Why US imports are superior to UK domestic dvds!

[Mutsumi]

I'd like the UK anime market to grow, but Area 88's points about PAL conversions especially are true, & with the difference in price, I really cannot afford to buy UK releases. Also agree that MVM releases are no fun.

Give me UK releases that are region 1 compatible as well as region 2, are in original NTSC, & I'll buy.

 

[Gawyn]

This conversion from NTSC to PAL always strikes me as complete bull. The simple problem I have is: How can you say that there is a problem with speed up when the frame-rate of PAL is 5/6ths that of NTSC?

Most of the argument is given concerning Film standard, which is neither NTSC or PAL but a 24hz frame rate. Film is practically unused these days, since most animation is done digitally, so this particular problem really seems fairly rare in my view and is becoming less relevant as time passes. The advent of HDTV makes this even less of a problem.

I certainly have never noticed any particular lack of quality, especially on any recent titles but logic very rarely rears its head in this type of discussion.

If you want to import (or not), keep it to yourself and don't try thrusting your views onto everybody else since it is just extremely annoying. To me the UK anime industry is very imortant to anime as a whole. Without it many potential fans, particularly amongst the kids who don't have easy access to imports, would miss out as would the anime industry itself.

 

[mr-brett]

This is the second thread that Area 88 has advertised DvdPacific.com so you guy might be right.

I can't help it if Dvd Pacific are one of the cheapest on the internet. Maybe i should have used DeepDiscountdvd since they pretty much match their prices as well.

Fair enough.

Something i think that should also be considered which is leading from Gawyn's point that kids might have so much access to imports is that how many people got into anime through imports? how many people's first anime DVD was an import?

I imagine not very many.

 

[Cowboy_Bebop]

Being a cheap/poor as i am... i have to rely on Us Imports when i can
Chobits COST ME A BOMB in the uk... ever since then im a import Guy

 

[KeV]

I must admit i mostly import for all the above reasons, its just better. I do buy some Uk titles, at the mo i am buying FMA, but due to ever changing release dates and the fact its gonna be more thn half way of next year by the time its done, i sudda gone US.
The only victory UK has over US was the ghibli movies
KeV

 

[Anonymous]

This conversion from NTSC to PAL always strikes me as complete bull. The simple problem I have is: How can you say that there is a problem with speed up when the frame-rate of PAL is 5/6ths that of NTSC?

Most of the argument is given concerning Film standard, which is neither NTSC or PAL but a 24hz frame rate. Film is practically unused these days, since most animation is done digitally, so this particular problem really seems fairly rare in my view and is becoming less relevant as time passes. The advent of HDTV makes this even less of a problem.

First of all the effects of NTSC to PAL conversions are very real. Here is an article from Wikipedia:

Motion pictures are typically shot on film at 24 frames per second. When telecined and played back at PAL's standard of 25 frames per second, films run 4.2% faster. [1] Unlike NTSC's telecine system, which uses 3:2 pulldown to convert the 24 frames per second to the NTSC frame rate, PAL results in the telecined video running 4.2% shorter than the original film as well as the equivalent NTSC telecined video. It also increases the pitch of the soundtrack by 70.67 cent — ⅔ of a semitone, which people with absolute pitch will notice immediately.

Just for the record everything uses film masters including completly CGI works such as Final Fantasy Adent Children which ironically also suffers from ghosting in it's UK release, a symptom of the PAL conversion process since it's not present US version.

I certainly have never noticed any particular lack of quality, especially on any recent titles but logic very rarely rears its head in this type of discussion.

Your obviously not looking very hard then because the effects are pretty obvious when you compare an NTSC to a PAL dvd.

Almost all PAL anime dvds suffer from ghosting through the NTSC to PAL process. Some high profile examples include - Appleseed , Final Fantasy Advent Children , Neon Genesis Platinum.

There are some exceptions where companies have used native PAL transfers but this is more expensive process and less than 1% of dvds actually use this method in the UK. Some examples of native pal transfers include Ghost Shell Standalone Complex, Totorro, Howl's Moving Castle.

Almost all the other Ghibli releases use dreaded Ntsc to Pal conversion and have ghosting such as Nausicca Wind of the Valley, Porco Rosco, Kiki's Delivery Service. Optimum recieved so many complaints they changed their process to native pal for the remaining Ghibli dvds even thought it was more expensive to please fans.

You just have to do research before you buy a UK dvd otherwise 99% of the time your end up with an inferior product.

If you want to import (or not), keep it to yourself and don't try thrusting your views onto everybody else since it is just extremely annoying. To me the UK anime industry is very imortant to anime as a whole. Without it many potential fans, particularly amongst the kids who don't have easy access to imports, would miss out as would the anime industry itself.

This is a very abrasive statement considering i was not thrusting my view at anyone. I was increasing peoples awareness so they can make an educated choice in the future. The kids who buy anime are more than welcome to carry on buying UK dvds, my advice is optional and is directed at those that wanted to know more about the alternatives out there. Don't blame the messanger, blame the industrialists that chose to keep the PAL format.

 

[Sy]

There is one release that i'll say is totally superior to the US release and that's the Uncut Naruto boxsets. The UK DVD's are compact, cheaply priced and contain the storyboard booklet yet people choose to buy the US release over it because they want something in a huge box that makes it look like they got their money worth(and probably spending about £15 more for it) or for the toys(yes they are toys) that you get extra with it. To me that's pretty insane. For such a long series that doesn't appear to have an end in sight anytime soon you'd think that they'd want to save shelf space.

MangaUK also put together an excellent release of Heat Guy J which is a series that I would have probably looked over if it wasn't for the cheaply priced boxsets.

I would say that the Innocence DVD release also by MangaUK is superior as well but i'm not sure. The Dub for the UK version was pretty good, using the voice actors from Stand Alone Complex(which I consider to be one of the best dubs out there) but on the other hand after seeing it in the cinema and my subtitled Dreamworks DVD(I avoided the hearing impared subs problem) several times the UK subtitles were just too different and made it seem like I was watching a totally different movie. They even spelt one of the characters names incorrectly. Apart from that it's a good release but I was hoping to disguard my US version after buying it. Now I just keep it around if I want to watch it subtitled.

I always buy UK releases of feature films where I can and lately I'm trying to buy more UK series that I can pick up relativly cheap(Last Exile, Noir). By the looks of the prices dropping in HMV and Virgin from £19.99 to £12.99 - £14.99 I may well start buy even more UK releases. However the prices on MVM releases don't seem to have dropped by much at all and with thier poor looking quality releases that don't even top Chinese Bootleg standards a lot of the time I'm still avoiding them. The DVD's have got to sit on my shelf and I can't particually justify spending out around £20 a pop when there's a cheaper, better looking alternative available.

 

[dimlylitmonkey]

I've imported all the UC Gundam stuff that isn't over here yet,
including the complete 0083: Stardust Memory series.
The 0083 version they released here, Afterglow of Zeon is apparently terrible,
but I guess Bandai and Beez aren't confident enough in us yet to bring out too many discs.
We certainly should support our own market,
but then how long would I have had to wait for something like Gundam Zeta to come out?

 

[kupocake]

The IP address says different - Area88 is a UK resident

And this categorically prevents him from being on their payroll how?

 

[Hovis!]

I'm going to avoid this thread from this day fourth.

These are the kind of forum threads that can waste loads of unecessary time online when there'a already enough to be dealing with in real life. Thanks.

I like to try and avoid futile debate see (online least ways). :lol:

 

[hopeful_monster]

I like to try and avoid futile debate see (online least ways). :lol:

Try a Creationism vs Evolution 'discussion on Sluggy.net. Very much the broken pencil.

 

[cornixt]

First of all the effects of NTSC to PAL conversions are very real. Here is an article from Wikipedia:

Motion pictures are typically shot on film at 24 frames per second. When telecined and played back at PAL's standard of 25 frames per second, films run 4.2% faster. [1] Unlike NTSC's telecine system, which uses 3:2 pulldown to convert the 24 frames per second to the NTSC frame rate, PAL results in the telecined video running 4.2% shorter than the original film as well as the equivalent NTSC telecined video. It also increases the pitch of the soundtrack by 70.67 cent — ⅔ of a semitone, which people with absolute pitch will notice immediately.

All this is moot however, since it still means that US imports are worse quality for people in the UK (not least because of the fewer scan lines and awful colour reproduction of NTSC, and no they don't just convert UK versions directly from the US version). Unless you watch it all on your PC. Plus Japan tv is not quite the same as US NTSC.

Not that most people would notice most degradations in quality anyway.

 

[Sy]

Not that most people would notice most degradations in quality anyway.

I haven't noticed any in my UK or US releases. They all just look fine to me and i'm not going to go out of my way to find out why DVD's I already have suck.

 

[mr-brett]

Not that most people would notice most degradations in quality anyway.

I haven't noticed any in my UK or US releases. They all just look fine to me and i'm not going to go out of my way to find out why DVD's I already have suck.

I agree, and i think this thread is getting bit stale now.

 

[Mutsumi]

This is the second thread that Area 88 has advertised DvdPacific.com so you guy might be right.

I can't help it if Dvd Pacific are one of the cheapest on the internet. Maybe i should have used DeepDiscountdvd since they pretty much match their prices as well.

Fair enough.

Something i think that should also be considered which is leading from Gawyn's point that kids might have so much access to imports is that how many people got into anime through imports? how many people's first anime DVD was an import?

I imagine not very many.

My first was not an import only because I got my first before I could get a debit card. As soon as I got my debit card, I could really start getting into anime.

Incidentally, this was back in the day when the only anime DVDs you'd see in shops were the Manga range.

To be honest, Area 88 is right about all this, & I agree with him on all counts. Now, I've not compared any different releases myself, but I have experienced the 'ghosting' present in PAL conversions. On the other hand, I'm sure I've had the same problem with US NTSC versions before as well. The problems with PAL conversions aren't so bad though, & you wouldn't notice the difference unless you were really looking for it.

So, the moral of the story? If you want to feel like you are making a difference to the UK anime market & have the money to spare, buy the UK releases. You'll get a good quality product & enjoy it as much as anyone else. If you want to save money & get in most cases a better product, buy the US release.

Me? I'm sure some of you will have seen me plug DVD Pacific in 'Anime & Manga Marketplace' threads when doing price comparisons a couple of times.

I'll always shop at DVD Pacific, & I'd encourage everyone else to do the same. I'm not going to shout about it though. Area 88 has made the mistake of trying to change your views. I'll just tell you DVD Pacific is cheaper & that US releases are usually better & let you make your own decisions.

This thread would have gone a lot better if Area 88 hadn't thrust it at you all in such a way. He has made you all stand up for the UK anime industry by attacking it.

Buy wherever you like! The UK anime industry will be fine either way.

I talk to much. XD

 

[Mutsumi]

In the UK, at least our Laputa DVD is actually called Laputa & not changed to just Castle in the Sky.

Just bought The Cat Returns & Howl's Moving Castle. £7 & £10 respectively. I'd say to you all, support the UK anime industry where the price is right. We're taken for a ride with the prices of many UK releases, so when they give you a good deal, don't miss it.

If only my local HMV would include volume one of GitS:SAC in their £8 per vol offer.