2000 AD Online Forum

General Chat => Books & Comics => Topic started by: user2000 on 17 February, 2022, 09:52:56 PM

Title: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 17 February, 2022, 09:52:56 PM
Not sure if this is the right place (again) for this but anyway..

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/rebellions-masters-british-comics-featuring-judge-dredd-2000-ad-treasury-british-comics-books

First of all, what an AWESOME bundle for a mind blowing price.  My kids like to read all their stuff on the tablet so even though I have the vast majority of this stuff in print I am sure I can coax them into reading more great stuff this way.

But unfortunately a problem that I highlighted on last years bundle has reared its head here again.

https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=46829.0

The CBZ files are just too compressed and makes reading them quite unpleasant with jagged edges galore, especially on the speech balloons.  A couple of PDF's seem fine although I did only check a couple.

Hopefully this can be rectified as easily as it was last time.

Cheers all, lurk mode back on.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 17 February, 2022, 11:11:01 PM
(I say last years bundle, but of course it was in 2020, how time flies etc.)
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 20 February, 2022, 08:38:51 PM
I raised a support ticket and they are "looking into it"

I've noticed some, but not all, cbz file sizes have increased since I downloaded.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 22 February, 2022, 04:12:21 PM
Quote from: JudgeCrumble on 20 February, 2022, 08:38:51 PM
I raised a support ticket and they are "looking into it"

I've noticed some, but not all, cbz file sizes have increased since I downloaded.

I just noticed the file size increase too.

But, alas, clicking on the file just downloads the old, smaller size, fuzzy file.

The only only I can see any difference on is "Hondo  City Law" which says it should be 90.8 MB but still downloads as 55.6 MB.  Maybe there's more but the first half dozen or so are exactly the same as before.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: WhizzBang on 22 February, 2022, 05:42:49 PM
This is a great bundle - especially for the Charley's War and Lawless volumes. I only found out about this deal because of this thread so thanks for the notice. I have downloaded them all as pdf and the ones I have looked at (the smaller ones mainly) look okay to me.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: WhizzBang on 22 February, 2022, 05:50:21 PM
I spoke to soon. The Mestizo pdf is 12MB and the first 10 pages or so are fine but later pages have white lines through them and the text could be more readable. I will try the cbr version for any pdfs that look bad.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 25 February, 2022, 09:03:38 PM
No idea if this is related or not, but if you open the tammyandjinty_remixed.cbz in tool like 7zip you can see the pages are all over the place.

I think most cbz readers sort by filename before display, but that still feels wrong....
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 25 February, 2022, 09:05:33 PM
@Molch-R do you know anything about this? I see you commented last time.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 26 February, 2022, 08:26:25 AM
Hmm, might have to put in for a refund if this isn't going to be fixed - the CBR files are mostly unreadable.

I did notice that Devlin Waugh Red Tide went from 50 MB or so to 239 MB - making it exactly like I was expecting it - nice and crisp on all our tablets from iPad 12.9 to Samsung Tab 7 FE.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: Goosegash on 26 February, 2022, 10:45:02 AM
Lets not mince words, the quality control on these versions is dreadful. For instance why are double-page spreads on separate pages when they should obviously be joined? That seems so basic I can't understand how they could get it so wrong.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: IndigoPrime on 26 February, 2022, 01:21:54 PM
Quote from: Goosegash on 26 February, 2022, 10:45:02 AMwhy are double-page spreads on separate pages when they should obviously be joined? That seems so basic I can't understand how they could get it so wrong.
That's nothing to do with Rebellion and everything to do with how these files are constructed, to allow people to read them as they wish. Most CBR and PDF readers will enable you to shift to a spreads view if you want that. If the spreads were effectively single double-wide pages, that would eradicate the option to view how you want to in portrait.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: Molch-R on 28 February, 2022, 03:31:54 PM
Hey everyone, it would help an awful lot if you could let us know *which* titles are having this problem. Is it all the CBZs or just some? That way we can try and pinpoint what is happening here.

Cheers!
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 28 February, 2022, 07:17:13 PM
Sorry to say, it's pretty much ALL of the CBR files, just as happened with the last bundle (which were then replaced and they are fine now).

If I get the time later I'll open every one up, but on a cursory look at a dozen or so, I found only one that was properly readable and that was THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR vol 3.  It's obvious looking at vol 1 and vol 2 that there is something wrong, even though the actual file size of vol 1 and vol 2 are twice the size of vol 3.  Even then the vol 3 is not quite crisp looking, but certainly better than the other two (I have the original TPB's of these and the reproduction is excellent on the printed page).

The problem is in the legibility of the speech balloons.  Even looking at something new like Roy of the Rovers and it is "unreadable".

Seems that the images that make up the individual pages are far far too compressed, even the artwork suffers.

It reminds me of watching something on Freeview in standard definition.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 01 March, 2022, 08:46:21 PM
Quote from: Molch-R on 28 February, 2022, 03:31:54 PM
Hey everyone, it would help an awful lot if you could let us know *which* titles are having this problem. Is it all the CBZs or just some? That way we can try and pinpoint what is happening here.

Cheers!

With all respect can you and HB not work this out between you?

Presumably you sent them some files which were the standard downloads of reasonable quality.  Either they've done something which should be an easy check (generate a list of file sizes and James and compare) or there were issues with what you originally sent

I only looked at the Devlin Waugh which were a fraction of the size of the ones I downloaded last time.

But I only know that because I already have them, I have nothing to compare against with other files, they could easily be be "good enough" but not actually of the full quality and I'd never know.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 01 March, 2022, 09:48:18 PM
Quote from: JudgeCrumble on 01 March, 2022, 08:46:21 PM

With all respect can you and HB not work this out between you?

Presumably you sent them some files which were the standard downloads of reasonable quality.  Either they've done something which should be an easy check (generate a list of file sizes and James and compare) or there were issues with what you originally sent

I only looked at the Devlin Waugh which were a fraction of the size of the ones I downloaded last time.

But I only know that because I already have them, I have nothing to compare against with other files, they could easily be be "good enough" but not actually of the full quality and I'd never know.

Hashes not James  :-[ stupid small phone screen and autocorrect.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 04 March, 2022, 06:06:21 PM
My latest reply from HB says the CBZ's were taken diwn as poor quality and impies (to me at least) they won't be replacing them and have just given up instead.....
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 06 March, 2022, 08:01:13 AM
Quote from: JudgeCrumble on 04 March, 2022, 06:06:21 PM
My latest reply from HB says the CBZ's were taken diwn as poor quality and impies (to me at least) they won't be replacing them and have just given up instead.....

Wow, that is disappointing.

PDF's load too slowly on my sons tablet for some reason and I'm not going to be buying a new tablet for this purpose.

Surely it's not beyond someone on Tharg's side to fix this?
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: Molch-R on 08 March, 2022, 08:50:12 PM
According to HB the CBZ files have been updated, so you should be able to download them now.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 09 March, 2022, 07:59:21 AM
Excellent stuff.

Just quickly downloaded a couple and the CBZ's are now as expected (as an example, The Vigilant - previous size 29.8 MB, an unreadable fuzzy mess, new file 127 MB and nice and clear).

There are a number of titles missing their CBZ's though, maybe they will upload them later but just thought I'd mention it in case they need another push.

2000AD Regened 1+2
Charleys War books 1-3
Battle of Britain Special 2020
Battle of Britain - War Picture Library (both)
Black Beth and the Devils of Al-Kadesh
Action 2020 Special
Monster
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: Echidna on 09 March, 2022, 08:18:42 PM
Thanks Molch-R for getting it fixed, and user2000 for highlighting the issue. I'm off to get mine now!

It's disappointing that this keeps happening with Humble's comics bundles, especially when Rebellion is giving them the right files in the first place.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 11 March, 2022, 07:37:07 PM
Quote from: user2000 on 09 March, 2022, 07:59:21 AM
Excellent stuff.

Just quickly downloaded a couple and the CBZ's are now as expected (as an example, The Vigilant - previous size 29.8 MB, an unreadable fuzzy mess, new file 127 MB and nice and clear).

I did notice the Shako CBZ has actually got smaller (now 55Mb was about 95Mb) I've not yet downloaded that one to compare but otherwise it's sounding pretty positive.
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: JudgeCrumble on 17 March, 2022, 09:14:40 PM
Quote from: user2000 on 09 March, 2022, 07:59:21 AM
Excellent stuff.

Just quickly downloaded a couple and the CBZ's are now as expected (as an example, The Vigilant - previous size 29.8 MB, an unreadable fuzzy mess, new file 127 MB and nice and clear).

There are a number of titles missing their CBZ's though, maybe they will upload them later but just thought I'd mention it in case they need another push.

2000AD Regened 1+2
Charleys War books 1-3
Battle of Britain Special 2020
Battle of Britain - War Picture Library (both)
Black Beth and the Devils of Al-Kadesh
Action 2020 Special
Monster

I've just checked and there are all there now.

I did some stats on image resolution etc and it looks like the current batch have fairly consistent page sizes (the b&w ones are larger than colour, to show off the detail?) and fairly consistent filesizes per image (so consistent compression/quality level)
Title: Re: The 2022 Humble Bundle - same problem again
Post by: user2000 on 18 March, 2022, 08:55:57 PM
Quote from: JudgeCrumble on 17 March, 2022, 09:14:40 PM
Quote from: user2000 on 09 March, 2022, 07:59:21 AM
Excellent stuff.

Just quickly downloaded a couple and the CBZ's are now as expected (as an example, The Vigilant - previous size 29.8 MB, an unreadable fuzzy mess, new file 127 MB and nice and clear).

There are a number of titles missing their CBZ's though, maybe they will upload them later but just thought I'd mention it in case they need another push.

2000AD Regened 1+2
Charleys War books 1-3
Battle of Britain Special 2020
Battle of Britain - War Picture Library (both)
Black Beth and the Devils of Al-Kadesh
Action 2020 Special
Monster

I've just checked and there are all there now.

I did some stats on image resolution etc and it looks like the current batch have fairly consistent page sizes (the b&w ones are larger than colour, to show off the detail?) and fairly consistent filesizes per image (so consistent compression/quality level)

Brilliant, all fixed up then, got there in the end!