Which Version is right for me?

[jpdbzrulz4sure]

Stick with the Dragon Box. It's "expensive", not really, but its the best version of the series. While the Orange Bricks are "widescreen", they are horribly remastered. The image quality is digitally de-noised to the point that white splotches appear. The infamous "Bukkake" Vegeta quickly comes to mind.

With the Dragon Box, you will be getting the series, properly remastered. There is grain, but that's not a bad thing. It also looks wonderful upscaled to 1080p. You can crop it like I stated in my previous post, but it is up to you. If you like stretching the footage by all means! The English audio is there with the original Japanese BGM. If you like the dub music, just buy the soundtrack CDs, but overall buying a very inferior product liek the season sets for music is not really an option I would recommend.

Again, you were merely asking for opinions. This is how I feel about the orange bricks. If you want the original dub music, track down the old singles or buy the CDs. Buy the Dragon Box, you get the series in eloquent quality and the discs are housed in mini replicas of the original R2 sets along with hardcover booklets detailing information on the episodes and other details.

^ This!

Oh, and if you want to know where you can get the dub OSTs, click here.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

I must second that the DBoxes work very well on an HD if you have a good upscaler. I often use "Widescreen" mode on mine, it works fine. I don't think it really looks that much better (But I haven't actually gotten to use that TV in a couple months), but that a 89'-96' cartoon on a 4x3 film master holds up a TV that big is a feat in itself.

The Season Sets... not flawed to the point of dysfunction, but it can be annoying to go back to after the DBoxes. The cropping is only occasionally annoying, but you will eventually notice footage blur if you watch it on a large TV. I was watching Season 9 (Gotenks - 28th Tournament + Uub), the final box, with a friend a couple months back and noticed on his 5 or so foot SDTV.

[SpartenOmega117]

I must second that the DBoxes work very well on an HD if you have a good upscaler. I often use "Widescreen" mode on mine, it works fine. I don't think it really looks that much better (But I haven't actually gotten to use that TV in a couple months), but that a 89'-96' cartoon on a 4x3 film master holds up a TV that big is a feat in itself.

The Season Sets... not flawed to the point of dysfunction, but it can be annoying to go back to after the DBoxes. The cropping is only occasionally annoying, but you will eventually notice footage blur if you watch it on a large TV. I was watching Season 9 (Gotenks - 28th Tournament + Uub), the final box, with a friend a couple months back and noticed on his 5 or so foot SDTV.

I have a PS3 and xbox 360. I think both of them are good upscalers. I'm been watching the season sets stream online and i have to say it is hurting my eyes. I guess I may be sitting to close to my computer screens but the colors really "pop." I've been watching some of the dragon box footage and it looks a lot more smoother.

[Chibi Gohan]

I must second that the DBoxes work very well on an HD if you have a good upscaler. I often use "Widescreen" mode on mine, it works fine. I don't think it really looks that much better (But I haven't actually gotten to use that TV in a couple months), but that a 89'-96' cartoon on a 4x3 film master holds up a TV that big is a feat in itself.

The Season Sets... not flawed to the point of dysfunction, but it can be annoying to go back to after the DBoxes. The cropping is only occasionally annoying, but you will eventually notice footage blur if you watch it on a large TV. I was watching Season 9 (Gotenks - 28th Tournament + Uub), the final box, with a friend a couple months back and noticed on his 5 or so foot SDTV.

I have a PS3 and xbox 360. I think both of them are good upscalers. I'm been watching the season sets stream online and i have to say it is hurting my eyes. I guess I may be sitting to close to my computer screens but the colors really "pop." I've been watching some of the dragon box footage and it looks a lot more smoother.

Guess the Dragon Box wins then.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

If you aren't that fussed about image quality and enjoy watching the show with Faulconer Production's score, then the Season Sets are for you. If you're more of a videophile and can live without the replacement music, then go with the Dragon Boxes.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

I must second that the DBoxes work very well on an HD if you have a good upscaler. I often use "Widescreen" mode on mine, it works fine. I don't think it really looks that much better (But I haven't actually gotten to use that TV in a couple months), but that a 89'-96' cartoon on a 4x3 film master holds up a TV that big is a feat in itself.

The Season Sets... not flawed to the point of dysfunction, but it can be annoying to go back to after the DBoxes. The cropping is only occasionally annoying, but you will eventually notice footage blur if you watch it on a large TV. I was watching Season 9 (Gotenks - 28th Tournament + Uub), the final box, with a friend a couple months back and noticed on his 5 or so foot SDTV.

I have a PS3 and xbox 360. I think both of them are good upscalers. I'm been watching the season sets stream online and i have to say it is hurting my eyes. I guess I may be sitting to close to my computer screens but the colors really "pop." I've been watching some of the dragon box footage and it looks a lot more smoother.

Guess the Dragon Box wins then.

Dragon Boxes definitely win then!

One thing to note, they default to Japanese, and have Japanese w/ subs Title cards on both language tracks. And you'l get used the Japanese soundtrack in no time; it's actually almost creepy how well Kyle Hebert's redubbed narrations fit with the original recap music!

[MetaMoss]

I used to own the first three Orange Bricks, and they were horrible. I haven't got into the Dragon Boxes because I can only afford one version of the series (so I'm going with the Z Kai Blu-rays for now. Hey I'm 14 and don't have a steady job until the summer with lawn mowing). But I would say the Dragon Boxes because it is "remastered" waaay better then the Season Sets. The dub track? Yea I like to listen to it for nostalgia, but the original seems more epic and actually understands the concept of using silence for dramatic effect.

[Taku128]

If you want to experience the show you remember then you have to decide what's more important, audio or video. With the season sets you'd have the music you remember, but the video wouldn't look the way you remembered it being. With the Dragon Boxes you'd have a cleaned up version of the show as you remember it looking, but you'd only have the Japanese musical score. My guess is you'd want to go with the season sets, since the show would still look similar to what you saw, where as with the Dragon Boxes the music would be completely different.

Also, the version of the first two seasons you watched is important. Originally the first two seasons, while still produced by FUNimation, were dubbed by Ocean Studios, and that version contains different voice acting and music from the first two Season Sets and Dragon Boxes, as well as being heavily edited. In 2005 FUNimation went back and redubbed the first two seasons uncut, and using the voice actors they dubbed season three and beyond with, as well as recording another new musical score instead of using the Japanese or Ocean Dub music. If you watched the Ocean Dub version you'd want to track down the old 4:3 singles. A complete list can be found in Daizenshuu EX's DVD Guide. (Season One)(Season Two)

Really this decision should be up to you. If you want to watch the show the way you remember it you have to decide which aspects of it are most important to you.