[edo1080]

I bought the just released UK edition, here you have the screenshots of Blu-ray compared to the Japanese MPEG2 broadcast:

Blu-ray



HD capture da WOWOW MPEG2



Despite the good choice for Aspect Ratio Disney has made for the Blu-ray release, the picture quality is horrible due to DNR!!!! It's too much DNR applies, and cuts out the detail! The Blu-ray looks more like an upscaled DVD even if coming from HD master. Let's hope Disney will use a new different master for US release instead of recycling the UK video track.
It would be better to wait for a techical review before buying this disc!!!

Also Tarzan and Pocahontas UK releases are affected by problems; Tarzan is BD25 with a lot of compression artifacts and Pochaontas is zoomed and cropped. I posted some screenshots of Tarzan here:

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/blu-...y-21st-uk.html

[Whirlygig]

Originally Posted by edo1080

It's too much DNR applies, and cuts out the detail!

I don't know what lost detail you are referring to (though I'm no expert), other than what looks to me like compression artifacts and/or possibly film grain in the MPEG2... That's the one that actually looks more like it had some poor processing, to me... The UK image seems to have some color correction (or adjustment) that I'm fine with. I'm also fine with reducing/eliminating grain from animated features where the real art was the background paintings and cels, before the transfer to film.

[Favelle]

You don't notice the waxy, smoothed-out edges? Its actually quite jarring, and a definite disappointment.

[Whirlygig]

I see a difference in "sharpness" of the lines, with the MPEG2 looking "sharper", is that what you mean? But again I thought that could be an effect of either the compression or perhaps a forced sharpness filter. In this particular frame, that sharpness doesn't really seem to me to add much useful detail. I think either looks to have plenty for an HDTV when the film is in motion.

[edo1080]

waxy, smoothed-out edges? Its actually quite jarring, and a definite disappointment.

Totally agree with you!!

that sharpness doesn't really seem to me to add much useful detail

So you could buy the DVD, you don't need the Blu-ray Blu-ray is in high definition, if you cut the detail the higher definition is lost. People mastering for Blu-ray must be very careful with grain removal, you can't remove the grain without cutting detail, because the grain is in the film itself. A very light filter is often applied just to make the grain amount accepatble but in this case is too heavy, and the result is waxy image totally disappointing.

[Whirlygig]

Do you have any more frames for comparison?

Since it will come with the DVD, I guess I can compare then, and with the same transfer I should really see whether the Blu is better. I've always been a little bit on the fence about whether I should care if animation is high def or not but sometimes it can be a huge difference and Disney usually comes through. But there are other advantages to hi-def besides, well, hi-def... Progressive scan/24 fps, etc.