Dragon Ball Z "Seasons" On Blu-ray: News & Discussion

[CaBrPi]

Is there anything we can actually do or do we just need to accept it?

We can not buy the product. We can write level-headedly to Funimation via letter, email, Facebook, and Twitter (in that order) about why we are disappointed with the release and thus not purchasing it. We can dissuade any friends considering purchasing the Blu-rays from doing so.

[MarcFBR]

This is likely a dumb question, but what specific aspect sets "Pan & Scan" apart?

Well, let's start off with their initial mistake... it's not pan and scan. It's tilt and scan (although some call it reverse pan and scan.)

I explain most of it in my previous post.

The primary aspect is... they already have masters done. It's already done and produced. Just needs to be encoded for the disks. They don't have to redo everything from scratch. The cost savings on not doing it from scratch means a lower MSRP, which means a lower in store price. This means more episodes, lower cost, which is an easier sell to the mass market.

[eledoremassis02]

The level sets were more expensive to remaster, and because of that they were higher priced/less episodes. Priced well for an anime release, but not necessary the cheaper mass market style release that can sell at higher amounts.

That is very true. It stinks cause we were teased with the level sets lol. The original transfer woulda been fantastic as well.

[theoriginalbilis]

I'm no video expert, but...

"Pan and Scan" implies that the cropping of the footage will be more selective (i.e., they'll try to leave in as much of the important visual information as possible per scene.), so we may not see anymore cropped-off heads/feet/mouths/etc... Think of it as similar to the Japanese TV broadcast of Kai. That version was cropped to 16:9, but they made sure it wasn't just a default center-crop. IMO, the Kai cropping still turned out decently. The FUNimation "Orange Bricks" looks more like it was an automated process, and didn't do the original footage any favors.

That's how I read it, at least.

EDIT: Oops, Marc obviously knows more about it than I do.

[MarcFBR]

I'm no video expert, but...

"Pan and Scan" implies that the cropping of the footage will be more selective (i.e., they'll try to leave in as much of the important visual information as possible per scene.), so we may not see anymore cropped-off heads/feet/mouths/etc... Think of it as similar to the Japanese TV broadcast of Kai. That version was cropped to 16:9, but they made sure it wasn't just a default center-crop. IMO, the Kai cropping still turned out decently. The FUNimation "Orange Bricks" looks more like it was an automated process, and didn't do the original footage any favors.

That's how I read it, at least.

EDIT: Oops, Marc obviously knows more about it than I do.

Your explanation is correct on a technical level based on the explanation they give, which does suggest they will actively tilt for the best potential viewing with a cropped picture (although pan and scan and tilt and scan are still used terminology wise even if it's just a center crop, their phrasing says they are doing it manually though and not just going with a center crop.)

[Kakarot88]

Is there anything we can actually do or do we just need to accept it?

We can not buy the product. We can write level-headedly to Funimation via letter, email, Facebook, and Twitter (in that order) about why we are disappointed with the release and thus not purchasing it. We can dissuade any friends considering purchasing the Blu-rays from doing so.

Already put in my 2 cents now I hope others will join

As far as marketing to the masses...who else other than us mega fans are really purchasing this stuff still!?


AGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE CENTER CROP IS ONE SCENE: SUPER SAIYAN 3 GOKU DAMMIT IT SUCKS SO HARD IN WIDE SCREEN

[MarcFBR]

As far as marketing to the masses...who else other than us mega fans are really purchasing this stuff still!?

Go look at the Amazon anime sales charts. Nearly every DB related brick release is still in the top 50 for anime. Fans aren't the ones buying DB/Z/GT bricks in bulk years after their initial release.

Getting the mass market to even slightly look at an anime release puts the rest of the anime market to shame.

[Ajay]

AGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE CENTER CROP IS ONE SCENE: SUPER SAIYAN 3 GOKU DAMMIT IT SUCKS SO HARD IN WIDE SCREEN

Only eyebrows matter in life.

[theoriginalbilis]

Already put in my 2 cents now I hope others will join As far as marketing to the masses...who else other than us mega fans are really purchasing this stuff still!?

Believe or not, I have a feeling there are enough American DBZ fans out there will pick this up just because it's on Blu-Ray and super-cheap. There are people who will buy a crappy Blu-Ray just because it's in "HD", despite whether the video quality/remastering is actually any good or crap.

Plus these new Blu-Rays will have that amazing dub you all seem to like so much!

[Kakarot88]

As far as marketing to the masses...who else other than us mega fans are really purchasing this stuff still!?

Go look at the Amazon anime sales charts. Nearly every DB related brick release is still in the top 50 for anime. Fans aren't the ones buying DB/Z/GT bricks in bulk years after their initial release.

Getting the mass market to even slightly look at an anime release puts the rest of the anime market to shame.

lol where would I even find that kind of information? I honestly take your word for it, but doesn't change the fact I feel like sulking.

[MarcFBR]

It's also worth mentioning, even if they are indeed doing tilt and scan (as they say) and making new widescreen masters from scratch that still lowers the cost quite a bit.

Cropping it wipes out a decent percentage of the space they have to remaster, and most of the time will wipe out the most problematic parts of the film (some of the tops and bottoms were really busted up.)

[Kakarot88]

So the touching up process is where they are cutting corners by cropping, I bet that over fan request is what motivated them.

[MarcFBR]

So the touching up process is where they are cutting corners by cropping, I bet that over fan request is what motivated them.

Until we get solid 'for sure' answers on exactly what we are getting (bad solicitation information, or things that don't apply after changes decisions are common enough in the media business) I'd say the likely reason has nothing to do with them ignoring fans, or nonacceptance, but purely a numbers game (as mentioned before.)

The sets cost 'X' to remaster and they sell them at a given price to make back their money and make profit. That price was likely to high for many potential mass market customers, so the set didn't sell enough based on the budget and numbers they needed.

So the question is, how do you sell for less and still hit whatever profit numbers you need. Find a way to lower the cost of production, which will allow the product to be sold for less.

It's a numbers game.

Level 1.1 was $35 bucks for 17 episodes.

Season 1 will be $45 bucks for 39 episodes (based on solicitation data thus far.)

And that's MSRP. In store and online price at most stores will be decently lower. So in most cases, it'll be basically the same price as the level sets would have been. Which is more than double the episodes for the cost of the previous Level sets. That's gonna get non-anime fans interested if they see that sort of cost/entertainment value.

[Super Sayian Prime]

Amazon, and AAA Anime confirm the 16:9

http://www.aaaanime.com/item/Blu-Ray/FN01551.html
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00F9IB1M4/

Description:

The Saiyans are coming! These ruthless, intergalactic villains carved a path of destruction across the galaxy, and now they’re headed for Earth! The evil Saiyan warlord Vegeta will not rest until he’s seized the wish-granting powers of the Dragon Balls for himself! For the first time ever, the Dragon Ball Z season sets are available on Blu-ray! This epic collection presents the first thirty-nine episodes of the legendary series in remastered, high definition quality and 16:9 aspect ratio using frame by frame, pan and scran technology. An elite team of Capsule Corp. scientists worked around the clock to put the greatest anime in history on the cutting edge of modern technology. You may think you’ve seen all there is to see in the DBZ universe, but you’re wrong. Take home this thirty-nine episode collection today, and fire your next Kamehameha in the brilliance of Blu-ray!

Placeholder art:

[MarcFBR]

Amazon, and AAA Anime confirm the 16:9

http://www.aaaanime.com/item/Blu-Ray/FN01551.html
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00F9IB1M4/

I wouldn't generically say they've 'confirmed' it. While I expect it's accurate, all the sites are simply posting the solicitation data they've been given. We've seen bad solicitation data before, and we will again (although with descriptions of the process it seems likely this is what we are getting.)

[eledoremassis02]

I wonder if there would be a general outcry if the released kai in 16x9? lol

[jjgp1112]

I must say, the in-house artwork FUNimation's been using for their sets since Kai have been consistently awesome.

[Metalwario64]

An elite team of Capsule Corp. scientists worked around the clock to put the greatest anime in history on the cutting edge of modern technology. You may think you’ve seen all there is to see in the DBZ universe, but you’re wrong. Take home this thirty-nine episode collection today, and fire your next Kamehameha in the brilliance of Blu-ray!

LOL, I wonder how confused the general fanbase will be. First we were told the orange bricks were the ones "truly remastered", then the Dragon Boxes, then the Level sets were the ones "ultimately remastered", and now these are the "most remastered", and they're back to 16x9, which we've been told was actually wrong, but apparently it isn't, and we aren't seeing "all there is to see" with this release, because it's CROPPED! It's so funny.

I must say, the in-house artwork FUNimation's been using for their sets since Kai have been consistently awesome.

Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of the modern art, but that's a very well drawn picture of Goku's forms. Looks less bubbly and shiny like Kai's new art and the movie pack covers, and more like updated late 90s art or something. Shading reminds me of BoG's art, but the style and proportions are better.

[Kakarot88]

Yeah I just don't like the Yellow in the Kaio symbol and SS3 Goku has a weird smile

[Chuquita]

"Warlord Vegeta" makes me instantly think of historical Edo dramas, or the 7 warlords of the sea from One Piece.
*Pictures Vegeta in ancient era attire*. I'd like to think he'd have an eyepatch like he has in Cross Epoch.