TORRANCE, Calif., March 20, 2007 – Bandai Visual today announced the simultaneous U.S. and Japan release of the bestselling OVA “Freedom” Vol. 1 in HD DVD/DVD Twin disc format. “Freedom,” which is the first HD DVD product from Bandai Visual, will be released in North America by Bandai Visual USA through their distributor Geneon Entertainment (USA). The product will also be available in Japan at .ANIME (www.dot-anime.com), an integrated online anime portal operated by Anime Channel Co., Ltd.

After “Freedom” Vol.1, Bandai Visual will start releasing other HD DVD and Blu-ray titles in Japan, with plans to distribute overseas under its flagship international label Honneamise.

Bandai Visual is vigorously developing product for next generation formats and has previously announced a collaboration with Memory-Tech Corporation and Microsoft Co., Ltd. on a project to improve image quality for the latest HD DVD video compression technology for the global anime software market. The “Freedom” Vol. 1 release in HD DVD/DVD Twin format will be the first result of the collaboration. The three companies have fine-tuned VC1(*1) specifically to achieve higher visual quality for Japanese anime. The “Freedom” HD DVD/DVD Twin disc will also include HDi (*2) network function which will offer new ways to enjoy the product.
Bandai Visual intends to utilize the expanded technological capabilities of the new formats and hopes to present viewers with added-value on its new products. Its goal is to create a companywide structure to produce and release premier anime titles simultaneously in North America and internationally.

http://www.animeonblu-ray.com/news/pr.php?pr_view=984

Sweet!

blueray only in japan

This is great news!!!

No, I'm the one conceding and giving up. $39.99 for 25 minutes of anime? :eek: Jesus Christ, for the entire 6-part series maybe but for only Pt.1??!! Utter and complete capitulation of my wallet is more like it.

The pricing eliminates all but the lost lunatic die hard anime fans.

I read about this yeaterday. That is awesome news. If they ever rerelease Garo or the live action Sailor Moon on Blu-Ray, I'll be willing to buy them again.

Yeah that pricing is nuts. I'll happily swoop on Macross Zero or Macross Plus on Blu-ray, though.

I ..member payin' $70 for 30min of anime...

I wonder how they're going to translate all of the HDi features they're working on to their BD releases.

I wonder how they're going to translate all of the HDi features they're working on to their BD releases.
Very good question.

If it's the gimmicky stuff i'm expecting, I wouldn't miss it if they dropped it entirely.

About the most useful of the new "interactivity" buzzword features I would anticipate are the ability to get subtitles (fan subs are usually far better than what we get from the pros, much less the bootleggers), which according to Paidgeek in the Insiders thread, was already available to Blu-ray.

No, I'm the one conceding and giving up. $39.99 for 25 minutes of anime? :eek: Jesus Christ, for the entire 6-part series maybe but for only Pt.1??!! Utter and complete capitulation of my wallet is more like it.
I seriously doubt their US division will release a disc like that here. More likely they'll start releasing in indivual volumes like they do with DVDs, 3-4 shows per disc. No way in hell I'll purchase those either.

For me it's whole sets or nothing at all.

Why would a Japanese anime producer even bother producing a HD DVD disc when Japan is 95% BD? Did someone pay them?

DO NOT WANT, even at these ridiculous prices.

DO NOT WANT, even at these ridiculous prices.In Japan they commonly pay prices like that for 25mins of anime on standard DVDs. They definitely will not be releasing discs like that in the US (of course if they have Eng subs you're free to import them).

In Japan they commonly pay prices like that for 25mins of anime on standard DVDs. They definitely will not be releasing discs like that in the US (of course if they have Eng subs you're free to import them).
You're basing that solely on your own personal assumptions, while the press release expressly states:

Bandai Visual today announced the simultaneous U.S. and Japan release of the bestselling OVA “Freedom” Vol. 1 in HD DVD/DVD Twin disc format.

The sole information we have now is that this OVA series will be released in the US in six one episode volumes.

Not surprising given BD's success in Japan.

You're basing that solely on your own personal assumptions, while the press release expressly states:



The sole information we have now is that this OVA series will be released in the US in six one episode volumes.Fine, be negative if you like. But if they release 25mins worth of anime on a single BD here in the US on their (US) label for $40 I'll eat my hat.

It's something the fans won't stand for on DVD, and they sure as hell won't stand for on BD. They can price that way in Japan, but they can't do it here, not this late in the game.

I'd replace very few of my anime from SD-DVD. I just don't think that the older titles will show that much improvement in PQ to justify the expense IMHO. There are a few that I'd consider and most of those would be movies and not series. I'm not going to buy individual series titles ever again, since getting burned on DVD after the complete sets came out at a fraction of the cost. Since I've watched, but held off purchasing the Cowboy Bebop series, I'd be interested in that one, but only at a reasonably priced box set.

Besides Bandai stuff, I'd consider upgrading the following movies when they're released: Ghost in the Shell, GITS: Innocence, Akira, Appleseed, Animatrix, Cowboy Bebop, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within, and Final Fantasy: Advent Children. I'm especially interested in 1080p versions of the two "Final Fantasy" movies. These would look even more impressive in HD. Since these and the Bebop movie are Sony releases in the States, they'll eventually show up on BD.

If they ever rerelease Garo or the live action Sailor Moon on Blu-Ray, I'll be willing to buy them again.

I don't own a Blu-ray player (waiting for the PS3 to drop way below $600 for me to pounce) but if Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon ever came out that'd tip me over enough to get a BD player. Toei seems to have embargoed anything "Sailor Moon" from the face of the Earth and North America (where many publishers wanted to bring "PGSM" on DVD) thinking it might fetch more money in a few years. Oh well, upconverted SD Sailor Moon anime on BD and HD-DVD players ain't that bad if you've got the right HDTV:

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u238/dad1153/Olivia4copy.jpg

Hope at least the trilogy of "Sailor Moon" movies are candidates for a high-def release on BD, HD-DVD or both! :D

Older and low budget anime won't benefit much, but there's some great looking stuff that would definitely benefit that I'd buy on Blu-ray. Basically everything stevenjw mentioned. I'd add high contrasty work like Miyazaki's brilliant magnum opus Spirited Away, which I think would benefit greatly from an HD transfer.

If they make an habit to release discs in japan with english subs, importing will be my middle name(Thank you people who put japan in my region).
Appleseed, Gundam, Macross, Yukikaze, Eureka7, etc...

Oh, god help my wallet.

PS: Yes, I'm a mecha freak :).

I don't own a Blu-ray player (waiting for the PS3 to drop way below $600 for me to pounce) I assume that would be in Canadian dollars? Because the 60GB is already US$599 and if you buy it on Amazon, you get free shipping and no tax.

Besides Bandai stuff, I'd consider upgrading the following movies when they're released: Ghost in the Shell, GITS: Innocence, Innocence is already out in Japan. BD50. MPEG-2. PCM 6.1, I think.


fuad

In Japan they commonly pay prices like that for 25mins of anime on standard DVDs. They definitely will not be releasing discs like that in the US (of course if they have Eng subs you're free to import them).

I buy Japanese discs sometimes and yes, they're even more expensive. But they're Japanese. These expensive discs they're talking about are expensive HERE. And THAT will not fly.

Zeta Gundam a New Translation I-III
Macross Do You Remember Love

Please!!!!!

Innocence is already out in Japan. BD50. MPEG-2. PCM 6.1, I think.


fuad

And it looks pretty damn nice.

BB

Looks like Bandai Visual USA didn't concede much, they're only releasing to HD-DVD atm. Not that it matters since i had no intention of buying it but interesting none the less.

Macross Do You Remember Love
Now you're talking. I paid an outrageous amount for the DVD, and likely would do the same for BD :D

Sorry if it's already been posted (I just skimmed the topic and didnt see it), but so far the bandai (JPN) lineup is:

# AKIRA : BD + DVD
# Wing of Honneamise : BD + DVD, HD DVD + DVD
# Patlabor the Movie : BD + DVD, HD DVD + DVD

8/24
# Patlabor the Movie 2 : BD + DVD, HD DVD + DVD
# Ghost in the Shell : BD + DVD
# Steam Boy : BD + DVD

9/22
# Avalon : BD + DVD
# Jin-Roh : BD + DVD

Source:Animeondvd.com

It seems that they're going for bundles - something I'm sure almost everybody here will be quite disappointed with.

I spent the $67.xx to import Ghost in the Shell 2 (Blu Ray) and I've imported my fair share of Japanese DVDs are ~$40.xx a piece, so I've gotten a little used to the higher prices.

Unfortunately these titles (being a BD + DVD) are even more expensive, selling for 10,290 yen (~$90 before import price increases and shipping costs). Expect to spend $100-120 per disc if this remains true :(

With that said, I'd love to see Akira and Ghost in the Shell on Blu Ray. I don't know if I want to see it $100 worth, but time will tell. Appleseed would look fantastic though!

cdjapan lists them as ~9800 now. Play-Asia/Yesasia might be slightly cheaper once they list them/get closer to release.

amazon.co.jp is the best place to go as they deliver internationally for most items and have a 25% discount for pre-orders. You have to find the title in Japanese but once you do that they have English ordering.

Just make sure you don't order more than 20,000 yen or more in one order or you might get hit with import duties from DHL (who suck, but unfortunately there's no other choice with amazon.co.jp).

AKIRA, Patlabor, Patlabor 2, Steamboy, Avalon & Jin-Roh all already have pretty good-to-excellent HD masters to source from. GitS and (RSF)WoH do not. Hopefully Bandai will remaster these two before releasing the HD versions. If they don't, then don't waste your money on these two because they won't look any better than the DVD versions.

AKIRA, Patlabor, Patlabor 2, Steamboy, Avalon & Jin-Roh all already have pretty good-to-excellent HD masters to source from.

I seem to remember reading a review of the Japanese DVD, and it said that Jin-Roh came from a composite master or had some other bad artifacts, and that the US DVD was the same. Or has Jin-Roh aired on an HD channel or something?

GitS and (RSF)WoH do not. Hopefully Bandai will remaster these two before releasing the HD versions.

I'm sure they will. They've been releasing anime DVDs taken from new HD masters a lot recently, including series such as Gundam (various series) and Outlaw Star. They've got a good bit of remastering experience, although I did notice a little bit of edge enhancement on their remastered Gundam 0083 and Gundam 08th MS Team DVDs, but hopefully this is just from the downconversion to 480p.

We just have to see how good they are at authoring a next-gen disc.

GitS was remastered and shown on bs-hi recently, looked very nice from what I've heard.

Jin-Roh was again on bs-hi recently IIRC.

GitS was remastered and shown on bs-hi recently, looked very nice from what I've heard.
Yessssssssss!!!!! :D

This is probably my favorite amine of all time. Another fav I can't wait to see in HD is The Place Promised In Our Early Days. The movie itself does the impossible by being even slower than GitS2 but I think it has some of the most stunning cinematography of any anime so far.