The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[kevers7290]

Hey all. I have a request. I'm looking for a comparison between the FLCL releases. I have the Funi release, and I'm curious as to how it stacks up against the UK (MVM) release and the JP (King Records) releases. I could only find comparisons between the Funi BD and DVD releases with the search function.

Bonus round: if anyone has comparisons between the Manga release of Redline and the Japanese release that would be super duper awesome.

Thanks!

[professorwho]

FUNi and MVM FLCL are the same disc. The JP FLCL is better, but has its own set of issues. FUNi has more DNR and less detail, which the JP has some more (but is also DNR'd), but is incorrectly framed (the FUNi version has the correct framing). The live action credits are higher quality on the JP BD. There's a fan project that combined them with some filters on top to make what I consider to be the best looking version, but it's not an official release. (You have the FUNi release so PM me if you're interested)

Redline- the JP release is full 1.78:1 unlike the Manga and EU KAZE BDs with their windowboxed image, but with 16-Bit audio instead of 24-Bit, and a higher bitrate. Plus both JP Redline and FLCL have English subs.

[LexInHD]

I'm on the second disc of Go Shogun and the video quality gets progressively worse as you go through the series. It's acceptable, given the series is what it is, but you'll notice a lot of deficiencies if you pay attention to that sort of thing.

[kevers7290]

Originally Posted by professorwho

FUNi and MVM FLCL are the same disc. The JP FLCL is better, but has its own set of issues. FUNi has more DNR and less detail, which the JP has some more (but is also DNR'd), but is incorrectly framed (the FUNi version has the correct framing). The live action credits are higher quality on the JP BD. There's a fan project that combined them with some filters on top to make what I consider to be the best looking version, but it's not an official release. (You have the FUNi release so PM me if you're interested)

Redline- the JP release is full 1.78:1 unlike the Manga and EU KAZE BDs with their windowboxed image, but with 16-Bit audio instead of 24-Bit, and a higher bitrate. Plus both JP Redline and FLCL have English subs.

Awesome, thanks for the detailed info. I have one more, totally unrelated question: is the newer Japanese release (with the white cover) of Ghost in the Shell 1995 different from the older Bandai Visual release? I recall hearing that it had a new transfer but would like to confirm.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

Awesome, thanks for the detailed info. I have one more, totally unrelated question: is the newer Japanese release (with the white cover) of Ghost in the Shell 1995 different from the older Bandai Visual release? I recall hearing that it had a new transfer but would like to confirm.

It's the same transfer but without the windowboxing, and a higher bitrate (34.57 for the old one, 38.63 for the new one), with the dub upgraded to LPCM stereo.

[dannphou]

How does the US Aniplex Fate Stay Night Heavens Feel BluRay compare to the JP Aniplex BluRay? Are they the exact same thing in terms of media info?

And how does the AnoHana Aniplex Version compare to the NISA America version?

[Yuripa]

No, the Aniplex JP Blu for Heaven's Fell have maxed bitrate with only one audio (JP).
AoA has 2 audios (Jp & English) so it's impossible to be the same stats.

Edit : I see that the AoA version don't have the 2.0 Jp audio (Jp is 5.1 & 2.0) so maybe the US version removed that audio channel to gain more bitrate space.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by dannphou

And how does the AnoHana Aniplex Version compare to the NISA America version?

Aniplex uses the Japanese encode, while NISA had Justin Sevakis as the compressionist. They look identical, really. The only difference is that the Aniplex one has a dub (if you like dubs, I personally don't) and has a higher bitrate, though visually they look identical 95% of the time.

[NLScavenger]

16-bit 5.1 Eng/JP audio (if the mediainfo report on pastebin is accurate). Japanese BD has 24-bit 5.1 and 24-bit 2.0.

Audio #1
ID                             : 2
Format                         : DTS
Format/Info                    : Digital Theater Systems
Format profile                 : MA / Core
Mode                           : 16
Format settings, Endianness    : Big
Codec ID                       : A_DTS
Duration                       : 2 h 0 min
Bit rate mode                  : Variable / Constant
Bit rate                       : 1 876 kb/s / 960 kb/s
Channel(s)                     : 6 channels
Channel positions              : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate                  : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                     : 93.750 FPS (512 SPF)
Bit depth                      : 16 bits
Compression mode               : Lossless / Lossy
Stream size                    : 1.58 GiB (5%)
Language                       : English
Default                        : Yes
Forced                         : No

Audio #2
ID                             : 3
Format                         : DTS
Format/Info                    : Digital Theater Systems
Format profile                 : MA / Core
Mode                           : 16
Format settings, Endianness    : Big
Codec ID                       : A_DTS
Duration                       : 2 h 0 min
Bit rate mode                  : Variable / Constant
Bit rate                       : 1 821 kb/s / 960 kb/s
Channel(s)                     : 6 channels
Channel positions              : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate                  : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                     : 93.750 FPS (512 SPF)
Bit depth                      : 16 bits
Compression mode               : Lossless / Lossy
Stream size                    : 1.53 GiB (5%)
Language                       : Japanese
Default                        : No
Forced                         : No

[dannphou]

Originally Posted by Yuripa

No, the Aniplex JP Blu for Heaven's Fell have maxed bitrate with only one audio (JP).
AoA has 2 audios (Jp & English) so it's impossible to be the same stats.

Edit : I see that the AoA version don't have the 2.0 Jp audio (Jp is 5.1 & 2.0) so maybe the US version removed that audio channel to gain more bitrate space.

Oh! Would it be possible to get a media info comparison of JP vs US BluRay? If anyone has that?

[professorwho]

Huh. Funny that all 3 of us posted within the same minute.

[mp3dom]

Heaven's Feel have bit-exact video between JP and US.
The audio tracks on the US edition were reduced to 16bit for that purpose.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Huh. Funny that all 3 of us posted within the same minute.

Now that's what I call dedication.

[NLScavenger]

Speaking of AoA vs AoJ, do AoA BD usually retain the BD menu loop? I know that they were not ported over to the AoA BD of Kizumonogatari.

The AoJ Heaven's Feel BD menu loop was quite nice

Fate/Stay Night Heaven's Feel Blu-Ray Menu - YouTube

[mp3dom]

They change it, however, on Heaven's Feel the look and feel is very close to the japanese version, albeit it's still different and shorter in length (54 seconds).
The graphics of the Top/Pop up menu is the same.

[dannphou]

Originally Posted by mp3dom

They change it, however, on Heaven's Feel the look and feel is very close to the japanese version, albeit it's still different and shorter in length (54 seconds).
The graphics of the Top/Pop up menu is the same.

So, would anyone really notice the difference in audio quality? 16bit vs 24bit. The AoA is like half the bitrate of the JP one.

[Ccharmanderk]

Originally Posted by LexInHD

I'm on the second disc of Go Shogun and the video quality gets progressively worse as you go through the series. It's acceptable, given the series is what it is, but you'll notice a lot of deficiencies if you pay attention to that sort of thing.

Does the encoding deteriorate by disc or does it look worse episode to episode? And what kind of deficiencies we talking, source-related or encode?

[Robbl]

Originally Posted by dannphou

So, would anyone really notice the difference in audio quality? 16bit vs 24bit. The AoA is like half the bitrate of the JP one.

Most likely not. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/24bi...ploded.415361/

[mp3dom]

Originally Posted by dannphou

So, would anyone really notice the difference in audio quality? 16bit vs 24bit. The AoA is like half the bitrate of the JP one.

If everything were mixed at 24bit (or more) and then dithered down only at the ending stage at 16bit, you won't hear differences (the only "audible" difference may be heard in the dithering noise, if too aggressive).

It must be said, that most (if not all) the japanese 5.1 24bit tracks on blurays are indeed 20bit tracks with unused 4 bits which is a very good compromise on dynamic range and dithering noise between 16bit and 24bit.

[LexInHD]

Originally Posted by Ccharmanderk

Does the encoding deteriorate by disc or does it look worse episode to episode? And what kind of deficiencies we talking, source-related or encode?

Well, on the second disc, it looks a lot worse than the first. Both source and encode video issues. With the source, there are a lot of defects that are shot-by-shot/bit-by-bit baked into the video in each episode and can't be fixed without digital clean-up and restoration work, which definitely didn't take place here. There are two ways classic film-based anime series can be put on BD, one is to digitally scan and remaster the series and the other is to simply scan each episode reel and mostly leave it alone. This is definitely the latter. On the encode side, there are brief shots during action sequences where video noise goes to 11, which is to be expected with the source material being what it is and the lack of digital massaging done. I wouldn't pass on buying the series, but I wouldn't expect it to be an example of what classic anime on BD could be. I would rank it slightly below the original Gundam Blu-Ray in overall visual quality and on-par with Zillion, which also used relatively untouched HD masters.