Cross-Eyed Vejita Lands! My Take on the Remastering.

[MajinVejitaXV]

I don't know what's worse, the fact that FUNi failed to actually remaster every little grain/scratch and has been touting the release as "frame-by-frame" remaster or the fact that people are going through and complaining about frames with a tiny white splotch that shows up for a 60th of a second.

Oh, I could go on complaining about every frame that has some form of damage (which would be every frame nearly, I shit you not), but I'm not. Yes, the show is old and no I didn't go into things expecting a massive remastering like Toei/Pony Canyon did.

HOWEVER, when FUNimation comes out and says:

ABOUT THE TRANSFER

To accomplish the Dragon Ball Z remastering process, FUNimation worked with Video Post & Transfer, a Dallas-based post-production house. The original Japanese film masters were transferred via an indutry-standard Spirit DataCine, passing through a Digital Vision DVNR1000 to remove film grain, and then receiving a further round of processing using a Teranex VC600 video computer. These digital noise-reduction units each helped to remove thousands of instances of dirt, scratches, and debris.

The cleaned footage signal was then run through a da Vinci 2K Plus color system to ensure that the colors were true to the original film prints. The da Vinci 2K Plus is an industry standard system used for color correction in feature films and broadcast, and was primarily used in this instance to set the levels of the whites and blacks in the film in order to present the colors in a manner faithful to the original prints.

The final media for transfer was Sony's HDCAM, a fully high-definition digital tape. The film was laid to tape at 1080p HD, at 24 frames per second. The frame-rate is important to note, as it allowed the film, which was originally created a 24 frames per second, to be transferred to tape frame by frame. This frame-rate prevented any unnecessary data from being added to the final video, and preserves the film masters at the highest quality possible.

I dunno, maybe I expected too much. They just make it sound so damned fancy ;p

-Corey

[Daizensushi-x]

Good freaking lord.... I can think of no way in which funimation hasn't embarassed themselves so far with this crap.

Hmm...maybe we can overlook all of it because of the low low price?

[nathantheguitarist]

I would overlook all of the flaws only if it were in the "$5.50" rack at Wal-Mart.

[gohanku]

As said, the problem is not the grains and stuff. It the lie about the remastering, I wonder what did they really did with the $2,000,000. I guess they use it to party and after getting drunk and having a massive hangover, Funimation was like "Boss, we should take off the grain and scratch right ?" "Are you crazy? We spent all our remastering money on that huge party yesterday, leave everything there, the fans wouldn't know anything."

[SatoSky]

Where does it say that the remastering cost 2 million dollars? From what I understood the equipment used to remaster the footage cost 2 million dollars. And even then, I don't think FUNimation bought the equipment. I think they just hired the guy from the "Rebirth" feature, Steve Franko.

[Daizensushi-x]

Yeah, since when does remastering something cost 2 milion dollars anyway? Lets take a look at big budget summer movie, the budget for those are roughly around 100,000 to 500,000 dollars.

[Brad Redfield]

Lets take a look at big budget summer movie, the budget for those are roughly around 100,000 to 500,000 dollars.

....uhhh, don't you mean $100 million? Because that would be a low-budget movie.

[Daizensushi-x]

Lets take a look at big budget summer movie, the budget for those are roughly around 100,000 to 500,000 dollars.

....uhhh, don't you mean $100 million? Because that would be a low-budget movie.

Oh, damn sorry....scratch what I just said...haha.

Not thinking today.

[MajinVejitaXV]

Where does it say that the remastering cost 2 million dollars? From what I understood the equipment used to remaster the footage cost 2 million dollars. And even then, I don't think FUNimation bought the equipment. I think they just hired the guy from the "Rebirth" feature, Steve Franko.

Yeah, people might have confused what was said, but it was $2 million of equipment that was used. Though I'm gonna contact VP&T and ask what a project of this magnitude cost, see if they'll answer.

-Corey

[nathantheguitarist]

Hey Corey, not to sound too impatient or anything, but when do you think you'll have your final review done?

[MajinVejitaXV]

Hey Corey, not to sound too impatient or anything, but when do you think you'll have your final review done?

The DVDs are not even out yet, technically ;p

That being said, maybe Wednesday? Friday at the latest. I've got a long work week ahead of me (three people resigned at my work, so that's bound to result in overtime hours for me), but I'll get it done

-Corey

[Daizensushi-x]

Hey Corey, not to sound too impatient or anything, but when do you think you'll have your final review done?

The DVDs are not even out yet, technically ;p

That being said, maybe Wednesday? Friday at the latest. I've got a long work week ahead of me (three people resigned at my work, so that's bound to result in overtime hours for me), but I'll get it done

-Corey

Where will be able to read your review? Or see?

[MajinVejitaXV]

Where will be able to read your review? Or see?

I've got webspace, and a couple of people have offered to host. I'll also post a written review here for those who don't wanna download a video.

-Corey

[BlueSunrise]

Of course a speck or spot is "blatant" when you watch the footage for every imperfection, then splice out individual frames of video to prove how much of an expert you are. I noticed a little dirt in the first few episodes that subsequently went away in the later ones, and the big "tear" you posted was something I didn't even notice.

Does it make you feel superior or something that you proved that Funimation fudged about the remastering process in that the episodes weren't completely restored how you thought they'd be? Get over it. You're watching a near-twenty year old Japanese cartoon that was made for children. It's not going to be perfect, but it's the most watchable set we've ever had of the Vegeta Saga. Yeah, it could be better. Couldn't everything?

My friends and I noticed how much brighter and bolder everything seemed and how the picture seemed sharper; a vast improvement over the old episodes. My friends who didn't know it was cropped never even realized the show was originally from a 4:3 framing. 99% of consumers won't, and that's who this set was made for.

It's cheap, it's watchable, it's Dragon Ball Z, and it's made for the mass consumer, not some self-righteous videophile on an Internet message board.

[MajinVejitaXV]

Of course a speck or spot is "blatant" when you watch the footage for every imperfection, then splice out individual frames of video to prove how much of an expert you are. I noticed a little dirt in the first few episodes that subsequently went away in the later ones, and the big "tear" you posted was something I didn't even notice.

Does it make you feel superior or something that you proved that Funimation fudged about the remastering process in that the episodes weren't completely restored how you thought they'd be? Get over it. You're watching a near-twenty year old Japanese cartoon that was made for children. It's not going to be perfect, but it's the most watchable set we've ever had of the Vegeta Saga. Yeah, it could be better. Couldn't everything?

My friends and I noticed how much brighter and bolder everything seemed and how the picture seemed sharper; a vast improvement over the old episodes. My friends who didn't know it was cropped never even realized the show was originally from a 4:3 framing. 99% of consumers won't, and that's who this set was made for.

It's cheap, it's watchable, it's Dragon Ball Z, and it's made for the mass consumer, not some self-righteous videophile on an Internet message board.

Oh no. I'm a self-righteous videophile. Look at me, I'm melting. Gasp.

Dude, get a fucking life. You're defending a product. You like what they did? Ignore me and buy the damned thing. I don't care, I'm just trying to get the word out so that people who actually trusted what FUNi said don't have to bend over and grab their ankles.

Whether your friends are ignorant of the show's original aspect ratio or you don't have enough visual acuity to spot the fuck-ups is of little importance to me.

In other words, "Tits or GTFO." ;p

-Corey

[Mr. Announcer]

On this board, we're not exactly what you'd call "mass consumers," most of us are longtime fans of the series who care about these sorts of things. We're not just going to take what we can get for a cartoon we love when it obviously could have been done properly. I know plenty of people who wouldn't notice the difference or even care because of the price, but I don't recall anyone saying that our opinion should be the opinion of every buyer out there. MajinVejitaXV just seems to be giving everyone as much information as possible to see for themselves whether it bothers them or not and frankly, it bothers me.

[Rocketman]

Tits

Alright, I'm listening.

[Chaotic Strike]

Well its obvious this set isnt perfect yet with all the I'm not buying it because funi said this and that sounds kinda dumb to me. I mean what major company doesnt hype up their product making it sound like its the best thing in the world and perfect in every way,pretty much all of them. Yet people arent going to buy them because a company said something that wasnt true and they already knew it wasnt going to be true from the very start.Pretty ironic considering no one was fooled this time (well most people werent)

I will probably wont buy this set not because I dont want to but rather I'm low on cash at the moment and probably wont buy them untill they get to the Freeza and cell saga.In short this isnt the perfect release but I'm sure most people werent expecting it to be. Also I dont mind people complaining to funi after all the more they complain the more likely funi may fix some of its mistake on the next release,but to say its absoute crap is kinda extreme as its far better than any release that ocean or funi have ever released and with jap music replacing some of the not so good UUE music IMO I'd say that its worth the buy for a fan of the english voices as jap fans I'd say they be better off just sticking to the dragon boxes as most likely they know all the dialouge in the jap version so it would be nothing new to them.

as for this review I'm hearing about when you buy a dvd just to find the flaws and mock it before its even released thats setting you up to be biased as your going to make it looks as bad as you can make it but to make it more crediable you could adds some pros aswell as the cons and try to avoid stating your opinion as fact mainly just because you say it doesnt make it so and that would make it more legit hopefully you"ll do so.

[Acid_Reign]

Uh, MVX isn't forcing his opinion on anybody. I believe the title of the thread reads, "My take on the Remastering." He's just giving people the facts, yet you seem to think that in his so-doing he is somehow completely out of line, probably because you plan on buying the set and don't want to feel like you're wasting your money.

I think you're forgetting that this isn't a full review, but even so, MajinVejita isn't obligated to throw some "pros" into the mix if he honestly feels that there aren't any. Just as he has his opinion, so too do you, so reminding him that it's his is pretty much a moot point. Stop being so goddamn ignorant.

[b_boult]

Well its obvious this set isnt perfect yet with all the I'm not buying it because funi said this and that sounds kinda dumb to me.

Most people here are not buying it because it's a complete mess, though if anyone decides to leave it on the grounds of 'corporate deception', that would be pretty silly, I agree.