babyhum

ReUp!

2009-11-04T14:57:00.001Z

All of my titles are currently being reposted to alt.binaries.starwars in case you missed any the first time 'round. Enjoy!

Who?

2008-07-04T15:49:00.003+01:00

Only because I like keeping everybody happy, currently uploading to alt.binaries.drwho is This Morning's interview with Russell T. Davies which aired in the UK today. I'm not a big Doctor Who fan but I'm sure there's a lot of people that would appreciate this clip. Enjoy.

No passwords!!!

2008-06-19T14:02:00.001+01:00

For those who so ELOQUENTLY requested it on usenet, I've asked my uploader to repost the first 4 Indy files on alt.binaries.starwars without the passwords.

Even more posts over at a.b.starwars

2008-06-19T10:29:00.002+01:00

LK Today - Jim Broadbent Interview.mpg
Sky News - Cannes Report.mpg
Sky News - Harrison Ford Clip.mpg
Sky News - Harrison Ford Interview.mpg
Sky News - Indiana Jones Back On The Big Screen.flv

ThrowgnCpr's 'Indiana Jones & The Ultimate Quest'

2008-06-18T13:57:00.004+01:00

Those of us who weren't lucky enough to catch 'Indiana Jones & The Ultimate Quest' when it was screened on The History Channel last month now have the chance to see this great documentary thanks to ThrowgnCpr's wonderful DVD. Transferred from an HD capture, the main feature runs at 91 minutes and has the following bonus features:

- 3 Theatrical trailers for 'the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'
- 15 TV spots for 'the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'
- Lego 'Raiders of the Lost Brick' short film
- Lego Indiana Jones game trailer
- Lego Indiana Jones toys commercial

It's available on Rapidshare via fanedit.org or at Demonoid following this link.

Thanks to ThrowgnCpr, I managed to obtain a copy of the HD source file and have successfully made a Playstation 3 compatible Mini Blu-Ray (DVD-R) of the program which I may release.

Cheers ThrowgnCpr.

New posts at alt.binaries.starwars

2008-06-18T13:52:00.002+01:00

Head over there now for:

BBC News - Blanchett on working with Spielberg.flv
BBC News - Ford on playing an action hero.flv
BBC News - Spielberg on new Jones film.flv
BBC News - Stars out for Indiana premiere.flv
BBC Newsround - Cannes Report.mpg

.flv files are playable with VLC or MPEGStreamclip

No passwords. No nfos. Just the files.

Also, thanks to ColinK for supplementing my posts in a.b.starwars with additional clips.

More to follow.

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull: babyhum's review

2008-05-23T02:00:00.001+01:00

Suspend disbelief.

See it.

Release: BBC News 24 E24 - Crystal Skull Cannes Report

2008-05-21T20:08:00.001+01:00

Date: 19.05.08
Source: BBC News 24 UK Digital Terrestrial Transmission
Capture: Original broadcast stream from Topfield TF-5800
Video Format: MPEG-2, 720x576, 16:9, 25fps, 2.87 Mbps
Audio Format: MP2 stereo, 48kHz, 192 kpbs

Posted to alt.binaries.starwars
Password: sallah

Release: BBC News 24 - Crystal Skull Cannes Report

2008-05-19T17:58:00.002+01:00

Date: 19.05.08
Source: BBC News 24 UK Digital Terrestrial Transmission
Capture: Original broadcast stream from Topfield TF-5800
Video Format: MPEG-2, 720x576, 16:9, 25fps, 3.42 Mbps
Audio Format: MP2 stereo, 48kHz, 192 kpbs

Posted at alt.binaries.starwars
Password: marion

Release: Amazon UK - Indiana Jones DVD's

2008-05-19T17:39:00.002+01:00

Title: Amazon UK - Indiana Jones DVD's
Date: 14.05.08
Source: Channel 4 UK Digital Terrestrial Transmission
Capture: Original broadcast stream from Topfield TF-5810
Video Format: MPEG-2, 704x576, 16:9, 25fps, 2.93 Mbps
Audio Format: MP2 stereo, 48kHz, 192 kpbs

Posted to alt.binaries.starwars
Password: molaram

Release: The UK National Lottery Scratch Cards

2008-05-19T17:23:00.002+01:00

Title: The UK National Lottery - Indiana Jones Lottery Scratch Cards
Date: 14.05.08
Source: Channel 4 UK Digital Terrestrial Transmission
Capture: Original broadcast stream from Topfield TF-5810
Video Format: MPEG-2, 704x576, 16:9, 25fps, 3.12 Mbps
Audio Format: MP2 stereo, 48kHz, 192 kpbs

Posted to alt.binaries.starwars
Password: belloq

The near future

2008-05-16T00:08:00.005+01:00

Well, my first 'online release' was going to be the BT Business commercial starring Peter Jones and the Gremlins. I got a perfect capture, topped and tailed it with the customary 1 sec black video and then... ITV HD came to life on my new box. I recorded every commercial break tonight in the hope of capturing something. And I did. Click the above image for a comparison.
Now as soon as someone comes out with some decent h.264 editing software I'll be issuing this stuff.

In the meantime, I'll get someone to upload the SD versions to Usenet.

Ch...ch...ch...ch..Changes!

2008-05-13T23:23:00.004+01:00

So, some changes are afoot. We have the new logo. Still a work in progress. i'm happy with the design and I think the font. Suggestions if you have any.

Now, the MAJOR change.

I'm thinking of changing how my material is distributed. Up until now I've produced a few DVD's of Star Wars material and contributed to a few others. Due to the ever changing (there's that word again) technological advances in the world AND attempting to reduce my carbon footprint on this wonderful planet of ours, I'm contemplating releasing my material in downloadable form.
Now, before you whinge and whine and complain about quality, everything I release will be ORIGINAL source captures. No re-encoding. No resizing.

So, my reasons are as follows:
1. Environmentally friendlier (slightly). Doesn't use discs. Doesn't use cases. Doesn't use labels. If you want those things, you can do them yourself. It's easy. And I'll be releasing the templates for the covers and labels in the near future.
2. I have a mountain of television commercials to release that don't all quite fit into any future release I may have had. And not all of them are Star Wars or Indiana Jones related (for example I have the BT Gremlins commercial. Someone may be producing a Gremlins related DVD and can use my commercial as an extra after they download it)
3. Not all my releases will be DVD friendly. I've just got hold of an HD Satellite box. Anything I capture will be released as source material until decent Blu-Ray authoring software becomes available.
4. I'm bored of DVD authoring. Not really. I just find it too time consuming.
5. It's a more direct way for everyone to obtain the material.

There's a few more but I won't bore you any longer.
Initially the material will be available on Usenet. I know people balk at newsgroups but it's the fastest most direct way to get stuff. Anyone is then free to distribute it via torrenting sites, Rapidshare etc.
This isn't set in stone yet. I'm going to test the water and wait for feedback.
Tune in very soon for the first couple of releases.
Regards
bh

Just tinkering!

2008-04-25T21:39:00.003+01:00

Click on the image for full size.

babyhum Scans test: Empire Magazine May 2008 (Crystal Skull)

2008-04-25T20:00:00.003+01:00

If you head over to alt.binaries.starwars on Usenet you'll find a post of mine. It's a test. I've been contemplating doing scans for a while and I had a spare afternoon so I thought, what the heck!
Comments please and I'll think about doing some more!

I'm back and begging!

2008-04-19T12:24:00.002+01:00

Firstly let me apologise for my lengthy absence. Every now and then, your personal life takes priority and I'm afraid mine became a big priority.

My grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's passed away last year, and now, someone else very close to me, has been diagnosed with the condition.
Alzheimer's is a progressive and terminal disease for which there is currently no cure. In its early stages, short-term memory loss is the clearest symptom: this leads to confusion, anger, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as his or her senses decline. Gradually the sufferer loses minor, and then major bodily functions, until death occurs.

When it happens to someone you've known your whole life, heartbreaking is an understatement.

In September of this year I will be undertaking a sponsored trek across the Andean Mountains in Peru in aid of the Alzheimer's Society.

All I ask of you generous folk is that you sponsor me as much as you can (£1 would do, a tenner would be fantastic, anything higher would be incredible. I need to raise a total of £2800 by June in order for me to take part.

You can send me a donation by visiting http://www.justgiving.com/perupot

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Alzheimer's Society will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Anyone donating £20 or more will not only be contributing to a very worthy cause but will also be automatically sent a copy of my next release (at my own expense, not the charities) and will be entered into a draw to win a special prize (details to follow, but it will be good!)

If you do donate please include the letters 'bh' in the comments field when making your donation.

Thank you all for taking the time out to read this post.
Regards
bh

http://www.justgiving.com/perupot

Availability

2007-08-08T23:49:00.000+01:00

bh017 is currently available at the following locations:

Myspleen (Thanks to DigitalFreakNYC)

alt.binaries.starwars (Thanks to Move Along)

Thanks guys. I recommend that you all check out DFNYC's Jaws and E.T. Archive DVD's and Move Along's The Adventures Of Luke Skywalker DVD. All are very slick releases.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: bh018 is available here

bh018: Star Wars: The Making Of The Myth

2007-07-20T19:29:00.000+01:00

bh018: Star Wars: The Making Of The Myth

PAL Colour
41 Minutes
Single Layer (4.34GB)
Contents:
The Making Of The Myth
Star Wars: Unsung Heroes
The Risk Business: Movie
Jim'll Fix It: Visit To Dagobah
Other vintage clips
NO Easter Eggs

bh018 will go out tomorrow with bh017 to all seeders and posters.

Enjoy!

bh017: Star Wars: The Magic And The Mystery

2007-07-20T13:32:00.000+01:00

Previously only available at Celebration Europe!

bh017: Star Wars: The Magic & The Mystery

PAL Colour
Dual Layer (6.83GB)
Contents:
The Magic And The Mystery: UK Version
The Magic And The Mystery: US Version
6 Special Edition related clips
NO Easter Eggs

Seeder, poster and complimentary copies go out tomorrow.

bh018 is being QC'ed

Enjoy.

MY opinion!

2007-07-16T12:00:00.001+01:00

Well, it's been and gone. The first Star Wars Celebration Europe. Now please bear in mind that I only attended on the Sunday. Not the best day for the exhibition i agree but I thought I'd post my views anyway.

The Bad.
1. OK, £23.00 for entry is the going rate for this kind of gig now, but where were the freebies? You got your pass for free, but to then have to pay for the lanyard? How about a free poster, or a goody bag. I went to the Power Of Myth exhibition years ago and they couldn't give you enough stuff. £23.00 for the privilege to spend more money inside. Get it together next time guys. The only freebie I got was a collectors coin and that was sponsored by someone outside Lucasfilm!
2. Food. Rip off.
3. Not enough space. I know it's a huge venue but for the amount of visitors there the vendors section was too cramped, the queues for the main stage were ridiculous, and half the staff had no idea where anything was.
4. Security. 'Nuff said.
5. Steve Sansweet. I saw him (or rather his P.A.) refuse autographs and photos. Fan Relations? Try a bit harder.

The Good.
1. The costumes and props. I'm amazed at how much time guys and girls spend on these things. The effort was appreciated and you all have my respect.

2. DAVE DORMAN. What a great guy and a fabulous artist. Check him out here. He took time to chat to everyone and also had a fantastic piece of CE exclusive art for sale. Did I buy one? Of course I did!

It puts a great twist on the old Stormtrooper/Tusken Raider plot line.

3. The Palitoy Archive. Dave and the guys had a complete collection of the UK line of Star Wars figures originally produced by Palitoy in the late seventies/early eighties. I lot of care and attention went into the display and it was the highlight of my day. Interesting that they had produced a DVD with all of the original commercials. Those Jedi ones looked awfully familiar!
4. Meeting the fans. It's great to get feedback and appreciation of your own work.

If you went I hope you had a great time. Hope to see you next year!

Congratulations!

2007-07-16T08:46:00.000+01:00

Well done to the 5 lucky recipients of bh017 that I was giving away at Celebration Europe, and to all of you who got to me too late, your copies will be in the post today. It was a pleasure meeting all of you and thank you for your kind words. I never thought I'd actually have to sign anything though. You've probably halved the value of your DVD's by having me scrawl on it. I'll be posting my thoughts on CE later today. Some good. Some bad. Stay tuned.

bh017 Giveaway!

2007-07-14T20:51:00.000+01:00

I'll be at the Star Wars Celebration Europe tomorrow (Sunday) with 5 copies of bh017 to giveaway. How to get one? Look for the Mexican prison tattoo!
See you there!

bh017 coming soon!

2007-07-11T00:17:00.000+01:00

bh017 is complete. QC is done and I'm currently burning 5 DL copies.
I'm not telling you what the content is until next week BUT if you are attending the Star Wars Celebration in London this weekend you'll have a chance to grab one of those 5 copies. I'll be there either on the Saturday or Sunday and I'll give you details soon on how to grab a copy.
WATCH THIS SPACE!

bh016 now available on myspleen.net

2007-06-24T23:33:00.000+01:00

http://www.myspleen.net/details.php?id=3489

Thanks to DigitalFreakNYC
PLEASE SEED!

bh009 cover woes!

2007-05-05T13:47:00.000+01:00

It appears that the cover for bh009 used a different BG layer giving it a lighter appearance. I've rectified this and the new cover will be available on a.b.starwars and in the DVD ROM section of my next release.
Sorry about that guys.

Betamax woes!

2007-03-10T11:44:00.000Z

As I'm sure you will have noticed, it's been very quiet on the Babyhum blog front. There are a few valid reasons. Namely life, a new Nintendo DS Lite, and finally my Betamax woes.
I've had a Sony Betamax SL-F25 since its release in 1986. Its picture quality still rivals most VHS today. A few weeks ago I decided to dig it out of the cupboard to transfer 'James Cameron: A Director & His Work' for Meedermow's Alien Appendix series of DVD's. Imagine my disappointment when I inserted the cassette and... nothing happened. I discovered a shop via the wonder of Google in Croydon who undertake Betamax repairs. I took it along and left it for its 24 hour health check. Perhaps that should have been post mortem. I was quoted in excess of £600 for parts and repairs. Ouch. Luckily, the shop has just refurbed a Sony SL-F30 (the model up) and it was on offer for a bargain price of £430. Ouch.
I bit the bullet and handed over the cash. So far it has worked fine, and the first transfer (the aformentioned James Cameron doc) has already been delivered to Meedermow (I'm still waiting for his comments, but it looked good to me).
So, to service the community, I am offering to transfer any RELEVANT material from Betamax cassettes to DVD for any upcoming projects. Donations greatly received via Paypal to babyhum@googlemail.com :)
I'm looking at the possibilty of retransferring the Clapperboard and Horizon shows but will probably not release them but supply the material to anyone needing the footage for any upcoming projects.

bh017 will be released soon... ish.

Rapidshare releases

2007-02-11T17:51:00.000Z

Thanks to Engineer, my early releases are available on Rapidshare.
Go to this forum for the links:
http://www.faneditforum.com/viewforum.php?f=10&sid=a7dc5fa26d58ca04249f3e5dbc4a6d24

bh016 complete!

2007-02-10T23:17:00.000Z

Authored, burnt, QC'ed.
Here's the spec:
bh016: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith - The U.K. Premiere
Dual Layer DVD (7.63GB)
Pal Colour
121 Minutes
Mixed aspect ratios
Dolby Digital Sound
Features:
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith T4 Movie Special
• MTV Total Request Live featuring Hayden Christensen
• News Coverage of the U.K. Premiere of Revenge Of The Sith
• No Easter eggs!

The discs will be sent to DigitalFreakNYC (torrenting), MoveAlong (usenet) and Klokwerk on Monday

bh017 will NOT be the 'Making Of' double disc set. I need something less taxing for my brain next. I'm thinking my capture of Generation Jedi with some fantastic special features (Risk Business, Jim'll Fix It, Newsround etc).

Can I take this opportunity to thank everyone that supports my releases and gets them distributed.

Enjoy!

bh013 available at Myspleen!

2007-02-10T22:02:00.000Z

Here it is. Thanks to DigitalFreakNYC.

http://www.myspleen.net/details.php?id=3232

SEED, people, SEED!

bh015 distributed!

2007-02-10T11:52:00.000Z

Thanks to MoveAlong for posting bh015 to alt.binaries.starwars. DigitalFreakNYC will kindly be seeding bh013 on myspleen.net.
PLUS, if you missed out on bh001-bh006, boon23 has made them available on Rapidshare.

In other news, I'm doing one final encode for bh016 and then that will go out to distributors on Monday.

Also, anyone in the Australasian locality having trouble obtaining copies of any of the babyhum titles can contact klokwerk via the originaltrilogy forums. He currently has the first nine titles available for PIF and will be receiving the following seven in the next week or so.

And now a question. I'm curious to know how many people actually read this blog. I'm also curious to know if I should post these news items to originaltrilogy.com as well as here. Please leave a comment even if it is to say you read this blog!

It's competition time!

2007-02-08T13:36:00.000Z

You've got to have been on another planet to not know that Jambe Davdar's meisterwerk 'Returning To Jedi' has just been released. It's already a contender for one of the best releases this year (how about an originaltrilogy.com Annual Awards? Best authoring? Best menus? Best artwork? Lifetime achievement?)
In recognition of its release, I'm offering a Dual Layer FIXED DVD of Returning To Jedi to the first person to give me a good enough reason for me to send it to them. Enter via the comment button below.
Well done Jambe!

TV Watch - Bounty TV Commercial

2007-02-05T20:18:00.000Z

Hopefully the start of a regular series on this blog. Currently airing in the UK is an Anthony Daniels (as C-3PO) voiced commercial for Bounty kitchen towels. The mpeg transport stream comes in at about 14mb and will be included on a future release.

Look at the size of that thing...!

2007-02-03T15:45:00.000Z

Well the mock-up of the cover for bh017 certainly caused a bit of controversy.
Dual Layer?
Widescreen?
PCM Audio?
Here's the latest. I'll be authoring bh016 this week. It will definately be dual layer. It will contain the T4 Celebration Day Special, all of the ROTS premiere clips i recorded, POSSIBLY some commercials and an easter egg or two. Did I mention it would be dual layer?
Then I'll start work on bh017.
You should sit down at this point.

No, really, sit down.

bh017 will be a double dual layer disc set.

Aren't you glad you sat down.

It will include all four classic trilogy documentaries transferred from the remastered Japanese laserdiscs. The transfers were done by myself (for you techies out there I used my Pioneer laserdisc player connected to my Canopus AVC110 via S-Video and gold plated audio cables and captured with Final Cut Pro using the NTSC DV codec and encoded with Apple's Compressor software at the highest possible bitrate).
I don't want to split these titles over four discs as they are quite nice as a set.
Now, how do you get hold of a set this big? MoveAlong will kindly handle a.b.starwars and DigitalFreakNYC has offered to seed at myspleen.net. But because of the size of this set I will be offering an extensive PIF scheme. I will be producing approximately 10 sets of bh017. Some will be offered to PIFfers who I deem to be most reliable and ideally geographically located. I'll also offer a set or two as a competition prize.
When the set is complete i'll be taking requests for PIFfers who have access to dual layer burners and media.
More news later.

bh014 released

2007-01-27T20:27:00.000Z

Authored. Burnt. QC'ed. It'll be going out to distributors on Monday.

And there's an easter egg on this one too.

bh014 Sneak Preview

2007-01-23T20:21:00.000Z

I couldn't resist. bh014 is going through quality control as we speak so i thought i'd tease you with the special features menu. And yes, there is a hidden easter egg.

It's away...again!

2007-01-22T21:03:00.000Z

Torrent and Usenet copies of bh013 and bh015 were posted to distributors this morning. It should take just shy of a week for them to receive them. bh013 as you all know is my first dual layer disc but it's not the full 8.5GB so don't worry about an extra long download. bh015 may contain some material i've already released (my memory's not serving me too well) but there is a fantastic easter egg on the disc. I KNOW you'll enjoy it. The new transfers of the source material for bh014 were made today and will be encoded this evening. Authoring should take no time at all as it's basically the same template as bh015. I also hope you're getting a decent download speed for bh012!

bh012 available here!

2007-01-22T09:55:00.000Z

http://www.myspleen.net/details.php?id=3222

...and some good news

2007-01-20T10:45:00.000Z

Metallaxis emailed me this morning. He's sending me copies of bh011 and bh012. But more importantly, he's seeding bh012 starting tomorrow at myspleen.net!

The simpler things...

2007-01-19T14:18:00.000Z

This is the newer, simpler babyhum cover style. This one happens to be for bh015. I've found that designing the covers that were on previous releases was taking up too much of my precious time, so in order to release more titles more frequently i've decided to simplify things. I can already hear a few of you saying "NOOOO!!!!!" but, I'd rather get more releases out than have to spend most of my time arguing with Photoshop. And anyway, I like the new look.

And as you can also see from the image above, I've let the cat out of the bag regarding bh015 (and probably bh014 & bh016).

I'll be sending bh013 and bh015 out to seeders tomorrow. bh014 and the mighty dual layer bh016 will follow soon after.

Updates

2007-01-18T23:06:00.000Z

Well, bh012 is lost. I cannot contact the two seeders who have the only copies. I REALLY don't want to re-author it. But that's what it may come down to. I'm not going to do it just yet. I'd love the version i've already done to be released as it was the last disc I authored with DVD-Lab Pro.

On that subject, the transition to DVD Studio Pro is nearly complete. The discs are easier to author and Compressor is a great encoder. The downside is the artwork I produce in Photoshop does not translate too well to 16x9 menus. Because of that, the main menu screen will not include the logo as seen on the disc cover. It doesn't look too bad though.

Oh, and bh015 is authored.

What?!?

Yes bh015 is authored. In fact I'm watching it now. What about bh014? Well, bh014, bh105 and bh016 are a sort of trilogy. And no, they're not the making of documentaries. I'm not telling you what they are but I think you'll like them. The reason I haven't authored bh014 yet is because the preliminary authoring I did had some terrible lip sync issues, so I'm going back to the DV masters and re-encoding them with compressor. bh014 & bh015 will be single layer and bh016 will be dual layer. Unavoidable I'm afraid.

The hope is that my new distributors will recieve bh013, bh014 & bh015 next week. I'll then issue bh012 (if not found) and bh016 a couple of weeks later.

Also, even though I love authoring these discs, I don't like doing the covers. Is there anyone with a good knowledge of Photoshop that would like to take over the task?

...and now the bad news.

2007-01-10T15:44:00.000Z

I've just realised that the hard drive that failed on me a few weeks ago had all of the source files for bh011 and bh012. Now bh011 is already out there, but bh012...the only people with copies of that disc are Metallaxis and Segaflip. I've contacted both of them requesting copies so i'll let you know if i hear from them.
Could bh012 become known as the 'Lost Disc'? I hope not.

bh013 COMPLETE!

2007-01-10T14:49:00.000Z

You read that right! bh013 is complete. Here's the rundown:
It's my first dual-layer disc. I've tested it and it works. QC copies are going out tomorrow. As soon as they are approved the distribution begins.

DigitalFreakNYC is handling the torrenting and MoveAlong I hope is going to handle Usenet.

There will NOT be a single layer release.

There will be no nfo file included on the disc. All the information you need is on the cover. If you have any technical questions regarding my releases, send me a comment here or PM me at originaltrilogy.com.

This is my first DVD authored using DVD Studio Pro 4. There are minor cosmetic changes to the look of the disc but nothing noticable.

Work will now proceed on bh014...which will not be the Japanese documentaries. I'm saving those. ;p

Progress....sort of.

2007-01-09T19:53:00.000Z

Work on the transfers to DV of the Japanese Making Of documentaries has started. In fact I'm halfway (as you can see from the image above)

Work will continue this week on bh013 (DigitalFreakNYC will be happy to hear that), and i'm using this title to migrate to DVD Studio Pro from DVD-Lab Pro. It may take longer than expected but it's about time i left those legacy Windows applications behind. I also may need some help from a few of you seasoned users, so watch your inboxes!

I also managed to record (using my Topfield) the MPEG streams for the Machine Men documentary on BBC4 (which includes some great BTS footage from Empire and an interview with Anthony Daniels. It might make a future release), and The Culture Show special edition with Steven Spielberg in which George Lucas pops up. I probably wont release it myself but if anyone is doing Spielberg releases let me know and we'll talk about getting you a copy.

Updates!

2007-01-04T16:35:00.000Z

bh013 hasn't progressed much due to the time of year and also the fact that my Mac went in for repairs, so the entire HD was wiped. I have it backed up, I just need to reinstall my software and knuckle down. Shouldn't take too long though. I'm thinking of starting to post my releases on alt.binaries.starwars myself. Just have to look at it logistically.

I've finally got around to buying the Canopus ADVC-110. I intend to import the Japanese 'Making Of' documentaries using it instead of directly encoding them to MPEG-2 with my Panasonic DVD recorder. Using this method i'll have the captures in 720x480 resolution and encoded using DV and be able to encode them seperately using Apple's Compressor software. That opens the door to HD releases of the titles in future ;)

Happy New Year!

2007-01-04T16:20:00.000Z

I hope all readers of this blog and originaltrilogy.com have a wonderful 2007. It should be an interesting year as regards fan produced Star Wars DVD's being the 30th anniversary. I'm looking forward to seeing a Star Wars night on BBC4 here in the UK. Just think about the possible running order!

bh011 RELEASED!

2006-12-04T11:51:00.000Z

bh011 is now available on Myspleen. Thanks to Metallaxis!

http://www.myspleen.net/details.php?id=3151

...and thanks to MoveAlong it's currently being posted on alt.binaries.starwars

It's away!!!

2006-11-16T10:54:00.000Z

Today, I will be sending bh011 and bh012 to my torrent and usenet distributors. Expect them online anytime in the next week or two.
Work progresses on bh013.
Please be patient

Update!

2006-10-27T13:11:00.000+01:00

Yes, it's been quiet for the last few days. Work, work, work. bh013 is coming along nicely. The DL authoring is done. The gallery is done. All that remains is the artwork and RIGOROUS quality testing (as this is my first dual layer release).
The fate of the next set of releases is still undecided. The general view is single layer discs but i'll only release them in that form if i have suitable special feature material to include. If i were to do 2 DL releases, I'd author them soon after bh013 is complete.

bh014 and bh015...opinions

2006-10-18T23:40:00.000+01:00

Well, the majority so far would prefer 4 single layer discs as opposed to 2 dual layer discs. I'm fine with that, the only problem being what do i use for supplemental material that would tie in with each release. Any suggestions?

bh013: WIP Part One - Menu Page

2006-10-18T12:17:00.000+01:00

...and it's dual layer!

bh014 and bh015...comments please

2006-10-17T13:59:00.000+01:00

I'm attempting my first dual layer release with bh013, and i'd like to know what everybody thinks of me releasing the following as dual layer discs:

bh014: The Making Of Star Wars & SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back
bh015: Classic Creatues: Return Of The Jedi & From Star Wars To Jedi

I'd be using dual layer so i can keep the bitrates as high as possible for each release.
Use the comment button below to give me your opinions

bh012: Complete...but again...sadly...not released

2006-10-11T10:01:00.000+01:00

Another release...nearly. Work on bh012 is complete. It works on my Mac. I now just need to do a bit of quality control on my test players. That won't happen for another 3-4 weeks unfortunately. For now, enjoy some highlights from the .nfo file.

Author: babyhum
Video Format: MPEG2/704x576/4x3/PAL/Av.Bitrate 9031kbps
Audio Format: Dolby 2.0 Stereo 256kbps
Source: DVD-VHS direct internal dub from S-VHS analogue terrestrial broadcast recording
Duration: 50m 10s
Size: 4.33GB
Artwork: COVER.tif and LABEL.tif in DVD_ROM folder

Disc Features
Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 (Menus enhanced for widescreen displays)
English Dolby 2.0 Surround
Special Features include:
• Jason Wishnow’s ‘Star Wars Or Bust’, documenting ‘a new generation of fans (and some familiar faces) spending a month in line for a movie that could quite possibly...suck’.

bh012: WIP Part One - Cover and disc art complete.

2006-10-08T13:31:00.000+01:00

More later today...network permitting!

bh011: Complete... but not released :(

2006-10-06T10:44:00.000+01:00

Last night, I completed bh011. Authoring. DVD cover. Disc art. nfo file. I even tested it on my Mac. But I'm not releasing it yet. Unfortunately, where I am at the moment, I do not have access to any other DVD player to perform any quality control. So it will get its official release when fully tested.

Just to tide you over, here's some details from the nfo file.

Author: babyhum
Video Format: MPEG2/704x576/4x3/PAL/Av.Bitrate 9034kbps
Audio Format: Dolby 2.0 Stereo 256kbps
Source: DVD-VHS direct internal dub from S-VHS analogue terrestrial broadcast recording
Duration: 49m 54s
Size: 4.12GB
Artwork: COVER.tif and LABEL.tif in DVD_ROM folder

Disc Features
Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 (Menus enhanced for widescreen displays)
English Dolby 2.0 Surround
Special Features include:
Jason Wishnow's 'Tatooine Or Bust', documenting "hardcore fans camping out to see the re-release of a movie they had already seen countless times before".

bh011: WIP Part Four - DVD Cover

2006-10-06T10:10:00.000+01:00

Hope it meets with everyone's approval.

bh011: WIP Part Three - Authoring complete!

2006-10-04T10:01:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:
DVD-Lab Pro 2
Photoshop CS2
Boot Camp 1.1.1 (Thank you Apple)
3 hours locked in a hotel room

Et voila!

bh012 will use exactly the same template so if I can sacrifice my social life this evening we may be on a roll.
Artwork to follow...

bh011: WIP Part Two

2006-09-29T20:33:00.000+01:00

...and this is what it looks like on the cover.

bh011: WIP Part One

2006-09-29T18:56:00.000+01:00

Before you say anything, I HATE the logo above. It's not that I hate my work, it's because I hate the original design. Somebody at the BBC obviously used the Dark Jedi/Star Vader font which I cannot stand. Anyway it's as faithful to the original design as i can make it. Not many people know this but my first step in designing a DVD release is the logo, before any editing or authoring. Once the logo is complete I find the rest of the process just happens. It's the same logo that appears on the sleeve, disc and main menu. I used Photoshop CS2 and it took me about an hour as i had to remodel the 'M' in Omnibus.

Science Of Star Wars on DVD...?

2006-09-28T13:32:00.000+01:00

One of my future releases was going to be an HD version of the 'Science Of Star Wars' series either on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD (Or both?!?) Well, it looks like the Discovery Channel may beat me to it...or release countless series of American Chopper!

'Discovery Atlas' Goes High-Def

The Back Catalogue

2006-09-26T19:27:00.000+01:00

To answer a few PM's here is where you can obtain my previous releases:

bh001: Clapperboard - The Empire Strikes Back Special

bh002: Horizon - How To Film The Impossible

bh003: The Mythology Of Star Wars

bh004: From Star Wars To Star Wars The Story Of ILM

bh005: The A To Z Of Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

bh006: When Star Wars Ruled The World

bh007: Star Wars Heroes & Villains

bh008: Star Wars Feel The Force

bh009: Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition AudioVisual Press Kit

bh010: The Official U.K. Fan Club Behind The Scenes Of Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace

Coming Soon...

2006-09-26T16:53:00.000+01:00

I'll soon be going abroad for a short while, but I will be taking the source materials with me for the next two releases.
'What are they?' you may be asking. Here's the provisional schedule for the rest of the year (or two).

bh012
Omnibus 'A Long Time Ago...'
Source: S-VHS recording of analogue terrestrial broadcast
Format: PAL 4x3
Special Features: 'Tatooine or Bust' documentary (www.wishnow.com/starwars)

bh011
Omnibus 'George Lucas - Flying Solo'
Source: S-VHS recording of analogue terrestrial broadcast
Format: PAL 4x3
Special Features: 'Star Wars or Bust' documentary (www.wishnow.com/starwars)

Followed by (in no particular order):

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - The Royal Premiere and Party

Star Wars: The Magic & The Mystery (Ash95's excellent capture)

George Lucas: AFI Lifetime Achievement Award (DigitalFreakNYC's capture) (DUAL LAYER with photo gallery)

The Making Of Star Wars (Japanese laserdisc NEW transfer)

SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back (Japanese laserdisc NEW transfer)

Classic Creatures (Japanese laserdisc NEW transfer)

From Star Wars To Jedi (Japanese laserdisc NEW transfer)

Sky One's Ultimate Sci-Fi Top Ten compilation (TBC)

Hollywood Greats: Harrison Ford (direct broadcast stream)

Generation Jedi (new direct digital transfer)

...more to follow

Electronic Labyrinth

2006-09-26T16:42:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to THX who has just posted his 1138th post over at the originaltrilogy.com forums.

A request

2006-09-25T18:13:00.000+01:00

I recently stopped my Sky subscription due to my financial situation. Starting on Friday 13th October 2006 at 02:40 to 03:30 (so it's more like Thursday night) Sky One are repeating (i assume weekly) the "Ultimate Sci Fi Top 10" 3 part series in Widescreen. Is it possible someone could record these for me for a forthcoming release.
I must ask the following: They are recorded onto DVD at the highest quality possible, and they are recorded in 16x9 anamorphic format via RGB scart. NOT matted and NOT fullscreen please.
OR
If anyone can record them on Sky Plus and will allow me to retrieve the recordings myself I would greatly appreciate it.
I will of course pay for all media and postage.
I know it's asking a lot but it will make a fantastic disc.
Thank you all,
babyhum

For more information about the series jump here

Welcome!

2006-09-25T17:51:00.000+01:00

I'm guessing you didn't stumble onto this blog by accident, so you know why you're here. My hope is to keep an up to date diary of the creation of my DVD collection. Read on and enjoy!