The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[Dino-Killer 912]

Originally Posted by Naiera

As I've mentioned before, Toradora is one of the worst upscales I've seen. It makes me physically uncomfortable, so I haven't seen it on Blu-ray.

How about the NISA release of Toradora? The screenshots in Blu-ray.com review seem fine. Is MVM release's video worse? It's much cheaper at price.

Originally Posted by Naiera

Does anyone know if the FUNi or Anime Ltd. Space Dandy release was the least bad?

It's way too expensive and bothersome buying even the Korean releases, like I did with the first season. The show isn't that good, so I need to know which western release is the "best".

Have you bought Space Dandy? I am in hesitation. I don't like English localized credits in the US release, but I heard the UK release has forced subtitles that the US release doesn't.

[Naiera]

The NISA and MVM releases of Toradora are identical. The files on the MVM releases are actually slightly bigger, but that doesn't have anything to do with the video quality. I had a friend send me an MKV of an episode from the US release, and it was the same video quality. It's better than watching the DVDs though, so do get the MVM release.

I never got around to buying season two of Space Dandy, I'm afraid.

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by Ccharmanderk

It's honestly almost good enough to pass for an early HD series.

Except for the softness, yes.

[Dino-Killer 912]

Originally Posted by Ccharmanderk

That first screencap is pretty alarming, though. Anime Limited version has a very pronounced quilting effect in Dandy's hair.

The link is expired, I can't see screenshots. Can you tell me whether the US release or the UK release has better video? Or they are actually close?

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by Dino-Killer 912

The link is expired, I can't see screenshots. Can you tell me whether the US release or the UK release has better video? Or they are actually close?

The US has better video, I believe. There was a screenshot comparison, but I can't seem to find it.

But they're almost identical, just the US copy has fewer issues, if I remember correctly.

[NLScavenger]

Were there any issues with the NISA Love Live! Blu-rays? I recall reading about some color matrix conversion issues, but can't find the posts anymore.

Originally Posted by professorwho

The US has better video, I believe. There was a screenshot comparison, but I can't seem to find it.

But they're almost identical, just the US copy has fewer issues, if I remember correctly.

Yeah. They look very similar, but the UK Blu-ray exhibits slightly more banding and sometimes a quilting effect in dark colors that I personally didn't notice in motion. Just took this screenshot from the UK Blu-ray to show the quilting effect in Dandy's hair: https://i.imgur.com/modQzuh.png

[pikagreg]

I remember the NISA love live sets having a slightly different color red or something.

[Dino-Killer 912]

Originally Posted by Dino-Killer 912

Does anyone have Hanasaku Iroha NISA release standard editions? I wonder the English subtitles are optional or deadly locked?

Now I'm pretty sure that Premium Editions of this franchise have free subtitles. But I worry if NISA updated subtitle lock in discs of Standard Editions.

[Dino-Killer 912]

Ah... Please allow me to say something irrelevant: I cost much time to read this thread today and yesterday. You guys really discussed a large bunch of titles! I checked many things I want to know. If I had been rich enough, I would buy Japanese release for every anime title. Surely I am not, I am just a poor Chinese student, so I have to find out which region's release has good price but also acceptable quality. You people help me a lot, thanks!

[SeaFox]

Originally Posted by Dino-Killer 912

How about the NISA release of Toradora? The screenshots in Blu-ray.com review seem fine. Is MVM release's video worse? It's much cheaper at price.

I just finished a rewatch Toradora last week from the NISA release. The upscale is only marginally better than the DVD (I actually put DVD disc 1 in by accident when I started it ). I guess the main difference is the subtitles are much smaller.

Originally Posted by Dino-Killer 912

Now I'm pretty sure that Premium Editions of this franchise have free subtitles. But I worry if NISA updated subtitle lock in discs of Standard Editions.

I put in Disc 3 here just now, and while the setup menu does not list that option, once I was in playback I was able to turn off the subtitles while on Japanese audio. I have the Standard Edition.

[Dino-Killer 912]

Originally Posted by SeaFox

I put in Disc 3 here just now, and while the setup menu does not list that option, once I was in playback I was able to turn off the subtitles while on Japanese audio. I have the Standard Edition.

Uh, I asked about Standard Editions of Hanasaku Iroha (it has only 2 discs in each set), not Toradora!. Sorry for inquiring again: You sure that Hanasuka Iroha can turn off subtitles via remote?

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by pikagreg

I remember the NISA love live sets having a slightly different color red or something.

Thanks. I asked this because I ordered Australian S1/S2/Movie sets from the Madman sale. They've apparently ported over the NISA discs.

Guess I will have to watch it on PC to get the correct colors.

[pikagreg]

Originally Posted by NLScavenger

Thanks. I asked this because I ordered Australian S1/S2/Movie sets from the Madman sale. They've apparently ported over the NISA discs.

Guess I will have to watch it on PC to get the correct colors.

I remember Justin posted here about it awhile back on this thread. I forget what the reasoning was but I know not having the JP master to compare with adds to things.

[Dino-Killer 912]

I can manage to get LoveLive! JP release screenshots if someone of you need.

[SeaFox]

Originally Posted by Dino-Killer 912

Uh, I asked about Standard Editions of Hanasaku Iroha (it has only 2 discs in each set), not Toradora!. Sorry for inquiring again: You sure that Hanasuka Iroha can turn off subtitles via remote?

I dunno. I don't have Hanasuka Iroha. I'm just bringing it up as evidence that just because you get a NISA Standard Edition does not mean your subtitle options will necessarily be locked.

[Nostalgic Twilight]

Not BD, but I decided to create a comparison between CPM's DVD release of Chronicles of the Heroic Knight and Funi's recent release for those interested. The image is brighter on Funimation's, though I'm not certain which is more accurate to the source. Also, much more detail can be seen on the Funimation version and the compression is loads better. In fact, the compression on the CPM version actually made me wretch while creating the screenshots because it looks so terrible, lol. I'm sorry to say that the first three shots from the OP aren't of the exact frame, but they are very close.

Shot 1
Shot 2
Shot 3
Shot 4

[professorwho]

The difference is massive.
Like, the FUNimation version isn't amazing, but it's better in every way over the CPM release. Even if the brightness was boosted, the quality of the print and encoding is far superior. Now I feel like buying the Lodoss War set having seen the gorgeous transfer on the Blu-ray, and this improved one of the series.

[Ccharmanderk]

Brightness definitely does look boosted on Funimation's release, almost washing out some of the colors. But the CPM version seems to suffer from the opposite problem of black crush; the character's ear in the second comparison has detail almost completely masked in the CPM release, notably. A brightness level somewhere between the two releases would probably be ideal.

That aside, there's no doubt the Funimation release is superior. CPM release suffers some really ugly compression artifacts, with the fourth shot showing outright degradation in line quality.

[E_I]

Any screens/thoughts on Funimation's release of My-Hime/My-Otome/My-OVAs? Amazon's shipping my copies today.

[NLScavenger]

So stevenweng09 took a look at the Hong Kong Your Name 4K UHD with the DeUHD decrypting software (doesn't support the JP disc yet). The picture quality is not very good. It's as if Neofilms have done their own upscale.

HK 4K UHD


vs

BD upscaled with madVR (nguAA)



The JP and HK UHDs also don't share the same HDR metadata. The colorist of the 4K upscale mentioned in an interview that the peak nit level is 777, but the Hong Kong UHD exceeds that by quite a bit.


JP 4KUHD-BD：
Mastering display color primar : R: x=0.708000 y=0.292000, G: x=0.170000 y=0.797000, B: x=0.131000 y=0.046000, White point: x=0.312700 y=0.329000
Mastering display luminance : min: 0.0050 cd/m2, max: 1000.0000 cd/m2
Maximum Content Light Level : 777 cd/m2
Maximum Frame-Average Light Le : 370 cd/m2

HK 4KUHD-BD：
Mastering display color primar : R: x=0.708000 y=0.292000, G: x=0.170000 y=0.797000, B: x=0.131000 y=0.046000, White point: x=0.312700 y=0.329000
Mastering display luminance : min: 0.0000 cd/m2, max: 10000.0000 cd/m2
Maximum Content Light Level : 4996 cd/m2
Maximum Frame-Average Light Le : 297 cd/m2


Here's also the BDinfo that was posted somewhere:

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     YOUR NAME
Disc Size:      62,685,259,284 bytes
Protection:     AACS2
BD-Java:        No
Extras:         Ultra HD
BDInfo:         0.5.8.7 (compatible layout created by DVDFab 10.0.7.4)

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00001.MPLS  
Length:                 1:46:37.641 (h:m:s.ms)
Size:                   60,644,493,312 bytes
Total Bitrate:          75.83 Mbps

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description    
-----                   -------             -----------    
MPEG-H HEVC Video       60937 kbps          2160p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / Main 10 Profile 5.1 High / 4:2:0 / 10 bits / HDR / BT.2020 /

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description    
-----                           --------        -------         -----------    
DTS-HD Master Audio             Japanese        3593 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 3593 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio             Chinese         3673 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 3673 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio             Japanese        3600 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 3600 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description    
-----                           --------        -------         -----------    
Presentation Graphics           Chinese         32.137 kbps                    
Presentation Graphics           English         35.51 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           English         37.701 kbps