Dragon Ball Z "Seasons" On Blu-ray: News & Discussion

[VegettoEX]

Has anyone here ordered it from Amazon? It's possible there actually are packaging/shipping errors on their part, or that their stock included some defective discs or something.

Mine just came in and was perfectly fine. Came in a standard bubble-wrap. No crumbled edges or anything on the slipcase (OK, maybe the tiiiiiiiniest little smush on the bottom left, but nothing you wouldn't see out in a store anywhere, either, and not really worth mentioning).

[Vegard Aune]

FUNimation's packaging of Dragon Box Z was pretty crappy and sometimes very similar to the mediocrity you'd get from buying a bootleg release.

You mean with the overlapping discs? Yeah, those are obnoxious as hell... but I'd say they were at least better than many other cases I've seen with overlapping discs, where the disc-holders would be designed in such a way that the top-disc would be held in a total death-grip. As in, it's so hard to get out that I literally worry that the disc might snap in two before I actually get it loose.
With the exception of the overlapping discs though (which are still IMO better than many other examples of such packaging, as I never had too much trouble getting the discs out of the case, and for the record none of the holders were ever broken for me) I'd say the Dragon Boxes had some of the better packaging FUNi has done for the series. And I'd say their holders actually hold the discs in place better than the Japanese Boxes do.

That said though...

In terms of sheer practicality, this is probably my favorite packaging for multi-disc releases ever. The One Piece 4-disc collections are packaged like this, and it's like, as soon as I got one of those I was just like "Wow, this packaging is really convenient!"
Which is admittedly a silly reaction to have, but I'm just so used to FUNi's packaging either being inconvenient or just plain wasteful. (Two thinpak-cases for a 2-disc set? Seriously? Just throw them in one normal-sized case and save some plastic.)

[darkknightkryta]

Anyone else notice this set hasn't been colour corrected?

[DHM211]

Anyone else notice this set hasn't been colour corrected?

I didn't notice.

[Metalwario64]

Anyone else notice this set hasn't been colour corrected?

What set?

Because if you're talking about the new Blu-rays, you need to have your eyes examined methinks.

[dbboxkaifan]

Anyone else notice this set hasn't been colour corrected?

Colour correct what has been already corrected?

Unless you mean turn it to the pinky that is the Dragon Boxes Z.

[qjz123]

Anyone else notice this set hasn't been colour corrected?

What are you talking about? They're most likely still working with Steve Franko's color corrected film transfer the same one used in the level sets they're just over saturating it in post. Here is the same shot from the level sets, the season 1 blu ray, and the orange bricks it's pretty obvious they're using the same transfer as the level sets as a base for the new release.
Level sets
http://imageshack.us/a/img59/4472/k6ss.png
Season 1 blu ray
http://imageshack.us/a/img811/716/s0jx.png
Orange bricks
http://imageshack.us/a/img34/7499/5i2p.png
The fact that they're selectively cropping the release also means that they're working with a 4:3 scan the colors on the new blu rays while they're definitely brighter than the level sets colors the colors of the new blu rays are definitely closer to the level sets then they are to the orange bricks.
Level sets
http://imageshack.us/a/img811/3215/so0m.png
Season 1 blu ray
http://imageshack.us/a/img542/7007/1bbt.png
Orange bricks
http://imageshack.us/a/img833/6467/lo5l.png

[Fizzer]

Anyone else notice this set hasn't been colour corrected?

What are you talking about? They're most likely still working with Steve Franko's color corrected film transfer the same one used in the level sets they're just over saturating it in post. Here is the same shot from the level sets, the season 1 blu ray, and the orange bricks it's pretty obvious they're using the same transfer as the level sets as a base for the new release.
Level sets
http://imageshack.us/a/img59/4472/k6ss.png
Season 1 blu ray
http://imageshack.us/a/img811/716/s0jx.png
Orange bricks
http://imageshack.us/a/img34/7499/5i2p.png
The fact that they're selectively cropping the release also means that they're working with a 4:3 scan the colors on the new blu rays while they're definitely brighter than the level sets colors the colors of the new blu rays are definitely closer to the level sets then they are to the orange bricks.
Level sets
http://imageshack.us/a/img811/3215/so0m.png
Season 1 blu ray
http://imageshack.us/a/img542/7007/1bbt.png
Orange bricks
http://imageshack.us/a/img833/6467/lo5l.png

God damn it, the Levels are so shockingly beautiful in comparison

[qjz123]

Here's an interesting comparison raw film scan cropped to 16:9 vs the season 1 blu ray
Raw film scan cropped to 16:9
http://imageshack.us/a/img21/4544/fnhh.png
Season 1 blu ray
http://imageshack.us/a/img24/7311/e4z1.png
and here it is uncropped
http://imageshack.us/a/img51/9107/2c0h.png
I almost feel bad for Steve Franco I mean I know he got paid to create a 1080p transfer of Dbz and he'd probably agree to do it again if the price is right, what Funimation did to his transfer is just sad. I'm sure this shot of Goku is one of the better/less damaged shot from Funnimation's film prints but still there are just so many unnecessary changes.

[qjz123]

God damn it, the Levels are so shockingly beautiful in comparison

The worst part is that Funimation is back tracking. It would be one thing if we got the orange bricks then these new season blu ray sets followed by the beautiful level sets. Instead we went from the orange bricks to the insanely awesome level sets then back to these new season blu rays. While I do feel like these new blu rays are definitely better than the orange bricks they pale in comparison to the level sets(at least as far as the video is concerned).

[Metalwario64]

Season 1 blu ray

Spoiler:

Orange bricks

Spoiler:

Well, your orange brick image is either doctored, or horribly taken, as it doesn't look that bad and yellow.

Here's an actual shot:


vs. a downscaled BR shot:


Every comparison I've seen has had a very crapified Orange Brick image for comparison. The colors are actually very close to the new Blu-rays, but the new Blu-rays have even more crushed blacks and saturation than before, and in the case of the upcoming S2 BR, brighter.

They're a bit sharper, and don't have the disappearing lines, but I don't see why everyone is acting like these are much better than the DVDs. I actually still kind of prefer the Orange Brick, because it vaguely resembles film, and I can see that Raditz' hair is blue. If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy the Orange Brick DVDs so as to not send FUNimation the wrong message that this destruction of the film is what makes DBZ sell. They really aren't that much worse (and are going to be better when S6-9 rolls around and is completely grainless).

[dbboxkaifan]

Here's an interesting comparison raw film scan cropped to 16:9 vs the season 1 blu ray
Raw film scan cropped to 16:9
http://imageshack.us/a/img21/4544/fnhh.png
Season 1 blu ray
http://imageshack.us/a/img24/7311/e4z1.png
and here it is uncropped
http://imageshack.us/a/img51/9107/2c0h.png
I almost feel bad for Steve Franco I mean I know he got paid to create a 1080p transfer of Dbz and he'd probably agree to do it again if the price is right, what Funimation did to his transfer is just sad. I'm sure this shot of Goku is one of the better/less damaged shot from Funnimation's film prints but still there are just so many unnecessary changes.

It would've been nice if FUNimation had continued the Levels' restoration through the Season BDs (what I'm gonna call it from now on) making it optional but still available via the same set although the user would need to choose that option, if he/she'd want it in Modern (DNR) or Classic (Grainy) view although it'd still be 16x9 AR.

Kinda like how they did it for Dragon Ball GT, on one side they had the metallic GT logo and on the other the original GT logo along with all Japanese credits and stuff.

Well, something like this would have been sold for more than $70 due to both restorations.

[final_flash]

WOW they really are a slight "upgrade" of the orange bricks.Those shots of the level set vs BD season sets, makes the BD seasons set look like crap. I dont think I'm gonna wast my money on these.

[final_flash]

Has anyone said how the BD season sets new vivid colors, makes the the picture look flat? There is no depth to it

[Daimo-Rukiri]

While there is no missing lines this time around it's sad they had to go this route and it's also sad that these have to succeed to possibly get what we had with the level sets in 2015-2016...
Will we see a release in 2020?... c'mon just release the definitive version of the show on blu-ray and call it a day heck just give us the raw transfer!

[final_flash]

Was dragon box a raw transfer?

[Fizzer]

I just had a though, didn't FUNi say (a while ago, I believe in 2012) the next release of the original Dragon Ball was going to be in the first quarter of 2014? If that's still the case, there's a chance they're treating the hardcore to more Dragon Boxes. There's also a chance that DB is also getting this BD Season treatment, though.

[darkknightkryta]

This is what I'm talking about:
Orange Brick:
http://imageshack.us/a/img15/4021/f9cl.png
Season:
http://imageshack.us/a/img69/3079/jmo6.png

Notice how the peach flesh tone turned to pink. The 4 way shot of Vegeta, Goku, Krillin, and Gohan's another good one to compare (I don't know where that comparison is in this thread). This is actually a serious issue in the android/cell saga right up until Gohan kills Cell.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

Sorry to go off-topic a sec,
If I buy a blu-ray drive for my laptop will that both burn and rip Blu-Rays? Or will I have to fork out more for one that will burn too?
Thanks.

[Fizzer]

Sorry to go off-topic a sec,
If I buy a blu-ray drive for my laptop will that both burn and rip Blu-Rays? Or will I have to fork out more for one that will burn too?
Thanks.

That will cost extra, I'm afraid

This is what I'm talking about:
Orange Brick:
http://imageshack.us/a/img15/4021/f9cl.png
Season:
http://imageshack.us/a/img69/3079/jmo6.png

Notice how the peach flesh tone turned to pink. The 4 way shot of Vegeta, Goku, Krillin, and Gohan's another good one to compare (I don't know where that comparison is in this thread). This is actually a serious issue in the android/cell saga right up until Gohan kills Cell.

Wait... That's kind of like the Dragon Box colouration.