Comparison shots from every single DBZ release

[eledoremassis02]

It's not perfect, but here's a v2 of the Goku Gohan, cliffside including the Blu-ray Season Set. The Black Brick looks like a decent step up, quality-wise compared to the Blu Seasons!

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compa ... n/EJ1MNNNU

Look at the background and the clouds.

I was looking at that too, and I wonder if it would look better if they didn't sharpen as much? Is there a way to DNR and sharpen only solid lines (if that makes sense)

[sumpter360]

Look at the background and the clouds.

I was looking at that too, and I wonder if it would look better if they didn't sharpen as much? Is there a way to DNR and sharpen only solid lines (if that makes sense)

While it certainly doesn't look as good as the FUNi Raw, it seems to me the Black Brick has more grain, and as such subtle detail, than the Blu Seasons had. Plus the whites appear less blown out and the blacks seem less crushed. It's not enough for me to pre-order, but the improvements are there if you're comparing strictly to the previous Blu-ray release

[gokaiblue]

Look at the background and the clouds.

I was looking at that too, and I wonder if it would look better if they didn't sharpen as much? Is there a way to DNR and sharpen only solid lines (if that makes sense)

While it certainly doesn't look as good as the FUNi Raw, it seems to me the Black Brick has more grain, and as such subtle detail, than the Blu Seasons had. Plus the whites appear less blown out and the blacks seem less crushed. It's not enough for me to pre-order, but the improvements are there if you're comparing strictly to the previous Blu-ray release

Agreed, and if this were a budget release, I might pick it up, but for a collector's edition, I expected much much more.

[SuperSaiyanPan]

Disclaimer: keep in mind the unfairness in comparing DVDs and BDs. Obviously DVDs are going to look blurrier being 480p rather that 1080p.

Superfan2024, you should copy and paste my spoiler tag and its contents into the opening post, and add comparison shots from others as they get posted. So that way all the shots being compared are together. I don't know how you want to organize them, but make sure they all have the option to view the full resolution. You can't really compare them otherwise.

KBABZ, could you help me out with episode 185? Be care-ful. Episode 185's first image is tricky.

SuperSaiyanPan, I need you to help me with the power of your Ultimate Uncut Editions and Orange Bricks. Like I said, Episode 185's first image is tricky. So is Episode 100's second and third images, and Episode 1's third image.

Now we just need some-one with the Levels sets and the "Season" BDs and we'll have all the easy ones.

Spoiler:

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 1 (IMAGE 1)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Dragon Ball Kai (4:3) (View full resolution)


Pioneer's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 1 (IMAGE 2)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Dragon Ball Kai (4:3) (View full resolution)


Pioneer's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 1 (IMAGE 3)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Dragon Ball Kai (4:3) (View full resolution)


Pioneer's Singles - The Closest Comparable Shot (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 1 (IMAGE 4)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 100 (IMAGE 1)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Dragon Ball Kai (4:3) (View full resolution)


Funimation's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 100 (IMAGE 2)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Dragon Ball Kai (4:3) (View full resolution)


Funimation's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 100 (IMAGE 3)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Dragon Ball Kai (4:3) (View full resolution)


Funimation's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 185 (IMAGE 1)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Funimation's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 185 (IMAGE 2)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Funimation's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

DRAGON BALL Z - EPISODE 185 (IMAGE 3)

Dragon Box Z set (View full resolution)


Funimation's Singles (View full resolution)


Funimation's Film Reel (View full resolution)


Black Brick (View full resolution)

I'm sorry what screens do you need from which episodes of what DVD's? I got confused also some of the Singles screens aren't true quality, the gohan for example.

Here is mine directly from the single:

Edit: I'm an idiot it's almost 4AM and I now see what I need to do, however this is going to have to wait until tomorrow. But I will get the screenshots for you.

[linkdude20002001]

What do you mean my Singles screenshots "aren't true quality", tho? They're in 640×480 (proper standard definition, 4:3 resolution). Yours is 720 × 540. Plus, looking at the clouds in the background of your screenshot, it's noticeably not the correct frame.

[Danfun64]

DVDs aren't in "proper" 640x480 but instead 720x480 (which is more or less the final output resolution. Many DVDs use 704x480 padded to 720x480. Some DVDs (usually homemade recordings and bargain bin public domain type releases) might even use 352x480 padded to 720x480. And all that assumes an NTSC image instead of a PAL one.

Unfortunately, 720x480 isn't a nice square pixel 4:3 image. 720x540 is considered a better compromise than 640x480 for DVD images.

[linkdude20002001]

But TVs display it as 640x480, yeah? I feel like that would make it the ideal resolution to compare. Even if there's a better stretching/squishing method, it wouldn't be as relevant. Correct me if I'm wrong, tho. I'm not the biggest nerd in this particular category.

[KBABZ]

But TVs display it as 640x480, yeah? I feel like that would make it the ideal resolution to compare. Even if there's a better stretching/squishing method, it wouldn't be as relevant. Correct me if I'm wrong, tho. I'm not the biggest nerd in this particular category.

I suspect it has to do with CRT TVs having a 4:3 aspect ratio; having the picture wider compensates for the squash.

[Akamay]

Amazon Prime Japan has a few episodes up, did anyone check to compare that release with other sources?
I tried doing it myself, but it's kinda hard for me to tell as the screenshots on the website are not exactly helpful.
They have free rental for some episodes but it requires a Japanese address and the rental is only SD quality.

[eledoremassis02]

Amazon Prime Japan has a few episodes up, did anyone check to compare that release with other sources?
I tried doing it myself, but it's kinda hard for me to tell as the screenshots on the website are not exactly helpful.
They have free rental for some episodes but it requires a Japanese address and the rental is only SD quality.

If its SD, my guess it's Dragon Box. I think it's also another sign that TEOI isn't doing a scan of the series :/

[Char Aznable]

Like I’ve been saying, people assuming that Toei was doing a series remaster were just that - assumptions. There was never any evidence that one was being made. Toei doing a remaster for the movies and specials does not equal them doing a remaster for a 291 episode TV series. If one comes out, awesome, but I don’t see it happening.

[Akamay]

Amazon Prime Japan has a few episodes up, did anyone check to compare that release with other sources?
I tried doing it myself, but it's kinda hard for me to tell as the screenshots on the website are not exactly helpful.
They have free rental for some episodes but it requires a Japanese address and the rental is only SD quality.

If its SD, my guess it's Dragon Box. I think it's also another sign that TEOI isn't doing a scan of the series :/

Here:

Spoiler:

And yeah, it's SD only.
If it is indeed the Dragon Box, I guess it'd be a cheaper way to watch it?

[eledoremassis02]

Amazon Prime Japan has a few episodes up, did anyone check to compare that release with other sources?
I tried doing it myself, but it's kinda hard for me to tell as the screenshots on the website are not exactly helpful.
They have free rental for some episodes but it requires a Japanese address and the rental is only SD quality.

If its SD, my guess it's Dragon Box. I think it's also another sign that TEOI isn't doing a scan of the series :/

Here:

Spoiler:

And yeah, it's SD only.
If it is indeed the Dragon Box, I guess it'd be a cheaper way to watch it?

Looks like it could be (I don't have the Dragon boxes) but if it means getting those out more thats fine (do they still sell the single DVDs in Japan?)

[Robo4900]

But TVs display it as 640x480, yeah? I feel like that would make it the ideal resolution to compare. Even if there's a better stretching/squishing method, it wouldn't be as relevant. Correct me if I'm wrong, tho. I'm not the biggest nerd in this particular category.

No.

TVs display it at whatever resolution the TV can upscale it to while maintaining the intended aspect ratio.

The source resolution is 720x480. Your TV upscales that to 1440x1080 for a 1080p monitor.

On a CRT, it would natively display it at 720x480, but shape the pixels such that it was a 4:3 image shape.

So, I suggest either 720x540 -- since then you're not losing detail by squashing it down -- or just upscale any smaller images to fit the size of the largest image.
Personally, the route I go is to take the Funi-provided raw film scan images as-is, and then down/up-scale anything else to fit that.

[SaintEvolution]

Don't know why, but Funimation's Film Reel is kinda of charming. I prefer it over the orange bricks.

[Snail]

Interesting.

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compa ... n/EJ1MNNNU (kudos on whoever put this together, thank you)

I asked my brother (...of whom has absolutely zero knowledge as to what this topic of discussion is) to select between the 6 shots.

His immediate answer was 5.FUNi Raw, Zoomed and 6.FUNi Raw.|

Next I asked him to select between 1 - 4, to which he answered 3.FUNi 30th Ann

Take with that what you will.

[KBABZ]

Interesting.

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compa ... n/EJ1MNNNU (kudos on whoever put this together, thank you)

I asked my brother (...of whom has absolutely zero knowledge as to what this topic of discussion is) to select between the 6 shots.

His immediate answer was 5.FUNi Raw, Zoomed and 6.FUNi Raw.|

Next I asked him to select between 1 - 4, to which he answered 3.FUNi 30th Ann

Take with that what you will.

It's a shame because if joe public had their way, all films would be TruMotion'd and all that, because what they want is far more important than what the creators wanted.

[Snail]

None of what I posted was to imply my personal preference nor agreement with either side of the coin.

It was a neutral description of said observation of an non-biased individual's preference on what he was staring at.

[Robo4900]

Interesting.

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compa ... n/EJ1MNNNU (kudos on whoever put this together, thank you)

I asked my brother (...of whom has absolutely zero knowledge as to what this topic of discussion is) to select between the 6 shots.

His immediate answer was 5.FUNi Raw, Zoomed and 6.FUNi Raw.|

Next I asked him to select between 1 - 4, to which he answered 3.FUNi 30th Ann

Take with that what you will.

It's a shame because if joe public had their way, all films would be TruMotion'd and all that, because what they want is far more important than what the creators wanted.

Well, indeed.

The thing is, thankfully, most companies know better than to cater to joe public, and actually put the effort in to make their remasters at least pretty decent.

And again, thankfully, when companies do drop the ball, the guys who see the problems will talk about it online and get the word out and widespread, so any discerning buyers who aren't just Mr. "Pick up the cheapest release on amazon just to get a copy of the show without doing any due diligence or research" will know to avoid the crappy versions.

Any release purely based on what joe public wants will be a mosaic-filtered mess of DNR, with no dynamic range, EQ to boost the bass and highs to ridiculous heights, and as KBABZ says, it'd all get some weird filtering to motion-approximate to 60fps...
If joe public's opinion is considered, you're gonna have a bad time. Anyone who's smart will pay attention to what the diehard fans, and other hard-to-please people are saying about a release, because if they're pleased, you'll know for certain it's a solid release, and if they're not pleased, you can bet your ass you'll easily find out exactly what's wrong with it.

So, for anything else, companies really can't get away with this kind of crap, and they're really taken to task when they screw up. And indeed, Funi were taken to task for screwing up this time.
But Funi always get away with this crap, because they've repeatedly -- and rather deviously -- ensured that there is no good release of DBZ. You either buy a crap release, or you don't buy the show.
Funi aren't catering to joe public. They're just using the fact they've never put out DBZ properly to their advantage, so they can continue putting out cheaply-assembled crap that people will buy because there's no better buying option.

So, Snail, much as I appreciate what you're trying to do, and it was a useful contribution to the conversation, any release that's basing its remastering on the opinions of joe public is doing things very wrong, and Funi's aren't even doing that, even if their crap methods do give a look of this.

[KBABZ]

and as KBABZ says, it'd all get some weird filtering to motion-approximate to 60fps...

Which is REALLY hypocritical considering how many people shat all over the intended 48fps of The Hobbit Trilogy. What so it's fine if it's 24fps in the theater but at home you think the Fuller House looks is what's intended??