressor. The compressor and limiters are ways of controlling the loudness of a track.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster" /> This is not to be confused with the volume of a track, which is controlled by the listener during playback.

The dynamic range of an audio track is measured by calculating the variation between the loudest and the quietest part of a track.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster" /> In recording studios the loudness is measured with negative decibels, zero designating the loudest recordable sound. A limiter works by having a certain cap on the loudest parts and if that cap is exceeded, it is automatically lowered by a ratio preset by the engineer.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster" />

==== Criticism ====
Remastered audio has been the subject of criticism.<ref name="Remastering The Guardian">{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Tim|title=How CDs are remastering the art of noise|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2007/jan/18/pop.music|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=16 May 2013|date=18 January 2007}}</ref><ref name="Remastering how stuff works">{{cite web|title=Complaints with Remastering CDs|date=13 October 2008 |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/remaster-cds-dvds3.htm|publisher=[[HowStuffWorks]]|access-date=16 May 2013}}</ref> Many remastered CDs from the late 1990s onwards have been affected by the "[[loudness war]]", where the average volume of the recording is increased and dynamic range is compressed at the expense of clarity, making the remastered version sound louder at regular listening volume and more distorted than an uncompressed version.<ref name="Remastering The Guardian" /><ref name="Remastering how stuff works" /> Some have also criticized the overuse of noise reduction in the remastering process, as it affects not only the noise, but the signal too, and can leave audible artifacts.<ref name=Levine2007>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17777619/the_death_of_high_fidelity |magazine=Rolling Stone |title=The Death of High Fidelity:In the age of MP3s, sound quality is worse than ever |last=Levine |first=Robert |date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230101658/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17777619/the_death_of_high_fidelity |archive-date=December 30, 2007}}</ref><ref>Interview with Steve Wilson in Preston 53 Degrees venue, date 20/4/07.</ref> Equalisation can change the character of a recording noticeably. As EQ decisions are a matter of taste to some degree, they are often the subject of criticism. Mastering engineers such as [[Steve Hoffman (audio engineer)|Steve Hoffman]] have noted that using flat EQ on a mastering allows listeners to adjust the EQ on their equipment to their own preference, but mastering a release with a certain EQ means that it may not be possible to get a recording to sound right on high-end equipment.<ref name="Remastering The Guardian" /><ref name="Remastering how stuff works" /> Additionally, from an artistic point of view, original mastering involved the original artist, but remastering often does not. Therefore, a remastered record may not sound how the artist originally intended.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

=== Film and television ===
[[File:Remaster.png|thumb|right|''[[The Big Boss]]'': original footage on the left; remastered footage on the right]]
To remaster a film digitally for DVD and [[Blu-ray]], digital restoration operators must scan in the film frame by frame at a resolution of at least 2,048 pixels across (referred to as [[2K resolution]]).<ref name="Film restoration BBC">{{cite web|title=Mission possible: Film restoration|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7525143.stm|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=6 June 2013|date=25 July 2008}}</ref> Some films are scanned at [[4K resolution|4K]], [[6K resolution|6K]], or even [[8K resolution]] to be ready for higher resolution devices.<ref name="Film restoration BBC" /> Scanning a film at 4K—a resolution of 4096&nbsp;×&nbsp;3092 for a full frame of film—generates at least 12 terabytes of data before any editing is done.<ref name="Film restoration BBC" />

Digital restoration operators then use specialist software such as MTI's Digital Restoration System (DRS) to remove scratches and dust from damaged film. Restoring the film to its original color is also included in this process.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster" />

As well as remastering the video aspect, the audio is also remastered using such software as [[Pro Tools]] to remove background noise and boost dialogue volumes so when actors are speaking they are easier to understand and hear.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster" /> Audio effects are also added or enhanced, as well as [[surround sound]], which allows the soundtrack elements to be spread among multiple speakers for a more immersive experience.<ref name="How Stuff Works CD/DVD remaster" />

An example of a restored film is the 1939 film ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''.<ref name=RestoreOz>{{cite video |year=2005 |title=Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz [DVD bonus feature from ''The Wizard of Oz: 3-Disc Special Edition'' (rel. 2005)]|publisher=[[Warner Home Video]]}}</ref> The color portions of ''Oz'' were shot in the [[Technicolor#Three-strip Technicolor|three-strip Technicolor process]], which in the 1930s yielded three black and white negatives created from [[RGB color model|red, green and blue]] light filters which were used to print the [[CMYK color model|cyan, magenta and yellow]] portions of the final printed color film [[answer print]].<ref name=RestoreOz /> These three negatives were scanned individually into a computer system, where the digital images were tinted and combined using proprietary software.<ref name=RestoreOz />

The cyan, magenta, and yellow records had suffered from shrinkage over the decades, and the software used in the restoration morphed all three records into the correct alignment.<ref name=RestoreOz /> The software was also used to remove dust and scratches from the film by copying data, for example, from the cyan and yellow records to fix a blemish in the magenta record.<ref name=RestoreOz /> Restoring the film made it possible to see precise visual details not visible on earlier home releases: for example, when the [[Scarecrow (Oz)|Scarecrow]] says "I have a brain", [[burlap]] is noticeable on his cheeks. It was also not possible to see a [[rivet]] between the [[Tin Woodman|Tin Man]]'s eyes prior to the restoration.<ref name=RestoreOz />

Shows that were shot and edited entirely on film, such as ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'', are able to be re-released in HD through re-scanning the original film negatives; the remastering process for the show additionally enabled Paramount to digitally update certain special effects.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=24344 |title=Kirk/Spock STAR TREK To Get All-New HD Spaceships |website=Aintitcool.com |access-date=2009-08-22}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=August 2009}} Shows that were made between the early 1980s and the early 2000s were generally shot on film, then transferred to and edited on standard-definition videotape, making high-definition transfers impossible without re-editing the product from scratch, such as with the HD release of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', which cost [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] over $12 million to produce. Because of this release's commercial failure, Paramount chose not to give ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Deep Space Nine]]'' or ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Voyager]]'' the same treatment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/dvd-bluray/star-trek/261992/star-trek-ds9-voyager-hd-blu-ray-will-likely-never-happen|title=Star Trek: DS9 & Voyager HD Blu-Ray Will Likely Never Happen|first=Kayti|last=Burt|date=2017-02-06|website=Den of Geek}}</ref> In 2014, ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse]]'' was digitally remastered from the original film and audio tracks.<ref>[https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/pee-wees-playhouse-makes-high-def-debut-remastered-and-more-colorful-than-ever-full-home/article_06e35ff8-5932-5e8e-859f-b6f08de611ce.html 'Pee-wee's Playhouse' makes high-def debut, remastered and more colorful than ever (full home-video listings)]</ref>

==== Criticism ====
Remastered films have been the subject of criticism. When the [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] film ''[[Predator (film)|Predator]]'' was remastered, it was felt by some critics that the process was overdone, resulting in Schwarzenegger's skin looking waxy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vanhemert|first=Kyle|title=When Movie Remastering Goes Too Far|url=https://gizmodo.com/when-movie-remastering-goes-too-far-5583645|publisher=gizmodo.com|access-date=27 September 2019|date=10 July 2010}}</ref> As well as complaints about the way the picture looks, there have been other complaints about digital fixing.<ref name="E.T. Guns with Walkie Talkies">{{cite web|title=Spielberg Repents for Replacing Those 'E.T.' Guns with Walkie Talkies|url=http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2011/09/spielberg-repents-for-replacing-those-et.php|publisher=iwatchstuff.com|access-date=20 August 2013|date=15 September 2011}}</ref> One notable complaint is from the 2002 remastered version of ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' (1982), where director [[Steven Spielberg]] replaced guns in the hands of police and federal agents with [[walkie-talkie]]s. A later 30th-anniversary edition released in 2012 saw the return of the original scene.<ref name="E.T. Guns with Walkie Talkies" />

=== Animation ===
With regard to animation—both for television and film—"remastering" can take on a different context, including altering original images to extremes.

For traditionally animated projects, completed on cels and printed to film, remastering can be as simple as touching up a film negative. There have been times where these revisions have been controversial: boxed [[DVD]] sets of animated properties like ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' from the early 2000s saw extensive criticism from fans and historians due to the aggressive use of digital video noise reduction (DVNR). The process was designed to automatically remove dust or specks from the image, but would mistake stray ink lines or smudges on the cel for damage, as well as removing natural imperfections.<ref name="h656">{{cite web | last=Amidi | first=Amid | author-link=Amid Amidi | title=DVNR: When Cartoon Restoration Goes Bad | website=Cartoon Brew | date=April 8, 2005 | url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/old-brew/dvnr-when-cartoon-restoration-goes-bad-1011.html | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref> [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] went a step farther with its remastering of its canon catalog in the early 21st century: for its cel-animated films, teams meticulously reconstructed scenes from original cel setups and background paintings to create new images free of film artifacts (jitter, grain, etc.). While complex and revolutionary, this process was criticized by some for essentially removing the films from their era and medium, making them indistinguishable in age.<ref name="q015">{{cite web | last=Guilcher | first=Abi Le | title=Fans still haven't forgiven Disney for its shocking Blu-ray remasters | website=Creative Bloq | date=March 22, 2023 | url=https://www.creativebloq.com/news/did-disney-botch-the-remastering-of-its-classics | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref><ref name="h031">{{cite web | last=Schager | first=Nick | title=Is Disney ruining its cartoon classics? | website=Yahoo Entertainment | date=April 24, 2018 | url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/disney-ruining-cartoon-classics-140509581.html | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref> Later remasters, including a 4K restoration of ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'' in 2023, prioritized a filmic look, with period-appropriate grain and weave.<ref name="r521">{{cite web | last=III | first=Bill Kelley | title=A dream comes true: "Cinderella: Ultimate Collector's Edition" 4K UHD | website=High-Def Watch | date=April 1, 2023 | url=https://www.highdefwatch.com/post/a-dream-comes-true-cinderella-ultimate-collector-s-edition-4k-uhd | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref>

Remastering other animated projects can vary in scope based on their art style. In the case of natively digital images, including [[List of computer-animated films|computer-animated film]]s, remastering can be a simple matter of going back to the original files and re-rendering them at a desired resolution. Some modern software, like [[Toon Boom Harmony]], utilize lossless vector shapes,<ref name="p384">{{cite web | title=Toon Boom Launches USAnimation OPUS | website=Animation World Network | date=March 26, 2003 | url=https://www.awn.com/news/toon-boom-launches-usanimation-opus | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref> allowing an artist to re-render work at different resolutions with ease. This can prove tricky at times when [[Digital dark age|files have become corrupted or unreadable]]; a [[3D film|3D]] reissue of ''[[Toy Story]]'', the first CG film, was fraught with difficulties due to the unreadability of the file format on modern systems.<ref name="n580">{{cite web | last=Robertson | first=Barbara | title=Stereo Twice Over | website=Computer Graphics World | url=https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2009/Volume-32-Issue-10-Oct-2009-/Stereo-Twice-Over.aspx | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref> In television, ''[[South Park]]'' is an example of a program that was natively digital from its start—its [[construction paper]] style was made up of digital images manipulated in software like [[Autodesk Maya|Maya]]. This allowed its creative team to completely re-render episodes in a higher resolution than its original broadcast; in some instances shots were re-framed to fit a 16:9 aspect ratio.<ref name="c281">{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Tim | title=South Park: TV's Longest Week | website=magazine.creativecow.net | date=April 29, 2009 | url=http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/south-park-tvs-longest-week | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322215500/http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/south-park-tvs-longest-week | archive-date=March 22, 2009 | url-status=dead | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref>

Another issue in terms of remastering is [[image scaling|upscaling]] projects completed in the early days of [[digital ink and paint]]. Animation industries across the globe gradually switched from cels to digital coloring around the turn of the millennium, and projects that pre-date the advent of higher-resolution formats have proved challenging to remaster.<ref name="o808">{{cite web | title=What Is "Digipaint"? | website=Anime News Network | date=October 9, 2017 | url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2017-10-09/.122481 | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref> Remasters of films that used early digipaint processes are typically struck from filmout 35mm prints, as the computer files were never properly archived. Projects that were composited on lower resolution formats like videotape have made going back to the original elements impractical due to their inferior size. Some studios have utilized [[artificial intelligence]] to professionally upscale the material; boutique label [[Discotek Media|Discotek]] has released seasons of the anime ''[[Digimon]]'' using a specialized tool called AstroRes.<ref name="y623">{{cite web | last=Geolas | first=Paris | title=Digimon Adventure 02 Gets New Life With 'Insanely Improved' Discotek Release | website=CBR | date=May 31, 2024 | url=https://www.cbr.com/digimon-adventure-02-discotek-media-release/ | access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref>

=== Video games ===
[[File:Halo Combat Evolved vs Anniversary.jpg|thumb|right| A comparison of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' (left) and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' (right) with redrawn graphics. ''Anniversary'' features both the old and the new visuals in-game with a graphics-swapping feature.]]
Remastering a video game is more difficult than remastering a film or music recording because the video game's graphics show their age, even when the [[source code]] is used.<ref name="Remastered video games CNET">{{cite web|title=Remastered video games: Good or bad?|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57326020-1/remastered-video-games-good-or-bad/|publisher=[[CNET]]|access-date=1 April 2013}}</ref> This can be due to a number of factors, notably lower resolutions and less complicated rendering engines at the time of release. A video game remaster typically has ambience and design updated to the capabilities of a more powerful console, while a [[video game remake]] is also updated but with recreated models.<ref name="Marie2018">{{cite book|last=Marie|first=Meagan|title=Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ad2DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA9|year=2018|isbn=978-0-241-39506-6|page=9|publisher=DK}}</ref>

Modern [[computer monitor]]s and [[high-definition television]]s tend to have higher [[display resolution]]s and different aspect ratios than the monitors/televisions available when the video game was released.<ref name="Remastered video games CNET" /> Because of this, classic games that are remastered typically have their graphics re-rendered at higher resolutions.<ref name="Remastered video games CNET" /> An example of a game that has had its original graphics re-rendered at higher resolutions is ''[[Hitman Trilogy#Hitman Triple Pack|Hitman HD Trilogy]]'', which contains two games with high-resolution graphics: ''[[Hitman 2: Silent Assassin]]'' and ''[[Hitman: Contracts]]''. Both were originally released on [[Personal computer|PC]], [[PlayStation 2]], and [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]].<ref name="Hitman HD Trilogy review">{{cite news|title=Hitman HD Trilogy review|newspaper=Eurogamer.net |date=February 2013 |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-01-hitman-hd-trilogy-review|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]|access-date=1 April 2013}}</ref> The original resolution was [[480p]] on Xbox, while the remastered resolution is displayed at [[720p]] on [[Xbox 360]].<ref name="Hitman HD Trilogy review" /> There is some debate regarding whether graphics of an older game at higher resolutions make a video game look better or worse than the original artwork, with comparisons made to colorizing black-and-white-films.<ref name="Remastered video games CNET" />

More significant than low resolution is the age of the original game engine and simplicity of the original 3D models. Older computers and video game consoles had limited [[3D rendering]] speed, which required simple 3D object geometry such as human hands being modeled as mittens rather than with individual fingers, while maps having a distinctly chunky appearance with no smoothly curving surfaces. Older computers also had less texture memory for 3D environments, requiring low-resolution bitmap images that look visibly pixelated or blurry when viewed at high resolution. Some early 3D games such as the 1993 version of ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' also just used an animated two-dimensional image that is rotated to always face the player character, rather than attempt to render highly complex scenery objects or enemies in full 3D. As a result, depending on the age of the original game, if the original assets are not compatible with the new technology for a remaster, it is often considered necessary to remake or remodel the graphical assets. An example of a game that has had its graphics redesigned is ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'',<ref name="Remastered video games CNET" /> while the core character and level information is exactly the same as in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.<ref name="Remastered video games CNET" /><ref name="Halo: Combat Evolved Review">{{cite web|title=Halo: Combat Evolved Review|url=http://uk.ign.com/games/action-double-pack/xbox-15922|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624211606/http://uk.ign.com/games/action-double-pack/xbox-15922|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 24, 2013|publisher=[[IGN]] UK|access-date=1 April 2013}}</ref><ref name="Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Review">{{cite web|title=Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Review|date=14 November 2011 |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/11/14/halo-combat-evolved-anniversary-review|publisher=IGN UK|access-date=1 April 2013}}</ref>