The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[Naiera]

A lot of people have jobs they’re simply not qualified for. That’s true in all industries. FUNi just doesn’t give a shit either, and they have no quality control whatsoever.

[professorwho]

AL Responds to more fan criticism of Re:Zero on Blu-ray:

Context:

Can't say I agree with the idea that me not buying a bad release damages the brand, certainly not more so than the companies knowingly pushing out the defective blu-rays in the first place does, I mean they're the reason I (and at least 2 other people I know irl) aren't buying it. But hey ho, people are buying it anyway so who cares I guess, it'll still likely sell out so why bother fixing it as people don't seem to care so would be a waste of time and money.

The Response:

Again I'd stress that under our current definitions - the discs are not defective, but definitely disappointing. Ultimately we're between a rock and a hard place right now on it. We are investigating all options but I refuse to initiate anything until I have proper visibility on the global situation & solutions first.

For example - it's completely plausible that no solution is available in which case you're punishing both RE:ZERO and us for something we can't change (I hope that's the case, but it's always on the list of outcomes). Alternatively it's also completely plausible there is a solution where we could pause the release and update it at our own cost despite it not being our fault or us having had any reason to doubt the master until now. We simply won't know at this stage until we finish investigating.

At this stage, it's always a delicate balancing act of business and personal opinion. While your outlook is an ideal view from a fan point of view (which I share) sadly we have to balance being fans and the business side of things. I wouldn't mistake it for we're not looking at what to do though or that we don't care.

You know that we do everything we can to ensure the best experience for the fans, including where necessary risking our own income to do it. So hang with us on this one, we're on the case - but I can't really say more until we've finished digging.

Best,

Andrew

Man, it's nice to have humans in charge of a company.

[NLScavenger]

[UK/FR] Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin I - IV

Screenshots

Video bitrates

Origin I

AVG = 25005 kbps
MAX= 38753 kbps

Origin II

AVG = 25047 kbps
MAX = 50166 kbps

Origin III

AVG = 24960 kbps
MAX = 51180 kbps



Origin IV

AVG = 25024 kbps
MAX = 49614 kbps

Audio
Japanese: DTS-HD MA 5.1, 24 bit*, locked subtitles
Japanese: PCM 2.0, 24 bit**, locked subtitles
English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, 24 bit
English: PCM 2.0, 24 bit

* Origin II = 16 bit
** Origin I = 16 bit

[professorwho]

My original look at Origin was back when I was newer to the site, and since then I've gotten better and more in-depth, so I'm gonna post the stats of Origin II- Artesia's Sorrow. I chose that one as it has the highest bitrate on the UK set, and is my favourite of the first 4.

In the US Nozomi/Sunrise release, each episode has its own BD-25 with gorgeous artwork, something missing in the UK set. This disc is 18.2 GB.

Here's the stats:

Video:
MPEG-4 AVC Codec
28.0 mbps AVG
33.0 mbps MAX
16.3 GB

Audio:
Japanese LPCM 5.1 4608 kbps 16-Bit
Japanese LPCM 2.0 1536 kbps 16-Bit
English LPCM 5.1 4608 kbps 16-Bit
English LPCM 2.0 1536 kbps 16-Bit

Episode 2 USA vs UK:
Video- 28.0 (USA)/25.0
Audio- 16-Bit (USA)/24-Bit (UK)

And now a 3 sided comparison: USA (Nozomi/Sunrise) vs UK (Anime Limited) vs Italy (Dynit) in that order of Episode 1

Video:
28/25/31 mbps AVG

Audio (Japanese):
USA- LPCM 5.1 16-Bit
UK- DTS-HD MA 5.1 16-Bit (for episode 1 only)
Italy- DTS-HD MA 5.1 24-Bit 4073kbps

All in all, after comparing the UK screenshots to the USA set I have, they're about the same. Slightly higher bitrate in the Nozomi release, and while the audio is 16-Bit, it sounds great to me (I'm not an audiophile, so I wouldn't be able to distinguish 16 from 24-Bit, anyways...). Either one is great and worth your money.

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by professorwho

My original look at Origin was back when I was newer to the site, and since then I've gotten better and more in-depth, so I'm gonna post the stats of Origin II- Artesia's Sorrow. I chose that one as it has the highest bitrate on the UK set, and is my favourite of the first 4.

In the US Nozomi/Sunrise release, each episode has its own BD-25 with gorgeous artwork, something missing in the UK set. This disc is 18.2 GB.

Here's the stats:

Video:
MPEG-4 AVC Codec
28.0 mbps AVG
33.0 mbps MAX
16.3 GB

Audio:
Japanese LPCM 5.1 4608 kbps 16-Bit
Japanese LPCM 2.0 1536 kbps 16-Bit
English LPCM 5.1 4608 kbps 16-Bit
English LPCM 2.0 1536 kbps 16-Bit

Episode 2 USA vs UK:
Video- 28.0 (USA)/25.0
Audio- 16-Bit (USA)/24-Bit (UK)

And now a 3 sided comparison: USA (Nozomi/Sunrise) vs UK (Anime Limited) vs Italy (Dynit) in that order of Episode 1

Video:
28/25/31 mbps AVG

Audio (Japanese):
USA- LPCM 5.1 16-Bit
UK- DTS-HD MA 5.1 16-Bit (for episode 1 only)
Italy- DTS-HD MA 5.1 24-Bit 4073kbps

All in all, after comparing the UK screenshots to the USA set I have, they're about the same. Slightly higher bitrate in the Nozomi release, and while the audio is 16-Bit, it sounds great to me (I'm not an audiophile, so I wouldn't be able to distinguish 16 from 24-Bit, anyways...). Either one is great and worth your money.

The JP DTS-HD MA 5.1 track on the UK set is only 16 bit for episode 2. The JP PCM 2.0 track is 16 bit for episode 1.

Here are full audio stats:

Origin I

DTS-HD Master Audio             English         2569 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 2569 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio                      English         2304 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio             Japanese        4073 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 4073 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio                      Japanese        1536 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit

Origin II

DTS-HD Master Audio             English         4192 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 4192 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio                      English         2304 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio             Japanese        2150 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 2150 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
LPCM Audio                      Japanese        2304 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit

Origin III

DTS-HD Master Audio             English         4117 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 4117 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio                      English         2304 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio             English         4266 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 4266 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio                      English         2304 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit

Origin IV

DTS-HD Master Audio             English         4214 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 4214 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio                      English         2304 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio             English         4226 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 4226 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio                      English         2304 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit

[professorwho]

Revolutionary Girl Utena Disc 1
(Episodes 1 to 4)

Disc size: 28.6GB

Episode 1:
6.5GB

Video:
1080p MPEG-4 AVC (the 4:3 image is burnt into a 16:9 encode, so you can't crop it like an idiot would)
32.0 mbps AVG
37.0 mbps MAX
5.23GB

Audio:
Japanese LPCM Stereo 16-Bit; 1536 kbps
English LPCM Stereo 16-Bit; 1536 kbps
Japanese LPCM 5.1 16-Bit; 4608 kbps

[kevers7290]

Originally Posted by professorwho

the 4:3 image is burnt into a 16:9 encode, so you can't crop it like an idiot would

I lol'd

And thanks for the rundown. Still waiting for my shipping confirmation...

[SeaFox]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Video:
1080p MPEG-4 AVC (the 4:3 image is burnt into a 16:9 encode, so you can't crop it like an idiot would)

I think you meant "stretch it like an idiot would".
You should be able to crop it regardless of size, because cropping is the function of removing image to fit the desired aspect ratio.

You couldn't stretch it because the player would see the edge of the image as being the 16x9 frame and believe the image was already reaching the full surface of the display device.

[professorwho]

I compared a shot with all 3 versions as best as I could.
Here (sorry about the aspect ratio...)

Look at these shots instead of the comparison

R1 DVD (Nozomi remastered):


JP BD:


US BD:


(Look, I'm sorry I'm using VLC. I like it- it's easy and convenient, and to get used to another player and learn how to take screenshots would be time consuming and annoying)

Other than the colours, it looks identical to the JP BD. (The colours may be from VLC and not the actual disc, so that's that)

[professorwho]

And while I'm at it, here's Kyousougiga from Discotek.

PQ isn't terrible, but it isn't optimal. It's 1080i, as that was what Toei sent them. Being a series with intense colour grading and stunning cinematography, you want as little artifacting as possible. Even at a healthy bitrate of 25 mbps it still looks poor. I don't blame Discotek, they did the best they could.

Disc 1 is Episodes 1 to 5 of the TV series, and the complete ONA series (which is about 70 minutes or so in total); Disc 2 is Episodes 6 to 10 of the TV series, two "special" episodes, trailers, sponsor cards, and the creditless OP and ED. It's an even split in terms of runtime, so it's packed full of content, but sadly the source wasn't amazing.

Here are some screenshots for you to judge.

[kk1]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Revolutionary Girl Utena Disc 1
(Episodes 1 to 4)

Disc size: 28.6GB

Episode 1:
6.5GB

Video:
1080p MPEG-4 AVC (the 4:3 image is burnt into a 16:9 encode, so you can't crop it like an idiot would)

Doesn't that mean if you do play it on a 4:3 screen it won't fill it up? I do still have a HD 4:3 tube TV (got it before everything became flat screen).

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by kk1

Doesn't that mean if you do play it on a 4:3 screen it won't fill it up? I do still have a HD 4:3 tube TV (got it before everything became flat screen).

Yeah. It will be both letterboxed and pillarboxed on that kind of display.

[SeaFox]

Originally Posted by kk1

Doesn't that mean if you do play it on a 4:3 screen it won't fill it up? I do still have a HD 4:3 tube TV (got it before everything became flat screen).

You should be able to crop it (either through your blu-ray player or your TV's picture settings).

[krelian]

Does anybody know anything about Tenjo Tenge BD boxes?
either the old Jpn one from 2013 or the very recently released US one?
and how it compares to the old Japanese DVDs?

I'm just unable to find the SLIGHTLY bit of information on usual Jp blogs and websites
even Amazon JP doesn't have a single review
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0095BHZSK

I remember the first 3 Ikkitousen OVAs were very bad 1080i upscales full of jaggies
so I'm a bit skeptical and don't want to get burned again

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by professorwho

And while I'm at it, here's Kyousougiga from Discotek.

PQ isn't terrible, but it isn't optimal. It's 1080i, as that was what Toei sent them. Being a series with intense colour grading and stunning cinematography, you want as little artifacting as possible. Even at a healthy bitrate of 25 mbps it still looks poor. I don't blame Discotek, they did the best they could.

Disc 1 is Episodes 1 to 5 of the TV series, and the complete ONA series (which is about 70 minutes or so in total); Disc 2 is Episodes 6 to 10 of the TV series, two "special" episodes, trailers, sponsor cards, and the creditless OP and ED. It's an even split in terms of runtime, so it's packed full of content, but sadly the source wasn't amazing.

Here are some screenshots for you to judge.

Those VLC screenshots make the picture quality look worse than is actually the case.

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/114808

[pikagreg]

Do you have to disable the default "enhancements" with vlc or something or is it just the player?

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by NLScavenger

Those VLC screenshots make the picture quality look worse than is actually the case.

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/114808

I already said that VLC isn’t the best, but I don’t feel like getting MPC-HC and learning how to use it. While, yes, it does produce better results, it is a more time consuming process and I don’t feel the desire to learn a new media player in case I post more screenshots down the road.

[Robbl]

Originally Posted by professorwho

I already said that VLC isn’t the best, but I don’t feel like getting MPC-HC and learning how to use it. While, yes, it does produce better results, it is a more time consuming process and I don’t feel the desire to learn a new media player in case I post more screenshots down the road.

Use MPV. The best light weight player I've ever used provided you have a good config.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by Robbl

provided you have a good config.

See, that's the thing. Configuration. It's hard to find a good way to take high quality screenshots that's not complicated or without having to install and learn to use a new player.

[Robbl]

Originally Posted by professorwho

See, that's the thing. Configuration. It's hard to find a good way to take high quality screenshots that's not complicated or without having to install and learn to use a new player.

I can give you a link to my files that you'd just need to drop into the MPV folder and you press 's' for taking screenshots. The only thing you'd have to change is the screenshot output path and the path to the precompiled shaders.