Macross Zero Blu-ray Box Premium Remaster Edition release on 2/28/24

[sh9000]

https://v-storage.bnarts.jp/sp-site/macross_zero_bdbox

[kajnrig]

"Japanese and English subtitles included..."

Was Zero among the raft of announced American releases? I recall Plus... 7 and its derivatives... 2 got that Kickstarter preview recently... Frontier and Delta + movies???

If not, might pick this up and add to my sudden collection of import Blurays. (Watching the Plus and Frontier movies for the first time in decades in my living room, even without subs, was damn near cathartic.)

[Raikkonen]

Ok... 

So, will this be a international release? And will this either mean a dubbed version is around the corner, or this is it? 

[SSK]

That's a Japanese release with English subs in first place.

But coming after the worldwide agreement. 

Which might discreetly suggest Zero won't get a home video release outside Japan.

(Wasn't announced last year among the other releases)

Edited October 22, 2023 by SSK

[kajnrig]

Amazon.co.jp link already???: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CLGYYLPJ

There appears to be a second one that includes a post card set???: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CLGXWMQB

 

I dunno, if someone could clarify why the two SKUs and/or whether these are legit at all...

[azrael]

10 minutes ago, kajnrig said:

.dunno, if someone could clarify why the two SKUs and/or whether these are legit at all...

Besides the postcard artwork, the 2 SKUs look to have the same contents, at the same price. It may be clarified or combined as we get closer to the release date. 🤷‍♂️

40 minutes ago, SSK said:

Which might discreetly suggest Zero won't get a home video release outside Japan.

(Wasn't announced last year among the other releases)

It may still have a release outside of Japan. Just not anytime soon.

12 hours ago, kajnrig said:

Was Zero among the raft of announced American releases? I recall Plus... 7 and its derivatives... 2 got that Kickstarter preview recently... Frontier and Delta + movies???

Zero was not announced. Only the TV shows and their adjacent releases.

[sh9000]

https://macross.jp/news-detail/24575/

[Raikkonen]

So the painful wait to see this in English continues... 

[Master Dex]

12 hours ago, Raikkonen said:

So the painful wait to see this in English continues... 

If you mean subtitled in English, no because this will be, even if it has to be imported.

But if you mean dubbed... Honestly, I don't think anyone should expect this of any Macross series (except existing non-RT SDFM dubs).

I genuinely think dubs of any series outside maybe new stuff in this WWM era are unlikely. 

[Focslain]

26 minutes ago, Master Dex said:

If you mean subtitled in English, no because this will be, even if it has to be imported.

But if you mean dubbed... Honestly, I don't think anyone should expect this of any Macross series (except existing non-RT SDFM dubs).

I genuinely think dubs of any series outside maybe new stuff in this WWM era are unlikely. 

There was also a dub of Macross II and Plus. But agreed on the fact that none of the others (0,7, Frontier and Delta) will ever get dubs done. Which is fine.

[Master Dex]

59 minutes ago, Focslain said:

There was also a dub of Macross II and Plus. But agreed on the fact that none of the others (0,7, Frontier and Delta) will ever get dubs done. Which is fine.

Right, I was only thinking series I guess, which is silly because Zero is an OVA too lol. 

[Raikkonen]

2 hours ago, Master Dex said:

If you mean subtitled in English, no because this will be, even if it has to be imported.

But if you mean dubbed... Honestly, I don't think anyone should expect this of any Macross series (except existing non-RT SDFM dubs).

I genuinely think dubs of any series outside maybe new stuff in this WWM era are unlikely. 

I meant dubbed.

I like to most times to just sit back and immerse myself into a different world without reading. 

[Raikkonen]

2 hours ago, Focslain said:

There was also a dub of Macross II and Plus. But agreed on the fact that none of the others (0,7, Frontier and Delta) will ever get dubs done. Which is fine.

But I have the original SDF dubbed. (Not Robotech)

Well, it's fine for you, but not for others 🤣

[Shawn]

Breaking out the VPN to see the video, they are using FORS AI Image enhancement on this release.
Not sure what to think about this yet until I see some more results, but Kawamori is seen in the remastering studio again like he was with the DYRL release.

 

[twich]

I hope that this will be easily acquired both in physical media and eventual digital format.

Twich

[no3Ljm]

 Macross Zero Blu-Ray Premium Remaster Edition PV promoting Hi-Metal R figures towards the end.

 

[Raikkonen]

I want to pull the trigger when this is released, but I fear right afterwards they will finally announce the English version, which is still possible considering the HMR are getting international releases unlike everything else SDF related. 

[sh9000]

https://macross.jp/news-detail/24575

[locidm]

Looks like Amazon.jp started shipping these

[Seto Kaiba]

Just got mine.

[kajnrig]

I unfortunately have to cancel and then reorder mine because of fraud alert shenanigans, but here's hoping everything works out and it arrives by Monday. In the meantime, anyone care to post some screenshots and determine the AI upscaling quality?

[Seto Kaiba]

3 hours ago, kajnrig said:

I unfortunately have to cancel and then reorder mine because of fraud alert shenanigans, [...]

Did you order from CD Japan by any chance?

I'm curious because I also got hit with a fraud alert when payment for the order processed the other day.

[kajnrig]

37 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Did you order from CD Japan by any chance?

I'm curious because I also got hit with a fraud alert when payment for the order processed the other day.

No, Amazon Japan. I mean I'm not too surprised by the alert, but after it cleared I'm not sure why it still refused to process. The card service rep didn't know either, and suggested the canceling/new ordering, which ended up costing me an additional $10 or so in shipping, but at least it went through.

...or maybe I could have provided a different card instead of continuing to try to use the same account to pay for it, cleared or not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[wilwayco]

I ordered from CDJapan, but paid via PayPal; didn't run into a fraud alert...

As for my experience with the video --- there are certain scenes when I can notice jagged lines (aliasing?) where I'd expect them to be smooth.  (I know, not very scientific at all... :P)  One place I remember noticing this is in the first episode, when  Shin first meets Sara, and Mao.   But I'm also watching this like 3 feet away, on a Sony M9 monitor, using a PS5 to play the discs...

Anyway, I'm glad to have these on physical media + english subtitles...

 

edit:

I can't notice the jaggies on the backgrounds / "matte paintings", but they're definitely present on foreground elements I daresay on every scene.  And once you know they're present, you'll just see them everywhere.  😕

edit 2:

The motion blurs you see when following aircraft are also pixellated.

Edited February 28 by wilwayco
edit2

[Seto Kaiba]

Hrm... I'm a bit concerned by the idea of issues with the AI cleanup, but can't say I'm surprised by the prospect.

I'll have to give it the once over tomorrow.  See how it looks on a 4K set at a reasonable viewing distance.

[eevli]

On 2/27/2024 at 10:33 PM, wilwayco said:

"they're definitely present on foreground elements I daresay on every scene.  And once you know they're present, you'll just see them everywhere.  😕"

I read this and I wonder if they made it past the first disc.

They get better as you go. I'm not sure  but maybe that's because when they made each episode back then they got better at what they were doing. This was a pretty innovative release at the time and it took about 2 years to get to Episode 5. I remember waiting for each to come out and watching them unsubbed after getting them from unofficial sources a day or so after. The anticipation!!! 

I watched it on my 4K TV using an Oppo BD player. 

Overall this is an excellent improvement over what has been released previously.

Two thumbs up- Siskel & Ebert.

Edited March 1 by eevli

[kazuo]

Do we have any idea what the original source files were rendered at? I'm going to guess 720p max, but would honestly be surprised if it was higher than 480p.

I wonder if things like AstroRes can handle mixed 2D/3D content; otherwise, doing an upscale of something like this must be a tremendous pain in the rectum.

[wilwayco]

On 3/1/2024 at 6:26 AM, eevli said:

I read this and I wonder if they made it past the first disc.

They get better as you go. I'm not sure  but maybe that's because when they made each episode back then they got better at what they were doing. This was a pretty innovative release at the time and it took about 2 years to get to Episode 5. I remember waiting for each to come out and watching them unsubbed after getting them from unofficial sources a day or so after. The anticipation!!! 

I watched it on my 4K TV using an Oppo BD player. 

Overall this is an excellent improvement over what has been released previously.

Two thumbs up- Siskel & Ebert.

You're right, of course.  They do get much much better once you get past episode 2.

[Mommar]

On 2/27/2024 at 10:13 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

Hrm... I'm a bit concerned by the idea of issues with the AI cleanup, but can't say I'm surprised by the prospect.

I'll have to give it the once over tomorrow.  See how it looks on a 4K set at a reasonable viewing distance.

Did you ever get a chance to review these?

[guyxxed]

Just got my copy and was able to sit down with it over the weekend.  Looked great to me and really liked having subtitles that weren't gibberish.  It might just be me, but it felt like there were some extended scenes and moments that weren't in the previous versions I've watched.  Could just be the result of "non-official" sources or my aging memory.  Either way, well worth the buy!

[ScrambledValkyrie]

Went ahead and ordered a copy today from CD Japan. Looking forward to seeing the visual improvement and the official subs.

On 3/1/2024 at 10:59 AM, kazuo said:

Do we have any idea what the original source files were rendered at? I'm going to guess 720p max, but would honestly be surprised if it was higher than 480p.

I would also like to know the answer to this. Given the fact it was first shown in 2002, standard definition (480p) was still very much the norm. HD video didn't really get established until a few years later.

[Jasonc]

On 3/20/2024 at 9:29 AM, guyxxed said:

Just got my copy and was able to sit down with it over the weekend.  Looked great to me and really liked having subtitles that weren't gibberish.  It might just be me, but it felt like there were some extended scenes and moments that weren't in the previous versions I've watched.  Could just be the result of "non-official" sources or my aging memory.  Either way, well worth the buy!

I'd have to watch the older version that I have to do some comparisons, but I believe I found a couple parts that may be in question. In seeing this new release now twice, there seems to be a couple parts I don't remember from the original. I know the part where they inserted Sheryl Nome's earrings into the stand that Mao is in front of with her parents was inserted way later on, that is in this one, but I gotta confirm if there is, in fact, scenes that may have been cut from the original.

[guyxxed]

Sounds good.  There were a few small things in the first episodes that may or may not be my bad memory (mostly with Roy and some of the establishing conversations he had with Aires and the chief mechanic about the zero), but the one that stood out was the beach scenes as the Anti-UN forces are invading the island.  The female marine that Shin had previously wrestled had a few moments of focus I didn't remember and there was more flow and dialog to flesh out what was happening than I recalled.  No idea if it's actually new or not, but nice little things that added to my enjoyment of it.

[Raikkonen]

Does this mean we won't get a international release of this as Disney will stream it?

[Big s]

22 minutes ago, Raikkonen said:

Does this mean we won't get an international release of this as Disney will stream it?

  Even stuff Disney streams has physical copies most of the time, so I doubt it will be a major impact other than who does the distribution