#### Big thanks to: **gsus321**: for typesetting advice **WPR**: for doing TLC/editing on eight lines **[brap](/user/jillvalentine)**: for providing the 2009 UK BD **[HRSM](/user/HRSM)**: for general help, doing subtitle QC, and providing the 2018 UK BD Manga dub **[Krycek7o2](/user/Krycek7o2)**: for general help with the Manga dub and pitch-correcting the 2009 US BD version and speed-correcting the 2006 UK DVD version #### [Discord](https://discord.gg/PMrccmpYTu) For the 1995 movie, I recommend joining [der_richter's Discord server](https://discord.gg/Vd6AwHTJNB) and either getting the currently available test encode or waiting for his v3 release. ___ ### Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (v2) #### What's new: * The subtitles have a new, better translation and have been fully retimed and typeset * A slightly less limited version of the JP 5.1 mix from the 2017 US BD * A lossless version of the audio commentary from the 2017 US BD * Alleviated clipping on the Bandai dub center channel * Fixed rear channels on the Manga dub * The DTS:X and DTS Headphone:X tracks have been left in their original formats and so have all their additional surround data intact ### Video Nothing new on the video side. It's still a remux of the 2012 Dynit IT BD since no better release has come out. Check out the video comparisons below to see how it compares to Beatrice's encode and how some of the other home releases compare to each other. A somewhat related tidbit: One of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga assistants recently revealed that Otomo apparently [wasn't the biggest fan](https://twitter.com/st_nomad/status/1701508514596917449) of the meticulously animated scene with Batou's basset hound. Guess he was unable to appreciate the kino. ### Audio The abundance of mixes this movie has is teetering on being ridiculous (or maybe the six Japanese tracks alone put this well past that point). There was a decent amount of things to keep track of here overall, so let me know if you notice something wrong somewhere, and I'll get to it when I can. The Japanese 6.1, 7.1, 7.1.4 DTS:X, and 2.0 DTS Headphone:X tracks are the same as before except for the DTS:X tracks' format, which I've now kept untouched in order not to lose their proprietary surround audio data. I also replaced the lossy version of director Mamoru Oshii and animation director Toshihiko Nishikubo's commentary with a lossless one from the 2017 US BD. Now you get to hear Oshii's wonderings and complaints even better. In terms of mastering and waveforms, the JP 6.1 and 7.1 mixes closely resemble the 5.1 mix, primarily differing in channel count and maybe some potential variations in their channel contents. Even the 7.1.4 DTS:X mix isn't too dissimilar aside from what its format adds to it, so your best bet should be to go with the mix that best suits your setup and speaker count. If you're using headphones or a Stereo setup, the regular JP 2.0 downmix should work reasonably well too. It obviously won't differ significantly from one of the multichannel ones, but it's there if you want a Stereo track that remains faithful to the original mix and EQ. That leaves us with the most unique option among the bunch: the 2.0 Headphone DTS:X mix. This one is interesting due to its format, different EQ, and substantial level adjustments, which have been presumably made for the track to better suit headphone listening. Dialogue, music, and effects have been separately pronounced or subdued to clear things up or to enhance a specific detail in the mix depending on the situation, with the songs especially having a distinctly vocal-heavy sound to them. I can see it not being to everyone's taste, but I'd say to at the very least give it a try if you have a pair of headphones. Perhaps not the best option for a first watch, though, as it does stray the furthest from the creators' original intentions. For the Bandai dub, a total of 3min5s was spliced from the less limited 2009 US BD track's center channel into the 2017 US BD track's center channel to alleviate the clipping in its loudest parts a bit while still keeping the track mostly lossless. I thought splice-ins were worth doing here, as the likelihood of issues popping up from mixing two otherwise basically identical channels was very low. * [DDL](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gk75fRTIX_vsDBWewaIMjAHguaZ2hdFa/view?usp=drive_link) for the 2009 UK BD Japanese 5.1 track. * [DDL](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IC2bFV5SZZH4DLp1c9qx8DFcUWmia9ik/view?usp=drive_link) for an untouched 2017 US BD Bandai dub track in case you want a 100% lossless track and don't mind the additional limiting. * [DDL](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cM5ovVyu-a5voURxAgaid_RfYDvqxih?usp=sharing) for Krycek7o2's pitch-corrected 2009 US BD version and speed-corrected 2006 UK DVD version of the Manga dub. Note that the DVD track needs to be synced more thoroughly to match the BD video. #### Japanese 5.1 * **2004 JP DVD**: Sounds good, with no apparent issues. Isn't quite as limited as the IT BD during louder segments. (448 kbps) * **2009 US DVD**: Same as the 2004 JP DVD save for the quieter and slightly bass-reduced rear channels, and the earlier cut-off point at ~17 kHz. (384 kbps) * **2009 US BD**: Same as the 2004 JP DVD. (640 kbps) * **2009 UK BD**: While the mastering is the same as on the JP DVD, [the levels/dynamics have clearly been tinkered with.](https://slow.pics/c/IPFwRSPx) If this isn't a production error, my guess is it's an attempt at creating a more nearfield-friendly version of the mix because the dialogue and quiet sounds are more prominent, whereas louder ones have either stayed the same or been brought down, lessening the jumps in volume. This could imaginably suit people who keep finding themselves having to raise the volume to hear the dialogue and other quieter sounds well, only to get blasted with loud gunfire, explosions, etc. in louder scenes. Might work well in general for people who are hard of hearing. Also, this could be a lossy transcode, as the [frequency cut-off is similar to the lossy tracks.](https://i.imgur.com/9WZvQo7.png) * **2012 IT BD**: Loud segments are [slightly more limited](https://slow.pics/c/w7fJ2GJ3) than on the other releases. All channels are affected, but it's most apparent in the center channel. Not a huge issue. * **2017 US BD**: Pretty much a lossless version of the 2004 JP DVD, so not as limited as the IT BD. #### English (Manga) 5.1 * **2006 UK DVD**: Is in PAL speed but appears to have the correct NTSC pitch. The following releases with incorrect pitch probably received the same PAL master and lowered the pitch to get it to NTSC levels, not realizing it didn't actually have the higher PAL pitch. This one is marginally less limited and has a more normal roll-off on the LFE channel compared to the 2009 UK BD. The rear channels are switched around for some reason. (755 kbps) * **2009 US DVD**: Sounds noticeably off due to the pitch being seemingly 0.7 semitones too low (the NTSC - PAL deviation). The LFE channel is similar to the UK DVD. (448 kbps) * **2009 US BD**: Similar to the US DVD so has the same pitch issue and the more normal LFE channel roll-off. (640 kbps) * **2009 UK BD**: Has the correct pitch, is [marginally more limited](https://slow.pics/c/whMSZrsn) during loud segments (not an issue), and the LFE channel's [complete lack of a standard roll-off after the bass frequencies](https://i.imgur.com/UnL3coM.png) makes it sound like a regular channel. I'd say the roll-off thing isn't much to worry about since the channel will get cut off after ~80 Hz by the subwoofer anyway, or you could alternatively run a low-pass filter on it. The rear channels had been switched around like on the UK DVD but were easy to fix. Appears to be actually lossless. * **2018 UK BD**: Has the pitch issue and the more normal LFE channel roll-off. Possibly a lossy transcode judging by the [~19 kHz cut-off point.](https://i.imgur.com/jpIuLN8.png) #### English (Bandai) 5.1 * **2009 US DVD**: No big issues that I could spot. The rear channels are quieter than on the other releases. (448 kbps) * **2009 US BD**: A higher-bitrate version of the DVD track with louder rear channels. (640 kbps) * **2017 US BD**: Similar to the 2009 US BD, but loud segments are slightly more limited in the center channel. (This limiting was alleviated by the splice-ins from the 2009 US BD track.) ### Subtitles The new translation in this v2 was done by [Linda Hoaglund](http://lhoaglund.com/biography) and Judith Aley for the initial NA DVD and was later reused on the 2018 UHD BD. I retimed it, added back the song translations and a few missing lines from the old subtitles, styled the dialogue, typeset the signs and songs, split/joined lines, and changed some line breaks. A few TL edits were done and a few errors were fixed as well thanks to HRSM and WPR. Some people might get lag with one of the signs if they have the line "video-sync=display-resample" in their mpv.conf file and are running their monitor/TV above 23.976 Hz. The PGS commentary subtitles are from the 2017 US BD. ### Comparisons [**Japanese 5.1**](https://slow.pics/c/yTinnKm0) | [**Video**](https://slow.pics/c/MfyT74Ik) | [**Video (caps-a-holic)**](https://caps-a-holic.com/c_list.php?c=4115) [Additional screenshots of tracks not in the comparisons.](https://slow.pics/c/cgTvBnAs) ### Specifics Video: 1. 2012 IT BD Remux (1920x1080, 23.976 fps) Audio: 1. Japanese 2.0 FLAC (2018 JP 4K BD) 2. Japanese 2.0 Headphone DTS:X (2018 JP 4K BD) 3. Japanese 5.1 FLAC (2017 US BD) (default) 4. Japanese 6.1 FLAC (2008 JP BD) 5. Japanese 7.1 FLAC (2006 JP BD) 6. Japanese 7.1.4 DTS:X (2018 JP 4K BD) 7. English 5.1 FLAC (2009 UK BD) (Manga) 8. English 5.1 FLAC (2017 US BD) (Bandai) 9. Commentary by Mamoru Oshii and Toshihiko Nishikubo 2.0 FLAC (2017 US BD) Subtitles: 1. Signs And Songs 2. English (default) 3. Commentary [MediaInfo](https://pastebin.com/raw/mRyMxrvj)