A Bittersweet Life (JP - Pony Canyon) (No English)

[kannisto]

I received the new Japanese release of A Bittersweet Life yesterday from Amazon JP. The movie's been rather highly anticipated on Blu-ray but this version has no English subs (as was known beforehand). I'm planning to watch it with external subs.

Case Pics:


Basic Specs:
- Region free BD50
- Video: MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 (OAR) 1080p / 23.976 fps (30035 kbps)
- Audio: Korean Dolby TrueHD 6.1 EX + 2 Korean DD 2.0 640 kbps commentary tracks
- Subtitles: Optional Japanese, Korean and 2 x Japanese for the commentary tracks
- Extras: 63 minutes in 1080i60 AVC (7194 kbps): Promotion, festivals, interviews etc.
(mostly in Korean with Japanese subs)

The case identifies the best audio track as Dolby TrueHD 6.1 EX but BD info scan claims it as 5.1. Perhaps it didn't recognize it properly.

BD Info scan:

                                                                                                                Total   Video                                             
Title                                                           Codec   Length  Movie Size      Disc Size       Bitrate Bitrate Main Audio Track                          Secondary Audio Track
-----                                                           ------  ------- --------------  --------------  ------- ------- ------------------                        ---------------------
(JP) A Bittersweet Life                                         AVC     1:59:21 33,483,325,440  47,826,370,188  37.41   30.03   Dolby TrueHD 5.1 1667Kbps (48kHz/16-bit)

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     A_BITTERSWEET_LIFE
Disc Size:      47,826,370,188 bytes
Protection:     AACS
BD-Java:        No
BDInfo:         0.5.6

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00001.MPLS
Length:                 1:59:21 (h:m:s)
Size:                   33,483,325,440 bytes
Total Bitrate:          37.41 Mbps

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description     
-----                   -------             -----------     
MPEG-4 AVC Video        30035 kbps          1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Dolby TrueHD Audio              Korean          1667 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 1667 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Embedded: 5.1-EX / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio             Korean          640 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio             Korean          640 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Presentation Graphics           Japanese        59.062 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Japanese        528.924 kbps                    
Presentation Graphics           Japanese        464.555 kbps                    
Presentation Graphics           Korean          60.044 kbps                     

FILES:

Name            Time In         Length          Size            Total Bitrate   
----            -------         ------          ----            -------------   
00002.M2TS      0:00:00.000     1:59:21.154     33,483,325,440  37,406          

CHAPTERS:

Number          Time In         Length          Avg Video Rate  Max 1-Sec Rate  Max 1-Sec Time  Max 5-Sec Rate  Max 5-Sec Time  Max 10Sec Rate  Max 10Sec Time  Avg Frame Size  Max Frame Size  Max Frame Time  
------          -------         ------          --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  
1               0:00:00.000     0:05:42.383     29,393 kbps     44,764 kbps     00:01:11.237    41,880 kbps     00:01:08.860    40,574 kbps     00:01:24.250    153,225 bytes   542,064 bytes   00:01:16.367    
2               0:05:42.383     0:10:02.560     28,828 kbps     39,126 kbps     00:11:33.567    32,163 kbps     00:14:47.970    30,943 kbps     00:14:34.707    150,295 bytes   500,548 bytes   00:10:15.406    
3               0:15:44.944     0:08:28.966     29,135 kbps     38,462 kbps     00:23:26.279    32,574 kbps     00:17:05.691    31,600 kbps     00:17:13.365    151,894 bytes   564,261 bytes   00:23:26.363    
4               0:24:13.910     0:06:34.143     30,020 kbps     40,886 kbps     00:28:34.087    37,921 kbps     00:28:34.087    33,666 kbps     00:28:29.082    156,510 bytes   505,699 bytes   00:28:34.921    
5               0:30:48.054     0:08:47.318     29,264 kbps     40,350 kbps     00:33:21.749    33,195 kbps     00:35:19.575    32,100 kbps     00:33:44.897    152,569 bytes   525,549 bytes   00:32:12.138    
6               0:39:35.372     0:04:55.295     30,669 kbps     42,572 kbps     00:41:31.155    39,528 kbps     00:41:27.818    35,882 kbps     00:41:24.064    159,892 bytes   442,187 bytes   00:41:51.383    
7               0:44:30.667     0:02:59.762     29,686 kbps     36,866 kbps     00:45:59.089    33,868 kbps     00:45:59.131    33,506 kbps     00:45:58.172    154,770 bytes   473,961 bytes   00:45:36.859    
8               0:47:30.430     0:04:55.753     29,495 kbps     40,297 kbps     00:48:10.053    33,888 kbps     00:49:58.954    33,478 kbps     00:49:51.571    153,772 bytes   593,868 bytes   00:49:23.210    
9               0:52:26.184     0:07:26.237     30,861 kbps     42,699 kbps     00:58:17.619    41,770 kbps     00:58:19.787    40,158 kbps     00:58:14.908    160,894 bytes   443,626 bytes   00:52:35.735    
10              0:59:52.422     0:05:10.143     28,559 kbps     38,092 kbps     01:00:07.145    31,303 kbps     01:01:14.128    29,940 kbps     01:01:10.333    148,895 bytes   478,388 bytes   01:02:38.463    
11              1:05:02.565     0:04:17.090     30,589 kbps     45,432 kbps     01:08:04.747    34,605 kbps     01:08:01.035    32,781 kbps     01:07:55.988    159,479 bytes   461,036 bytes   01:09:02.638    
12              1:09:19.655     0:06:05.114     28,645 kbps     38,961 kbps     01:13:39.456    33,702 kbps     01:13:39.456    32,305 kbps     01:13:38.622    149,343 bytes   557,099 bytes   01:12:38.312    
13              1:15:24.770     0:11:01.285     33,645 kbps     45,523 kbps     01:24:41.826    41,089 kbps     01:26:07.287    40,490 kbps     01:25:51.563    175,411 bytes   534,533 bytes   01:20:33.245    
14              1:26:26.055     0:05:49.599     30,241 kbps     37,565 kbps     01:27:13.436    34,568 kbps     01:27:24.989    34,344 kbps     01:27:20.652    157,661 bytes   481,548 bytes   01:26:47.702    
15              1:32:15.655     0:07:11.764     29,937 kbps     42,647 kbps     01:38:25.983    38,136 kbps     01:34:56.941    37,835 kbps     01:34:51.936    156,076 bytes   484,932 bytes   01:35:33.936    
16              1:39:27.419     0:05:36.502     32,760 kbps     53,863 kbps     01:41:49.019    37,804 kbps     01:41:49.061    37,234 kbps     01:44:53.912    170,794 bytes   526,569 bytes   01:40:34.903    
17              1:45:03.922     0:05:48.556     31,274 kbps     47,411 kbps     01:48:52.067    39,590 kbps     01:48:50.482    38,008 kbps     01:48:51.566    163,047 bytes   523,600 bytes   01:50:50.435    
18              1:50:52.479     0:08:28.674     27,162 kbps     41,046 kbps     01:59:12.937    38,332 kbps     01:55:28.963    37,869 kbps     01:55:23.583    141,631 bytes   528,421 bytes   01:54:26.025    

STREAM DIAGNOSTICS:

File            PID             Type            Codec           Language                Seconds                 Bitrate                 Bytes           Packets         
----            ---             ----            -----           --------                --------------          --------------          -------------   -----           
00002.M2TS      4113 (0x1011)   0x1B            AVC                                     7161.071                30,035                  26,885,210,688  146,216,273     
00002.M2TS      4352 (0x1100)   0x83            TrueHD          kor (Korean)            7161.071                2,307                   2,065,095,438   15,676,239      
00002.M2TS      4353 (0x1101)   0x81            AC3             kor (Korean)            7161.071                640                     572,892,160     3,356,790       
00002.M2TS      4354 (0x1102)   0x81            AC3             kor (Korean)            7161.071                640                     572,892,160     3,356,790       
00002.M2TS      4608 (0x1200)   0x90            PGS             jpn (Japanese)          7161.071                59                      52,869,367      299,078         
00002.M2TS      4609 (0x1201)   0x90            PGS             kor (Korean)            7161.071                60                      53,748,069      303,600         
00002.M2TS      4610 (0x1202)   0x90            PGS             jpn (Japanese)          7161.071                529                     473,463,437     2,630,666       
00002.M2TS      4611 (0x1203)   0x90            PGS             jpn (Japanese)          7161.071                465                     415,844,081     2,312,965

[kannisto]

[kannisto]

[kannisto]

PQ looks rather rough and grainy, somewhat soft and hazy but unmolested and natural. I'll comment in more detail after I have watched the movie.

[Marten]

Kannisto....thank you for taking the time and effort to post the screen captures. I must say I'm disappointed in the quality of this Blu-ray. The film could use a bit of degraining and sharpening. I was anxiously awaiting the Korean Blu-ray release - Nov. 20th - but I have a feeling that it will be of the same quality. Keeping my fingers crossed that it's a different re-master but not holding my breath

The ironic thing is that Pony Canyon has issued an impressively expansive deluxe DVD set of Bittersweet Life. The set was super-fancy with everything but the kitchen sink. This Blu-ray looks like a thoughtless rush-job judging from the lousy DVD cover and the picture quality of the film. This great film deserves more than this.

[Josh Z]

I have the original Korean DVD release, which is terribly soft. So much so that it still looks bad even when I ripped it to watch on my iPod.

I didn't think the movie was that great either, unfortunately.

[Marten]

I didn't think the movie was that great either, unfortunately.

Maybe because you watched it on an iPod

I think it's ironic an HDD Contributor would watch a full-length movie on an iPod I can't watch a movie on anything less than a 32" TV and I'm not an A/V connoisseur in the slightest bit. I need some level of immersion and a smartphone or a laptop screen doesn't provide that.

[Josh Z]

I think it's ironic an HDD Contributor would watch a full-length movie on an iPod I can't watch a movie on anything less than a 32" TV and I'm not an A/V connoisseur in the slightest bit. I need some level of immersion and a smartphone or a laptop screen doesn't provide that.

I don't watch anything I care about on my phone or iPod.

I find my DVD collection unwatchable on my projector these days. Yet I still have countless discs in my collection that I never got around to watching. Ripping them to watch during my morning commute allows me to put them to some use, and most DVDs look fine at that screen size.

[doctorthodt]

Maybe because you watched it on an iPod

I think it's ironic an HDD Contributor would watch a full-length movie on an iPod I can't watch a movie on anything less than a 32" TV and I'm not an A/V connoisseur in the slightest bit. I need some level of immersion and a smartphone or a laptop screen doesn't provide that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0

This film is supposedly getting a Korean steelbook BD release on November 19 with English subs.

[Josh Z]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0

I am so sick of that David Lynch clip. Someone needs to tell him that Inland Empire is unwatchable on any screen larger than 4 inches.

Lynch also believes that chapter stops destroy the "continuum" of a movie, and should be banned from all video discs. Do you side with him on that too?

[doctorthodt]

No, I don't. Any other adorable questions?

[erack]

Korean version in the pipe: http://www.asianblurayguide.com/deta...et_life_korea/

Hopefully a better transfer

[kannisto]

Unfortunately that has a rather unknown release date as it was supposed to come out a couple of months ago already but didn't.