jaisonas wrote:Dnr and frame stabilizing are 2 completely different things. So is removing film splicing marks.
Just for transparency, I don't defend FUNi's use of it the way they did in the Orange Bricks, or Season Blu-Rays. I'm just saying why they used it, as other companies do as well, but only when needed. Every restoration/remastering of a film or TV series has to go through DVNR to be workable, but it's when they don't give half of a shit to make sure quality is preserved is where it goes wrong.
DBZimran wrote:They do DNR and due to its automation it removes details which otherwise would be there. The film is aged but removing the grain and making it a brand spanking new 2019 product is not feasible. It is a product of its time, hence why the imperfections make it what it is (a series made in the 90s). As mentioned before frame stabilisation is completely different to noise removal.
Actually, that was due to the grain removal process they used being overly applied & absolutely no QC being done before programing & shipping out of the discs. That was for the Orange Bricks. The Blu-Rays used a process I don't think has ever been used elsewhere. It looks like they went through & oversaturated the colors ON TOP of the DVNR & grain removal to remove the grain from the film. It also looked like they went through & water-colored over the images with Microsoft Paint or something, since the colors are so vibrant & bright despite the fact that the episodes now make your eyes bleed with how much they hurt your eyes.
DBZimran wrote:The level set approach would be the most ideal situation, to frame by frame remedy any imperfections. Of course it is a costly procedure. Would it yield profits with a higher price tag, due to their costly investment to do such a task?
Yes, it would.
DBZimran wrote:The success of the cheap 16:9 releases speaks for itself. A lot of fans have a lack of knowledge of how the anime was originally presented. People just want a higher ratio of episodes per dollar spent on the release. So a release that has been properly remastered, and they have taken the time and attention to preserve the media would cost more (Level Sets). Fewer fans will part with cash now that the market for DBZ releases is so overly saturated. As a result this 30th anniversary release needs to be something that will have to please the neglected fan base who want a Dragon Box-esque release, and has to be affordable to even be considered worth releasing. Otherwise it may just be a repeat of the level sets. This argument just makes me believe that this release will be a limited collectors only situation (which they have stated) like the Dragon Boxes, so I'd advise ordering early to avoid a similar situation to the Dragon Boxes.
As you've noted, here's why the level sets failed: Oversaturation, price, & timing.
Oversaturation because in the preceding half a decade alone, we got the Orange Bricks, the Dragon Boxes, & Kai, which in of itself was also a remastered version of Z with most of the filler cut out. Each of these products satisfied different sections of the fanbase in their own ways, with the Orange Bricks satisfying fans of the show wanting a steady home release of the series who didn't care about preservation of quality & LOVED the English dub, the Dragon Boxes satisfying the section who wanted a release catered to fans of the Japanese version first & foremost who hated the dub & the section who wanted preservation of quality who were willing to sacrifice the English dub's replacement score, & Kai satisfying the section who wanted a better English dub, wanted preservation of quality, & wanted a version of the series that was cut down to eliminate the endless amounts of filler & fix the pacing problems it caused to have a more better-paced version of the series. Essentially, FUNi cucked themselves by accident with these. Granted, they didn't see Kai coming until it was announced, but still.
A Blu-Ray release of the series that fixed every single problem the Orange Bricks should've never had should've been delayed a bit longer & welcomed with open arms as a result, since they had done so at a time where people were still enjoying whichever release they'd gotten. Hell, Kai's Season sets were starting to come out in 2012. With these releases coming out in late 2011, literally starting a
month after the Dragon Boxes were finished, they didn't give any of these sets, or Kai, a good amount of time for the dust to settle.
Price. They also only had 17 episodes per set which, while better than the rest of the shows they dub & release in its first release, left a lot scratching their heads, since the previous sets had anywhere in the upwards of ~40 per set & for a much less expensive price tag. Granted, every single anime ever deals with this, but it's usually in their initial DVD releases. For example, Bleach had initially 3-4 episodes per set, then eventually going up to 10, then 13 to compete with their competition, for $30 per set, with later releases of repackagings of episodes (up to 20) on less discs for convenience sake & to make an Author's Saving Throw. Now, we're getting Blu-Rays for the same price that have close to 30 each. From a marketing standpoint, that's the way you escalate that kind of thing. Going
down in episodes, yet up in price, after previously having more episodes forr less really limited the potential market of the sets. Despite having everything from the previous Orange Brick sets in terms of features (the episodes & the 3 different audio options), they were essentially only marketing to the videophiles of the franchise which, while good to appeal to them, cucked their bottom line unintentionally & they were surprised when their seemingly bottomless well of money of a franchise suddenly went mostly dry.
Timing. A bit redundant, but as mentioned above, the previous 4 years were overstuffed with releases of Z that satisfied at least one section of the fanbase. Plus Kai was still releasing at this time & its own Season sets were on the horizon. Had they waited till when they released the Season Blu-Rays; 2013/14 or so, they could've given it more time for the dust to settle & banked off of the trend of other companies remastering their old shows, plus with the growing 90s nostalgia of younger Millennials we're seeing right now, they could've banked heard off the want for a new remaster of the series. It also would've been more poignant with the fact that Battle of Gods came out in 2013 & they released it in 2014. They could've spaced out the releases for every few months, had more episodes perr set, & even put out a new DVD release to replace the older ones. That would've made the sets more profitable & marketable in the longrun. The fact that they still questioned if people wanted the series in 16:9 on the discs just showed they really went with marketability over quality preservation, so this would've satisfied both niches.
DBZimran wrote:They have mentioned they will have a collectors release, but surely it will cater to the audience who want a proper remastered release...Right? At this point only the devoted fans will be willing to part with cash after paying for the Dragon Boxes and one or more of the other sub par releases.
I am really hopeful for this release, but at the same time very cautious. Damn it they better get this right.
I mean, I'm sure FUNi & all involved have heard the countless complaints for both botched releases. Considering they made up for the Orange Bricks with the Dragon Boxes, it's about time they made up for the Season Blu-Rays with something similar. Just as long as they market it right, have the right price, & a good amount of episodes. Also if they put the terrible DVDs & Blu-Rays out of print. That'll help.