Has anyone bought LEGAL DVDs out of a sense of obligation?

[Ishbalan]

I do buy some anime, much to my friends' criticism. I just feel like giving back to the community for all of the stuff I've downloaded over the years. It's the same reason I don't mind spending $80 a ticket to go to live concerts, because I could have spent a lot more buying their CDs. Most of all, I respect what they're doing and want to support them.

We have to do things in regulation, or else industries will collapse. If we can't let the dub companies make money somehow, they'll just stop doing it altogether. Then where will we be?

[Sukunai]

It comes down to their needs or mine. I don't feel bad about liking my needs more.

Anime isn't a need, it's a luxury. For them it's a need, it's what puts food on the table. But it's something you could easily do without.

You must have missed the part where THEIR needs (the needs of strangers) means nothing at all too me.

As for MY needs, it's not about whether I can do without it, it's about wether I FEEL like doing without it.

Fortunately my 30 bucks a month for internet delivers virtually anything I can find on the internet, not just anime. Otherwise 30 bucks a month, just for internet to get second rate copies would be an idiots choice.

I also don't need to be reminded of what a 'real' need is. Yeah, air, water, food, shelter in that order is sort of obivious.
But I tend to hope the people with whom I discuss with online are already aware of the obvious.

In non obvious 'needs', when I have cash to spend, it's a competition between game downloads, video downloads, books, models, role gaming books, munchies, meals out, clothing, usually in that order. If I can get the game or video for free and by the physical item I can't download as well guess what, I settle for the downlad AND the physical item. Why not? It's not a complicated choice.

Now when anime retailers (along with the rest of the digital market place) get their collective acts together and find a more interesting way to sell their product to me (other than the way they are doing it now, they might have me more interested in their way.

[JaddziaDax]

I like having the DVDs they look really pretty on my shelves... unfortunately ive run out of shelves O.o

I've also sold back some DVDs I've used for footage cause I just wasn't into the show as much as I thought I would be, used trailers of series I don't own (but came on DVDs I do own)... etc..

I just like DVD footage better than "HQ RAWS" or wtf ever, its easier to work with.

[JaddziaDax]

and seriously, some of you guys really don't know how to look for a sale, bargain bins, or just buy used DVDs... because it's not THAT expensive unless you are too impatient for a series to be released (or live in a country where anime is not as accessible, in which case sorry dude that sucks)

[xexyzl]

...and at least one case where I bought it purely for editing (the Eva Renewal Films R2 set; I already had the crappy Manga Entertainment R1s).

x2, though I think I had the R1 of only Death and Rebirth.

/me wonders how many other people are in this situation.

You know the sad thing is the R2s are probably cheaper than the R1s. I recently bought Manga's EoE used for $30 (getting it new costs upwards $100)

[Qyot27]

...and at least one case where I bought it purely for editing (the Eva Renewal Films R2 set; I already had the crappy Manga Entertainment R1s).

x2, though I think I had the R1 of only Death and Rebirth.

/me wonders how many other people are in this situation.

You know the sad thing is the R2s are probably cheaper than the R1s. I recently bought Manga's EoE used for $30 (getting it new costs upwards $100)

Maybe now they do, if they're out of print. Back when I bought them, they were $25-30 each. Then again, I did buy them back in 2003.

The R2 set was around $56 (it's a 2-disc set, includes Death(True)² on one disc and all of EOE on the other), but since I had to pay international shipping and didn't feel like waiting months and dealing with the other questionable conditions of bulk rate, I went with the most expensive option (which got it here in about a week tops via priority mail or whatever), and it bumped up to about $72. That was in 2005.

Funny enough, I actually took the English audio track from the EOE R1, adjusted it, and inserted it back into the Renewal version (sadly, I couldn't manage to do the same thing with the subtitles, at least not at that point in time - I probably could easily do so today, I just don't want to). I don't know what they were thinking when authoring Death, though, as it has additional borders on it, but if you resize to 848x480 and crop off the borders, the video is still 16:9. It makes no sense at all. I would have understood if it was 2.35:1, but it isn't. And yes, I'm referring to the Renewal version of Death here.

[Bauzi]

Come on people. You obviously love anime and music, so why shouldn´t you all spent at least a fair amoung of money on it? At least for your favourite shows.

I hardly spend money for DVD anymore because local DVDs have less quality than downloaded footage and I´m tired of importing dvds. I only buy me really favourite shows when I have enough money. However I do buy boxsets for a fair price. I also bought the Mahoromatic Season 1 Box after watching most of the episodes from fansubs, just because I friggin´ love the anime and the box had a fair price (20 bucks).

Overall I would say that I spend... 100 bucks per year for anime dvds and maybe 50 bucks or less for music cds. I hardly buy dvds because my taste right now prefers free to download music from a few artists and stuff that I can´t get in a local store. Also I don´t feel like I want to spend 17 or bucks for a album. However I do buy cds from my really favourite artists. My next buy would be the new Marilyn Manson record, but that´s pretty much it for this year.

I don´t have a problem with downloading music. I can still support a band with going to theire concerts and buying some merchandise like ass-kicking t-shirts. That´s what I prefer.

[hasteroth]

It comes down to their needs or mine. I don't feel bad about liking my needs more.

Anime isn't a need, it's a luxury. For them it's a need, it's what puts food on the table. But it's something you could easily do without.

I'm afraid that for many of us, that's actually not possible.

[mirkosp]

It comes down to their needs or mine. I don't feel bad about liking my needs more.

Anime isn't a need, it's a luxury. For them it's a need, it's what puts food on the table. But it's something you could easily do without.

I'm afraid that for many of us, that's actually not possible.

...you know we're fans of anime, not slaves of anime... even without anime we can go on with our lives without any issue... I think there are very few "real" otakus here, if any.
I mean, seriously, I don't think there's someone in the "I wanna marry an anime character, 3d girls suck, 2d girls are cute" state here... or is there? o_O
As Vivaldi said, anime is a luxury, and people should be able to live without a luxury. If they can't it means they spoiled themselves, cause a luxury isn't a need and as such, as much as a big of an hobby it is, you should be able to go on living without it anyway.
Anyways, however you consider them a need or a luxury, this thread is to discuss whether you'd buy them or not out of a sense of obligation.
And again, I'll basically repeat what I said in my earlier post just to not have this post being a completely OT one: I'll buy them when they'll get out in my country, be it for obligation or not, maybe not the whole series but just a dvd or two, but I will. But if they don't come out, I don't feel bad about not importing the japanese dvds. :\

[xexyzl]

Maybe now they do, if they're out of print.

They are. Just for kicks I looked up the D+R / EoE double pack. You can find that one new for about $200. It's rather pathetic, ADV will keep Platinum in print to its grave, but Manga can't be bothered, despite being in much better financial shape.

I don't know what they were thinking when authoring Death, though, as it has additional borders on it, but if you resize to 848x480 and crop off the borders, the video is still 16:9. It makes no sense at all. I would have understood if it was 2.35:1, but it isn't. And yes, I'm referring to the Renewal version of Death here.

Gainax conspiracy. They'll eventually release the TV series, Director's Cut, Death, EoE, Rebuild 1.9999 to 4.9999 on Blu-Ray in a 1:1 scale Rei Head. This will be the only version in which the Aspect Ratio is correct.