The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[SpazeBlue]

Originally Posted by chronoclast

I've started watching Sentai's Moribito BDs and I'll give my take. I don't have a BD drive so this is simply my observation and opinion.

Moribito was produced with a mixed frame rate, the large majority of it is 24fps with some scenes having 30fps portions. Sentai chose for their release to deinterlace it to 1080p/24 and drop frames. This results in choppiness during the 30fps portions. Videophiles will notice it but it's not unwatchable by any means. In contrast, Viz for their BD blended the frames resulting in ghosting during those same scenes which IMO is more distracting.

Is it available to watch anywhere at the proper frame rates?

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by SpazeBlue

Is it available to watch anywhere at the proper frame rates?

Even though the compression is awful, at least Media Blasters correctly left it in VFR 1080i. The Japanese release is also correct.

[keitaro]

I may buy Moribito Blu-rays.
Anyone know if Discotek's "Twelve Kingdoms" is better than Media Blasters version? Worth the upgrade?

[professorwho]

Identical quality on Twelve Kingdoms. Files are not the same, but compression results are identical.

[SpazeBlue]

Clannad: After Story
2017 Complete Collection

Here's the caps for the second season, also matched to the site review of the 2012 set (which once again were only taken from the first four episodes ). All pictures are taken using MPC-BE + madVR.












Subtitle Examples:


The sign subtitles are much bigger in the second season for some reason. Have to say I prefer the smaller ones used in the first, but it's not a big issue. Normal subtitles are still the same size.


Bitrates:
Episode 1:

[Show spoiler]

Average: 18367
Peak: 37898

Episode 5:

[Show spoiler]

Average: 18368
Peak: 35746

Episode 9:

[Show spoiler]

Average: 18373
Peak: 35983

Thanks to NLScavanger with the help setting up MPC!

[EricHG]

I really didn't know what thread to post it in, but since I found a few (old old) mentions of the poor video quality of it here (they're right), I thought I'd bring up another question I have for...

The Maiden Japan BluRay of Glass Mask (1984 version). I finally got around after years to watching this and... I noticed I am unable to toggle the subs on and off. This has never happened to me before (my player is a Panasonic and on the older side, but has never had any issues). Obviously the subs aren't hard encoded, since when I fast forward they don't show up. SInce there's no option on the menu for sub setting, I've only tried to turn them on or off while watching an episode and my player just says Not Available.

Anyone else have this problem or know what's up?

[AreaFive]

Would anyone happen to know the differences between the US Anchor Bay blu-ray releases of Stand Alone Complex and the UK Bandai release?

I'm particularly interested in whether or not the UK version shares any of the problematic issues that the US releases did (no chapter skip in episodes, wrong region dialogue appearing at times, etc).

[kevers7290]

Originally Posted by AreaFive

Would anyone happen to know the differences between the US Anchor Bay blu-ray releases of Stand Alone Complex and the UK Bandai release?

I'm particularly interested in whether or not the UK version shares any of the problematic issues that the US releases did (no chapter skip in episodes, wrong region dialogue appearing at times, etc).

Do you mean the Manga release in the UK? It's much better than the US release in terms of legibility. It has proper subtitles unlike the US release. I believe the first print of UK discs had an issue with chapter skips not timed properly but it was fixed in later printings IIRC. Really the only issue with the UK release is the lack of 1080i for the 30fps animation. If you want that, you need to get the JP/KR releases which are OOP and very expensive. The UK release is the best choice for affordability/availability.

[AreaFive]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

Do you mean the Manga release in the UK? It's much better than the US release in terms of legibility. It has proper subtitles unlike the US release. I believe the first print of UK discs had an issue with chapter skips not timed properly but it was fixed in later printings IIRC. Really the only issue with the UK release is that lack of 1080i for the 30fps animation. If you want that, you need to get the JP/KR releases which are OOP and very expensive. The UK release is the best choice for affordability/availability.

Yes, that's what I meant. I have no idea why I said Bandai instead of Manga UK

Thank you very much, that's exactly what I wanted to know.

[cooperb21]

How is quality of One Punch Man S2 Viz Blu ray? Does it have same changes as Jap disc and isn't tv ver?

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by EricHG

I really didn't know what thread to post it in, but since I found a few (old old) mentions of the poor video quality of it here (they're right), I thought I'd bring up another question I have for...

The Maiden Japan BluRay of Glass Mask (1984 version). I finally got around after years to watching this and... I noticed I am unable to toggle the subs on and off. This has never happened to me before (my player is a Panasonic and on the older side, but has never had any issues). Obviously the subs aren't hard encoded, since when I fast forward they don't show up. SInce there's no option on the menu for sub setting, I've only tried to turn them on or off while watching an episode and my player just says Not Available.

Anyone else have this problem or know what's up?

Locked subtitles are a common thing with anime. It's to dissuade Japanese people from importing cheaper foreign copies.

[Mangaranga]

Originally Posted by cooperb21

How is quality of One Punch Man S2 Viz Blu ray? Does it have same changes as Jap disc and isn't tv ver?

I had a very brief look at one of the episodes previously and the answer is that it's pretty naff. JP BD was filtered whereas the Viz BD is encoded as is and also seems to have other issues. It was also encoded in the incorrect colour space. Personally I haven't seen second season yet, and will likely be picking up the Dynit BD release which won't have any of these issues. (Obviously being an Italian release it won't have Eng subs or the dub, but I rip my discs anyway.)

[EricHG]

Originally Posted by NLScavenger

Locked subtitles are a common thing with anime. It's to dissuade Japanese people from importing cheaper foreign copies.

Thanks! Which makes perfect sense, although I guess in the past I've been spoiled (though normally that's been in cases where you have the option to watch dub or sub, so of course they'd give you the option to toggle the subs and I do remember reading sometimes those are still locked.)

Appreciated!

[kevers7290]

Does anyone out there have the German release of the "Slayers" Movie/OVA box? Just looking for general feedback in regards to its quality. I've heard very good things about the Japanese release but it is prohibitively expensive.

[AreaFive]

Are they any quality differences between Sentai's original blu-ray release of Grave of the Fireflies and the later steelbook release?

Also, the same for Funimation's original blu-ray of Cowboy Bebop and the later steelbook release?

[kevers7290]

Originally Posted by AreaFive

Are they any quality differences between Sentai's original blu-ray release of Grave of the Fireflies and the later steelbook release?

Also, the same for Funimation's original blu-ray of Cowboy Bebop and the later steelbook release?

IDK about Grave of Fireflies, but Cowboy Bebop is the same discs for every Funi release.

[AreaFive]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

IDK about Grave of Fireflies, but Cowboy Bebop is the same discs for every Funi release.

I figured it would be unlikely for it but thought I'd ask. I am curious about Grave of the Fireflies though.

[BigOnAnime]

Grave of the Fireflies SteelBook has a brand new disc, the menu now has music, it goes straight to the English translated credits when the movie ends as opposed to playing the JP credits untranslated and the English afterward, the subtitles are smaller, different English production credits with a "Supervising Translator" (so tweaking whatever problems the subs still may somehow have after so many prior DVD releases), the usual stuff Sentai does for most of their re-releases which goes against the norm of just re-using discs.

Oh, and here's a comparison of the menus using the site's review screenshots. If only they hadn't assumed the SteelBook was the old disc (there's numerous things showing otherwise).
Original: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...88&position=20
SteelBook: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...462&position=7

[AreaFive]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

Grave of the Fireflies SteelBook has a brand new disc, the menu now has music, it goes straight to the English translated credits when the movie ends as opposed to playing the JP credits untranslated and the English afterward, the subtitles are smaller, different English production credits with a "Supervising Translator" (so tweaking whatever problems the subs still may somehow have after so many prior DVD releases), the usual stuff Sentai does for most of their re-releases which goes against the norm of just re-using discs.

Oh, and here's a comparison of the menus using the site's review screenshots. If only they hadn't assumed the SteelBook was the old disc (there's numerous things showing otherwise).
Original: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...88&position=20
SteelBook: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...462&position=7

Very informative. Thank you you very much.

[TThomas]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

Does anyone out there have the German release of the "Slayers" Movie/OVA box? Just looking for general feedback in regards to its quality. I've heard very good things about the Japanese release but it is prohibitively expensive.

3 discs, Digipack in flimsy box, assuming the same new masters as the japanese release (but different encode), no visual edits and nothing burned in
Movies include Jap DTS-HD MA 5.1, OVAs PCM 2.0
Movies 3, 4 and 5 are presented in widescreen, Movies 1, 2 and OVAs pillarboxed

Sample screens from Book of Spells OVA:
https://www.anisearch.de/images/news...-naga-1FVP.png
https://www.anisearch.de/images/news...cheln-XFYT.png
https://www.anisearch.de/images/news...ywing-C654.png
https://www.anisearch.de/images/news...andit-HE3F.png
Screens taken from https://www.anisearch.de/news/review...-von-nipponart

Just to note:
I guess that Movie 5 was partly done digitally, showing artifacts around characters - but these are also present on the japanese Blu-rays.