Smooth, High Definition Video of Curiosity's Landing On Mars

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Smooth, High Definition Video of Curiosity's Landing On Mars

Posted by Soulskill on Friday September 14, 2012 @07:28AM from the pretty-pictures dept.

_0x783czar writes "Filmmaker Brad Canning has released a hi-def video of Curiosity's landing. This video was captured in low res, and then extrapolated and re-rendered by Canning to produce some of the most stunning imagery ever captured on an alien world. It took Canning over a month to complete the process. He used motion tracking to add sound effects which in turn give you the sensation of the ride of your life."

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Enhance! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 07:34 · Score: 4, Informative

clearly Enhance truly does exist... or you could just watch the Official Nasa HD version..hmm http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/hd/
1. Re:Enhance! by MrNaz · 2012-09-14 09:06 · Score: 1
  
  At the end it says "Produced by Bard Canning". Brad or Bard? I presume he's less likely to mistype his name than the Slashdot editors.
  
  --
  I hate printers.
2. Re:Enhance! by anomaly256 · 2012-09-14 09:52 · Score: 1
  
  Sir, you and I have very different interpretations of the meaning of 'enhance'. I found that video to be horrible. The frame interpolation was completely jarring enlarging an image and adding smoothing does not make it 'Ultra HD'. I'd say they /destroyed/ the video, not enhanced it.
3. Re:Enhance! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 09:57 · Score: 0
  
  His name is Bard, not Brad. Here is the original posting on reddit, confirming it:
  http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/ztkk0/i_spent_four_weeks_working_framebyframe_to/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
4. Re:Enhance! by Black+LED · 2012-09-14 10:07 · Score: 1
  
  That Bart Channing guy did a great job on the video.
Uh... by Joehonkie · 2012-09-14 07:39 · Score: 3, Interesting

Are the bizarre color shifts and weird smoothing/warping for a few frames in some places a result of the extrapolation process?
1. Re:Uh... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 07:40 · Score: 1
  
  Yep.
2. Re:Uh... by Baloroth · 2012-09-14 07:53 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The original footage was 4fps and not exactly 1080p, so yes, and it's to be expected. I imagine with a lot more work you could eliminate most of it, but that would probably require adjusting every frame by hand (which would be extremely laborious). And by that point the end result will be even more made-up than the current result.
  
  --
  "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
3. Re:Uh... by kdogg73 · 2012-09-14 09:12 · Score: 1
  
  I would say yes, it's the modern production fix of dropped frames, like interpolating photography when the data's not really there to increase the size. Other stuff is probably from a camera dynamically trying to balance light and color. Nonetheless, truly an awesome video.
  
  --
  Let's face it, most of us are scoffers. But moments before zero hour, it does not pay to take chances.
4. Re:Uh... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 10:09 · Score: 0
  
  "The original footage was 4fps and not exactly 1080p"
  No, but it was 1600x1200, which makes it more than 1920x1080 in one dimension, less in the other.
eh.. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 07:39 · Score: 1

Looks weird.
CSI... by otaku244 · 2012-09-14 07:39 · Score: 2

ENHANCE! There's a reflection of an alien shadow off that rock.

--
Mod me down, I shall become more off-topic than you could possibly imagine.
1. Re:CSI... by mcgrew · 2012-09-14 08:21 · Score: 1
  
  CSI? Wrong site, wrong show! "There's a reflection of an alien shadow off that rock" is a line from STNG, the one where Geordi turns into some sort of weird invisible alien (it's Geordi's line word for word IIRC).
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
2. Re:CSI... by PPH · 2012-09-14 08:49 · Score: 2
  
  Nah. That's just the shadow of the craft services van.
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
3. Re:CSI... by otaku244 · 2012-09-15 05:37 · Score: 1
  
  No, I was making fun of CSI: NY
  This is the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uoM5kfZIQ0
  I found an even better one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxq9yj2pVWk
  
  --
  Mod me down, I shall become more off-topic than you could possibly imagine.
4. Re:CSI... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-15 12:43 · Score: 0
  
  You mean the one where they extrapolated some blobish shape from the shadows? We can practically do that now, and without whatever more advanced, possibly 3D, recording methods they have in ST:TNG. If anything, the enhancement in that episode was more realistic that what has shown up in some crime dramas. The currently unrealistic part, like much of sci-fi, was that it could be done mostly automated with a very simple voice user interface and no tweaking.
versions by girlintraining · 2012-09-14 07:41 · Score: 5, Funny

The remastered version certainly is better quality, but I'll wait for the limited edition director's cut of Episode I: Giant Nuclear-Powered Laser Robot Invades Mars. It's supposed to be a rock-solid performance with plenty of driving action scenes.

--
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
1. Re:versions by synapse7 · 2012-09-14 07:47 · Score: 1
  
  You'll be disappointed by how terrible it will look at 60fps.
2. Re:versions by Nrrqshrr · 2012-09-14 07:49 · Score: 1
  
  I advise you to watch this one too. We will soon have debates about who shot first, Curiosity or GIGA ALIEN 9K
3. Re:versions by isorox · 2012-09-14 07:50 · Score: 1
  
  The remastered version certainly is better quality, but I'll wait for the limited edition director's cut of Episode I: Giant Nuclear-Powered Laser Robot Invades Mars. It's supposed to be a rock-solid performance with plenty of driving action scenes.
  Remember, Curiosity shot first.
Not for me by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 07:46 · Score: 0

I prefer to experience extended 10g deceleration in person.
-- MyLongNickName
Nice Video, But... by Latentius · 2012-09-14 07:49 · Score: 4, Informative

I like the video quality enhancements, they really bring out a lot of hidden details. The frame extrapolations, though, give a weird gelatinous effect to the video.
And I could really do without the sound effects, especially the cheesy motor sound effects at the ending.
1. Re:Nice Video, But... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 08:08 · Score: 0
  
  Nope, it's just bad interpolation. Considering the linearity of the approach, this could have been much better.(And would have actually taken a month to do)
2. Re:Nice Video, But... by amicusNYCL · 2012-09-14 08:34 · Score: 1
  
  And I could really do without the sound effects, especially the cheesy motor sound effects at the ending.
  I know times are tough, but if your computer hardware is entirely lacking volume control then the video player provides a helpful interface to control the volume.
  
  --
  "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
3. Re:Nice Video, But... by Latentius · 2012-09-14 08:40 · Score: 2
  
  Thank you for the passive-aggressive response. However, my comment was directed at the portion of TFS which reads:
  
  To add sound effects which in turn give you the sensation of the ride of your life.
  In my opinion, these sound effects do more to cheapen the sensation rather than enhance it.
  If you don't like that I happen to have an opinion of my own, surely your internet browser has a helpful interface element known as a scroll bar, which allows you to progress further down the page and pass up the offending opinion.
4. Re:Nice Video, But... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 08:49 · Score: 0
  
  Totally agree. At first I thought I was hearing wind from another planet. That was truly epic until I read it was all fake.
5. Re:Nice Video, But... by david.given · 2012-09-14 09:38 · Score: 1
  
  I agree, the video's really impressive, but the sound effects are just... fake. I actually turned them off after a few seconds because they were so fake and watched the rest in silence, which I think much improved the video.
6. Re:Nice Video, But... by Namarrgon · 2012-09-14 09:39 · Score: 1
  
  This looks like a job for Captain Obvious Solution! All you have to do is... oh right, you guys both figured it out already.
  No matter, millions still need saving from the evil First World Problems gang! Let's go, Private Pebkac, someone in the city of YouTube hasn't found the Close Tab button yet.
  
  --
  Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
7. Re:Nice Video, But... by ModernGeek · 2012-09-14 15:07 · Score: 2
  
  ::rubs the arms of his chair, and procedes to scratch his tangled neck beard::
  
  I, too believe that it is of poor quality and taste, and that I could have done better.
  
  --
  Sig: I stole this sig.
8. Re:Nice Video, But... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-15 11:07 · Score: 0
  
  So... you complain about people complaining about things that are easily ignored instead of just ignoring them?
Re:First Post by isorox · 2012-09-14 07:49 · Score: 2

Woot first post.
It really wasn't. Perhaps you were posting from Mars?
Totally Awsome by na1led · 2012-09-14 07:50 · Score: 1

but are those sounds real, or fake? The article said no sound was recorded, so where did they get the sound?

--
-- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
1. Re:Totally Awsome by gstoddart · 2012-09-14 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  but are those sounds real, or fake?
  They're real sounds, they're just not from the actual landing. :-P
  
  The article said no sound was recorded, so where did they get the sound?
  The same place Hollywood gets the sound of crashing alien ships.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
2. Re:Totally Awsome by Nationless · 2012-09-14 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  According to Curiosity itself https://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/status/232524619528167425 there's no microphone. So those sounds were either recorded during some other project or made in a studio somewhere specifically for that video.
3. Re:Totally Awsome by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 08:13 · Score: 0
  
  Sound was added to make it feel more real.
4. Re:Totally Awsome by na1led · 2012-09-14 08:16 · Score: 1
  
  But considering how thin Mars atmosphere is, would we really here sounds like that? It's like movies with big explosions in space, when in reality there is no sound in space.
  
  --
  -- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
5. Re:Totally Awsome by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2012-09-14 08:21 · Score: 1
  
  They're real sounds, they're just not from the actual landing. :-P
  I didn't realize we had sound effects recorded in a Martian atmosphere.
  
  --
  
  "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
6. Re:Totally Awsome by gstoddart · 2012-09-14 08:25 · Score: 1
  
  I didn't realize we had sound effects recorded in a Martian atmosphere.
  No, I mean "real" as in you can here them -- you're not just imagining the sound, it's real.
  But it likely has nothing whatsoever to do with any actual landing or Mars.
  There are no "fake" sounds, only sounds being passed off as something else.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
7. Re:Totally Awsome by yagu · 2012-09-14 08:27 · Score: 1
  
  shouldn't sound be added to make is sound more real??
8. Re:Totally Awsome by Alkonaut · 2012-09-14 08:29 · Score: 2
  
  If you imagine sitting inside the spaceship, where there would then be an atmosphere, you would be hearing noises produced by the craft itself, even if there is no atmosphere outside.
9. Re:Totally Awsome by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2012-09-14 08:34 · Score: 1
  
  There are no "fake" sounds, only sounds being passed off as something else.
  Heh.
  
  --
  
  "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
10. Re:Totally Awsome by PPH · 2012-09-14 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  If a spacecraft lands on a planet but there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
Correct name by Demolition · 2012-09-14 07:56 · Score: 1

Filmmaker Brad Canning

FYI. His first name is Bard, not Brad.
Video in normal format by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 07:58 · Score: 0

The same viewable without Flash, please?
1. Re:Video in normal format by SternisheFan · 2012-09-14 09:04 · Score: 1
  
  Here you go. http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/curiosity-landing-video-gets-sound-visuals-enhanced-to-1080p-20120914/
Neat. by Nationless · 2012-09-14 08:01 · Score: 1

That's very neat and all, but a little too much fake production values for my tastes. Curiosity does not have a microphone so the sounds are fake and the video is clearly not natively 30fps.
Again, very neat.
Credit where credit is due. by Beat+The+Odds · 2012-09-14 08:04 · Score: 2

Glad to see that Mars got mentioned in the closing credits.
Great, more fodder for the nuts by flibbidyfloo · 2012-09-14 08:07 · Score: 1

Just what we needed... more "proof" that all space-landing related video is faked. Look how realistic we can make it look now!
Just what the conspiracy nuts ordered :)
Can we use this technology on... by flibbidyfloo · 2012-09-14 08:09 · Score: 1, Funny

...the newly released and terribly blurry photos of Kate Middleton's tits? And what kinds of sounds would he add to that film?
1. Re:Can we use this technology on... by gstoddart · 2012-09-14 08:27 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  ...the newly released and terribly blurry photos of Kate Middleton's tits? And what kinds of sounds would he add to that film?
  My sound effects would sound not unlike a motorboat. ;-)
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
2. Re:Can we use this technology on... by drkim · 2012-09-14 13:07 · Score: 1
  
  ...the newly released and terribly blurry photos of Kate Middleton's tits? And what kinds of sounds would he add to that film?
  Timpani, pedaled up.
  http://www.sounddogs.com/sound-effects/25/mp3/327399_SOUNDDOGS__ca.mp3
Re:1 month of work? by Khyber · 2012-09-14 08:25 · Score: 1

There's no mention to the skill level of the person making this video, except for the fact they hand-did this, if you read the comment for the video.

--
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Geeknet link... by SternisheFan · 2012-09-14 08:37 · Score: 1

Here is a link to this story as covered by Geeknet. Very cool video! http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/curiosity-landing-video-gets-sound-visuals-enhanced-to-1080p-20120914/
Interpolation by markian · 2012-09-14 08:37 · Score: 1

I'm not an expert, so please correct me: Wouldn't going from SD to HD be interpolation? Where's the extrapolation?
1. Re:Interpolation by F.Ultra · 2012-09-14 11:34 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  It's not SD to HD the source was HD to begin with, the change is 4fps to 60fps.
Re:STNG... by MRe_nl · 2012-09-14 08:39 · Score: 1

STNG? Wrong site, wrong show! BLADERUNNER!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkcU0gwZUdg
(It's Deckard's line word for word if you leave out the Esper coordinates). ; ).

--
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
Re:The video is of aeroshell's decent, not Curiost by Jesse_vd · 2012-09-14 08:42 · Score: 4, Informative

You've got it completely backwards. This video is from the bottom of Curiosity. The heat shield falls away at the start, before that the camera couldn't see anything.
Re:1 month of work? by X0563511 · 2012-09-14 08:45 · Score: 2

OK, smartass. Go download the original and post your results tomorrow. We'll be waiting.

--
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
Re:The video is of aeroshell's decent, not Curiost by mk1004 · 2012-09-14 08:46 · Score: 1

That's the heat shield dropping away at the start. The video was taken by Mars Descent Imager that was on the bottom of Curiosity. http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.gov/Instruments/MARDI/ The title is accurate.

--
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Re:The video is of aeroshell's decent, not Curiost by X0563511 · 2012-09-14 08:46 · Score: 1

I'm guessing you didn't watch the whole thing? Go back and do so.

--
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
If you liked that then you'll like this by GreyFish · 2012-09-14 09:03 · Score: 2

The DISR movies made from data from the Huygens probe landing on Titan:
http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Cassini-Huygens/SEMKVQOFGLE_0.html
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/DISR/Multimedia/Titan_Movies.htm
Conservatives! Ugh! by kurt555gs · 2012-09-14 09:22 · Score: 1, Insightful

This movie almost makes me feel sorry for those that think this one rocket is a waste of money, while 10,000 with nuclear bombs on top aren't. Almost.

--
* Carthago Delenda Est *
Very well done, but it's not "Ultra-HD". by pecosdave · 2012-09-14 09:45 · Score: 1

Ultra-HD - also known as 4K isn't 1080, it's 2160. Hate to nit-pick, but this article is going to look incredibly stupid still lingering on the web after 4K comes out, especially since the spec already exist and if you really want to shell out you can get an Ultra-HDTV today.

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His name is BARD Canning... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 09:59 · Score: 0

...not Brad.
Higher quality for real? by Twinbee · 2012-09-14 11:25 · Score: 1

So what's stopping us getting this quality (along with some sound) for real? I heard NASA didn't include a microphone, because the extra weight would be costly, but they're not considering the impact it would have on the public's imagination (and hence potential funding) for future projects.

--
Why OpalCalc is the best Windows calc
Re:1 month of work? by drkim · 2012-09-14 12:57 · Score: 1

Seriously? That's an afternoon of work.quote>
No. That's 3 seconds of button pushing of work, maybe 2 hours of tracking and render.
understandable... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-14 13:59 · Score: 0

We're all wondering why this took so long and joke abounded from Lucas' legacy,
but the real issue was, in fact, very technical in nature.
They had to wait for the sub'd version to come out.
Another similar effort without the fake soundtrack by Lproven · 2012-09-15 03:53 · Score: 1

Fewer added special effects and so on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssg0jDbLCew

--
Liam P. ~ "Intelligence is a lethal mutation." (me)
Sound effects by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-15 06:29 · Score: 0

He obviously is a photo guy. Those sound effects are confusing at best and there is no sound for the crane deployment.
That mind-boggling abrupt stop at the end and the "airbag" pops don't seem quite right. I wonder how many Gs the rover sustained at that moment.
Re:The video is of aeroshell's decent, not Curiost by bkk_diesel · 2012-09-16 02:23 · Score: 1

It's pretty cool that you can see the heat shield impact the ground at 1:20. (Towards the bottom of the screen, maybe a quarter of a frame from the right side and just a bit up from the bottom).
well that was... by NumenMaster · 2012-09-17 02:23 · Score: 1

freaking wicked

--
Where's my sock? There it is...