DBGT SIngle vs Green Bricks

[dragonfist]

Couldn't find the old thread comparing the original FUNi singles vs the Remastered Green Bricks. I am interested is due to soon finishing DBZ Dbox collection and with Mike & co. moving on to GT I feeling ready now to jump on the 'anime-only' continuation of the series. Never have seen it in its entirety due to various factors to be honest so it would be mostly new territory for me. I know its not as well received as the 'main' series but whatever.

Why am I even bothering to hunt down the singles when there is a readily available season sets featuring 'remastered' footage? Again going back to the fact that I am coming from wrapping up the dbox I am so gonna miss seeing the NEP and the original Japanese title cards ( its my favorite way of watching the show ). Anyone care to either post me the link to previous threads comparing both releases so I can judge it for myself or post your own comparisons on this one? Thank you.

[DinoChow]

I don't have screenshots on hand or links to old threads, but I can tell you that the DBGT singles are definitely the superior release. I've owned both; I started out collecting singles, then bought the seasons when they came out, but disliking those sets, I sold them and finished off the singles. If you like the Dragon Box footage, the singles are a nice continuation of that quality. Not the same level, of course, but a similar experience. The original grain structure of the image is in tact, colors are fairly strong, etc. DBGT is the newest series, so even without "Dragon Box" remastering, the image looks pretty strong on its own. I am very pleased with them. Unless I'm mistaken, the singles also contain the proper openings and endings with original credits; at the very least, the songs/animations change in the right places, and there is Japanese text on the credits. The Season Sets change in the right place, but they don't have any of the Japanese text.

Visually, the Season Sets aren't nearly as bad as the Z Seasons, but the "Remastering" really does hurt the image. It destroys grain, and in so doing, rubs away a lot of detail. "Blurry" is a good way to describe it. The colors are a little off as well. They are a noticeable step down from the singles.

Since the Singles have strong video, Japanese titles, and Next-Episode Previews, they have a leg-up on the Season Sets in every single regard except, perhaps, price and convenience. Then again, I bought all the singles in one swoop through various sellers on Amazon. Thanks to Prime free shipping, I got all twenty volumes for roughly $48, which I consider to be a fair price. Again, they aren't perfect, but if you like the Z Dragon Box, the singles are the best approximation of that.

[dragonfist]

Thanks for the info Do you by chance know where to find the link to the comparison pics on this forum? I search but couldn't find it with the search feature.

[Metalwario64]

Thanks for the info Do you by chance know where to find the link to the comparison pics on this forum? I search but couldn't find it with the search feature.

I'll post them here:

Dragon Box:


Single:


Season Set:


In stills, the singles look almost exactly like the Dragon Box. I can't quite remember, but didn't FUNimation get GT around the time the Dragon Boxes were made? Is it possible these are copies of the source used to make the Dragon Boxes for GT?

Also, I hear the macroblocking is bad, and that some episodes look excessively grainy. Can someone post some examples of these?

[dragonfist]

Thanks so much. And yes I noticed that the Dbox & SIngle stills look about the same thing. The Season Sets don't look bad to me but the thing about not having the NEP, OP/EN & Japanese title cards really dampens their appeal to me.

[jjgp1112]

Funi was probably given digibetas of GT as far back as 1996, for all we know, which would probably explain why it looks so close to the Dragon Boxes. Either that, or the GT master is faded as well, and Funi didn't get the tapes until 2002ish, around the same time GT was remastered. Either way, Funi's film master and Toei's 16mm source were in similar conditions when Funi acquired them.

Or I'm talking completely out of my ass, of course.

[Spoofer]

I remember reviews and comments for the GT singles constantly mentioning how much video artifacts / macroblocking they had.

I don't personally own any of Funi's earlier DB releases (aside from the Z TV specials, and now the Z Dragon Boxes), but I own Funi's original Blue Gender release from roughly the same time period. The macroblocking is noticeable throughout most of Blue Gender, and is so bad during the final episodes that it's nearly unwatchable, and certainly ruins the whole experience (moreso than the ending itself does). Specific screens I've seen of the Z singles looked just as bad, so if people are saying the GT singles are rife with macroblocking, I'll believe them.

As much as I care about NEPs, Japanese title cards, and unmolested grain (and I care about these issues, a lot) there is no way in hell I'm ever buying a Funi release again that has reported macroblocking. It was that bad and then some on BG, and I'm not putting up with it with Dragon Ball. So despite the failings of the Bricks, they're still the better option IMO, assuming the reports of macroblocking are true (and if it bothers you as much as it does me).

[dragonfist]

Thanks for the heads up then. I'll see what decision I finally take then.

[funrush]

So, looks as if the Green Bricks are just blurry versions of the DBox?

[Krycek7o2]

So, looks as if the Green Bricks are just blurry versions of the DBox?

Pretty much, with the exception that the Green Bricks are missing the NEPs. But, honestly, that is not a big deal breaker.

[Gozar]

Maybe I'm just crazy. But I don't see the blurring on the Season Set.

[dragonfist]

You have to notice it when there is no 'grain' on the picture and everything 'smooth' out. Clarified?

[Gozar]

You have to notice it when there is no 'grain' on the picture and everything 'smooth' out. Clarified?

But that's just it. When the Orange Bricks did it, I saw noticeable blurring. In the Green Brick's case, I see little grain, but I can't see the blurred detail.

[Metalwario64]

You have to notice it when there is no 'grain' on the picture and everything 'smooth' out. Clarified?

But that's just it. When the Orange Bricks did it, I saw noticeable blurring. In the Green Brick's case, I see little grain, but I can't see the blurred detail.

You really don't? It's honestly pretty obvious to me.

Single:


Season Set:


Does that help? It's most noticeable on the lines under his eyes and in his ear. The season sets also have what looks like edge enhancement to sharpen the now blurred detail.

Is there anyone who has the GT singles who can take some shots with macroblocking and ones that are "excessively grainy"? I've been curious as to how bad these issues really are.

[Puto]

Are you sure the Season Set shot is taken right? Because with them being telecined to 29.970fps instead of progressive like the Dragon Box, there's a possibility the shot was taken with a deinterlacing filter on, which would automatically blur it...

Note that I have no idea how the Season Set actually looks, just wondering if this is in fact correctly taken.

[Metalwario64]

Are you sure the Season Set shot is taken right? Because with them being telecined to 29.970fps instead of progressive like the Dragon Box, there's a possibility the shot was taken with a deinterlacing filter on, which would automatically blur it...

Note that I have no idea how the Season Set actually looks, just wondering if this is in fact correctly taken.

Just retook the shot in MPC, which by default doesn't deinterlace (I don't even know how to get it to, if it even can) and it looks pretty much exactly the same:

[DinoChow]

I remember reviews and comments for the GT singles constantly mentioning how much video artifacts / macroblocking they had.

It's not bad on GT singles. It is noticeable in certain scenes, but nowhere near a deal breaker. I would NOT factor macroblocking or artifacting into this decision. The transfers could be better, yes, but compared to the Z singles or other FUNi releases of the period, I really don't think it's a problem. More importantly, the blurring on the season sets is a much bigger problem than artifacts on the singles in this specific case. The slight artifacting/macroblocking here and there isn't worth the blurring, English-only cards, and lack of NEPs.

[BluezaBladeNZ]

I have all the singles too and there is quite an amount of macroblocking, but I don't find it as much of a problem as the DVR/blurring seen in the Season Sets (which to be honest, kinda reminds me of the old DBNL encodes years ago)

[bkev]

The most important factor has yet to be mentioned: the English dub now has the Japanese score! Well, at least, that would be the most important factor for me. Since I thought the dub of GT, barring a few awful moments, wasn't so bad - I'd be happy watching it that way.

[OutlawTorn]

The most important factor has yet to be mentioned: the English dub now has the Japanese score! Well, at least, that would be the most important factor for me. Since I thought the dub of GT, barring a few awful moments, wasn't so bad - I'd be happy watching it that way.

Yeah, that would be my argument for the season sets (that and the near total elimination of "Step Into The Grand Tour") provided the dub was even a factor. If it's primarily for the Japanese version, the singles do have the more complete presentation.