Using digital film restoration technology, film restorers can now alter images within a frame of film. Digital technology adds another element to the debate over what is appropriate in film restoration. With the explosion of cable and satellite channels and home video, movie studios have realized that the old films in their libraries are valuable. Unfortunately, old films were often not properly stored, so fading and deterioration are significant problems. And the visual quality of films made for television decades ago often isn't up to today's standards, let alone tomorrow's high-definition standards.
Digital restoration involves scanning film to convert each frame into a digital image.
The images can then be displayed on a computer screen and manipulated by an artist who uses a mouse or digital pen and tablet. The images are then re-recorded on film. Digital restoration is presently time consuming and expensive. A feature film typically has 200,000 frames and each frame can require up to 50 megabytes of storage. About 15 frames per hour can be restored with current technology.