FUNimation DBZ TV Blu-ray Official On-Going Thread

[Ashura]

It isn't overly surprising if you consider the details (I'll admit it surprised me and seemed to come out of nowhere to me, but overall... not that surprising.)

It consumes a decent number of people who could be working on other projects (and it isn't cheap) for them to do the work, for sets that sell quite cheaply.

When I saw them working frame-by-frame for the dust and debris pass, it made me worried. This isn't one of the movies... it's 291 episodes. That single process is the most time consuming part out of the whole thing, and while I loved the results it seemed like overkill.

More than likely at some point (better chance especially with Kai sort of going poof in Japan) Toei will remaster for BDs, and with them not being as steel gripped as they have in the past it's likely Funi could get those masters (and possibly get them quickly if they helped fund any remastering work.) Especially when a proper remastering of Toei's film would likely look better than what Funi could do.

And frankly, even if Toei doesn't... waiting awhile for Kai to cool down from TV, they may be able to get someone to help fund remastering it to air it in HD on TV.

The ideal situation would really be:

-Toei finally wants to do it.
-Toei has the masters.
-Funimation has the know-how and the hardware.
-They both pitch in to keep costs down, work together, etc. etc. synergy.

The other option would be for them to just not do the frame by frame dirt removal pass. I personally would not care if there's dirt specs here and there with such an old series such as this. I'm honestly amazed they were focusing on doing as much as they did.

The sad part about this is these releases were done AMAZINGLY well. With the masters Funi has access to use, I don't think there could've been a better release.

[samuraix123]

So if Funimation works with Toei, Does that mean they're going to pick up were they left off? Instead of going back to the main beginning. Just start at level 2.1?

[Ashura]

That's not something we could even begin to speculate at this point.

Even the statement that sales vs. cleanup cost is the reason the release is being suspended is just an educated guess.

[MarcFBR]

The sad part about this is these releases were done AMAZINGLY well. With the masters Funi has access to use, I don't think there could've been a better release.

I fully agree.

Outside of minor arguments on how much DVNR they used, and complaints we knew would come up due to their current production policies (not using alternate video streams, stuff like that) the releases are as close to perfect as is reasonable with the masters they have.

[PhoenixEX]

Damn it so much for my dream of owning the complete series on Blu-ray anytime soon.
Hopefully FUNimation gets their shit together and makes this up to the fans somehow.

[samuraix123]

Oh, They'll make it up to us alright, By cancelling this and Bring out something else. I would even go as far to say that these level sets looked better than the Dragon-Boxes.

[Ashura]

Marc: Yeah, exactly.

On the alternate stream stuff, I've talked to a collector who has some international masters for the original Dragon Ball. It seems like they may not have access to the original Japanese opening and endings even if they wanted to include them. It seems that most of the masters Toei shipped are creditless at least as far as op+ed go.

[Daimo-Rukiri]

This kinda sucks.. just hope it's put on hiatus, or could be something to do with Toei?

[DinoChow]

I've never been happier that I got the DragonBoxes at the right time....and even though I ultimately wasn't interested in the Level releases, I feel really bad right now for everyone who DID invest in them. I totally understand being excited about DBZ on Blu-Ray, especially when the end product was so strong, and I feel disappointed for that entire segment of the fandom. It's not fair, and if this release really is cancelled...well, it might be the right thing for Funimation to offer some sort of monetary compensation/exchange. How that would work I don't know, but canceling another release, especially after all the hype (the boxes themselves tout every single future release, if I'm not mistaken), is the last thing Funi need right now, at least from a publicity standpoint. They risk losing a lot of the good-will they built with the Dragon Boxes, and for a company like Funimation that largely exists because of passionate fan bases, that simple good-will is crucial.

This totally proves Meri's point from the 2011-in-review podcast...we can never see stuff like this coming, and to be correct when guessing future events in the Dragon Ball franchise, your prediction would have to be way, way out on a limb.

[Kendamu]

I was halfway throwing the idea around of maybe getting to these releases at some point, but the DBox and the cheap Blue Bricks not too long ago really sort of covered all the bases for me (except for the movies).

[MarcFBR]

I totally understand being excited about DBZ on Blu-Ray, especially when the end product was so strong, and I feel disappointed for that entire segment of the fandom. It's not fair, and if this release really is cancelled...well, it might be the right thing for Funimation to offer some sort of monetary compensation/exchange.

I doubt it. They have no real obligation to, nor is it anything that would reasonably be expected.

How that would work I don't know, but canceling another release, especially after all the hype (the boxes themselves tout every single future release, if I'm not mistaken), is the last thing Funi need right now, at least from a publicity standpoint. They risk losing a lot of the good-will they built with the Dragon Boxes, and for a company like Funimation that largely exists because of passionate fan bases, that simple good-will is crucial.

Most people won't notice to be honest. The reason DBZ is such a hot seller is because normal people get it. They often aren't specifically searching for it, but see an article somewhere where it's mentioned, or a friend mentions it, or so forth, they aren't actively searching it out.

And the Dboxes were popular with a very VERY slim group of people. Most people in the USA who are fans of DBZ likely don't even know what a 'Dragon Box' is nor would they honestly care. I doubt this will affect Funi in any way, outside of 'this specific product won't be on the shelf' and any potential profit that might have brought.

[samuraix123]

When I seen this thread pop up again. I was like, ''hey I bet one of guys put up level 2.1 trailer alright'' boy did I get smacked hard in the face But seriously, I hate that this has happened. I'm hoping soon Funimation says ''Hey guys the level sets are back up and running'' But it must have been very hard to remaster it ''frame by Frame'' But if they are going to go a cheaper route in the remastering process. Just drop it. Because I'm pretty sure we all don't want another clone of the orange bricks.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

Makes me wonder if Madman will bother going through with their release of these sets. If I were Funimation I'd call it quits on this Blu-Ray project and start re-printing those awesome yellow boxes that everyone loves. As good as they were we never really needed the Blu-Rays anyway, especially since Kai is still on shelves.

[Chibi Gohan]

I guess they didn't make enough profit for the time and money they invested in the remastering process. I can't really say I'm surprised this happened...

[Daimo-Rukiri]

They also may be looking at better was of restoration as well, they may also have been contacted by Toei for there BD release(hey I can dream right?) They had to have planned costs from the get go, I suspect something else is going on behind the season.

Either Toei contacted FUNi about a BD release, and suspends.
Or, FUNi's cheap or wants to release the series at a higher price and that wouldn't surprise me.

Maybe there restoration process couldn't restore some episodes or some episodes were beyond repair, that could be another reason for suspending.

Suspension just means going on Hiatus, maybe the staff needs a break?

Wasn't there a message from FUNi regarding the ultimate uncut sets?

[mikezilla2]

i guess no one has bothered to contact Chris or feedback@funimation ?

[samuraix123]

I know a-lot of people who would hate this idea. But if Funimation started releasing these with more discs, more episodes, and have the same great quality. I honestly wouldn't mind paying around 30 or 40 bucks for them in sets

[Chibi Gohan]

Either Toei contacted FUNi about a BD release, and suspends.
Or, FUNi's cheap or wants to release the series at a higher price and that wouldn't surprise me.

Maybe there restoration process couldn't restore some episodes or some episodes were beyond repair, that could be another reason for suspending.

Suspension just means going on Hiatus, maybe the staff needs a break?

It really doesn't seem that this has anything to do with Toei stepping in. The language of their press release seems to suggest that the Blu-rays were not a financially successful release. A business is a business. As for the "technical difficulties"... it could mean that either the remastering process consumed too much time, money, or effort... finding more "efficient" could be another way of saying "cheaper" methods.

[superrayman3]

I've never been happier that I got the DragonBoxes at the right time....and even though I ultimately wasn't interested in the Level releases, I feel really bad right now for everyone who DID invest in them. I totally understand being excited about DBZ on Blu-Ray, especially when the end product was so strong, and I feel disappointed for that entire segment of the fandom. It's not fair, and if this release really is cancelled...well, it might be the right thing for Funimation to offer some sort of monetary compensation/exchange.

Sorry but that's not gonna happen, if Funimation didn't offer any sort of monetary compensation/exchange back when they canceled the UUE DVD sets (and they still have yet to apologise to the people who invested in them I might add) then what makes you think that they'll do it this time? I get your point that from a moral standpoint it's the right thing to do, but the reality is they're not legaly obligated to do such a thing so they won't.

[Gonstead]

Honestly, they should of waited for the Kai craze to settle down, perhaps for a year or two and then do the Blu-Ray release.