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Learn About Shopping For Anime DVDs
October 20, 2003
If you are new to shopping for Anime on DVD then you will find the following frequently asked questions helpful in helping you get started.
1. What is DVD Region Encoding?
2. Do anime titles use the same rating system as movies?
3. What is Dolby Digital 5.1 sound?
4. How can I avoid buying bootleg DVDs?
5. Where can I find sales and deals?
1. What is DVD Region Encoding?
DVDs are encoded so they can only be played on DVD players sold in a certain region of the globe. DVDs sold in the United States and Canada have a region of 1. If you tried to play a Region 1 DVD on a DVD player in Europe it wouldn't work because the DVDs and DVD players sold in Europe are Region 2. Here is a breakdown of the Regions:
1. U.S., U.S. Territories, Canada, and Bermuda
2. Japan, Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East, including Egypt
3. Southeast Asia, East Asia, including Hong Kong
4. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean
5. Former Soviet Union, Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
6. China
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2. Do anime titles use the same rating system as movies?
No. Some anime titles will say "16 and up" on the back of the box or some will say "Not Rated". If you are blood and sex conscious then it's best to read reviews of a title if you are unsure if it's for you.
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3. What is Dolby Digital sound?
From Dolby's website, "Dolby Digital is a high-quality multichannel audio coding system, and is the standard for multichannel digital audio in DVD, HDTV, cinema, and now games! Dolby Digital can encode up to 5.1 channels of audio into a single, compact bitstream. This bitstream can be decoded by any receiver with Dolby Digital decoding.
Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio is composed of five full-bandwidth channels (Left, Right, Center, Left Surround, Right Surround) and one bass-only channel, called the LFE. The LFE channel is used for extra bass in Dolby Digital soundtracks, and is band limited to frequencies less than 120 Hz."
Some anime titles come with Dolby Digital sound and for you to be able to hear your anime in Dolby Digital you need a sound receiver that is capable of producing that sound and you'll also need a 5.1 speaker system.
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4. How can I avoid buying bootleg DVDs?
One easy way to avoid buying bootleg DVDs is to purchase DVDs from reputable anime dealers. You can be assured that all the stores listed on this site don't deal in bootlegs. One place you'll encounter bootlegs for sure is on popular auction websites like Ebay. But how do you know that the DVD you are bidding on is a bootleg or not? One easy way to know is to know if the title has officially been released in the US. If it hasn't been officially released in the U.S. and the description of the DVD says it's Region 1 with English subtitles then it is a bootleg. Also most anime DVDs that don't have any region encoding are bootlegs also. You could always ask us if the title is a bootleg or go to a popular anime message board and ask them.
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5. Where can I find sales and deals?
On the front page of this website. :)
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