The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[Yuripa]

The first reviews for the French Blu-Ray for Re-Zero seem to indicate that the ugly colorbanding from the US/UK edtion are still present.
So in the end maybe it's a shitty master given by Kadokawa for internationnal releases.

[professorwho]

Mind sharing sources/links?

[Yuripa]

Everything is in french but here : https://nippon-actu.fr/mangatoon/ani...tor-blu-ray-12
No reliable screengrabs unfortunatly.
I will post screengrabs when i get my copy.

[professorwho]

Thanks. I can do auto-translations and look for words I recognize.

[gpn]

Originally Posted by Yuripa

The first reviews for the French Blu-Ray for Re-Zero seem to indicate that the ugly colorbanding from the US/UK edtion are still present.
So in the end maybe it's a shitty master given by Kadokawa for internationnal releases.

This wouldn't be the first time Kadokawa did this. They gave crappy composite masters to ADV for Full Metal Panic and Geneon for Girls Bravo. Geneon actually went back to them and got better better masters after there were complaints for the first disc of GB.

[professorwho]

If Kadokawa is at fault, than Made in Abyss and No Game No Life Zero should turn out poor as well...

[pikagreg]

How was the original NGNL?

[StefaanD]

Originally Posted by Yuripa

Everything is in french but here : https://nippon-actu.fr/mangatoon/ani...tor-blu-ray-12
No reliable screengrabs unfortunatly.
I will post screengrabs when i get my copy.

Looking forward to see actual screengrabs, as those in the French review look even more worse than Re:Zero itself

Originally Posted by professorwho

If Kadokawa is at fault, than Made in Abyss and No Game No Life Zero should turn out poor as well...

That’s a bit jumping to conclusions isn’t it.

[professorwho]

The Rose of Versailles DVD

Disc 1 size: 7.12GB

Feature size: 6.6GB (episodes 1-5)

Episode 1: 1.25GB (file sizes vary between 1.25GB and 1.54GB)

Video:
480i MPEG-2
6941 kbps AVG (6.9 mbps)
9800 kbps MAX (9.8 mbps)


Audio:
Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 448 kbps

So, why a DVD? Nozomi's license on Rose of Versailles is expiring, and they only released it on DVD, so this is for those who are on the fence. @Anime in France did release it on Blu-ray, so if you're French like Yuripa, or are fine with adding subtitles, then go for it.

Okay, it's 480p (when de-interlaced) and an anime from 1979. Deal with it. It actually looks really nice for a DVD of a 70s anime. It's hard to analyze as it has two major issues due to the format: resolution and codec. Plus, being a 16mm series from 1979, it is soft looking, but it fits the look of the show. Osamu Dezaki's famous black-and-white sketches are in full force and it is still a beautiful show. I would rather take this over CGI crap of today. The limitations are huge, but I feel it looks fine. I would rather have this on BD, though. Just take my word- if you compare it to any modern digital anime in HD, it'll look like garbage, but if you can appreciate older artwork (like me), then it's just fine.

Audio is Dolby Digital at a high bitrate for DVD for what is an older mix. I'm assuming it's in mono. Despite the age, I don't think anyone will complain about it here. It's crystal clear and I have no issues.

Overall, pick up the DVDs if you're interested in the series. It's a shame we'll never get it on BD here in the US, but if Sentai were to snap it up... *rushes over to email Sentai about this opportunity*

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by StefaanD

That’s a bit jumping to conclusions isn’t it.

I meant to say "could" turn out bad. If they turn out worse than Sentai's standards, then that could be the cause. Obviously I don't want to jump to a conclusion without any information. I am simply presenting the idea that if those turn out poor, Kadokawa might be at fault.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by pikagreg

How was the original NGNL?

The site's review has some screenshots. Don't pay attention to the review, though, as they're mostly about aesthetics over encoding quality.

[Ccharmanderk]

Originally Posted by professorwho

The site's review has some screenshots. Don't pay attention to the review, though, as they're mostly about aesthetics over encoding quality.

All this talk of reviewing a Blu-ray for aesthetics over encode quality reminds me how both Penguindrum Blu-rays were given 4.5/5 on video.

Because this is totally deserving of nearly full marks.

[professorwho]

Same with this.

Geez, did you even look at the screenshots for your own review? I even told the reviewer about the issue, and he said I should write my own user review.

[chronoclast]

My favorite review on this site is the one for Sentai's Colorful BD where that same reviewer gave it a 4/5 while trying to argue using bitrates and aesthetics that everyone who posted about it's video problems were totally wrong despite evidence blatantly showing otherwise.

Between the scene where the video completely glitches and craps out (how that reviewer didn't think there was anything wrong with it I really don't know) and the poor compression it has in general, it's one of Sentai's worst BDs. Colorful and Penguindrum are the main two from their dark period that I keep hoping they'll go back and correct.

[professorwho]

He is correct in that bitrate doesn't determine video quality, but anyone could figure that out. And a scene that glitches out? Really?

It's crazy times...

[chronoclast]

Originally Posted by professorwho

He is correct in that bitrate doesn't determine video quality, but anyone could figure that out. And a scene that glitches out? Really?

It's crazy times...

I can't find any screenshots but basically it looks like when a stream drops to a low resolution, it's really bad.

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by gpn

This wouldn't be the first time Kadokawa did this. They gave crappy composite masters to ADV for Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu and Geneon for Girls Bravo. Geneon actually went back to them and got better better masters after there were complaints for the first disc of GB.

Fixed that for you

[kevers7290]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Overall, pick up the DVDs if you're interested in the series. It's a shame we'll never get it on BD here in the US, but if Sentai were to snap it up... *rushes over to email Sentai about this opportunity*

Is there anything stopping Anime Limited from releasing this to the UK/Ireland? Strange that it's available from them in France but not the UK where they're headquartered.

[NLScavenger]

Space Adventure Cobra 4K UHD: https://imgbox.com/g/vVn74xizni *Dunno who made these screencaps*

[Ccharmanderk]

Originally Posted by NLScavenger

Space Adventure Cobra 4K UHD: https://imgbox.com/g/vVn74xizni *Dunno who made these screencaps*

Good merciful God, what a disaster. Putting aside the aggressive grain removal and the weirdly pastel-like colors, the linework has basically been destroyed. Things either have weird speckles around them or are reduced to looking like someone used the spray tool in MS Paint.

It bizarrely reminds me of some parts of Funimation's Dragon Ball Z season Blu-rays, but somehow infinitely worse.