Macross: Flashback 2012 re-release

[Skywise]

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20071102/bandai.htm?ref=rss

There's no mention of any remastering being done so I don't expect much change on the video side. The audio however has been upgraded to LPCM, the original disc only had DD, so it would very much be worth the upgrade unless they're doing a full HD remaster for BD at some point.

EDIT: Rewatching it, it turns out that there's some SD editing and live action overlays, so I think a HD edition might be a lost cause. They'd have to literally re-edit most of the videos together from scratch. Oh well.

[Njr Scrawl]

Be getting this although I own the LD. Worth it for The Mega Road 01 exclusive clip, the epilogue to both TV & DYRL.

And to see animation with songs in stereo :)

*waits for CDJ posting*

[KShinjo]

I might get this just for the LPCM audio. The DD audio on the Movic DVD release was rather poor compared to my LD.

[treatment]

just waiting for AmJ to list it.

[treatment]

and now AmJ just listed it:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/switch-language/product/B000Y9OKLM/ref=dp_change_lang/503-1694995-8250319?ie=UTF8&language=en%5FJP

w00t!

[Thanatos]

PREORDERED!

Maybe I should buy two copies, one for now, one for when people will pay 15,000 yen for it on yahoo auctions...

[Njr Scrawl]

Its up for pre-order @ CDJ now;
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=BCBA-3229

[dejr8bud]

preordered. awesome!!!

[nhyone]

Your plan will not work because this is not a limited edition. Any OOP will only be temporary.

[Thanatos]

Your plan will not work because this is not a limited edition. Any OOP will only be temporary.

Son of a bitch, my plans for getting rich quick have been foiled again! :P

[AUSTIN316]

YES! I happened to see this just a few minutes ago and very happily added it to my Macross TV box order, I can finally put my LD to rest.

This makes 2 very pleasant supprises for me in as many minutes. I discovered that City Hunter is FINALLY getting singles and Flashback was a link from one of the City Hunter DVDs when I ordered them.

[xellosscorp]

Thanks so much for the link; got it preordered! It'll be nice to have it in a more convenient format than LD ^_^

[vanfanel]

Great news! And to think, it was this very morning that I found myself being tempted by an evil bootleg of it. I resisted...and then logged on to AoD to find this very welcome news!

[Keith]

Any news yet as to whether or not the video is remastered? I actually have the first run DVD (official, not a bootleg), and wouldn't mind double dipping if it's remastered like DYRL.

[Njr Scrawl]

I guess its possible as SDF TV has been re-mastered, as has DYRL.

Only the unique 2012 animation would need doing as extra work.

However from experience, for other shows, original extras sometimes are not - openings & endings, or clip/music videos are left untouched with only the "meat" re-mastered. O.O

[Skywise]

Any news yet as to whether or not the video is remastered? I actually have the first run DVD (official, not a bootleg), and wouldn't mind double dipping if it's remastered like DYRL.

Like I said earlier, it would take a lot of work to do it, and it's simply not possible for some parts. There's also no mention of a remaster anywhere that I can find.

[Thanatos]

I'd venture the odds of it not being remastered, on account of it not being mentioned and it being dificult, are 99.99%. :sd:

Remastering would be possible, but I think that'd be less "remastering" and more "reanimating the special visual effects/re-editing the footage from scratch." I don't think it will happen because this is essentially a fan disc.

[treatment]

not sure if this will be the final version, but amazon.jp had just posted a newer cover-art image for Flashback 2012 dvd:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/images/B000Y9OKLM/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=561958&s=dvd

[Njr Scrawl]

Disappointing.

[Njr Scrawl]

Email from CDJ, mine is shipping - about a week to reach me thru SAL I guess.

[AUSTIN316]

Can't wait to see this title on DVD finally. i was reading a review on Amazon Jp earlier tonight and the person seemed to be satisfied due to the material being what it was, an edited on video product from a different age of technology. The customer said this presentation and format is good enough, I hope i agree! I hope it doesn't look as awful as that non-remastered Flashback footage at the end of DYRL? though.... I pulled out my LD a few weeks back to see how it looked and I think it looked better than both DYRL? DVD releases. I think the CAV LD box also looked a touch better for the ending footage. It wasn't until I watched the CAV LD again to see the Flashback footage that I trully appreciated the remaster!

Oh and to finally have my precious Macross TV series with a proper HD remaster and restoration. I appreciate what Animego did with their box but it can't hold a candle to a proper 2007 HD remaster done in Japan from original film masters. Shame the remaster can't fix the awful Korean "anime friend" episodes. Ha, friend my arse!

[Thanatos]

Mine arrived yesteday. (Paid via 7-11 internet payment so it took an extra day.)

Packaging: on the inside we get a very nice 10-page booklet of info, line art, background sketches, and color Mikimoto sketches... and even specs on the VF-4 Lightning III and SDF-2 Megaroad-01. Front cover is a digitally redone version of the LD's "three stages of Minmay", now done in Post-Neo Mikimoto-style. Aside from the booklet, there's a Chibi Beat magazine, as usual per BV discs (Heidi Girl of the Alps 35th Anniversary Box? SCORE!), and an ad for Macross F.

Everything else: We all hoped it wouldn't be, but once again this rerelease of Flashback is just the old 1987 D2 video master slapped on a new DVD with new packaging. There are no on-disc extras or menu options other than select song.

Flashback Parts 1-2 are letterboxed (and have wonderful composite rainbows and dot crawl.) The rest of music video consists of unremastered 4:3 footage from the whatever film materials Studio Nue used from the TV series and Movie in 1987 to cut this together. And of course, because of all the special video effects and live-action shots, making a remastered version of Flashback would be (probably) impossible. But on the other hand, it's at least very nice just to have the DVD back in print again, in stereo PCM, with new packaging. No longer must we resort to paying yahoo auction sellers 15,000 yen for the original DVD or settling for numerous HK pirate discs (interesting note: despite the R2 being a DVD5, the pirated discs of Flashback actually show macroblocking not present on the R2. Brilliant encoding there, Triads.)

And despite my bitching over how Macross Flashback is always given the shoddy, backdoor blacksheep treatment of the Macross family (hell, even Macross II had a very spiffy DVD release), I'm just buying this because I'm still in love with Minmay and the second this arrived at my door I immediately put in into my DVD player and started signing along with the Goddess, instead of getting ready for my hot date for the evening. Sure, my date was pissed as hell that I was twenty minutes late and we may not become exclusive because of it, but I KNOW my priorities. I'd do anything for Minmay!

I wonder if I should order another copy of the R2 just to resell in for much higher later. Does anyone know if this rerelease of Flashback is a general DVD or a Limited Release?

[AUSTIN316]

Bah, that's very slightly dissapointing but of course was expected. Oh well at least I wont need to watch my LD anymore once I get the DVD :) By the way, did you get the TV series box? Both will be here Monday for me. After watching the remastered DYRL? I was dying to watch the TV series again but I was determined to wait until I got my remastered box. I did end up watching most of the first LD volume when I put it in ONLY to remember what it looked like at the same time I watched Flashback, which made me look forward to the DVD box even more! I hope it is done well.

[Thanatos]

Not buying the TV series box, sorry. I've been tempted, and badly, but ever time I put it into my amazon cart I remember Kaifun, the last ten episodes, and that I'm bleeding money right now, so I don't order it. DYRL and Flashback are the only Minmay-wanking off material I need. ;)

[Njr Scrawl]

I shall keep my Flashback LD but am glad to have the R2 DVD as well.

Next Macross buy will be Frontier DVDs for me, unless Monsieur Bome does a Minmay statue first ;)

[KShinjo]

I got my copy today. Comparing it to the older release, and I think there is a slight improvement in video and audio quality. The picture seems a wee bit crisper. The audio sounds more lively.

YMMV but I always felt that the audio in the original DVD release wasn't as good as my LD copy. The audio on this new DVD release is on par with my LD. Perhaps a result of the better encoding technology now available?

Again, YMMV.

Also, other things (that I noticed) that changed from the original release to the new release.
1. Region coding. The original release was coded for R1, R2, R4, and R5. New release is only R2 coded.
2. Price. Original release was 5800yen. New release is 3800yen
3. Original release by Movic. New release by Bandai Visual.
4. Original release had Big West logo during startup. New release doesn't.
5. Original release says Dolby Digital for audio. New release says Linear PCM Stereo. Dunno if that makes a difference.

[greatcircle]

The entire reason the sound is better on the new DVD is because it's using uncompressed LPCM audio instead of a compressed Dolby track...

[ObiKenobi]

5. Original release says Dolby Digital for audio. New release says Linear PCM Stereo. Dunno if that makes a difference.

That would be the difference. The LD was most likely LPCM as well.

[treatment]

dvd cover outer (http://img134.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flashback2012rerelease0iy2.jpg)

dvd inner (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flashback2012rerelease0gx7.jpg)

* sample booklet page-scan (http://img134.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fb2012rerelease08samplecs6.jpg)

* - sorry, guys. even tho it's low-rez, gotta add the "sample only" text on booklet-scans from now on.

[mcarocks2003]

Thanks alot for the scans treatment, the packaging is gorgeous and your pictures convinced me to buy this tonight.

Nice to see an R2 cover with English on the spine, now it will blend in with my R1 collection better.