Tales of Interest: The Simpsons and Futurama in high-definition

Notice: This article is a collaboration between HDTVTotal.com and Futurama-Area.de / Slurmed.de with initiative of HDTVTotal.com. A lot of the presented arguments are purely fictional and are just for pointing ot when a television series could be ableto switch from SDTV to HDTV. If or when the mentioned series will be produced and shown in high-definition is notknown, but we really hope for it! Please tell us what you think about this article and about the serieses in general! Feel free to discuss it in our forum!

Page 1 - Tales of Interest: The Simpsons and Futurama in high-definition

Page 2 - "Waggle-images" of "Futurama" and "Simpsons"

The robot Bender of the sci-fi cartoon series Futurama truly said, that 20th century television sets really a lousy, low-definition picture and additionally caused eye-cancer. This set off the purpose of this explanation.
For every television series comes a point when to change and to keep up with the times to make the first step into the right direction. But the series has to know when its time has come.
The threshold marking the changingpoint form the used to the new form will be shown basically on the basis of two well known series.

Our showpieces rose from US-american Matt Groening's imaginary world and deal about the widely well known cartoonshows "The Simpsons" and "Futurama". Both series contain a specific sense of humour and charme, that attract a hughe amount of fans to the television screens, but both differ in the ways of their progress. The Simpsons evolved to the possibly best known and successful show world-wide of all times and has been flawlessly running since the beginning of the 90s. Right now it gained 19 seasons and is the longest running show on earth and an end is not expected after the triumphant boxoffice hit of the Simpsons Movie. Futurama's fate headed a different direction and the show was canceled ahead of schedule and had just been renewed after overwhelmingly revenues of the DVD sales, so that fans can eagerly looking forward to 4 Direct-To-DVD Films.
And exactly here are two good and possible dates to adopt to new styles and methods.
The Simpsons has been running for 19 seasons without any major changes in their look and just with a few minor technical changes. On the one hand the firstly used mono-sound was replaced by Dolby pro Logic and 2.1 stereo and later on extended to Dolby Digital 2.1 on DVD and on the other hand in production handdrawn images on paper were replaced by computer-aided drawing systems. But thei kept the 12 drawn franes per second, at which each frame is shown twice and the and the shown framrate is speed up to 24 images persecond. During scenes without a lot of action and image movements the reduced real framerate is hardly visible and is often used for cartoons and is known under the term „On Twos“. „On Twos“ correctly corelates to the fact, that every second frame is drawn and just switched for very important scenes with a lot of motion to "On Ones" - some low-cost cartoonshows are even partly done "On Threes", resulting in the effetive usage of every third frame. This technique is used to reduce drawing-time and decreases labour-costs and the american television-standard NTSC can handle a framerate of 24 frames per second, because this framerate can be transfered to the needed 60 frames per secind by doubling every first and duplicating every second images three times. Naturally any drawn images is a full frame in progressive mode and the created 60 progressive frames has to transfered to 60 fields in interlaced mode before they can be shown in your telly at home.
Also the aspect-ratio has never been touched and still is in the typical 4:3 dimension.

So, when ist the perfect point in time for the Simpsons family to switch? Two requirements had already been established by the producing home-channel FOX. With FOX-HD a high-definition channel is available since 2005, on which the yellow family could been shown even right now. The disadvantage of this situation is that the series itself wasn't and still isn't produced in high-definition. The show is broadcasted upscaled on FOX-HD instead and black bars on the left and right side are displayed, because the aspect-ratio of the show is also still 4:3. HDTV however has always an aspect-ratio of 16:9. A channel regards his shows as a strategic investment and it will be invested into it only if necessary and the then created added value can achieve higher sales and profits. FOX-HD as a channel itself seemed to be not a sufficient reason to adoptto modern times and produce the show in HD. It is not enough to draw up finer images, which wouldn't be a problem with hand-drawing and could also be the normal case for computer-added sketches in scaleable vector-formats, but the complete chain of production starting at the cutting-room to the storage-media has to handle HDTV. It is an extensive investion into equipment and training of the creators, that has to cover the expenses. Production "on stockpile", meaning the production in high-definition and just broadcasting the material just in standard-definition until the time has come to release orbroadcast it in the HD-version, wouldn't be logical. During this time span the added value lies idle and doesn't increase the profit.

The Simpsons Movie on the big screen in cinema and at home

In Sommer 2007 the long desired Simpsons Movie came to the big and wide silver screen and the illustrator had to fill a bigger and wider screen area and another aspect-ratio. Even old celluloid filmstrips has a higher level of detail, with theoretical maximum resolution of 8129*4096, called 8K in lingo. For digital movies they plan resolutions of 4K and 2K and even these still surpass HDTV. That's why it doesn't matter in which resolution the Simpsons Movie was created, because if if they used a similar resolution as for the TV show, the pictures would have been so blurry on the big screen, that even people with glasses would have noticed it and would have complained about it at the cash desk.
This is the reason why the illustrators should already get used to this level of detail and could soon use this knowlege for the production of the series in HD. Without this movie it could be, that the illustrators wouldn't get this kind of expertise.
But there was also another change. Currently, normal cinema projects on widescreen canvas (with one exception) and so the Simpsons has to be torn wider. According to a director's favour several aspect-ratios can be used. Starting from an aspect-ratio of 1:1.85 (1 vertical and 1.85 horizontal) leading to Cinemascope of 1:2.4 is possible for theatrical-films. Fof the Simpsons Movie an aspect-ratio of 1:2.35 had been chosen. A lot of people thinking about the television used 16:9 as theatrical-widescreen, but it isn't. The 16:9 aspect-ratio is a compromise between the theatrical 1:1.85 and 4:3 used for television. 4:3 is declarated as the mathematical correct 1:1.33 and 16:9 as 1:1.77 and it is between both aspect-ratios for television and cinema and only small black bars (letterbox) has to be integrated above and below the televison-image when a cinema movie is shown on a 16:9 display. It sounds banal and like techno-babble, but it demands a high degree of skill for image-compositioning. Because of the quite wide image-area on the theatrical silver-screen more point of focus can be set edgewise, but distribution on DVD and on television has also to be respected. Everybody of us surely has seen a movie in TV with badly cutted (cropped) aspect-ratio, in which lines of texts or even protagonists could be partly or merely seen. Just imagine two dueling cowboys on mainstreet at high-noon. They are facing each other so that they are just visible at the sides of the cinemascope image. When they both are standing to far at the edge and the image would have been cropped for television distribution, then it could be that both duelants are not shown anymore and that the intendend image-impression would be extremly harmed. To avoid this camera-men have to set and shot certain, so called, safe-areas for different image-formats and priority-points inside the image-frame. By doing this it can be assured, that in case of cropping certain party of the image stays in the image-frame, which the director wants to stay inside and which are important for the movie, and only unnecessary background-stuff is lost. It's always good to know, because television changes more and more from 4:3 program to 16:9 program, and even though the Simpsons haven't been shown yet in hdtv they could go into wide-screen and adopt to the current trend. There are more 16:9 television-sets available, although normal standard-definition devices have to be included into the calculation and not only hd-displays, where 16:9 is mandatory. So Marge's tower hair could be set right into the image right now because it had been learned for and used in the Simpsons Movie.
And the audience wouldn't have to get used to a new uncommon aspect-ratio when it will be broadcasted in hdtv, but would get a longer transferphase and the creators just would overly the image with a higher resolution. This step-wise process could have started with the movie and could be a soft transition to the full start of HDTV.

Futurama - Not yet seen, but already dead and reanimated by its fans!

In contrast to the Simpsons Groening's other intellectual work haven't been continuously on TV. Started in 1999 Futurama was cancelled after 4 seasons against the collective will of its fans. By this small amount of episodes there is a high probability that a lot of people doesn't know this series and have missed this great persiflage of science-fiction.
"Futurama" is the newest series by Matt Groenings comic-shop. In spite of its previous works Futurama is set in the future. The series plays in the year 3000, but it all starts in good old year 2000.

The story of "Futurama" beginns in New York at new year's eve. A pizzy delivery boy named Fry has to do a delivery to a laboratory for cryogenic experiments right before midnight. But the order exposes to be a bad joke, whereupon Fry decides to celebrates the new year at the lab. Clumsily falling into a cryogenic chamber he is frozen for 1000 years. Unfrozen to the New York of the year 3000 (that is called "New New York" now) he makes friend with female sexy mutant-cyclops Leela and an alcohol- and nicotine-addictive robot Bender. Together they a looking for Frys ancestor Professor Fransworth, who hires them for his "interplanetory delivery-service". From there on they are soaring to the infinitve depth of 31th century.

All stories deal somehow about the interplanetary delivery-service 'Planet Express'. The Adventures take you to the infinitve depth of the galaxy, to strange races and planets. Or just right down the nex block. We see flirting-habbits of energy-enteties and cuisine, heavily influenced by "Spice-Weasels". Intergalactic wars and heart-rending love-stories ties the viewer to the screen.

Besides of the intergalactic setting the well-tried "Simpsons"-recipe was kept: There are swarming running-gags and bawdy side blows on our consume-society, showbiz and politics even in space. If you look closer to "Futurama" you can experience intellectual slapstick and a love for details. There are also literary and cineastic innuendos towards science-fiction novels à la Douglas Adams and Hollywood-cinema - including guest appearance of promonent stars as Leonard "Spock" Nimoy, Pamela Anderson, Claudia Schiffer and the Beastie Boys.

And still: "Futurama" is something more then just a "Simpsons" in space remake! "Futurama" is more adult than its predecessor. Animations are done more souvereign and its post-modern houmor is noticeable fresher. It is just a pity that the German dubbing is way back behind to the original.

After its cancellation, Futurama was released on DVD and the loyal fan-basis provided an adequate and Fox-stunning sales volume, so that an abstinence of almost 2 years the production of new episodes was unnoticeably revived. In the last regular episode robot Bender jokingly said "See you on another channel" and although rather meant as farewell message to the fans, it became reality. At first step all existing episodes were rerun on US-cartoonchannel "Cartoon Networks" in their "Adult Swim" time-slot at night and it got high viewer-rates. Thereafter comedy-channel "Comedy Central" bought prerogative broadcasting rights for the new episodes. The increased demand and the success of DVD-sales lead to a rivival of Futurama. However there's a catch, because it didn't return in used episodic form, but instead as four sperated movie-sized films. The Futurama-films will be released one after another on dvd first and will be followed as splited episode-sized chunks broadcasted via "Comedy Central".
The compulsory break can be seen as transition-phases for our theoretical considerations, because you don't leave relics and and are able to freshly restart.
For the comback a technical innovation was implemented. The aspect-ratio was changed to wide-screen 16:9, which is refered to in the first trailer.
Rumours were also buzzing around on fan-sites for some time that Futurama would even be released directly on DVD-successor HD-DVD. This roumour has been oficially been contradicted by executive producer David X. Cohen and this would have even evoked another question. Fox still holds the rights to Futurama and Fox is one of the main supportes of the competitor format Blu-ray, on which the Simpsons Movie was released. It wouldn't been logic, if it were released on HD-DVD, even a neutral stand-point in the format-war is more consumer-friendly and is always welcome.

Computeranimation already HD-ready - adapting the rest

As usual for a company-closing, a lot of employees were fired, freely quit themselves or were posted to another Fox-branch. During it premiere run special 3D computer-generated models for space-scenes and other scenes were created and were integrated into the 2D cartoon-world. This combination arranged a special optic and defined its charm. The animation was done by "Rough Draft Studios" and the studio just set up this buerau just for this task, because it isn't the main focus of the company. After Futurama's canceling this bureau was also closed.
The computeranimationen was directly created with 24 frames per second and the rest as mentioned in old fashion. Therewith a part had been already prepared for HD and one would just have to adopt from 16 to 24 frames per second and gain a good basis for a HDTV-distribution.
"Rough Draft Studios" was also responsible for the Simpsons Movie and the D-to-D Futurama-films, and the bureaus were extra reopend again. At latest for the Simpsons Movie the higher resolution were necessary and this expertise can be used for the new futurama-films from then on.
Although rumours doesnt always turn true it would perhaps be possible, that the animations for the direct-to-DVD films could be drawn and edited in high-definition. At least it is reasonable and prepared for the future.

But just producing in HD is not enough, it has to get to the viewer. We only lighted-up buyable medias like HD-DVD and Blu-ray. Fox already maintains a second channel with HD-programming in addition to the main channel in SD-resolution. This one doesn't broadcast in maximum HD-resolution of 1080i60 (1920*1080 pixels and interlaced with 60 fields per second), but in smaller 720p60. But it doesn't concisely affect on cartoons, because 1280*720 pixels can provide a clear increase of details. The main mattering aspect of such films is not the grade of detail, but that bigger areaes are correctly shown in the same colour and without colour gradient and that contours are sharp-edged. The pixels inside these areas need not have to have more information and the TV-set scaler can create a very good 1080p image out of it. The contour-lines are interpolated, so nothing more or less than estimated, but if the scaler (component inside the TV-set, that scales the images to the resolution you set is able to work with and to display directly) has to create 16 yellow pixels for Homers face out of 4 original pixels is irrelevant for sharpness.
Another advantage is, that it is broadcasted in progressive mode (full frames per second, instead of fields in interlaced mode), which can be distinguished by the added "p60". But the channel doesn't send 60 frames per second, but instead 24 frames vonverted through 3:2-Dropdowns mode (as described before) and the animation can be seen as it was drawn and doesn't have to be cutted by the broadcaster and re-arranged by the viewer's TV-set. This omitted step decreases possible sources of error during the broadcasting chain..
"Comedy Central" doesn't opperate a HD-channel, where Futurama could be shown in HD. When the movie-episodes will be shown, it can just be done in standard-resolution alike the rest of their programm. You can see on some of their shows like South Park, that they are preparing for a future utilisation in HDTV, because the episode "Good Times With Weapons" have been made available in HD, although only as a download via the internet-portal of the gaming-console Xbox360 and as a gift in form of an HD-DVD media for purchasing a HD-DVD player. The rest of season 8 isn't available in HD yet. The currently piped new season is demonstrably done in HD.
So it would be logical, that Futurama is strategicly planed simmilar to this overall progress. As an alternative way Fox HD could do the broadcast for Futurama-HD episodes, even though not simulaneously because of licencing problems. It would be inconsiquent to give away its baby but to mother it in parallel.

Implement and exploit advantages of Blu-ray Disc

Now, Futurama has the change to learn from their own and other previous mistakes. Some of Blu-rays features aren't fully used for the Simpsons Movie. There are some scenes with innuendos towards Fox' habbit to advertise anywhere and during programs. A ticker at the bottom line of the image is shown where you can read "Watch "Are you smarter than a Celebraty?" - Wednesday on Fox. That's right, we even advertise shows druring movies now." (0:11:11) and this joke was modified fot he theatrical print according to each country, so that the channel-name was shown, on which the Simpsons air in this country, in case Fox isn't directly broadcasting it there. On Blu-ray all language-versions contain just the standard Fox slogan, although it is possible to play the modified version for each version. Seamless Branching give the opportunity to play video-files like in a play-list in a certain sorted order. If you choose German as your language all video-parts, that aren't different and can be played in all languages, are played and just in this particular scene the video branches and the alternate, German video-chunk is shown and afterwards the main videoline is played again. Likewise the English or other version can be handled. So not each version of the film has been stored to the Blu-ray disc, but just the differing parts as separated files and these are implemented via some kind of playlist. In this way you save storage capacity, but keep all versions. Seamless Branching allready existed for DVD, but it was implemented into Blu-ray's and HD-DVD's specs, that production ist easier.
Another feature would also be usable, because picture-in-picture and overlay function for animation and videos are integrated through java-programming. So the ticker could have been integrated as extra video or animation and started as an overlay on the area when it is needed. A lot of fans would have enjoed to watch the specific version that had seen in cinemas. This lost chance could be done better by Futurama, if it will be released on Blu-ray or HD-DVD. It could be used for video-commentary, where the existing audio-commentary could not only be heared but also be seen, or to add additional information to illustrate the storyboard or present rough animation to compare it to the final film, or just to translate the recuring alien-languages. And these are only some examples of the new features the Simpsons Movie left idle.

It's not hard to discover, that the time of transit for both series has come to change the format and to show more in the truest sense of the word. Because the producers, the channel and in particular the viewer bennefit from it. Furthermore a series poking fun of high-definition has to make amends and can't keep us longer in the 20th century of TV-technology. We are eagerly looking forward to watch our favourite shows in high-def and to be zapped into the future.

Editorial short commentaries:

Andreas -horn- Hornig: I am Sci-Fi fan and enthusiastic each time when I recognize little things taken from other Sci-Fi movies or even from current scientific develpment. For me, that's a proof that the creater really are deep into the theme of future and put a lot of effort and heart into detail to not only obtain the obvious joke for the main plot, but also a meta-layer of jokes, which have to be encrypted but are more satisfactioning afterwards.
When I noticed that Futurama was cancelled, I was really sorry. Otherwise I was strengthend in my opinion, that fans can do something and can bring back their favourite but early-declared dead series, which successfully happend to Futurama's "Bender's Big Score". I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will as soon as it will be released in Germany, and even in SD-resolution. But I really hope for a distribution on HD-DVD or Blu-ray. Because Futurama belongs on this HD-media, because it's the future for home-cinemas.

Arian – Homies – Cake: Ich bin schon seit einigen Jahren ein sehr großer Simpsons-Fan und als ich hörte, dass Matt Groening eine neue Serie erschuf, war ich zunächst etwas skeptisch, denn ich war mir nicht sicher, ob sie das Niveau der Gelblinge erreichen könnte oder sogar an den Erfolg anknüpfen könnte. Aber schon nach der ersten Folge war ich im Futuramafieber! Inzwischen finde ich Futurama um einiges besser als die Simpsons - insbesondere, da die Simpsons seit Staffel 11 sehr stark nachgelassen haben. Futurama ist abwechslungsreich, bietet für jeden etwas, ist respektlos und warmherzig, obskur, liebevoll ausgearbeitet und animiert, sarkastisch, unterhaltsam, erfinderisch - und immer wieder voller Überraschungen. Ich kann gar nicht genug Worte finden. :)

Umso trauriger wurde ich, als ich von der Absetzung dieser genialen Serie erfuhr. Vier lange Jahre musste man mit der Kenntnis leben, dass es nie wieder neue Futurama Folgen geben würde. Doch das Warten hat endlich ein Ende und Futurama wurde wiedergeboren: In voller Spielfilmlänge und in 16:9. Ich habe mir den ersten Film "Bender's Big Score" sofort aus der USA importieren lassen und wurde in keinster Weise enttäuscht. Ich hoffe, dass die weiteren 3 Filme das hohe Niveau halten können und wünsche mir, dass die DVD's sich großartig verkaufen, da Futuramas Zukunft weiterhin vom Verkaufserfolg der DVD's abhängig ist!

Page 1 - Tales of Interest: The Simpsons and Futurama in high-definition

Page 2 - "Waggle-images" of "Futurama" and "Simpsons"

Page 1 - Tales of Interest: The Simpsons and Futurama in high-definition

Page 2 - "Waggle-images" of "Futurama" and "Simpsons"

Comparison-images between HD- and SD-broadcasts as waggel-images

To show the difference between broadcasts of standard-resolution and the HD-simulcast we are presenting here some "waggel-images". So if you let your cursor hover above the image the comparision is more obvious for your eyes. The "waggel"-effect isn't instantly ready, because the background-images has to be loaded first after you first hovering, so please be patient, it is worth seeing.

Page 1 - Tales of Interest: The Simpsons and Futurama in high-definition

Page 2 - "Waggle-images" of "Futurama" and "Simpsons"