The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by professorwho

One thing I’ve noticed is that in anime releases, the Bitrate isn’t that variable. Sure, it can go up or down depending on what’s on screen, but I only have one release with a wide range- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Set 1 by VIZ.

The average is 27.90 mbps, which is better than anything FUNimation does, but it doesn’t tell the full story. When watching it on my TV and looking at the Bitrate viewer, it has massive shifts. The low is generally around 9 or 10 with a high of 49 in a few instances. Generally it ranges in the high twenties to low thirties, but the OP (in this case, Bloody Stream) averages around 33 which is Japanese territory.

The set is very well encoded, despite the fact there is a brightness issue. When watching it, it is never noticeable. It looks clean and clear. If you cannot stand the fact it is ever so different, get the UK set, which has correct brightness, but lower bitrates. If you’re in the US like me, I wouldn’t go through the trouble of importing it, as it is hard to tell when watching on a TV and is only noticeable when looking at screencaps side to side.

Also, the subtitles have a very nice font. Better than what FUNimation uses. I’ll upload a photo later, but they look real nice. But, when viewed from a good distance, it may be a little small. I have a 49” display and sit probably 3 metres (9 or so feet) away, and it’s readable, but if my vision got worse, it would be an issue (I’m sure my parents would have trouble reading them).

Re: Viz Media BD in general

I may know of a "fix" for the color matrix problem if you don't mind watching MKVs, but I cannot confirm if it works because I don't think I have BT.709 content that is incorrectly decoded in BT.601. Of course you can also use MPC-HC BT.601 to BT.709 shader, but the method I have in mind doesn't require you to change the player settings each time.

Install and open MKVToolnix-gui, go to the header editor, load the MKV rip, expand Video track 1, expand Colour information, then edit the following (don't forget to save):

Video: colour matrix coefficients: value = 1
Video: colour primaries: value = 5

Value meanings:
0: GBR
1: BT709
2: unspecified
3: reserved
4: FCC
5: BT470BG (=BT.601)
6: SMPTE 170M
7: SMPTE 240M
8: YCOCG
9: BT2020 non-constant luminance
10: BT2020 constant luminance

There is a similar fix for BT.601 content that is incorrectly decoded in BT.709, OR BT.709 content that is interpreted as BT.601 and then incorrectly decoded in BT.709.
Video: colour matrix coefficients: value = 5
Video: colour primaries: value = 1
This one definitely works.
Example: Don't Torture a Duckling (Non si sevizia un paperino): Arrow Video BD (wrong) | 84 Entertainment BD (correct) | Arrow Video BD (corrected)

[reignofkindo]

Originally Posted by professorwho

One thing I’ve noticed is that in anime releases, the Bitrate isn’t that variable. Sure, it can go up or down depending on what’s on screen, but I only have one release with a wide range- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Set 1 by VIZ.

Doesn't FMA Brotherhood also have some insane bitrate variance?

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by reignofkindo

Doesn't FMA Brotherhood also have some insane bitrate variance?

Well, yeah. That's the only other series I own with insane variance.

Brotherhood is perhaps even crazier. I might make another video like the JoJo one showing it off.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by Robbl

There are also an additional 45 minutes of extra videos like interviews, NCOP and NCED on it. All in all 210+ minutes.

Violet Evergarden is kind of similar. Only 3 episodes this time, with apparently 80 minutes of extras. That's around 140 minutes in total, and if the extras are encoded at a lower bitrate, the 3 episodes could get maxed out bitrates with good PQ.

[Ccharmanderk]

Site updated with an Angelic Layer review, to my surprise. Have always been a bit curious about the 1080i presentation, largely because I have to wonder if it's a remnant of the Japanese BD box. Presentation seems alright, considering it's an interlaced image, but shots with gradient lighting exhibit some really noticeable banding.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...03&position=24
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...03&position=10
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...03&position=15
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...03&position=16

Again, I have to wonder if that's left over from the Japanese BD box or if Sentai's set is exacerbating some issues (it is going from 5 discs to three, far as I'm aware).

[professorwho]

Non-English friendly anime releases can be a mixed bag, depending on who does them...

I just found out that the German BD of The irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka), which is dual audio- DTS HD MA 2.0 for Japanese, and 5.1 for German, has 7 episodes in volume 1... on a BD-25.

Yes. 7 Episodes on a 25GB disc. Unless either mp3dom or Justin Sevakis were working on it, there is NO way it would even look good. If anyone wants to import it, please share the results. (I'm tempted to, just to see how bad it looks)

KSM, either you are so confident in your encoding you rose to the challenge... or you're a bunch of lazy and cheap idiots...

[Naiera]

That sounds like Kazé to me.

[Robbl]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Yes. 7 Episodes on a 25GB disc.

Yup sounds like your typical KSM release...

[Naiera]

The Hong Kong release of Fireworks is freakin' 1080i50 Not keeping or watching

[Show spoiler]
Video
ID : 1
ID in the original source medium : 4113 (0x1011)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 26mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 26.5 Mbps
Nominal bit rate : 29.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Standard : PAL
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : MBAFF
Scan type, store method : Interleaved fields
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.511
Stream size : 16.0 GiB (90%)
Language : English
Default : No
Forced : No
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Original source medium : Blu-ray

Audio
ID : 2
ID in the original source medium : 4352 (0x1100)
Format : TrueHD
Codec ID : A_TRUEHD
Duration : 1h 26mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 2 829 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 4 680 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 96.0 KHz
Frame rate : 2 400.000 fps (40 SPF)
Bit depth : 24 bits
Compression mode : Lossless
Stream size : 1.71 GiB (10%)
Title : Surround 5.1
Language : Japanese
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Original source medium : Blu-ray

Menu
00:00:00.000 : en:Chapter 01
00:07:06.520 : en:Chapter 02
00:13:29.520 : en:Chapter 03
00:21:39.960 : en:Chapter 04
00:29:04.760 : en:Chapter 05
00:36:34.040 : en:Chapter 06
00:41:58.040 : en:Chapter 07
00:48:21.560 : en:Chapter 08
00:58:49.240 : en:Chapter 09
01:04:44.600 : en:Chapter 10
01:12:34.960 : en:Chapter 11
01:22:05.160 : en:Chapter 12

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by Naiera

1080i50

whatyearisit.jpeg

[Naiera]

I should have known. I got Gangnam 1970 from Edko recently, and it was 1080i50 as well. I ended up paying a small fortune for the Korean release in the end anyway

[professorwho]

Hong Kong releases are still released as 1080 50i occasionally. The Handmaiden (the movie, not the Hulu show) is a good example.

Apparently it's due to the voltage there or something? I'm not sure, but being region free, it means I can just get a progressive release.

[mikezilla2]

most german anime BDs tend to be Upscales tho ....

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Hong Kong releases are still released as 1080 50i occasionally.

Yeah, I've learned that the hard way a few times now

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Apparently it's due to the voltage there or something? I'm not sure, but being region free, it means I can just get a progressive release.

It's weird because they're obviously more connected to a bunch of 60Hz areas, but I'm sure it has something to do with it being a British colony until 21 years ago.

60 and 50Hz on TV and DVDs, Blu-rays, etc. is traditionally because of the different types of power we use. It was just easier to make TVs that updated at the same frequency as the power in the old days, and it's been screwing us ever since. We'll never move away from 50Hz for TV content.

That they're actually making 1080i50 Blu-rays in Hong Kong in 2018 is mindblowingly dumb, though.

[Robbl]

Originally Posted by mikezilla2

most german anime BDs tend to be Upscales tho ....

Source? Afaik publishers only upscale when there are no HD masters available. In case of Higurashi we even got a nnedi3 upscale which is currently the best release you can get for Higurashi in terms of picture quality.

[klasma]

Just having read the recent Sailor Moon thread: I own the 2002 JP DVDs of season 1 (plus of the Makaiju arc which I liked). How does the Madman BD release compare to those in terms of video and audio quality? I actually don't mind a bit of DNR; what's most important to me is correct colors, brightness & contrast, non-blurriness and audio quality.

[Nostalgic Twilight]

But Viz had their team review the original artwork/cels to make certain the colors were as accurate as possible!

And for the record, they really did state that. lol

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by klasma

How does the Madman BD release compare to those in terms of video and audio quality?

Basically the DVDs in terms of colours, but with better accuracy, bitrate, and audio. Better, but not by much, given the limitations of the source.

This is a good comparison. Madman uses the master of the Japanese Blu-ray release, so it should be basically the same as their discs.

[klasma]

Originally Posted by professorwho

This is a good comparison. Madman uses the master of the Japanese Blu-ray release, so it should be basically the same as their discs.

Thanks for the link. I had already seen that, but didn't know the Madman release was exactly the same as the Japanese (are you sure?). On those screenshots the Japanese BD has different colors than the Japanese DVD, though. See the Ami shot in particular, it has more red. However my feeling is that both have too much red, e.g. the white of Ami's eyes has a definite red tint if you look at the RGB colors. In the screenshot from the Make Up! Sailor Senshi BD the white is more neutral. The other Make Up! Sailor Senshi screenshots also look more like the colors that I remember from the TV broadcast. Oh well.