AB Video to release original Dragon Ball on Blu-Ray

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

AnimeAjay (Ajay) has posted a video review talking about AB's release, definitely a good watch considering how much attention it's been receiving. They really knocked it out of the park here!!!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mlGY8u9Pb ... b_imp_woyt

[JulieYBM]

Excellent analysis from Ajay, as always. Always glad to had their analysis on stuff.

If this is what they can do on-the-run and at the Eleventh Hour I would love to see what could be accomplished with a shoe on both feet.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Great insight and analysis from Ajay as always.

I must echo what he says at the end of the video that we should reach out to Crunchyroll and suggest that they import this remaster and its respective Japanese audio.

This is truly the release original Dragon Ball deserves.

[Scsigs]

I have received my Blu-Ray from FNAC. Got it very quickly despite being imported from France to the US and I am very pleased with the release. Here is a tweet I made showcasing screenshots from discs across the set: https://twitter.com/VennyRestore/status ... jpTfpP8Wzw

Is it region free?

Ajay said it's Region B in his vide, which tracks since it's a European release.

[Shaddy]

It's very surreal seeing screenshots of a show fifteen years older than me, finally restored to a color I know is correct despite having grown up with the wrong version for so long. It's a similar feeling to when I finally saw the SA1 Dreamcast assets in their original context, I'm excited to see more remasters of the series with this level of polish (or more, judging by Ajay's video).

[Ajay]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for the kind words.

I'm hoping a lot of people will pick this up. I think regardless of whether you can play it or even understand it without subs, it's one of the products that's worth importing if you can thanks to its importance. Supporting AB Groupe's decision to put out a competent remaster with broadcast audio of all things is pretty important.

I know its limited edition version already sold out, its regular set is number one of Amazon FR at the moment, and a lot of people are importing it around the world, so fingers crossed Toei get the message. Be nice if going forwards there's an understanding that people really do want accurate colours and high quality audio.

I just hope they see this release as more of a prototype of what quality is expected rather than "Oh, upscales are the future!"...

[eledoremassis02]

I have received my Blu-Ray from FNAC. Got it very quickly despite being imported from France to the US and I am very pleased with the release. Here is a tweet I made showcasing screenshots from discs across the set: https://twitter.com/VennyRestore/status ... jpTfpP8Wzw

Is it region free?

Ajay said it's Region B in his vide, which tracks since it's a European release.

Dang, thats a deal breaker then. I'll have to wait for, hopefully, a U.S relese.

Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for the kind words.

I'm hoping a lot of people will pick this up. I think regardless of whether you can play it or even understand it without subs, it's one of the products that's worth importing if you can thanks to its importance. Supporting AB Groupe's decision to put out a competent remaster with broadcast audio of all things is pretty important.

I know its limited edition version already sold out, its regular set is number one of Amazon FR at the moment, and a lot of people are importing it around the world, so fingers crossed Toei get the message. Be nice if going forwards there's an understanding that people really do want accurate colours and high quality audio.

I just hope they see this release as more of a prototype of what quality is expected rather than "Oh, upscales are the future!"...

Just watched the video. Was it confirmed that the motion bluring in the dark areas were from the DVD compression and not the light DNRing they did? If AB did darken it to mask it and not just punch up the PQ, the same ghosting can be seen with brown too (such as Vegetas hair from time to time and the log goku is on in the first episode)

I hope this sells enough that TOEI will provide the raw SD scan (or atleast AB can afford to licenes it) and then they can just color correct that, because that would be a fantastic release. The AI Upscale is good, and it probly can look even better then it looks now but I feel like its a weird step backwards/sideways for somthing thats shaping up to be the closest to how the show was originally presented just for the sake of it being "HD".

Edit:
Just a thought. Has there been any proof TOEI blocks others from using BA (outside Kei not having luck with them directly)? Perhaps the issue was no one wanted to take the time retime in (espeshally in the U.S where the dub seems to take center stage) hense why AB just used pre-timed audio with all the fixes.

[Scsigs]

Ajay said it's Region B in his vide, which tracks since it's a European release.

*video

[supersaiyamangod]

I hope this leads to English speaking doing all of dragon ball similar but without it being an upscale and maybe hopefully being made from films prints giving us a even better upgrade then this.

[Trachta10]

So basically Selecta Vision has the uncompressed digital master but with a terrible upscale
and AB has the DVD with the compression artifacts but with and incredible good upscale?

How can we have such bad luck?

SV

AB


SV

AB


SV

AB

[eledoremassis02]

Comparison with the Dragon Box (open image in new tab for larger size photo)

[Gaffer Tape]

Sigh. This makes me so happy and frustrated at the same time. This looks gorgeous, and it has more or less everything I've always wanted. Content-wise, it is more or less complete. From what I understand, it has NEPs, proper openings and endings, and Japanese credits and title cards. It is the show, with practically no caveats. Just the lack of completeness alone is what has stopped me from caring about any domestic home video release of DB since the Dragon Boxes!

It's very validating to see that someone can get it right, that they can want to get it right. But it's all the more infuriating to remember that it's been 15 whole years since the orange bricks came out and set the trend for needlessly compromised Dragon Ball home releases. Just think of that! Fifteen years! Between Toei's movie censorship and FUNimation's complete lack of competence or care, I honestly was beginning to believe a now-nearly 20 year old DVD release was truly going to be the best we'd ever hope to get. It's absolutely ridiculous things have been stalled out for this long. But it does make the reward all the sweeter.

[eledoremassis02]

AB and Kinekos 16mm scan (cropped)
https://imgsli.com/MTM3MTc4

[FortuneSSJ]

Does this release misses any content from the japanese episodes? Does it have japanese title cards, openings, eyecatches, endings, next episode previews and no censorship?

[Jord]

Does this release misses any content from the japanese episodes? Does it have japanese title cards, openings, eyecatches, endings, next episode previews and no censorship?

I watched the first episode.
It has the Japanese, opening, title card, eyecatcher, ending, even the Japanese NEP and so far no censorship (you can see Goku's penis).

Unfortunately when watching the Japanese version there doesn't seem to be a way to turn off the French subs, at least not on my Series X. Kinda weird since the sub track doesn't seem to be hard coded on the video.

[Traveller]

It does look nice, be good if an english friendly company was able to try something like this one day.

Looking at the above comparison, you can see where the AI got confused with Goku’s arm/chin and the wooden log.

Funi had the access to DB Dragonbox masters when they got the Z dragonbox masters right? So presumably they’d maybe still be sitting on those?

[DiloVortexx]

holy shit this is the release i've been looking for my entire life and more

ofc it aint perfect for the reasons ajay listed in their video but yea.. i'm really happy to know we finally got a GOOD dragon ball release after all these years.. AND IT HAS THE BROADCAST AUDIO???? consider my ass sold ♥

[FortuneSSJ]

Does this release misses any content from the japanese episodes? Does it have japanese title cards, openings, eyecatches, endings, next episode previews and no censorship?

I watched the first episode.
It has the Japanese, opening, title card, eyecatcher, ending, even the Japanese NEP and so far no censorship (you can see Goku's penis).

Thank you.

[dragonmagico]

really decent release for a change, not perfect but good enough considering its an upscale with CC

[lansing]

I'm pretty sure this is not AI upscale, as you can see all the yellow color noise in all of those zoomed in AB Video compare shots. Looks like AB Video just has a better source.