ADV Goes Blu-ray

[melonpan]

Warning: BIG PICS!
DVD:
http://theintarweb.info/pics/paprika-dvd-2.png
Blu Ray
http://theintarweb.info/pics/paprika-bd-2.png

And it only costs you about half a grand for that amazing improved picture quality? Amazing...

Not worth it.

Well worth it, in my opinion.

EDIT: Actually, woah! That's an impressive comparison. The first I've seen directly comparing DVD and Blu-ray actually.

I wonder what the bitrate of the video that is made as the source is. Actually, the highest bitrate possible. I wonder how big the file would be, uncompressed video, mmmmm *drool*. I wonder how many years it'll be until we get the next round of media. Holographic discs? Yes please. Protein-coated discs!? Yes please! I was going to go on, but all the Wikipedia information for the possible future formats seems to have dissapeared...

 

[Sy]

Of course but you're the pickiest person on here anyway.

To me the 'improvement' looks rather pathetic to tell the truth. In a few years when the prices come down it might be worth it but right now, no way.

 

[Project-2501]

It will be worth it when they show a noticable improvement in quality. OK Paprika may not be the best example but it was one of the first in HD and was released by the people behind Blu Ray so you HOPE its representative of the quality we could expect.

Until such time I'll stick to my 720p projector and non-HDMI DVD player.

 

[Martin]

Okay, the prices of the players will go down in time, just like DVD did so yeah, I'll be buying into the Blu-ray/HD thing for the simple reason that it looks better on a larger screen. Needless to say I'm planning on getting a huge-ass HD set, simply because the picture quality is better. The LCD HD set my dad bought swayed me actually, because I didn't realise how good it looked until I saw it first-hand. Well worth the investment if you appreciate such things.

My thoughts on the HD issue were more fully explained in the comment I posted on this blog entry - basically the Blu-ray or HD-DVD treatment would be a worthy purchase for certain titles, e.g. a special edition in addition to a lower-priced regular DVD equivalent.

In closing, would I be tempted into a HD/Bu-ray upgrade by a special edition, more expensive, hi-def version of 5cm per second? Abso-f***ing-lutely.

 

[melonpan]

Of course but you're the pickiest person on here anyway.

To me the 'improvement' looks rather pathetic to tell the truth. In a few years when the prices come down it might be worth it but right now, no way.

Maybe I'm the pickiest, but if you can't notice the VAST difference in quality in those Paprika screenshots... then you need your eyes tested.

The new media couldn't come a moment sooner, it's just the price that stops people from getting on the bandwagon, which is a great shame.

To be honest, the off-putting factor here, is not only the price, it's the fundamental way the entire transition is being handled. It's ridiculous. Is there anything that could put you any more off going onto HD, than having a bloody war over two formats that are more or less exactly the same. Way to go, idiots. (The high-ups sitting into their offices of course, yeah you Bill Gates, you're pathetic, likewise at your attempt to overthrow Googles unanimous hold on the search engine part of the Internet. Pathetic!)

 

[melonpan]

Okay, the prices of the players will go down in time, just like DVD did so yeah, I'll be buying into the Blu-ray/HD thing for the simple reason that it looks better on a larger screen. Needless to say I'm planning on getting a huge-ass HD set, simply because the picture quality is better. The LCD HD set my dad bought swayed me actually, because I didn't realise how good it looked until I saw it first-hand. Well worth the investment if you appreciate such things.

My thoughts on the HD issue were more fully explained in the comment I posted on this blog entry - basically the Blu-ray or HD-DVD treatment would be a worthy purchase for certain titles, e.g. a special edition in addition to a lower-priced regular DVD equivalent.

In closing, would I be tempted into a HD/Bu-ray upgrade by a special edition, more expensive, hi-def version of 5cm per second? Abso-f***ing-lutely.

Someone after my own heart.

I can't wait for the time I have enough money to afford a huge HD TV with a player to boot!

HD makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and the song I'm listening to at the moment just emphasises that.

 

[Jaymii]

HD-DVD is pretty much dead now, There is no question Blu-Ray is the format "war" winner. I've got to say, Sony have been doing some great transfers to their Blu-Ray. Although, I don't think them frames provided are actually -that- good for them. Animation does look utterly amazing on Blu-Ray or HD in general over a SD DVD though. The compression artefacts are the main thing I dislike that when things, Animation in particular is put onto a disk. Now - These HD formats don't need compression they look much more brilliant.

I've brought into it and HD is definitely needed for some, It can come whenever for others.

Anyway, I can't wait to see what titles ADV pick to release on Blu-Ray first.

 

[melonpan]

Although, I don't think them frames provided are actually -that- good. Animation does look utterly amazing on Blu-Ray or HD in general over a SD DVD. The compression artefacts are the main thing I dislike that when things, Animation in particular is put onto a disk. Now - These HD formats don't need compression they look much more brilliant.

HD video still needs to be compressed. Blu-ray/(HD-DVD) just use a much better form of compression (in some CLEVER circumstances), which allows for even bigger bitrates for the size of the disc.

True uncompressed video... That'll be something to see.
There's already uncompressed PCM audio on DVD, so I wonder how far we are off uncompressed video.
Or, I wonder what the file size of a short piece of uncompressed video is.

 

[Aion]

The difference is noticeable in those screenshots, yes, but it wouldn't be worth buying a new TV, Blu-ray player/PS3 and cable for...unless you had a lot of money.

It's just like the difference I noticed when watching the 720P versions of Darker than BLACK episodes - The colours look better and the picture more clear. The HD version of the episodes were certainly more pleasing on the eye thanks to this, but the difference between the 480P and 720P versions wasn't enough to make me go crazy.

To be honest, I think MOST anime fans would just be happy to get their favourite series on DVD for cheap right now. I can only imagine those with well paid jobs getting excited over the pricing of HD anime series when the difference isn't HUUUUUUGE.

 

[Project-2501]

Maybe I'm the pickiest, but if you can't notice the VAST difference in quality in those Paprika screenshots... then you need your eyes tested.

Different colour saturation and no scaler graining. No more actual detail, unlike the live action shots.

Jayme, HD formats are still compressed. They are compressed more in reality than SD DVD.

More paprika pics
http://theintarweb.info/pics/paprika-dvd-1.png
http://theintarweb.info/pics/paprika-bd-1.png

http://theintarweb.info/pics/paprika-dvd-3.png
http://theintarweb.info/pics/paprika-bd-3.png

 

[Link100p]

Of course but you're the pickiest person on here anyway.

To me the 'improvement' looks rather pathetic to tell the truth. In a few years when the prices come down it might be worth it but right now, no way.

Maybe I'm the pickiest, but if you can't notice the VAST difference in quality in those Paprika screenshots... then you need your eyes tested.

I can see the difference (it's hardly vast) but I really just don't care, I don't see HD/blue ray making me enjoy films more at all. I mean look at all those grainy Black and white films that are wildly considered classics, it just goes to show that picture quality barely matters at all.

 

[melonpan]

DVD quality could be greatly increased if the -whatever it is that controls what applications you can have on optical media- allowed for h.264/AVC/MPEG-4 encoding. I'm sure you'd get some pretty massive bitrates with that.
MPEG-2 is old. *snore*

If you could create a disc that was future-proofed for technologies in the years ahead (and encoding/compression technologies), when that'd be a disc to support, and I think that's exactly what Blu-ray/HD-DVD can do, although I couldn't find much out about Blu-rays Java application or HD-DVD's HDi application thing..

 

[melonpan]

I can see the difference (it's hardly vast) but I really just don't care, I don't see HD/blue ray making me enjoy films more at all. I mean look at all those grainy Black and white films that are wildly considered classics, it just goes to show that picture quality barely matters at all.

No, all it shows is a difference in opinion.

Not everyone considers 'old grainy black and what films' classics. I certainly don't. I can't stand them.

 

[Project-2501]

You can use whatever compression you like on a DVD, its the player thats the problem. H264 on DVD was considdered as an interim HDish format.

MPEG2 may be old but give it enough bits and it does a very good job. H264/MPEG4 just allows you to get the same quality in less bits.

 

[Sy]

Maybe I'm the pickiest, but if you can't notice the VAST difference in quality in those Paprika screenshots... then you need your eyes tested.

Like Link said, I can see the difference but it's not as much of an improvement as you seem to be making it out to be. At least not worth getting an entirely new setup for.

Not everyone considers 'old grainy black and what films' classics. I certainly don't. I can't stand them.

Then you're missing out on a lot of amazing films. Quite a shame really.

 

[Aion]

There is no real argument here - HD is obviously better than SD. People with the cash will move to the format with higher quality as soon as they can, where as people with less £££ will stick with DVD and hope they can finally start getting anime for cheap.

About the jump in quality itself, there's also no argument since, once again, it's an obvious improvement. However, it's not an orgasmic VHS>DVD improvement and, with DVD's still being perfectly playable on Blu-ray/HD-DVD players, people will still buy DVD's for the future.

What are people arguing over exactly? :-/

 

[melonpan]

You can use whatever compression you like on a DVD, its the player thats the problem. H264 on DVD was considdered as an interim HDish format.

MPEG2 may be old but give it enough bits and it does a very good job. H264/MPEG4 just allows you to get the same quality in less bits.

Well that clears that up then.

I guess there was some sort of problem with integrating the H.264 codec with DVD players then, as the codec has been around for years now.

Well, no, I bet there was no problem, the problem would be that they make no money from it. (And casual buyers have no clue what it is).

 

[melonpan]

What are people arguing over exactly? :-/

Well, from the last time I checked... this topic is about the future of anime, on HD, and you'd think that you'd want to discuss things to do with that, but other people just like pointing out how they don't notice any difference.

Using another example.. it's like posting in a thread about an anime you don't like, or don't really care about - leave the people who do like it and do care about it to get on with it!

 

[Project-2501]

Well, no, I bet there was no problem, the problem would be that they make no money from it. (And casual buyers have no clue what it is).

Hammer, nail, head.

You also have the legacy issue, the huge backlog of old players.

Digital terrestrial TV would be hugely improved by moving to 8k interleave on the DVBT and going H264 but imagine the uproar if suddenly everyone who has bought a freeview box is told "sorry, they are now as out of date as analogue TV, you have to buy another".

And DAB is finally ditching MPEG layer 2 audio for AAC+ but most UK bought DAB radios don't support it

Oh happy days!

 

[Sy]

but other people just like pointing out how they don't notice any difference.

Again, we notice that there is a difference but we don't think that it is as much as improvement as you make it out to be and doesn't warrant the price tag for a new set-up to be able to view it. That's it.