Bluray Combo Pack Announce!
I am an individual that like to have it all, but doesn't like to sacrifice space in order to have that everything.
I buy the DVD. -- So that I can watch on my computer's DVD drive.
I buy the Blu Ray. --For Higher quality HD for my someday HD Player.
I buy the Soundtrack --For the Music (Major customer at CDJapan)
I finally get sold on these Combo Packs.
I have been going crazy replacing all my DVDs with the Blu-ray counterpart and slipping the DVD in with the Blu-Ray conserving space.
It's actually a space saver since Bluray cases are slightly smaller.
But then you have anime Combo packs which are really convenient, especially lately since there have been very nice boxes that hold the DVD/Bluray cases in, and fit nicely on a shelf.
But then I read about a title that I've been waiting for an English release, and FUNimation announces a DVD release. End.
I've been anticipating this series for... well let's see.... 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012... 5 years... and the best release is a DVD release OR later release of Bluray ONLY?? If I wait long enough will there be a Combo Pack?
Also, I've noticed that depending on the series some Combo Packs will use the nice Blu-ray cases while others will use the oxy DVD cases... (Trying to not remember the VHS days...) It just looks a little weird on a shelf having different sizes.
It it's a matter of a series doing well or not, its' a bit difficult for someone like me who's asking if I should buy expecting that this is it, or wait because there MIGHT be a future release...
Just an example: Sharingli-La DVD-- is there a BD Combo Pack expected? or should I just get the DVD set?
I noticed that Panty and Stocking is scheduled for a BD release, but it clearly states BD not BD+DVD. Are they both being listed? or is it just the one or the other?
Hidan no Aria is being released as a BD combo pack... So is Shakugan no Shana II. But Toaru Majutsu no Index is just a DVD?
Either way, it's better to have a Dubbed DVD than a Subbed Only DVD
I don't think the DVD first, blu ray later is a matter of the title selling well (like it can sometimes be in a company like Sentai's case with sub only and then later dubbed releases.) It has to do with being able to license the title for blu ray release at all. It all boils down to reverse importation fears and since R1 and Japan are in the same region for blu rays, releasing one here (at a significantly lower price) while the production committee feels they can still garner sales in Japan with their own blu ray releases would negatively impact their sales and therefore they will only offer the DVD license for sale at that time. I would think it would be a matter of a comparison of expected remaining Japanese sales to the revenue from licensing out the blu ray rights to a title. Because of the much greater cost of blu rays there (and while this is really not the place to debate the justification of those prices, if you look at the costs incurred, risks, and small customer base they are pretty well justified in my mind) many times it ends up being a better financial decision for the licensing company to only sell the rights for DVD release at first and hang on to the blu ray rights for longer. I do agree with you though on the different sizes of the cases. I hope that from here on we will see the blu ray sized combo cases like the one used for Steins;Gate.
Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn’t happen.- Steven Wright
Sharingli-La was only released in Japan on DVD, so don't expect it on Blu-Ray.
Someone gave me a link on ANN, you can easily serch if a BD was released in Japan or not, hopfully it can help people in learning if a BD will be picked up in NA or not.
BD Guide
“In order to protect something precious, you must find it first.”- Vata Raven