Animated Series - DVD vs. Blu-Ray

I was trying to figure out what I wanted to spend some mad money on and I've decided to finally order the Animated Series. Now I just need some opinions on whether it's worth spending double (roughly $15 US vs. $35) for the Blu - Ray. I've done a little shopping around, and I've heard that there's a possible audio/video sync issue on the Blu-Rays, but it also seems the Blu-rays come with text and audio commentaries not available on the DVDs.

Thoughts, anyone?

 

There is nothing on the blu-ray set that's not on the DVDs. The episodes themselves are somewhat better looking, but the bonus stuff looks exactly the same.

Unless you're a super videophile, the DVDs are everything you'll ever need from TAS.

 

There are intermittent synch issues w/ the audio on the blu-ray set. I haven't compared it to DVD (don't own it) or Netflix (haven't bothered), but several people have. The issue apparently only exists on the blu-rays. Search around the webz for more details. I personally decided the issue isn't big enough, and I'm not fanatic enough about the Animated Series, to bother returning it or complaining to CBS.

I had watched several episodes on Netflix, and I think the blu-rays look very slightly better. The lossless audio makes the score sound slightly better, too. Again, I haven't compared directly; this is just my impression. And, I'm comparing compressed HD to non-compressed HD, not HD to DVD.

 

If you have Season 2 of TOS-R on both Blu-Ray and DVD you can compare the episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles". It's on the lone disc dedicated to "The Trouble With Tribbles" (I believe it's disc 5 in both sets). The Animated Series was Remastered in HD back 2006 for the DVD release (which was released in 480/24p Enhanced Definition), and the TOS-R DVD and Blu-Ray sets as we'll as the current complete TAS Blu-Ray just reused those masters. You can compare a True 1080p transfer to a 480p down convert of the 1080p master to see if you want the DVD or Blu-Ray.

Personally, with the TOS-R Blu-Ray, all the 1080p adds is the ability to see the edges of the animation cells. So, for example, in the opening credits, when the Enterprise goes from left to right, I am able to see the edge of the animation cell as they slid the cell across the screen. Otherwise, just like other cartoons of the era (I.e A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/Christmas/It's The Great Pumpkin) that have had Blu-Ray releases, they really didn't add anything or look better in 1080p than an upconverted 480p DVD, unlike with live action footage.

 

Dayton Ward and I reviewed the blu-ray on last weeks episode of "Saturday Morning Trek" http://trek.fm/saturday-morning-trek/24 and we address the sound synch issue.

 

I have the Blu Ray and despite really straining to find it I am unable to notice any sound sync issues. That being said i also can't see too much of a difference from DVD or streaming quality, but being a TAS nut I like having the BR.

 

It depends on the hardware/software playing the discs. What kind of device did you watch them on?

 

With my hardware, I notice a significant difference between watching TAS in HD on Netflix, and watching it on DVD upscaled. So I will definitely be getting the blu ray when I have a chance. I prefer to watch everything in HD if it's available, including traditional cel animation. I find the digital artifacting and blockiness from upscaled DVD to be rather distracting.

Kor

 

PS3, run of the mill Samsung TV.

 

I have found if use a dedicated blu-ray player, there's no issue, use a game console you can get a small offset and if you use a drive connected to a PC or Mac you get the most sound sync issue (about 220 milliseconds).

 

Interesting. What would cause this hardware difference?

 

^ I'm curious about that as well. I know of no technical issue that could possibly cause this.

 

Yes, and incidentally that sounds like good news for those of us using traditional Blu-ray players.

 

I honestly don't know, I am still trying to figure it out. I'm still waiting back on a response from the team that authored the blu-rays.

 

For all you UK residents HMV currently have their lovely special blu ray of TAS with art cards for only £14.99, yes that's right, £14.99

 

With my setup, on a 40-inch connected to a PS3 by HDMI, even watching the Looney Tunes Blu Rays I don't really find there is enough detail to warrant an HD transfer. Sure, in the Looney Tunes case, they were designed for theatrical exhibition, but I find that traditional cel animation doesn't equate to HD video. The animators didn't put a ton of detail in the art, so you tend to have just solid colors.

Unlike live action where you can see wrinkles in people's skin, and trees in the background and there is more detail that HD brings out.

But for the audio issue, has anyone upgraded their Blu Ray player's software? I remember when I got my first Blu Ray player and TOS-R I was having audio and video issues where the episodes would skip, and instead of watching a 51 minute episode it took me 15 minutes. But once I had hooked my Blu Ray up to the Internet and updated the software, the DVD's played fine.

 

I did these for TrekMovie and it shows there is a difference in clarity and color depth. There's a vibrancy you just don't get with the DVDs. I've found Trek fans tend to be more tech forward and notice the differences in format so while it's not an astounding difference, there is a vibrancy you just don't get with the DVDs.

 

Thanks for those comparisons. There's a bigger difference than I thought.

 

Sadly I've noticed the issue, and once you do, it is pretty annoying. Funny thing is, I'm watching on a Panasonic dedicated BD player/recorder... which I'm reading shouldn't really be exhibiting a sync problem? The sound is definitely running fractionally ahead of the picture, and although the animation is undeniably limited, every so often lips can be seen mouthing certain words. A word that's often just gone by a split second ago. Typically at the end of a sentence it's spottable. Mouths closing slightly after I switched from HD audio to mono track, in hopes maybe just the newly dabbled with mix would be affected, and for a few minutes it seemed alright. Then I started to detect the problem again. I'm wondering if it's anything to do with the change in frame rate to 23.97 fps (24) from 29.97 (30).

I wanted to query this with CBS but didn't know who to email. Knowing there was that Wrath of Khan glitch a while back, I dug out the address after a search and fired off a polite message there. I don't expect enough fans have bought these sets, let alone noticed, and so don't really expect a response.

 

Even with an SDTV, where the greater resolution is unnoticeable, Blu-rays often have a richer colour palette than the DVD (have compared many a disc in my living room where the display is still an SDTV--an excellent one in its day). Not everyone cares about the difference, even on an HD display, but it's there (and ever more noticeable as the display gets larger).

Some devices like HTPCs and gaming consoles have software players that can introduce audio delays. Modern AVRs have a feature by which to compensate but anyone using the display's speakers is out of luck as I know of no TV with audio sync feature found on AVRs.