ACC Announced For Europe, June 10

[Raquelborn]

720p isn't true HD though. XD You have to reach 1000+ pixels to obtain true HD.

Are you sure? "High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition (SD) video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1280×720 pixels (720p) or 1920×1080 pixels (1080i/1080p)." 720p is also what youtube uses for it's HD videos.

Either way getting the 1080p version wasn't going to do anything but cramp the picture on my screen so I went for the smaller resolution.

But the point is, if I can see a huge difference at 720p, then at 1080p it'd be even more noticible. What exactly is high definition if it isn't just the same picture with a higher resolution anyway? Why does it matter if it's been upscaled?

 

[Eerie]

In France, we used to have until recently 2 standards for HD - HD Ready which was 720p and used upscaling and 1080p which was called 'Full HD'. This is mostly why I know this shit

And, it matters because the definition is not high enough. It's all a pixel matter, but with a movie like ACC, you can actually see the difference with parts that use upscaling and new parts.

 

[Raquelborn]

In France, we used to have until recently 2 standards for HD - HD Ready which was 720p and used upscaling and 1080p which was called 'Full HD'. This is mostly why I know this shit

Ah okay.

And, it matters because the definition is not high enough. It's all a pixel matter, but with a movie like ACC, you can actually see the difference with parts that use upscaling and new parts.

Hmmm. I just spoke to a friend who knows a lot about this kind of thing and he recons the entire movie has actually been re-rendered as opposed to upscaled. Otherwise there wouldn't be such a dramatic difference between the DVD and HD versions as seen here:

Although, I know what you mean about the difference in quality between the new scenes and the old, I actually found it quite distracting when I first watched ACC.

 

[Tetsujin]

How can you tell the difference between true HD and upscaling?

The HD scenes are really sharp and detailed, while the upscaled scenes only look slightly better than the DVD, and the image is kind of "soft" compared to the actual HD video, and they don't have that higher amount of detail.
Also, the hairs of the characters are slightly pixelated in the upscaled scenes.

In comparison, the old AC scenes will still look better on BD, since the DVD

1. didn't have the best image quality anyway, and
2. there's less compression on BD.

The old AC scenes on Blu-ray definitely look better since they are sharper compared to the DVD and have more color saturation, but they don't reach that super-detailed HD level.

I just spoke to a friend who knows a lot about this kind of thing and he recons the entire movie has actually been re-rendered

Even if the whole movie was true HD, it wouldn't have to be re-rendered for that. CGI is always rendered at high resolutions. They should have had an HD master of the movie there already which is why I'm surprised they only used upscaled video footage from the original AC. Unless they only kept the SD video and deleted the HD source models which I can't imagine though, otherwise they would have had to re-do a shitload of 3D models to get an HD master just for the new scenes and there were slight changes in some of the SD scenes too, so hm....mysterious imo.

Take The Spirits Within for example. It's in HD, no upscaling. There was no re-rendering done, they just had to take the source material and make a digital transfer to BD in 1080p resolution.
Why couldn't it be done for AC, I wonder?

Also, the pic you posted:
It looks way different there because they completely changed the lighting in that scene.

But it still seems to be just upscaled SD video material.

 

[Raquelborn]

CGI is always rendered at high resolutions. They should have had an HD master of the movie there already which is why I'm surprised they only used upscaled video footage from the original AC. Unless they only kept the SD video and deleted the HD source models which I can't imagine though, otherwise they would have had to re-do a shitload of 3D models to get an HD master just for the new scenes and there were slight changes in some of the SD scenes too, so hm....mysterious imo.

Well I just feel cheated now, as well as a bit perplexed.

Also, the pic you posted:
It looks way different there because they completely changed the lighting in that scene.

But it still seems to be just upscaled SD video material.

Except that there are very subtle facial structure changes around her eyes, glistens have been added, blemishes have also been added and her hair is thicker, so it must of been re rendered surely? It's the same with Aertih's exit a few seconds later, Aerith's face was changed quite a lot for that scene. So for that entire church scene at least, it can't be the SD version simply upscaled.

 

[Tetsujin]

In France, we used to have until recently 2 standards for HD - HD Ready which was 720p and used upscaling and 1080p which was called 'Full HD'. This is mostly why I know this shit

Upscaled SD to 720p is not the same as actual 720p though.

Well I just feel cheated now, as well as a bit perplexed.

Except that there are very subtle facial structure changes around her eyes, glistens have been added, blemishes have also been added and her hair is thicker, so it must of been re rendered surely? It's the same with Aertih's exit a few seconds later, Aerith's face was changed quite a lot for that scene. So for that entire church scene at least, it can't be the SD version simply upscaled.

Well, they would definitely have to get back into their original source files to change that shit. But yeah, that scene isn't true HD either form what I can tell.

Although Tifa looks exactly the same in that scene tbh.

Someone should do a downscale-upscale test to find out...

 

[Mantichorus]

And yet Germany is getting it on the 8th October and here in the UK the release date is still predicted to be around the 27th July.

Since AC had a staggered release all over Europe it's no big surprise the same is being done for ACC.

I've seen an advert in a UK magazine, confirming that date (Monday 27th July). It also says (I guess this is a typo) that there is a "FINAL FANTASY VIII PS3 DEMO INCLUDED". Either that, or there's something going on I don't know of.

Either way, none of this really makes any difference to me: I don't have a Blu-ray player.

 

[Raquelborn]

I've seen an advert in a UK magazine, confirming that date (Monday 27th July). It also says (I guess this is a typo) that there is a "FINAL FANTASY VIII PS3 DEMO INCLUDED". Either that, or there's something going on I don't know of.

Either way, none of this really makes any difference to me: I don't have a Blu-ray player.

Well I won't complain if a demo is included.

Which magazine was that by the way?

It's strange that ACC hasn't been mentioned in any of Square Enix's godawful monthly newsletters.

Or on their website. It's kind of fustrating.

 

[Tetsujin]

I don't know about you, but I'm immensely excited about the FF8 demo for PS3.

 

[Raquelborn]

I don't know about you, but I'm immensely excited about the FF8 demo for PS3.

You'd think they'd at least get their facts right.

 

[Tetsujin]

No no, it's true FF8 for the PS3!!!11!11! :wackynod:

 

[Mantichorus]

Well, I don't know about PSM3, but I saw the same ad in SFX. Which makes sense, as I think they're both published by Future Publishing. And don't diss HMV, it's the only place on my local high street that sells anime since Zavvi went under!

I don't know about you, but I'm immensely excited about the FF8 demo for PS3.

Me too, but I'm holding out for the FFIX demo on the DS.

So, 'ey, the 25 min anime spin-off... we finally getting Last Order??

 

[Eerie]

French bundle:

* Le Film d'animation dans sa nouvelle version avec 26 minutes de plus
* - Nouvelles scènes d'action
* - Nouvelle musique de fin
* - L'animé 2D, dérivé du film (25 mn)
* - L'Epopée final Fantasy VII (renouveau de "Reminiscense of FF VII" inclus au DVD) (20 mn)
* - Les nouveautés Final Fantasy (final Fantasy White, Final Fantasy Black, Final Fantasy Dissidia)
* - Si prêt pour le lancement : le teaser du nouveau jeu final Fantasy XIII

The new movie blabla
New ending song (lie, lie!!!)
CoD [ok they said anime 2D, but I guess it's CoD?]
Reminiscence
Final Fantasy White, Black, Dissidia
If ready for launch: FFXIII teaser



My friend isn't here ATM, I'll ask him what he got in his bundle But it does seem that the new ending song was planned to be part of the credit. How Calling got there is really a mystery to me.

Edit: ok reading the french comments; looks like it's the ad for FFXIII XD

 

[Strangelove]

Maybe Hell will freeze over and the European one will actually be better than the US one

I mean, no one else got a PS3 FFVIII demo

FF White and Black = FFXIII and Versus XIII? (If you look as the key visuals for them, FFXIII's are white and VXIII's are black.)

And don't diss HMV, it's the only place on my local high street that sells anime since Zavvi went under!

When did that happen?

I'm sure I went to one not too long ago. Maybe it was longer than I thought

 

[Raquelborn]

Maybe Hell will freeze over and the European one will actually be better than the US one

When pigs grow wings.

When did that happen?

I'm sure I went to one not too long ago. Maybe it was longer than I thought

Just after Christmas... so over half a year ago..

 

[Mantichorus]

Yeah... and this week HMV are moving into Zavvi's old store... talk about rubbing salt into the wounds. Still, if any of you UK peeps heard about the bomb scare in Exeter last year, it's the same shopping precinct, so maybe not that great a move.

OK: I have AC, is it worth me getting a BluRay player/PS3 for ACC? (Well, I'll probably get a PS3 at some point anyways...)

 

[ForceStealer]

I wouldn't say the PS3 is worth it for ACC. But the PS3 is definitely worth it for several other reasons including ACC.

 

[Strangelove]

I'm sure it was later than January I went to Zavvi. Like April or May. Maybe my local shop didn't get the memo, because everything seemed normal

 

[Raquelborn]

Yeah... and this week HMV are moving into Zavvi's old store... talk about rubbing salt into the wounds. Still, if any of you UK peeps heard about the bomb scare in Exeter last year, it's the same shopping precinct, so maybe not that great a move.

OK: I have AC, is it worth me getting a BluRay player/PS3 for ACC? (Well, I'll probably get a PS3 at some point anyways...)

Say what? I was there. In fact I was sitting my Physics exam when they told us a bomb had gone off in the town centre and I just started laughing...until I realised they were being serious. But seriously, it was a duddy nail bomb that was never going to go off because they guy just didn't know what he was doing. No big deal. Just completely blown out of proportion by the local media. I also talked to one of the waitresses at Giraffe a couple of weeks after it happened and they said it hadn't effected the amount of business they had at all so I doubt it would effect where Zavii is, especially a year later.

Anyway.

Also, I'd say get the PS3. It's worth it for ACC, FFXIII and FF Versus XIII. You can get 40GB PS3s second hand for like £240 in that "ex" place next to Treds anyway. That's where I'm getting mine.

 

[Mantichorus]

Say what? I was there. In fact I was sitting my Physics exam when they told us a bomb had gone off in the town centre and I just started laughing...until I realised they were being serious. But seriously, it was a duddy nail bomb that was never going to go off because they guy just didn't know what he was doing. No big deal. Just completely blown out of proportion by the local media. I also talked to one of the waitresses at Giraffe a couple of weeks after it happened and they said it hadn't effected the amount of business they had at all so I doubt it would effect where Zavii is, especially a year later.

Err, sorry to correct you, but the bomb did go off... in the guy's face. Let that be a lesson - don't let the special needs kid build and prepare your bomb. And it wasn't just local news, it even got a mention on the national evening news, which surprised me slightly.

Hmm, well, maybe I will. I'm just wondering if the PS3's BluRay Player is about the same quality as the PS2's DVD player... cos although it could play DVDs, let's be honest: it was pretty naff. I might see how much a BluRay player itself is.

I'm sure it was later than January I went to Zavvi. Like April or May. Maybe my local shop didn't get the memo, because everything seemed normal

Hmm, maybe the staff bought the shop grounds itself and sold some of the same stock, like some of the Woolies did.

 

[Strangelove]

I've never had a problem with the PS3's BluRay player, it seems fine to me. But I've never used a stand-along BD player and didn't use my PS2 to play DVDs (I use my PS3 most of the time now), so I don't know how different it is

 

[Mantichorus]

I've never had a problem with the PS3's BluRay player, it seems fine to me. But I've never used a stand-along BD player and didn't use my PS2 to play DVDs (I use my PS3 most of the time now), so I don't know how different it is

Hmm, OK. I'll give it a go. Unless I can get a stand alone BluRay Player new for £100 less than I can get a PS3 secondhand.

 

[Tennyo]

Early PS2's had problems with the DVD player, but after a while the issue was fixed. My PS2 has never really given me much in the way of issues when I play DVD's. In fact my DVD player is shittier at the task then my PS2.

 

[Raquelborn]

Err, sorry to correct you, but the bomb did go off... in the guy's face. Let that be a lesson - don't let the special needs kid build and prepare your bomb. And it wasn't just local news, it even got a mention on the national evening news, which surprised me slightly.

OH yah, I remember now. But he got some minor injuries to his face and that's it. Basically the bomb was a failure because no one else was hurt but the bomber.

I know it did but it was the local news that tried to make out it was some big story when the attacks in the London underground completely overshadow it. Don't underestimate the national news either, me and all my classmates nearly made it on there when we caused a local swine-flu scare on our last day at school. Absolutely ridiculous.


Anyway. I was just told that the new PS3s can't play blu-ray discs anymore, is that true? They removed the player as it was too expensive or something.

 

[Tennyo]

Don't PS3's need the Blu-Ray player to read the games? It's not separate like a DVD player lens or some such.