They entered actual Formula 1 cars into a grand prix, strapped it with cameras, and recorded the whole thing. Other times they added new bodywork to a Formula 2 car and had the actors driving around on track - again with cameras strapped to the car. Being recorded in 70mm it's some of the best footage of on-board Formula 1 racing until well into the 2010s, and the advent of small 4k on-board cameras in modern races.
There's going to be a dead spot of TV/Movies where things were shot in SD on Video where they will be forever SD but older things, shot on film, can be brought to HD and newer things are either shot on Film or HD video.
I'm curious to see how quickly the things shot in HD Video become outdated by superior resolutions of 4k, 8k and whatever comes after and if there's a plateau of consumer/home resolution.
Apparently for later trek shows (ds9, voy) the film crews were more careful to respect the 16:9 frame, but those shows aren’t as popular and may never get the expensive blu ray makeover.
What would any of these shots look like in 16:9 [0][1][2]? They really liked filling the frame to the brim with TNG, and any side-areas would just look empty.
[0] https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/3/37/We... [1] https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/3/36/Sa... [2] https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/9/90/Tr...
I want to say it's that the footage seems darker, and you can obviously make a case for classic brand logos being a giveaway.
In the comments on YouTube, people discuss some other race-related aspects that reveal the age of the video. Such as lack of protective barriers, and people standing right next to the race track.
I think shadows are more prevalent and even color is not as vivid as many videos we see today either. The image is sharp though!
Makes me wonder what kind of risks we are obliviously taking today that will seem kind of crazy in the future.
Would you describe rock climbers as "oblivious to the risks involved", or just as people who are sometimes killed by their hobby?
For another recent historical example see: smoking.
Personally I'm waiting for when sitting at the desk all day long is found out to be Very Bad. But that's probably just a modern ‘proletariat vs capitalist’ issue—I guess factory assembly lines weren't and aren't too popular either.
But never in a million years will upcoding recreate the picture that was there in the original. It can create some new detail of its own, yes.
Consult this video, for example: https://youtu.be/sCv-dIFGcd0
Personally I find that even BD-rips made in SD resolution look better than DVD—if only for contrast enhancements made for reissues, and due to better compression formats.
Moreover, if the source was shot on 70mm film then people might still keep re-digitizing it in the 22nd century into fresh HD formats of the day.