Lupin III - 1st TV series on DVD - Comparison

Italy Vs. Japan

Yamato Video Vs. VAP

Italian DVD Version

Title: LUPIN III - LA PRIMA SERIE
Publisher: Yamato Video
Price for each volume: Euro 25.77
N° DVD: 5

Catalog #:

YD0002 (Ep. 1-5)
YD0003 (Ep. 6-10)
YD0004 (Ep. 11-15)
YD0005 (Ep. 16-20)
YD0006 (Ep. 21-23 + Pilot Film as Extra Bonus)

DVD Format: DVD5 (single side, single layer) all discs

TV System: PAL

Audio tracks: italian (Dolby Digital 5.1 - remasterized from mono of 1979), italian (Dolby Digital 1.0, Italy 1979), japanese (Dolby Digital 1.0)

Subtitles: nothing (only for Pilot Film in italian)

Region Code: 2 (Europe and Japan)

Source: BetaCam tape (same source of japanese Laser Disc and VHS version)

Advantages:

original colors of 1971

cleaner image than japanese DVD's

some extra bonus (Pilot Film in cinemascope and TV size into 5th volume, and some original settei of main characters)

lower price (half of japanese one)

Disadvantages:

analog source (old tapes, same one of Laser Disc & VHS japanese versions)

Original frames are heavily interlaced (i.e. see this frame from opening)

more compression (use of DVD5 for all 5 volumes)

eliminated all episode trailers

Japanese DVD Version

Title: Lupin the 3rd 1st TV.
Publisher: VAP
Price for each volume: Yen 5040 (Yen 4800 without taxes), except last volume (5th): Yen 3990 (Yen 3800 without taxes)
N° DVD: 5

Catalog #:

VPBY-11424 (ep. 1-5)
VPBY-11425 (ep. 6-10)
VPBY-11426 (ep. 11-15)
VPBY-11427 (ep. 16-20)
VPBY-11428 (ep. 21-23)

DVD Format: DVD9 [single side, dual layer] disc 1~4, DVD5 [single side, single layer] disc 5

TV System: NTSC

Audio tracks: japanese (Dolby Digital 1.0)

Subtitles: nothing

Region Code: 2 (Europe and Japan)

Source: new Beta Digital master from original film (Bella roba!)

Advantages:

new digital source, telecine from original film

better compression (use of DVD9 for first 4 volumes and DVD5 for last volume)

it contains all trailers and each episode has got its own opening & closing songs

Disadvantages:

telecine from original film without restoration: darker image, bye bye to original colors

higher price (double of italian one)

Disc #4 - Ep. 16-20

Publisher: Yamato S.r.l., Milan Catalog #: YD0005 (Ep. 16-20, 4th Volume)	Publisher: VAP INC. Tokyo Catalog #: VPBY-11427 (ep. 16-20, 4th Volume)
Menu - Italian Version statics, no animated with original BGM (Back Ground Music) from CD Album: "Lupin the 3rd '71 ME TRACKS" (catalog #: VPCD-81271, producer: VAP) Main (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 8 (LUPIN THE BRIDGE-1 <from #6>)) Audio Selection: italiano mono (italian), italiano 5.1 (italian remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 from mono), giapponese mono (japanese) (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 15 (YEAH! LUPIN <from #10 + #6 + #11>)) Episode Selection (BGM: 3rd japanese opening theme (also known as "Lupin '71")) Special Features: original opening song (third one), closing song (third one), and "FILE: Fujiko Mine" (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 44 (Lupin III theme song I BGM-6 <from #10 + #1>)) FILE: Fujiko Mine (four pages with original settei from Pilot Film and TV series) (BGM: Scat Theme (I think from CD Album of 1988 by Nippon Columbia: "Lupin III TV Original BGM Collection - Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Score", catalog #: 28CC-2291, track 7))	Menu - Japanese Version simple but animated with original BGM (Back Ground Music) from CD Album: "Lupin the 3rd '71 ME TRACKS" (catalog #: VPCD-81271, producer: VAP) Main (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 17 (AFRO "LUPIN '68" T.V. ORIGINAL <from #14 + #15>)) Episode 16: OPENING, A.PART, B.PART, TRAILER, ENDING (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 12 (RHYTHM SUSPENSE <from #6 + #15>)) Episode 17: OPENING, A.PART, B.PART, TRAILER, ENDING (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 12 (RHYTHM SUSPENSE <from #6 + #15>)) Episode 18: OPENING, A.PART, B.PART, TRAILER, ENDING (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 12 (RHYTHM SUSPENSE <from #6 + #15>)) Episode 19: OPENING, A.PART, B.PART, TRAILER, ENDING (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 12 (RHYTHM SUSPENSE <from #6 + #15>)) Episode 20: OPENING, A.PART, B.PART, TRAILER, ENDING (BGM from '71 ME TRACKS: track 12 (RHYTHM SUSPENSE <from #6 + #15>))
	Message from VAP before of show beginning. "This movie contains some discriminative expressions about some occupations, disables, mentally disturbed people which are considered to be improper today. However, from its time background and there was no intension to encourage the discriminative idea of those from the producers, we leave those expressions as they were. Please take this for your consideration. VAP inc." [Thanks to Ray for english translation]
Opening Song - Italian Version	Opening Song - Japanese Version
Episode 16 - Italian Version	Episode 16 - Japanese Version
Episode 17 - Italian Version	Episode 17 - Japanese Version
Episode 18 - Italian Version	Episode 18 - Japanese Version
Episode 19 - Italian Version	Episode 19 - Japanese Version
Episode 20 - Italian Version	Episode 20 - Japanese Version
Pictures from 4th disc of italian version (Yamatovideo), captured in BMP format, using PowerDVD 4.0 XP (in original video source size, original use profile for colors), then compressed in JPEG format, using PhotoShop 5.0, compression: 5-Medium.	Thanks to Marco Gargantini and Furio Baroncini for pictures from 4th disc of japanese version. Pictures from 4th disc of japanese version (VAP), captured in BMP format, using PowerDVD 4.0 XP (original video source size, original use profile for colors), then compressed in JPEG format, using PhotoShop 5.0, compression: 5-Medium.