Samurai Champloo: Complete Collection (Blu-ray) (Classic Line)

[WTK]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91GIisH%2B4lL._AA_.jpg

Samurai Champloo: Complete Collection (Blu-ray) (Classic Line) due out on 5/24/11 (Was 3/29/11 and 3/1/11).
Contains episodes 1-26.

Special Features: "Battlecry" (Opening) Promo Video, Teaser Trailer, Conceptual Art, Bumper Gallery, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, Trailers.

[Devdan]

They're seriously using that art again. Why don't they want my money.

[Buckeye]

IIRC, this is the first volume cover from the original Geneon release, except that the background is orange instead of white. It works for a complete collection set.

[WTK]

As stated on the DVD thread, the main artwork just doesn't work for me. Same thing can be said for the main background. It will be pass for me on this.

[Devdan]

There's just something about that upside-down Fuu that bugs the crap out of me. Everything else about it is fine.

[ExcelGenerations]

Love this cover! It really molds well with the art style of this show and its atmosphere.

[bearcounty]

I'd prefer the vol. 4 cover:
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8579/61teb7ha2sl.jpg

[Daichi]

They're seriously using that art again. Why don't they want my money.


My thoughts exactly. What a horrible cover for such an beautifully done show.

[Damius]

I would have been surprise they use another one for the BD...but oh well...

[EyeOfPain]

Can't say I have a particular dislike of the artwork, so long as I don't focus my attention on Fuu.

[TheLaughingMan]

Ugh, still that awful cover. And it probably won't get re-authored...
I'll likely still pass.

[Hayate Kurogane]

Ugh, still that awful cover. And it probably won't get re-authored...
I'll likely still pass.

Yeah, but at least the DVDs with better PQ are also getting cheaper re-releases for folks who have yet to buy, so they too can avoid falling into the trap of a Blu-ray downgrade.

[WTK]

The official DVD cover art (http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showpost.php?p=1876559&postcount=1) has been revealed. It's very possible that the BD version will keep the same main artwork.

[bearcounty]

I'd prefer the vol. 4 cover:
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8579/61teb7ha2sl.jpg
Well who would've thought...

It looks a lot better than the previous collection and it's nice to see the Anime Classics banner doesn't stick out like a sore thumb (*cough*S.A.V.E.*cough*.)

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

I like it a lot and I love how Fuu really stands out among the trio. I may pick it up during a future Funni sale at TRSI.

[WTK]

Old Release Date: 3/1/11
New Release Date: 3/29/11

[WTK]

Contains episodes 1-26.

Special Features: "Battlecry" (Opening) Promo Video, Teaser Trailer, Conceptual Art, Bumper Gallery, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, Trailers.

[RyGuySays]

If I could get it for the right price and sell my current copy I may consider getting the new Anime Classic version, that cover is fantastic.

[Tenkyoken]

Nice, lightyears better than that yellow crap. Still torn on whether I shouldn't hunt down the Geneon release.

[Hayate Kurogane]

Nice, lightyears better than that yellow crap. Still torn on whether I shouldn't hunt down the Geneon release.

You mean this Geneon release (http://www.rightstuf.com/aod/gn08654)? No hunting involved. :) And it's still the best version of the show in R1 in terms of video quality, regardless of format.

[Talyn]

Nice, lightyears better than that yellow crap. Still torn on whether I shouldn't hunt down the Geneon release.

You mean this Geneon release (http://www.rightstuf.com/aod/gn08654)? No hunting involved. :) And it's still the best version of the show in R1 in terms of video quality, regardless of format.

That's the version I picked up during the 12+ days sale at TRSI...excellent price and deal...

[RyGuySays]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91GIisH%2B4lL._AA1500_.jpg

Final box art, WTK you know what to do :)

Absolutely love the cover art, I'll be selling the hideous yellow monstrosity back to Amazon for $20 and picking this up!

[TheLaughingMan]

Amazing cover, like, really excellent! :beatingheart:

Also, we finally see how the Anime Classics line will be represented. Sad that it once again hide some of the cover art but at least it's classy and not some ugly crap like SAVE/Viridian logos.

Also, is this show on BD really that bad? Like, is it just no improvement at all over the old Geneon discs, or is it truly worst than them?
I still have the Geneon red box with singles, but i'd like to get this BD set. At least if it's on par...

[Devdan]

Ah, that doesn't look bad. Better than the old one for sure.

[RyGuySays]

It really depends on who you talk to, I don't think it's worse then the DVDs, with the Q-tec process they smeared some of the detail away. Check out the Champloo thread in the Blu forum theres a bunch of comparison shots. The audio is the main reason I upgraded my redbox set.

[EyeOfPain]

The stamp in the bottom left corner looks much better than that border FUNi had before.

[cress2000]

This cover looks really awesome to me. I might be tempted to buy this if they've redone the upscale to look more like their recent ones.

[WTK]

Final box art, WTK you know what to do :)
It's up now on the first post.
Absolutely love the cover art, I'll be selling the hideous yellow monstrosity back to Amazon for $20 and picking this up!
It's definitely an upgrade in terms of the main artwork. I won't be triple dipping though.

[chronoclast]

This cover looks a whole lot better than the awful yellow cover of the previous set.

I might be tempted to buy this if they've redone the upscale to look more like their recent ones.

Same here. I'm not buying it unless it has a new upscale. I fully expect it will just be a repackage of the same discs from the previous set though.

[Hayate Kurogane]

It really depends on who you talk to, I don't think it's worse then the DVDs, with the Q-tec process they smeared some of the detail away. Check out the Champloo thread in the Blu forum theres a bunch of comparison shots. The audio is the main reason I upgraded my redbox set.

Just to be clear, though, Q-tec is a company in Japan whose work includes post-production for media products. It is not a process or a piece of software or anything of that sort. So, when talking about something like this Samurai Champloo release, folks should either be talking about a "FUNimation process" or "a process that stupidly involved excessive DVNR."

And video-wise, yes, this Blu-ray set is a downgrade in video quality from Geneon's DVD release. Unless you're one of the folks that these studios and individuals responsible for some upscaling these days are trying to cater to because they know that said folks expect their shiny new HDTVs to display only large, overly-bright, flat areas of color, and that grain and fine detail and contrast variation are awful things.

[Tenkyoken]

Nice, lightyears better than that yellow crap. Still torn on whether I shouldn't hunt down the Geneon release.

You mean this Geneon release (http://www.rightstuf.com/aod/gn08654)? No hunting involved. :) And it's still the best version of the show in R1 in terms of video quality, regardless of format.

No I mean this (http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/G1dAZtNUOoN8pZwI4e/browse/item/69830/4/0/0) one.

[Hayate Kurogane]

Nice, lightyears better than that yellow crap. Still torn on whether I shouldn't hunt down the Geneon release.

You mean this Geneon release (http://www.rightstuf.com/aod/gn08654)? No hunting involved. :) And it's still the best version of the show in R1 in terms of video quality, regardless of format.

No I mean this (http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/G1dAZtNUOoN8pZwI4e/browse/item/69830/4/0/0) one.

Ah, gotcha. There are a number of copies, both new and used, still floating around Amazon and eBay, among other places, so it shouldn't be hard to locate a copy once you decide to buy as long as you're willing to pay the asking price, which seems to be fairly reasonable since the older releases have been devalued by FUNimation's various releases. The set I linked to, though, contains the exact same discs and retains the same cover art (with skinny spines, natch'), but it seems like you're after the original art box as well.

[RyGuySays]

They're the exact same, funi just repackaged them into thinpacks.

[Tenkyoken]

I'm a sucker for nicely done artboxes.

[Hayate Kurogane]

I'm a sucker for nicely done artboxes.

I'm with you on that one. I actually don't currently own a copy of the series (having owned it twice already and then flipped it not for lack of love of the show but for cash opportunities), but I'd like to have it again, so maybe I should hurry up and grab one of the more reasonably-priced original complete sets out there before you do. :P

[WTK]

Per RACS


Old release dates: 3/29/11 and 3/1/11
New release date: 5/24/11

[StrawHatMoosey]

Per RACS


Old release dates: 3/29/11 and 3/1/11
New release date: 5/24/11

MAY!?! What is with Funi pushing back like every release date for everything they put out lately?

[sickVisionz]

Looks a lil goofy imo, but not bad.

[Phaded]

Surely they wouldn't push it back like that if it was the same transfer, I mean there would be no need to just for a redesigned front cover no?

[Tenkyoken]

Surely they wouldn't push it back like that if it was the same transfer, I mean there would be no need to just for a redesigned front cover no?

Could be production delays. I highly doubt they are doing a new transfer, that's just wishful thinking.

[Daichi]

I would love for this to be a new transfer, if it is I might double-dip.

[WTK]

http://cdn3b.dvdempire.org/products/93/1562293bh.jpg

[Sanosuke]

Crispy beats? :laugh:

[Chiryoku]

I would love for this to be a new transfer, if it is I might double-dip.

According to this person: http://zaockle.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/blu-ray-classic-series-1/
The new FUNimation classic release of Samurai Champloo uses the same master as the Japanese release. I don't know if that's true or not because I'm not sure where that person got that info.

[Kajicat]

I haven't found ANY screenshot comparisons between this supposedly new Anime Classics blu-ray remaster and the original 2009 blu-ray release.

I'd like to sell my 2009 blu-ray set on eBay to raise money for this new Anime Classics release if it truly does have better PQ.

[MrKimiko]

I haven't found ANY screenshot comparisons between this supposedly new Anime Classics blu-ray remaster and the original 2009 blu-ray release.

I'd like to sell my 2009 blu-ray set on eBay to raise money for this new Anime Classics release if it truly does have better PQ.

the new one has the same discs as the older one.

[Kajicat]

I haven't found ANY screenshot comparisons between this supposedly new Anime Classics blu-ray remaster and the original 2009 blu-ray release.

I'd like to sell my 2009 blu-ray set on eBay to raise money for this new Anime Classics release if it truly does have better PQ.

the new one has the same discs as the older one.
People have been saying Funi did a new transfer for this Anime Classics line of Samurai Champloo. The disk art may be the same, but they say this release didn't get the DNR coating that the original blu-ray release (2009) had, therefore retaining the original detail from the DVD release instead of smudging it away.

[MrKimiko]

I haven't found ANY screenshot comparisons between this supposedly new Anime Classics blu-ray remaster and the original 2009 blu-ray release.

I'd like to sell my 2009 blu-ray set on eBay to raise money for this new Anime Classics release if it truly does have better PQ.

the new one has the same discs as the older one.
People have been saying Funi did a new transfer for this Anime Classics line of Samurai Champloo. The disk art may be the same, but they say this release didn't get the DNR coating that the original blu-ray release (2009) had, therefore retaining the original detail from the DVD release instead of smudging it away.

You know more. So you decide what to do.

[chronoclast]

People have been saying Funi did a new transfer for this Anime Classics line of Samurai Champloo. The disk art may be the same, but they say this release didn't get the DNR coating that the original blu-ray release (2009) had, therefore retaining the original detail from the DVD release instead of smudging it away.

It's a new encode. While not direct comparisons, compare these screenshots (you have to be registered at Blu-ray.com to be able to see the shots at 1920x1080 though):

Original release (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Samurai-Champloo-The-Complete-Series-Blu-ray/6686/#Screenshots)
Anime Classics (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Samurai-Champloo-Complete-Collection-Blu-ray/17449/#Screenshots)

The most obvious difference is the grain present on the Anime Classics release.

[bored@lazy]

Heh, funny that the review of the shitty encode gave a higher score for video. Plus the reviewer in the second one even said it was the same when it definitely isn't. But then again, I wouldn't really expect any more for bluray.com when it comes to anime.

[Kajicat]

People have been saying Funi did a new transfer for this Anime Classics line of Samurai Champloo. The disk art may be the same, but they say this release didn't get the DNR coating that the original blu-ray release (2009) had, therefore retaining the original detail from the DVD release instead of smudging it away.

It's a new encode. While not direct comparisons, compare these screenshots (you have to be registered at Blu-ray.com to be able to see the shots at 1920x1080 though):

Original release (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Samurai-Champloo-The-Complete-Series-Blu-ray/6686/#Screenshots)
Anime Classics (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Samurai-Champloo-Complete-Collection-Blu-ray/17449/#Screenshots)

The most obvious difference is the grain present on the Anime Classics release.
I've seen those, but thanks. Would be cool to see direct comparison screenshots of the exact same scene, but I don't think anyone has done that yet. Between the screenshots from both released provided by your links it's quite hard to tell much of a difference, leading me to believe it's not really worth me double dipping considering when the show is in motion it would be even harder to see a difference than staring at these static screens.

Hmph.

[Kajicat]

Holy crap - never mind! Put in my 2009 blu-ray release copy last night and it looks stunning enough. Won't be needing to pick up the 2012 Anime Classics version. The DNR isn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be. It's there, but it doesn't take away from the show at all IMO.

Besides the smoothness of DNR, the lines themselves are sharp (especially during character closeups) and the colors are dynamic on my 55" Samsung LED.

Decided no need to re-dip :)

[cristian]

Holy crap - never mind! Put in my 2009 blu-ray release copy last night and it looks stunning enough. Won't be needing to pick up the 2012 Anime Classics version. The DNR isn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be. It's there, but it doesn't take away from the show at all IMO.

Besides the smoothness of DNR, the lines themselves are sharp (especially during character closeups) and the colors are dynamic on my 55" Samsung LED.

Decided no need to re-dip :)

re-dip and burn it ritual your old copy. piece of dnr crap

[Kajicat]

^^ Nah. Sure the DNR got rid of some background detail (pretty much only noticeable by screenshot comparisons) but it's not like this is a live action film with real actors, so IMO there isn't much need for film grain since this is animation. I like my animation clean, but detailed. As long as the animators put enough detail into the work, no film grain is needed in animation productions. Champloo looks great without the film grain even if the grain was intentional by the creators (bad choice on their part IMO).