Robotech coming from Funimation

[LexInHD]

Originally Posted by Spoony Bard

Are the new sound effects really that terrible? Is it at the level of End of Evangelion's added Slime'd! ("Nickelodeon" style) stock effects? I've never watched Robotech so I'd prefer it to be the best version for my first viewing.

Terrible is a matter of opinion, but should one hold that opinion, I would not disagree with it, because it is perfectly valid to hold it, if you understand where I'm going with this. I'm intimately familiar with Robotech, having watched it on VHS, later DVD, and knowing the sound well enough to recall what it's like. The new SFX are considered to be loud, over-the-top, and bombastic by some people and I can't disagree with that, since I have the original work as a frame of reference. Back when Robotech Remastered was done, HTIB (Home Theater In a Box) was becoming the norm for many people, as the transition to DVD had brought that about, so HG decided to revamp Robotech to make some quick cash and the effects were replaced to make it feel more cinematic, like you were watching it in a movie theater, but in your home. Because the visuals for Robotech are quite lo-fi, the change to hi-fi audio was jarring, especially since the audio levels and replaced effects were done at "**** YOU EARDRUMS!" for things like ship fly-bys and explosions. There are some parts where my sub-woofer sends me a text message, telling me to buy it flowers before making it do what it just did. Though the mix was done at a professional facility (Intersound, where Robotech was done back in the day), the people who did the mix were not professionals in the sense that they were names you'd recognize from doing other mixes. Back then, if you wanted to do a 5.1 mix for Anime, there was a short list of people you'd go to and Les Claypool III (Not the guy from Primus) would have been the best choice, having done the Akira 5.1 restoration mix for Pioneer. Anyway, HG did the mix in-house and it just wasn't right in the end.

[Member-571539]

https://youtu.be/yRCk2IvlThE

(skip to 16:23)

Harmony Gold vaults…

"Now here we are actually going to the oldest materials related to Robotech. Inside these cases are the original film reels for Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada. Now if we look inside here, you will see that it contains the original 16mm film reels that were sent to us from Tatsunoko in Japan for assembly and production of the Robotech TV series. Now these haven't been touched in years but we would be going back to these for a new HD transfer for the production of the Robotech Blu-rays that would be coming out soon from our friends at Funimation."

[GeoffOliver]

Sounds like the materials are Robotech’s equivalent of FUNi’s DBZ film reels. They’re doing new transfers from dupe materials they got sent from Japan. Hopefully they’re better quality than the latter, and it’s a shame they aren’t using the HD Macross transfer from Japan as their basis.

AnimEigo’s remaster looked nice though, and HG used it for their original Robotech remaster.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

Sounds like the materials are Robotech’s equivalent of FUNi’s DBZ film reels. They’re doing new transfers from dupe materials they got sent from Japan. Hopefully they’re better quality than the latter, and it’s a shame they aren’t using the HD Macross transfer from Japan as their basis.

They are, and they look good (new scan), and while the JP Macross restoration is very nice, even it could be better (35mm IPs were used instead of 16mm OCN).

[Damned]

Inside these cases are the original film reels for Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada. Now these haven't been touched in years but we would be going back to these for a new HD transfer for the production of the Robotech Blu-rays that would be coming out soon from our friends at Funimation.

Really, really excited about this, as this might mean Blu-rays for the JP series is on the horizon and would be the first HD version of Southern Cross available anywhere. Just pretty pretty pretty please include the ADV and especially the Harmony Gold Dub (With the proper opening and ending songs, unlike the ADV set) for the Macross BD. I really hope any US releases of the Macross franchise / Robotech adopted anime series would include all the JP BD extras, but I doubt it.

Originally Posted by LexInHD

The A&E DVD set was a re-release of the 2004 Robotech Remastered versions released by ADV.

I think the A&E set includes additional extras, but I'm not 100% sure.

[LexInHD]

If I recall correctly, the ADV set has the full cut of Sentinels and the A&E does not, though the A&E brings a pile of extras to the table. The A&E Robotech: The Complete Set, which is the second of the two A&E releases, also comes with Shadow Chronicles and Love, Live, Alive.

[GeoffOliver]

The A&E set had some exclusive extras, including the entire Harmony Gold Macross pilot tape with their more faithful test dub of episodes 1-3. The ADV set only had episode 1, though episode 1 is also included a second time on its own in the A&E set for some reason. It does have the remastered Sentinals, including the text epilogue. It also has an abridged cut of Robotech: The Movie without the Megazone 23 footage (making it more of a historical curiosity since this version is incomprehensible on its own).

The Lionsgate reissue has even more exclusive extras like the Japanese version of Mospeada: Love, Live, Alive and some vintage BTS docs.

[Damned]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

The A&E set had some exclusive extras, including the entire Harmony Gold Macross pilot tape with their more faithful test dub of episodes 1-3.

Wait, what!? I had no idea it had the complete Harmony Gold dub! Does it use the Harmony Gold opening and ending theme?

The Lionsgate reissue has even more exclusive extras like the Japanese version of Mospeada: Love, Live, Alive and some vintage BTS docs.

Which release is that?

[LexInHD]

Originally Posted by Damned

Which release is that?

The second A&E release came through Lionsgate and was only briefly available and had 20 discs. It appeared out of nowhere and I got it at Walmart, of all places. The release happened because Lionsgate got the distribution for A&E titles and HG had just finished their Love, Live, Alive OVA, so they decided it was a good idea to put out a complete Robotech series package as well as a two-disc Shadow Chronicles/Love, Live, Alive release, as Robotech fits the Lionsgate demographic well.

https://www.amazon.com/Robotech-Comp.../dp/B00ERH1718

[GeoffOliver]

Yeah, most of the discs were repackaged from the original Cinedigm release, but it added three new discs. My copy comes in two cases held together by a giant slip cover. I got it for only $30.

Originally Posted by Damned

Wait, what!? I had no idea it had the complete Harmony Gold dub! Does it use the Harmony Gold opening and ending theme?

Yes. It has the entire tape. Unfortunately, it’s all still in VHS quality.

[Aztek]

Hi!

Question, anyone know if Funimation makes the charge to the credit card in the moment you preorder the item or until the ship it?

Thank you.

[starsteam]

Originally Posted by Aztek

Hi!

Question, anyone know if Funimation makes the charge to the credit card in the moment you preorder the item or until the ship it?

Thank you.

They did a authorization charge for the full amount when I ordered the LE set, which went away a few days later. I assume they will charge again when the set is ready for shipment.

[Aztek]

Hi!

Originally Posted by starsteam

They did a authorization charge for the full amount when I ordered the LE set, which went away a few days later. I assume they will charge again when the set is ready for shipment.

Thank you very much for the info!

I just placed my preorder, cant wait to enjoy the series in HD!

[Damned]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

Yes. It has the entire tape. Unfortunately, it’s all still in VHS quality.

Totally fine with that, as I can just demux the audio and sync it with the Blu-ray if it ever comes out. Just gotta hope now that it would also include the ADV dub and commentary tracks.

[starsteam]

Did a extras comparison between the Funimation LE set, the A&E complete collection DVD, and the ADV Protoculture Collection set.

Bolded titles are not included in Funimation's LE set, and italic titles were not included in the A&E set.

- Codename Robotech (compliation movie) with commentary

- Macross Pilot Episode (extended version included on A&E and Funimation)

- Macross Saga and Masters Animation sheets

- Macross and Masters comic book gallery

- International clips

- Galaxy of the Stars

- Toy Commercials

- Character bios

- Point Of View (Interview with Carl Macek 1986)

- Toy presentation

- Toy line promotional reel (may be included in Funimation's promotional reels section)

- Merchandise gallery

- Genesis Climber Mospeada unaired pilot

- Deleted Scenes on all episodes

- Pre-Production art

- New Generation model sheets, comic covers and International Clips

- Carl Macek's Robotech

- A 3 minute Series overview.

- Alternate episodes and scenes (with commentary)

- Macross extended pilot

- Robotech: The Sentinels (with commentary)

- Sentinels Pre-Production (Character & Mecha Art Gallery)

- Sentinels (TV Series Promo)

- Robotech: The Original Movie (selected clips)

- Robotech: The Movie Trailer, Music Video, Storybord Animatic

- Opening and closing themes for the various TV series' and films

- 12 music videos

- Robotech Video Games

- Robotech Promotional Reels

- 2005 China Launch Party

- Robotech: The Inside Story

- The Making of Love Live Alive

- Mospeada: Love Live Alive

- Animatics from Love Live Alive

- Love Live Alive deleted scenes

- Love Live Alive Promo videos

[GeoffOliver]

So FUNi isn’t including The Sentinals. Now I’m definitely holding onto my A&E/Lionsgate set.

[starsteam]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

So FUNi isn’t including The Sentinals. Now I’m definitely holding onto my A&E/Lionsgate set.

Wouldn't make any sense for them to exclude it unless they had other plans - like a movie collection with Shadow Chronicles and Love Live Alive. Maybe include Codename Robotech too

[Show spoiler]and maybe restore Robotech: The Movie in full

.

Most of the missing bonus features are related to the movies. It's possible some of the extras that were exclusive to the A&E release could not be licensed by Funimation.

[Member-571539]

Robotech Part 2 (The Masters) - 11/16/21
https://shop.funimation.com/home-vid...BLR-00812.html

Front:




Back:




Discs:

[Lionel Horsepackage]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

Robotech Part 2 (The Masters) - 11/16/21
https://shop.funimation.com/home-vid...BLR-00812.html

Front:




Back:




Discs:

Southern Cross/The Masters Saga is my absolute favorite part of the entire Robotech series, hands down. Is this coming from a new HD scan of the original Japanese episodes, or will this be an upscale? Also, still haven't quite warmed up to the whole "worn" cover-packaging look. Whose bright idea was this?

[Tylerfan]

Just did the page, should go live later