Masters of Cinema black level

[gasteropod]

I've mentioned previously how the MoC DVD of Kuroneko is too bright, and I hypothesised that it's due to the difference in black level standards in here and Japan. Well tonight I've been watching more MoC, The Profound Desires of the Gods Blu-ray and Pigs & Battleships Blu-ray and again I had to dial down my brightness all the way from 48 (correctly calibrated) to 24 to make them look correct.

I have now discovered a better way to do it, for MoC releases, you change your Blu-ray setting to 'Full' HD range instead of 'Limited', and 'RGB' instead of 'Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr'. Limited is correct for everything else, but MoC are evidently encoding it for Full/using Japanese black level standards. I'm happy and relieved now as it was frustrating me!

Set to Full - RGB:

Kuroneko
Kwaidan
Onibaba
Pigs & Battleships
Profound Desires of the Gods
Stolen Desire
Vengeance Is Mine

Keep at Limited or Full - Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr: (i.e. it's normal)

The Ballad of Narayama
Tokyo Sonata

[bradavon]

Thanks. What's your BD Player? Because that looks to be BD Player specific wording.

How did you calibrate your kit?

[gasteropod]

It's the PS3, you may not be able to do that on other players. I used a combination of the THX optimiser, the calibrator on the Ratatouille Blu-ray, and a colorimeter with calibration software.

[bradavon]

Thanks. I can do some of that on my LG BD/HD-DVD Player. Was all that calibration worth it? You even bought a colorimeter.

[gasteropod]

Well my TV continually bugs me because its colours are inaccurate, particularly the greens, but other than that at least I know I've got it looking pretty much as accurate as it'll go.

[gasteropod]

It's clear from these captures that once again Eureka haven't corrected the black level in their forthcoming release of The Insect Woman, look at the bottom comparison with the Criterion:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

[gasteropod]

The Insect Woman also has the wrong black level.

[Killer Meteor]

A lot of Toho transfers I've seen over the years have zilch black level. Godzilla Vs Megalon always looks very drab and washed out on DVD, compared to the old widescreen UK VHS.