The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[kk1]

Never realized the "Is the Order a Rabbit?" discs (both seasons) have hard subs, with season 3 "Bloom" out this year and the movie and OVA not released yet what are the chances Sentai releases an "Ultimate Collection" with remastered discs?

[BigOnAnime]

Hardsubs? Sentai doesn't do that (nobody does, unless you're a company named after a campfire snack, or like to shout on one release), they do locked subs. As for an Ultimate Collection, that's up in the air.

[pikagreg]

cries in Media Blasters

[kk1]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

Hardsubs? Sentai doesn't do that (nobody does, unless you're a company named after a campfire snack, or like to shout on one release), they do locked subs. As for an Ultimate Collection, that's up in the air.

Whatever they're called, what's the difference when you can't turn them off.

[BigOnAnime]

Oh, right, the Strawberry Panic SDBD that wasn't even advertised as SDBD on the front.

Originally Posted by kk1

Whatever they're called, what's the difference when you can't turn them off.

There are ways you can forcefully turn them off. Hardsubs as opposed to locked subs are burned into the video and thus actually hurt the video quality, especially if it's a DVD (which campfire snack company did).

[Zaku77]

Originally Posted by professorwho

I would assume the encoding is better, but it has an issue that the Viz release shares- it is presented at 23.976 frames per second in 1080p and not 1080i. Now, I think most can agree 1080p is preferred, but in this case, Moribito is VFR (variable frame rate), like many shows from the early to mid-2000s, so in order to preserve the shots which were composited at a higher frame rate, it needs to be in 1080i. Only the Media Blasters release has that correct for western BDs, but the encoding is so terrible on it, it’s not worth it. So, if you have the Viz release, I’d assume the Sentai will be slightly better encoded, but that’s about it...

Had it not been for the audio. Moribito is one of the rare TV anime natively produced in 5.1 surround sound, as was the norm of Production IG works of the era. The Viz BD is in stereo only, while the Sentai release is in 5.1, as I don’t have a surround sound setup it doesn’t make a huge difference to me, but to audiophiles, it should be a big deal, as it is native 5.1 and not a shitty upmix.

That's a good enough reason for me. Thanks for the info!

[Jackson_H]

Anyone know if the Rasengan Collection has new encodes for Movies 2-4?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Narut...lu-ray/186997/

I watched some unboxings and the artwork on the discs is different from the original individual releases.

Viz unfortunately seems to still have QC issues with some recent releases but I think I remember reading their early Blu-rays weren't much better... so maybe there's some improvement?

[professorwho]

It's worth noting that the upcoming 4K UHD of Millennium Actress from All The Anime is only 2160p SDR, with no HDR.

It's fine by me, seeing as the 4K remaster was completed in SDR, and the UHD format does have advantages over 1080p BD even when there's no HDR that aren't just the pixel resolution (10-bit colour gradations vs BD's 8-bit, H.265 codec vs BD's H.264, and higher chroma resolution). While for many it'll be a major bruh moment and will make them pass, I'm fine with it, because we won't get a shitty fake HDR grade that would probably look worse than SDR native (which is what we're getting).

[SeaFox]

Do you think the UHD will come with a better accompanying 1080p bluray than we have gotten thus far?

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by SeaFox

Do you think the UHD will come with a better accompanying 1080p bluray than we have gotten thus far?

I have no clue if it’s the Shout disc but Region B locked, or if it’s a newly made one. I’ll be ordering it, so I’ll know by the time I get it. A new one would be better, as the Shout has some poor compression at points.

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by NLScavenger

Mobile Suit Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans - Funimation BD vs Bandai Flagship Edition BD

[Show spoiler]So uhm.. Sunrise supplied the English dub video master to Funimation (same as the GundamInfo Youtube stream), which like the Japanese broadcast master has shots that were corrected in the JP BD master.

Changes between broadcast and BD seem to be minor, but I've only quickly checked episode #2. Don't know if there are any major changes in this or other episodes.

Left: Funimation BD | Right: Bandai Flagship Edition BD (All screenshots taken in MPV with Spline36 chroma upscaling)






Some of you may have watched the original Japanese version during its broadcast and noticed that in OP #1 the equipment and armor of Gundam Barbatos changes as the series progresses. Unfortunately this progression is missing in the English dub video master. The English dub video master uses the episode #3 variant in all episodes with OP #1.

Left: Funimation BD (Wrong) | Right: Bandai Flagship Edition BD (Correct)


As this uses the English dub video master from Sunrise, no one from Funimation is credited in the end credits. Japanese voice actors are credited first, English dub voice actors last.


Additional screenshots:

Funimation BD


Bandai Flagship Edition BD


Episode #2 - Funimation BD

AVG: 23998 kbps | MAX: 42940 kbps

Playlist: 00010.MPLS
Size: 5,391,378,432 bytes
Length: 0:24:29.134
Total Bitrate: 29.36 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 23998 kbps / 1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English / Dolby TrueHD Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz /  1085 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Embedded: 2.0 / 48 kHz /   192 kbps / DN -26dB)
Audio: Japanese / Dolby TrueHD Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz /   830 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Embedded: 2.0 / 48 kHz /   192 kbps / DN -26dB)
Subtitle: English / 41.992 kbps
Subtitle: English / 4.286 kbps

Episode #2 - Bandai Flagship Edition BD

AVG: 36072 kbps | MAX: 53284 kbps

Audio: 24-bit PCM - for whatever reason there's also a completely silent 16-bit PCM track in the m2ts file

Can confirm that Funimation/Anime Limited UK S2 is also based on the TV version

TV version


Home video version

[kevers7290]

I'm curious about two that I just grabbed from the @Anime UK sale.

Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust--is this the same as the Discotek release?

Anthem of the Heart--Aniplex clone?

That is all.

[sagadego]

Originally Posted by NLScavenger

Can confirm that Funimation/Anime Limited UK S2 is also based on the TV version

TV version


Home video version

same used for the Toonami broadcast as well

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

I'm curious about two that I just grabbed from the @Anime UK sale.

Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust--is this the same as the Discotek release?

Anthem of the Heart--Aniplex clone?

That is all.

Bloodlust is a Discotek clone. Anthem, I have no clue.

[gwfb5]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Bloodlust is a Discotek clone. Anthem, I have no clue.

So, this UK edition is the same as the Discotek Blu-ray? Side question, is it region-free?
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Vampi...lu-ray/215542/

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by gwfb5

[Show spoiler]

So, this UK edition is the same as the Discotek Blu-ray? Side question, is it region-free?
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Vampi...lu-ray/215542/

Re-authored to Region B. Pretty much the exact same disc, but with the Discotek logos removed, I would guess, and obviously Region B locked.

[gwfb5]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Re-authored to Region B. Pretty much the exact same disc, but with the Discotek logos removed, and obviously Region B locked.

Damn. Oh well, thanks for the info.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by gwfb5

Damn. Oh well, thanks for the info.

I thought it was kind of obvious. Anime Limited only has the UK license. Why would they have it be other than Region B unless they want to get in trouble if anyone notices?

Sidenote: it is a great idea to get a Region Free Blu-ray player. Not just for anime, but for incredible indie label releases in the UK.

[kk1]

You can get a region B player shipped for less than $100 from Amazon UK (haven't looked but might even be some better holiday deals), it's worth the investment. Buying the UK version of a couple Aniplex shows would save you what you spent on the player right off the bat.

[NormanicGrav]

Originally Posted by professorwho

I thought it was kind of obvious. Anime Limited only has the UK license. Why would they have it be other than Region B unless they want to get in trouble if anyone notices?

Sidenote: it is a great idea to get a Region Free Blu-ray player. Not just for anime, but for incredible indie label releases in the UK.

ohoho well there are certainly some Region A compatible releases from Anime Limited. Of the ones I own:

[Show spoiler]

• Absolute Duo
• Ajin: Demi-Human Season 1
• Angelic Layer
• Aoharu x Machinegun
• Barakamon
• Belladonna of Sadness
• Claymore
• Durarara!! Season 1 (Original Discs only)
• Eden of the East TV Series & Films
• Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (not) Alone
• Free! Eternal Summer
• Full Metal Panic!
• Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
• Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU
• Gonna Be the Twin-Tail!!
• Lord Marksman and Vanadis
• Lucky Star
• Mai Mai Miracle
• Ouran High School Host Club
• Penguin Highway
• Psycho-Pass 2
• Psycho-Pass: The Movie
• SHIMONETA
• Tamako Market & Love Story
• Tokyo ESP
• Yurikuma Arashi

But yeah for the most part they are always Region B locked.