Bandai Visual Japan Confirms Dual-Format Releases

[Rolo]

Thanks for the update RIO!

Dammit why so expensive?! meh I'm sure it'll be worth it though. I'm quite happy with Innocence.

Definitely planning to get Steamboy, Avalon, and Ghost in the Shell.

[Shin-Ra]

GitS, YES!

But such a long wait, and it's probably going to be longer for an English VO release.

[Chris Beveridge]

The prices are on par with most standard DVD releases. There are repricings every now and then but the prices are pretty much what you get for theatrical anime movies in Japan.

Rio - thanks for the info, I figured we'd start seeing more news due to the TAF today. A few folks I've heard from think that this basically indicates BVJ is conceding to a Blu-ray victory (which is obvious at home). The news that there's more BD titles later on with no corresponding HD DVDs is pushing that meme right now, particularly since Bandai Japan was so gung-ho about HD DVD early on and promoting their work with MS on encoding.

[Josh]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

Akira!!!!!!!!!!!!

TETSUO!!!!!!!!!!

This will be mine! $90 is not too much for Akira in HD.

[GoldenRedux]

Ghost in the Shell shall be mine.

[Frode]

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...322/bandai.htm

Bandai visual confirms dual format status for Japan, but also says that for the US they're going to focus mainly on HD-DVD. In addition to the titles listed earlier for Japan they confirmed an august release date for the US HD-DVD of Wings of Honnamise, and a price point of $79.99

[w241072]

Does anyone know whether there is any English subtitle in those BD's from Japan???

[Frode]

They haven't been properly solicited to retailers yet so details like subtitles aren't known. The HD-DVDs should have subtitles since they're the same discs that are going to be released in the US. Depending on how lazy BVJ is they could also include those subtitles for the BD releases of those same titles. They might also do it in preparation for a potential future US release of those same BDs.

The other titles are much less likely to get subtitles as BVJ in general haven't bothered with them for Japanese DVDs, even when they have access to subtitles and don't have to translate and time from scratch. All this is just speculation however and we'll have to wait and see.

[Frode]

Update:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...515/bandai.htm

According to that they'll ALL have english dubs with the exception of Steamboy. No mention of subtitles for now, but it's still possible they'll have them. Each disc will come with a trading card, booklet and a DVD made from the new print that was used for the HD discs so you can watch them on your regular DVD player if you don't have a hi-def one yet. Interestingly enough BV are not using the same encode for the HD-DVD and BDs, but have instead opted for using AVC for BD and VC1 for HD-DVD.

Avalon and Jin-roh have no details as of yet and are just listed for reference.

[blitz6speed]

Originally Posted by Frode

Update:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...515/bandai.htm

According to that they'll ALL have english dubs with the exception of Steamboy. No mention of subtitles for now, but it's still possible they'll have them. Each disc will come with a trading card, booklet and a DVD made from the new print that was used for the HD discs so you can watch them on your regular DVD player if you don't have a hi-def one yet. Interestingly enough BV are not using the same encode for the HD-DVD and BDs, but have instead opted for using AVC for BD and VC1 for HD-DVD.

Avalon and Jin-roh have no details as of yet and are just listed for reference.

Dude. Akira is going to be AVC + PCM? Where do i pass out?

[WriteSimply]

I don't read Japanese but it looks like Akira will only be available as the BD+DVD combo.

So there's The Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, Patlabor and Patlabor 2, Ghost In The Shell, Avalon and Steamboy for both formats. Impressive release schedule.


fuad

[56@Yamamoto]

Akira and all titles which directed by Mamoru Oshii to be avaiable only BRs.

As for audio track,

Akira･･･Japanease Dolby Digital discrete5.1ch, Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded), English Dolby Digital discrete5.1ch

Wing of Honneamise･･･Japanease Dolby TrueHD discrete5.1ch(24bit/48KHz encoded), Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded, theatrical soundtrack), English Dolby Digital discrete5.1ch

Patlabor the Movie･･･Japanease Dolby TrueHD discrete5.1ch(24bit/48KHz encoded), Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded, theatrical soundtrack), English Dolby Digital discrete5.1ch

Patlabor the Movie 2･･･Japanease Dolby TrueHD discrete5.1ch(24bit/48KHz encoded), Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded), English Dolby surround 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded)

GHOST IN THE SHELL･･･Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded), English Dolby surround 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded)

Steam Boy････Japanease PCM discrete5.1ch, Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded)

Avalon･･･technical specs has not been announced yet
Jin-Roh(wearwolf)･･･technical specs has not been announced yet

All 2ch PCM tracks supposed to be 16bit/48KHz(1.5Mbps). All Dolby Digital tracks supposed to be 640Kbps. 2ch Dolby surround tracks supposed to be 192 or 384Kbs. As for PCM5.1ch track on Steam Boy, I don't have no idea.

[Frode]

Confirmed English subs for the patlabor movies (all formats):

http://www.bandaivisual.co.jp/press/...ess070515.html

That also says that Wings of Honneamise will only have Japanese subtitles, which doesn't really make sense since it was speculated earlier that they were going to release the same HD-DVD disc in the US as in Japan. We'll just have to wait and see if they change it. No info on the other discs in that PR.

[Shin-Ra]

Originally Posted by 56@Yamamoto

Akira and all titles which directed by Mamoru Oshii to be avaiable only BRs.

GHOST IN THE SHELL･･･Japanese PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded), English Dolby surround 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded)

Still crazy-expensive (especially for a version I'd end up replacing) and probably region-A only. The wait must continue!

[groovyone]

Looks like I may have to start selling off part of my DVD anime collection. Akira and GitS will definitely find their way into my collection on BluRay.

[Ascended_Saiyan]

I wish I Akira and Ghost in the Shell were PCM5.1, but I'll take what I can get!

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by 56@Yamamoto

Akira and all titles which directed by Mamoru Oshii to be avaiable only BRs.

As for audio track,

Akira･･･Japanease Dolby Digital discrete5.1ch, Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded), English Dolby Digital discrete5.1ch
...
GHOST IN THE SHELL･･･Japanease PCM 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded), English Dolby surround 2ch(Dolby surround matrix 4.0ch encoded)

...
Avalon･･･technical specs has not been announced yet
Jin-Roh(wearwolf)･･･technical specs has not been announced yet

All 2ch PCM tracks supposed to be 16bit/48KHz(1.5Mbps). All Dolby Digital tracks supposed to be 640Kbps. 2ch Dolby surround tracks supposed to be 192 or 384Kbs. As for PCM5.1ch track on Steam Boy, I don't have no idea.

Somebody who can write in Japanese must send an e-mail to Bandai and let them know that Akira and GITS be released with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 at the very least!


fuad

[Frode]

GitS doesn't have an original 5.1 mix right now. Manga Entertainment used cheap DSP processing to upmix the 2ch track directly instead of going back to the multitrack masters for their re-release. Also if you look at the discs only the ones with HD-DVD are getting TrueHD audio so those are being reused for the BD.

[hyperdine]

Damn! This is great news. It's been one heck of a day for Blu-Ray!

[Blackraven]

Originally Posted by Frode

GitS doesn't have an original 5.1 mix right now. Manga Entertainment used cheap DSP processing to upmix the 2ch track directly instead of going back to the multitrack masters for their re-release. Also if you look at the discs only the ones with HD-DVD are getting TrueHD audio so those are being reused for the BD.

Good point

I think it's only using DD 2.0 for Japanese orignal release track (if I'm not mistaken) and 5.1 DD for English