What is remastered?

The term "remastered" refers to the process of taking an existing piece of media, such as a music album, film, or video game, and improving its quality using modern technology. This is often done to make the media more appealing to contemporary audiences and to take advantage of current playback and distribution formats. Here's a breakdown of how remastering typically applies to different types of media:

1. Music:

   • In music, remastering involves transferring the original recordings to a new format and enhancing the sound quality. This can include adjusting the equalization, dynamics, and stereo imaging. The goal is often to achieve clarity and fidelity that align with modern listening standards, whether for streaming, CD, vinyl, or other formats.

2. Film and Television:

   • For visual media, remastering typically involves restoring the original film print, correcting colors, enhancing audio quality, and improving image resolution. This can include transferring the work to higher-resolution formats like 4K or even adding high dynamic range (HDR) to improve image quality further. Additionally, imperfections like scratches or grain are often minimized or removed.

3. Video Games:

   • Video game remastering involves updating older games to run on modern hardware, improving graphics with higher resolution textures, better lighting effects, and sometimes even re-recording audio or rewriting code to fix limitations or bugs from the original version. Remastered games are often re-released with added content, smoother performance, and support for new gaming technology.

The term is commonly used in marketing to attract both nostalgic audiences and new ones by offering a polished version of a beloved or classic title. However, the extent and quality of remastering can vary significantly between projects.