The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[Naiera]

das nuts

[Mangaranga]

Unsurprisingly, given it's a Viz BD, the encode for Stone Ocean varies from okay, to macroblocky, to absolutely disastrous. Nowhere else is this more evident than in any scenes that are remotely high motion or complex - a prime example being the openings - where the encoder just absolutely shits the bed every single time without fail. You'd think with ~5x the bitrate of Netflix it'd easily mop the floor with it, but nope... It's even incredibly consistent with how bad it is from episode to episode.

Whilst nowhere near the level of disaster as say, To Your Eternity or Jujutsu Kaisen which had significant issues with incorrect gamma, banding, video artifacts and incredibly obvious bad encoding throughout the entire runtime, this one seems to at least be mostly(?) better than Netflix in static scenes due to the grain in the source, but even then you can see still see it macroblocking constantly which gives it a distracting noisy look. Hold right to see an example.

Annoyingly Stone Ocean falls into this unlucky limbo where there aren't really any good encodes of the show, and the JP BDs aren't publicly available either. Even if they were the audio and subs wouldn't sync as is since Viz left in the post OP/ED sponsor screens. I really wish Viz would take home video releasing seriously and start actually releasing products worth owning.

[BigOnAnime]

A certain Blu-ray.com reviewer when they review that release...

The encoding is also impressive. Blu-ray and physical media continues to offer fans the best possible viewing experience, with higher bit-rates compared to streaming platforms. Streaming video services don't offer equally impressive bit-rates and for videophiles seeking the absolute best presentation quality possible the extra data allows for some more room to showcase the animation

[Show spoiler]I copied this from Neil's Stone Ocean Part 1 review. Looks like he did put down "STREAMING" multiple times on his VIZ Media template before.

Truly incredible what we're seeing here. VIZ Media is definitely at the bottom of the barrel. Shame they stopped using MediaOCD almost a decade ago or so now.

[Kyle15]

Yeah, never touching Viz discs ever. Glad they're not releasing anything I'm interested in. JoJo would be fun but not like that.

[Amishpriest]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

A certain Blu-ray.com reviewer when they review that release...

[Show spoiler]I copied this from Neil's Stone Ocean Part 1 review. Looks like he did put down "STREAMING" multiple times on his VIZ Media template before.

I still don't get the relevance of mentioning streaming at all, besides trying to pad the word count with zero effort. Maybe I should start trying to pad my work emails out with streaming non sequiturs and see how that goes .

As for Viz, it certainly is a shame. These releases deserve better than being slapped on a disc with seemingly insufficient quality control and calling it a day.

[CrashOveride95]

Berserk (1997)

Comparison of Media Blasters' "Remastered" DVD with most of the BDs, including the JPBD and Discotek's: https://slow.pics/c/09ZmSu2x

[SpaceDandy]

Notes:
- Yamato Video upscaled a creditless version of the opening to do their usual telops hardsubbing. They evidently did not get one from the licensor.
- IT authoring: Pianeta Zero
- FR authoring: IDP Home Video
- US BD is surprisingly good in most scenes, but suffers in dark ones like 19/64. Considering it holds on 2 BD50, it is impressive... but conversely Berserk deserved a better treatment.
- Yamato did some scene-by-scene filtering? Ringing is mostly gone on 28/64.
- There's another FR set from 2012 with a different authoring. The one showcased here is the OOP Saphir Edition.

[Gowho]

Originally Posted by SpaceDandy

Notes:
- IT authoring: Pianeta Zero
- FR authoring: IDP Home Video
- There's another FR set from 2012 with a different authoring. The one showcased here is the OOP Saphir Edition.

- UK authoring: Madman

[SpaceDandy]

Presumably Anohana UHD BD is cooked, if those mpv shots are to be trusted.

https://i.ibb.co/WD1pZ94/mpv-shot0003.png
https://i.ibb.co/vdrJbQZ/mpv-shot0197.png
https://i.ibb.co/wsXVpvs/mpv-shot0004.png
https://i.ibb.co/4PNLbPR/mpv-shot0005.png

[AreaFive]

Has anyone had a chance to view the Japanese 4K of Anthem of the Heart yet and, if so, any thoughts on the quality? It's a beautiful film and I'd like to pick it up if it's a good release.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by AreaFive

Has anyone had a chance to view the Japanese 4K of Anthem of the Heart yet and, if so, any thoughts on the quality? It's a beautiful film and I'd like to pick it up if it's a good release.

On the topic of the film itself (which is outstanding and a must watch), the UK Blu-ray is the best 1080p release because the encode on the Aniplex release has some bizarre macroblocking and banding on vertical panning shots specifically which are absent on MediaOCD's encode.

[Ajc228]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

A certain Blu-ray.com reviewer when they review that release...

[Show spoiler]I copied this from Neil's Stone Ocean Part 1 review. Looks like he did put down "STREAMING" multiple times on his VIZ Media template before.

Truly incredible what we're seeing here. VIZ Media is definitely at the bottom of the barrel. Shame they stopped using MediaOCD almost a decade ago or so now.

What titles did MediaOCD do for Viz? I tried looking through their work and only saw Accel World as uncredited by Justin Sevakis.

[BoopityBoop]

Originally Posted by Ajc228

What titles did MediaOCD do for Viz? I tried looking through their work and only saw Accel World as uncredited by Justin Sevakis.

They also authored Blood Lad and Coppelion.

[AreaFive]

Originally Posted by professorwho

On the topic of the film itself (which is outstanding and a must watch), the UK Blu-ray is the best 1080p release because the encode on the Aniplex release has some bizarre macroblocking and banding on vertical panning shots specifically which are absent on MediaOCD's encode.

Thank you, that’s just the kind of information I was looking for. In that case, I’ll stick with my Anime Limited blu-ray.

[BigOnAnime]

Originally Posted by Mangaranga

Unsurprisingly, given it's a Viz BD, the encode for Stone Ocean varies from okay, to macroblocky, to absolutely disastrous. Nowhere else is this more evident than in any scenes that are remotely high motion or complex - a prime example being the openings - where the encoder just absolutely shits the bed every single time without fail. You'd think with ~5x the bitrate of Netflix it'd easily mop the floor with it, but nope... It's even incredibly consistent with how bad it is from episode to episode.

Whilst nowhere near the level of disaster as say, To Your Eternity or Jujutsu Kaisen which had significant issues with incorrect gamma, banding, video artifacts and incredibly obvious bad encoding throughout the entire runtime, this one seems to at least be mostly(?) better than Netflix in static scenes due to the grain in the source, but even then you can see still see it macroblocking constantly which gives it a distracting noisy look. Hold right to see an example.

Annoyingly Stone Ocean falls into this unlucky limbo where there aren't really any good encodes of the show, and the JP BDs aren't publicly available either. Even if they were the audio and subs wouldn't sync as is since Viz left in the post OP/ED sponsor screens. I really wish Viz would take home video releasing seriously and start actually releasing products worth owning.

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

A certain Blu-ray.com reviewer when they review that release...

[Show spoiler]I copied this from Neil's Stone Ocean Part 1 review. Looks like he did put down "STREAMING" multiple times on his VIZ Media template before.

Truly incredible what we're seeing here. VIZ Media is definitely at the bottom of the barrel. Shame they stopped using MediaOCD almost a decade ago or so now.

LOL...

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Set 9 - Stone Ocean Part 2 Blu-ray, Video Quality 4.5/5

Released on Blu-ray by VIZ Media, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean Part 2 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation is impressive and provides crisp animation. The presentation is beautiful looking overall and provides an encoding with wonderful detail. The outstanding animation "pops" with the colors standing out nicely.

The encoding is well-done, too. The encoding provides solid video bit-rates. The encoding quality may even be superior to streaming video services. Streaming services do not always provide identical-quality video presentations and for those interested in the best possible quality obtainable, there can be a distinct advantage with the physical media options.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/JoJos...364872/#Review

[SpazeBlue]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

LOL...https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/JoJos...364872/#Review

[SpaceDandy]

The SAO Progressive releases by All the Anime / Com'On Screen are missing the Atmos tracks. Competent distributors like Dynit and Peppermint could include them in their releases. AL chose to be cheap-asses once more with their authoring.
Furthermore, they did a Kazé: movies are encoded to fit on a BD25 but presented on a BD50. Customer is paying regardless

[Total Procall]

Originally Posted by SpaceDandy

Notes:
- US BD is surprisingly good in most scenes, but suffers in dark ones like 19/64. Considering it holds on 2 BD50, it is impressive... but conversely Berserk deserved a better treatment.

Would you mind specifically stating what is different in screen cap 19? I keep A>B and i cannot for the life of me find a difference?

[BONKERS]

Originally Posted by Mangaranga

Unsurprisingly, given it's a Viz BD, the encode for Stone Ocean varies from okay, to macroblocky, to absolutely disastrous. Nowhere else is this more evident than in any scenes that are remotely high motion or complex - a prime example being the openings - where the encoder just absolutely shits the bed every single time without fail. You'd think with ~5x the bitrate of Netflix it'd easily mop the floor with it, but nope... It's even incredibly consistent with how bad it is from episode to episode.

Whilst nowhere near the level of disaster as say, To Your Eternity or Jujutsu Kaisen which had significant issues with incorrect gamma, banding, video artifacts and incredibly obvious bad encoding throughout the entire runtime, this one seems to at least be mostly(?) better than Netflix in static scenes due to the grain in the source, but even then you can see still see it macroblocking constantly which gives it a distracting noisy look. Hold right to see an example.

Annoyingly Stone Ocean falls into this unlucky limbo where there aren't really any good encodes of the show, and the JP BDs aren't publicly available either. Even if they were the audio and subs wouldn't sync as is since Viz left in the post OP/ED sponsor screens. I really wish Viz would take home video releasing seriously and start actually releasing products worth owning.

Late reply to this but good lord. Why is Viz so damn terrible at this? You can get better results than this by making a 2nd gen copy of a good blu ray release with lower file size using a crappy Handbrake preset and NVENC (Which is notably lower quality and has more bloated filesizes than CPU x264/5).

I noticed this as much when I finally started watching Castlevania S1-4 when Nocturne came out on Netflix. I was shocked by the quality of the encode and the amount of banding present that I actually engaged my TV's debanding option. And when I loaded up Nocturne on Netflix I was even more flabbergasted at how much better it looked than all 4 of Viz's Blu Ray releases with such a low bit rate encode. (I never watched the other 4 seasons on Netflix. I waited years until they were all out and I could buy it physically. Forgetting that Viz is the absolute worst at encoding)

[BigOnAnime]

Speaking of Castlevania: Nocturne...

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season One Blu-ray, Video Quality 4/5

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season One continues the franchise with a new installment aimed at fans of the original. The series finds new ground as it explores the horror of the French Revolution. The series has impressively gothic animation and fans of the original will appreciate the continuation. The Blu-ray provides a nice selection of storyboards, animatics, and art galleries – some behind-the-scenes for dedicated fans. Fans of the series may wish to consider a purchase.

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season One Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation 3/5

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season One continues the franchise with a new installment aimed at fans of the original. The series finds new ground as it explores the horror of the French Revolution. The series has impressively gothic animation and fans of the original will appreciate the continuation.

The Blu-ray provides a nice selection of storyboards, animatics, and art galleries – some behind-the-scenes for dedicated fans. The first print run of the release also comes with an o-card slipcover. Slipcover fans might wish to opt for purchasing it during the first pressing to ensure the slipcover for the release. Fans of the series may wish to consider a purchase.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Castl...366469/#Review

No mention of STREAMING beyond the opening mentioning where it premiered, but the reviews on this site from Neil Lumbard continue to remain not really worth reading as he abandoned the kind of writing he did for DVDTalk.