I was wondering why R2 versions of movies have 3 discs of special features while R1 only have 1-2 discs?
Maxflier
10-11-05, 01:41 AM
I always wondered this myself. R2 always gets better releases of AMERICAN movies. Makes no sense to me, you would think it would be the other way around but we constantly get the short end of the stick.
Dean Kousoulas
10-11-05, 02:04 AM
It annoys me quite a bit. I still don't own a region free player, but I think it's about time I do, because I'm tired of becoming jealous at other regions versions of movies.
Cameron
10-11-05, 02:06 AM
or do you own a region free player, and not know it....all you have to do is type in a code in most players to go region free... no harder than the contra code, which I'm sure many of you still know by heart.
scottall
10-11-05, 02:18 AM
They have to leave some stuff for the 10th (or 30th) Anniversary Edition.
eedoon
10-11-05, 02:23 AM
It's a compensation for all the PAL speedup they get. ;)
pro-bassoonist
10-11-05, 02:36 AM
I was wondering why R2 versions of movies have 3 discs of special features while R1 only have 1-2 discs?
Because God gave us Miramax!!
Pro-B
DrGerbil
10-11-05, 02:50 AM
Sometimes... but generalizations are always wrong. ;)
Buzz Lightyear
10-11-05, 03:00 AM
It's very funny. I am from The Netherlands and here people say the opposite. We have the crappy versions with less special features, without DTS and lame covers so we import all those better R1 dvd's and giftsets. The only thing that's better is that it is PAL beceause you have a sharper image they always claim (a difference I don't notice at all). So that's just the opposite of what's been said here as well. I prefer region 1 mostly, although Japan and Korea have some nice editions as well. Region 2 is mostly crappy (with some exceptions of course).
Reservoir
10-11-05, 03:34 AM
I was wondering why R2 versions of movies have 3 discs of special features while R1 only have 1-2 discs?
There are at least 30 countries in Region 2 and I can assure you they release just as much shit as Region 1.
It's a matter of picking through what's available and buying the best version.
Multiregion is the answer.
joliom
10-11-05, 06:33 AM
Why can't they just release THE SAME DVD IN ALL THE REGIONS? What's so friggin' hard about that?
John Hodson
10-11-05, 06:43 AM
It's very funny. I am from The Netherlands and here people say the opposite. We have the crappy versions with less special features, without DTS and lame covers so we import all those better R1 dvd's and giftsets. The only thing that's better is that it is PAL beceause you have a sharper image they always claim (a difference I don't notice at all). So that's just the opposite of what's been said here as well. I prefer region 1 mostly, although Japan and Korea have some nice editions as well. Region 2 is mostly crappy (with some exceptions of course).
I'm with you; go to Rewind's Comparison's page (http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/) and you'll see the proof:
Winners by region:
Region 1: 2266
Region 2: 1198
Region 3: 78
Region 4: 91
Region 5: 7
Region 6: 0
Region 0: 826
Draw: 3482
rexinnih
10-11-05, 08:54 AM
Distribution is often different in other regions and even within countries within those regions. Different decision makers involved.
marty888
10-11-05, 09:04 AM
The grass is always greener ....
Having said that, I, too, am always amazed when I find a great R2 release of a U.S.-made movie. One that comes to mind immediately is <b>THE DEER HUNTER</b> with the Cimino commentary, but there are many titles that have surfaced elsewhere with NO release here in the U.S., as well as others that have great extras we have yet to receive. Fortunately, region-free players are really not any more expensive, and ordering from around the globe has become quite simple.
Rad14
10-11-05, 10:48 AM
Here in Region Two land, I've noticed that we rarely get DTS, whereas in the States it's more common. True, we do get a picture with a bit more resolution, though I personally don't really notice the difference, but as someone said, we also get just as much shit as you do! :rolleyes:
Nebiroth
10-11-05, 10:57 AM
Take it from someone who lives in r2land (UK) - this isn't true. What can happen is that we will get no release at all of something, until the "special edition" comes out.
In r1, you nearly always have the advantages of -
Release times - usually ahead of r2. Mostly because out theatrical releases lag behind as well.
Price - r1 discs are very often cheaper than ours - to the point where it;s cheaper to pay international shipping and import taxes, and still save money.
Availability - r1 has many titles you just don't get in r2. This is because r1 is still a larger, unified market that (mostly) shares one language. Therefore, sales volumes make it worth the cost of releasing stuff that r2 will never see because not enough of it would sell. At least 30% of my discs are from r1 because they don't exist in r2. I know r2 does have some stuff not in r1, but this is much rarer.
bboisvert
10-11-05, 12:53 PM
I agree with many others here. R2 isn't always (or even usually) better than R1. But certainly there are many cases where it is. The obvious solution is to get a region-free player (you can get one for $20-30 in most cases, if you just want something quick/cheap) and buy from whatever region is the best.
DVDCompare and DVDBeaver make the decision making a lot easier...
chente
10-11-05, 01:17 PM
I've got my R2 order all set up for Friday when I get paid. Picking up some catalog titles that I've been meaning to pick up.
Rocketeer
Flash Gordon
Mimic
Trapeze (an old favorite, not available in R1)
digitalfreaknyc
10-11-05, 01:48 PM
You can't go by "rewind." A lot of those reviews are now outdated.
kakihara1
10-11-05, 02:12 PM
videohelp.com will let you know if you have a player that can be region free.
I think the reason we see this is because we DVD geeks are constantly looking for the Best/Coolest release, generally the only time I buy R2 or R3 is if I can't get the movie in R1 but there have been those instances when I thought "Damn I have to get that packaging" :)
Fok
10-11-05, 03:01 PM
isn't it something to do with rights etc?
brainee
10-11-05, 03:11 PM
I know that many massive SE's and cool packaging are made for Asia (R2 and 3) to counteract piracy. Since it's so easy to get just the movie ultra-cheap, they have to put more extra to get the money of people actually willing to pay. BTW, I do agree with the "grass is greener" argument. In R1-land we notice all the better R2/3 editions, but ignore all the times when we get the better version.
marty888
10-11-05, 04:13 PM
... generally the only time I buy R2 or R3 is if I can't get the movie in R1 ...
Actually, I've found 3 distinct reasons for out-of-region shopping:
1) Not available at all in R1. The other 6 Weissmueller Tarzan films from R4 for example, and, in R2 it goes from the sublime (early Powell-Pressburger films) to the ridiculous (those outrageous Timothy Lea <i>"Confessions of...."</i> comedies)
2) Better release. Usually more extras (<i>Starman, They Live, The Hitcher, Deer Hunter</i>, etc) sometimes simply getting a film in OAR (<i>Moonstruck, Star 80</i> etc)
3) Every now and then I find a much cheaper foreign edition - but that's happening less and less as R1 prices continue to drop for catalog titles.
John*D
10-11-05, 05:22 PM
What bothers me is that JAPAN or KOREA get all the crazy kick-butt packaging for DVDs...
I-robot, Alien QUAD, etc, etc...
calhoun07
10-11-05, 06:47 PM
And yet when studios try to release innovative packaging in America, people whine and complain about how the packaging doesn't line up on their shelf with their other DVDs, will flood the studios with emails and phone calls begging them to stop it, or supply them with an alternate case, or will post in length how they put the special packaging in a box in their closet and made their own custom cases for the DVDs. It's pathetic, really, but it's really true.
Now, can't we just settle on the idea that all regions have their great releases and not so great releases? The best thing? Go region free and get the release you feel is best and stop whining!
nightmaster
10-11-05, 07:09 PM
I think R1 gets the best releases of the most movies as a rule and as stated above, there are many exceptions to that rule. What I notice the most is we wind up getting several pan and scan or non- anamorphic releases of movies that get released in other regions as anamorphic and OAR. I just ordered Outland from R2 for this very reason, because the R1 non-anamorphic disc disc looks like shit. I'm also planning on replacing my R1 copies of Escape From LA and Remo Williams-The Adventure Begins for the same reason, hoping that they'll look a bit better than what we were thrown.
Michael Corvin
10-11-05, 09:53 PM
isn't it something to do with rights etc?
I think it has more to do with the almighty double-dip and how willing the American consumer is so quick to throw their cash at the movie companies for the same product twice.
The Cow
10-11-05, 10:00 PM
I think it has more to do with the almighty double-dip and how willing the American consumer is so quick to throw their cash at the movie companies for the same product twice.
Not just an American thing.
big e
10-11-05, 10:48 PM
ok, i'm starting to think about getting some R2 dvds now. can anyone point me in the direction of a good online store to get them from?
Squirrel God
10-11-05, 11:10 PM
What bothers me is that JAPAN or KOREA get all the crazy kick-butt packaging for DVDs...
I-robot, Alien QUAD, etc, etc...
Well Japan is Region 2 as well, but since it's in keeping with the thread ... we recently got the cool I Robot and Alien Head packaging here on UK Region 2 as well. :)
marty888
10-12-05, 01:04 AM
ok, i'm starting to think about getting some R2 dvds now. can anyone point me in the direction of a good online store to get them from?
Here's a curent thread about one of my favorite UK sources for R2 titles:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=440631
That's in the International Forum, and you should go there and look at the sticky thread that has tons of suggestions for spending your money around the world.
big e
10-12-05, 07:17 PM
R2 dvds don't have snapper cases, do they?
eau
10-13-05, 01:39 AM
Because they charge like $50-60 for a regular DVD in Japan.
Gunde
10-13-05, 02:09 AM
R2 dvds don't have snapper cases, do they?
Yes a few
milo bloom
10-13-05, 12:18 PM
Here's a curent thread about one of my favorite UK sources for R2 titles:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=440631
That's in the International Forum, and you should go there and look at the sticky thread that has tons of suggestions for spending your money around the world.
I've always wondered, if forums such as this didn't force the segregation of the non-R1 stuff into it's own subsection, instead allowing the discussion of all regions in one main section, that they might get more peoples' attention, including the studios. With enough attention, and maybe more people pressuring the studios, we might have started to see a convergence years ago. As it is, it seems only the diehards go into the multiregion areas, and the studios don't see them as a big enough market to worry about reducing the disparity between the regions.
I'm just daydreaming here, anyone think I've got something though?
Squirrel God
10-13-05, 12:44 PM
R2 dvds don't have snapper cases, do they?
Not any more, unless it's old stock.
It's Region 4 Australia that never had snapper cases.
kakihara1
10-13-05, 04:51 PM
I've always wondered, if forums such as this didn't force the segregation of the non-R1 stuff into it's own subsection, instead allowing the discussion of all regions in one main section, that they might get more peoples' attention, including the studios. With enough attention, and maybe more people pressuring the studios, we might have started to see a convergence years ago. As it is, it seems only the diehards go into the multiregion areas, and the studios don't see them as a big enough market to worry about reducing the disparity between the regions.
I'm just daydreaming here, anyone think I've got something though?
I wouldn't consider myself to be hardcore but my R3 copy of "Ondskan" just arrived today.........of course I bought it because there hasn't been an R1 release.
digitalfreaknyc
10-13-05, 05:18 PM
Not any more, unless it's old stock.
It's Region 4 Australia that never had snapper cases.
Wrong. I have Frantic from Australia R4 and it's a snapper.
big e
10-17-05, 07:30 PM
Because they charge like $50-60 for a regular DVD in Japan.
why the hell are dvds so damn expensive in japan?!
eau
10-17-05, 07:38 PM
why the hell are dvds so damn expensive in japan?!
Because everything is expensive in Japan.
Japanese are used to paying $20 for a movie ticket, $30 for a CD and $50 for a DVD :wtf:
big e
10-17-05, 08:24 PM
Because everything is expensive in Japan.
Japanese are used to paying $20 for a movie ticket, $30 for a CD and $50 for a DVD :wtf:
wtf is right. does it cost more to make stuff over there or what?
pro-bassoonist
10-17-05, 09:10 PM
why the hell are dvds so damn expensive in japan?!
For the same reason they are so cheap in Serbia...different economy standards.
Ciao,
Pro-B
GHackmann
10-17-05, 10:58 PM
wtf is right. does it cost more to make stuff over there or what?
I've heard from several different sources that it costs a lot more to get things like CDs and DVDs on the shelves, since there's a lot of middlemen in the distribution chain for entertainment products. Sounds reasonable, but I don't know if it's a fact.
joliom
10-18-05, 04:11 AM
Japan's economy is a mess. Inflation is rampant. We're having some of the same problems, but our economy is much more resilient and will likely bounce back. Japan's not going to get out of their hole for quite some time. But, hey, go some place where the exchange rate is highly favorable (like a lot of 3rd world countries) and you can probably buy DVD's and CD's for pennies on the dollar.
Teisco
10-18-05, 10:40 AM
Just ordered the Phantasm sphere boxed set R2 because that is the only version so far of this cool item. It is DTS also I believe. From Amazon UK. I don't even have an R2 player yet but think my pc dvd will go R2.
Class316
10-18-05, 11:22 AM
Why can't they just release THE SAME DVD IN ALL THE REGIONS? What's so friggin' hard about that?
Cause that makes too much sense?
Melody Time is censored in R1 but intact in R2. Region free is the way to go. Studios hate region free almost as much as they hate file sharing.
darkhawk
10-18-05, 03:28 PM
I'm with you; go to Rewind's Comparison's page (http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/) and you'll see the proof:
Winners by region:
Region 1: 2266
Region 2: 1198
Region 3: 78
Region 4: 91
Region 5: 7
Region 6: 0
Region 0: 826
Draw: 3482
Also, if you look at the region 1 total, it also includes dvds that are only available in the U.S. Look up The Bad News Bears (1976). It says region 1 winner because the dvd hasn't been released in other regions yet. Take away all those titles that are only available in that region and the numbers to compare is alot closer. Yeah, region 1 got the movie but it's usually a barebone version.
big e
11-11-05, 07:41 PM
Anyone know if the Blu-ray dvds are going to be region free? Hopefully they are.
Buy: