Unless it was a really good deal I'd never buy a VHS of an anime... because after re-watching LotR on VHS I decided the quality simply isn't worth it and keep them mainly for memories.
I appreciate any upgrade in quality a series/movie can get, but since my favorites are hand-drawn anyway (Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli come to mind) I don't notice much of a difference. Blue-Ray was a real disappointment overall, because the quality improvement wasn't really significant enough for the price of getting a Blu-Ray compatible console :/
Hoping the technological world comes up with some awesome quality improvements in the future when I get serious about my anime collection :D (although I should really start entering the lottery if that's ever going to happen...)
For some releases, making the jump from DVD to Blu-Ray doesn't really add much in terms of image quality. For instance, the 2nd season of Gunslinger Girl wouldn't benefit much from any kind of HD format, since the original animation wasn't that great to begin with. Plenty of older anime would look pretty much the same to the average viewer, if shown both a DVD and an HD source.
That said, some newer shows, like Hyouka, look amazing on an HD screen, as does Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT (currently airing). The anime-viewing experience takes a step up watching the newer EVA films in HD on a large screen.
I guess I prefer quality if the anime justifies it. Aria the Scarlet Ammo, though quite new, isn't quite up to snuff, while The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya will make you weep.
The Hero of Time (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/08/13 | Reply
I don't really have any interest in Blueray >_>
Then again, I've never really noticed "poor quality" in my VHS tapes or DVDs. It is all very watchable.
If it's extremely low quality and the subs aren't legible I'll simply find a better quality episode. However, my internet speed is not perfect so I have to find what ever that can handle and still enjoy it without buffering issues. So basically the quality depends on my internet's mood that day xD
Edit: This is assuming when I stream. I torrent anime too so downloaded I can watch really high quality content.
Last edited by ChibiHanyou at 8:57:08 PM EST on February 8, 2013.
I'm not very picky considering that I started off watching anime on VHS and sadly... going to be dating myself here... watched anime (titles were very limited at the time) on Laserdisc.
Just as long as I can watch the original subbed version I'm happy as a clam. VHS, Streamed, HD/SD DVD all have their quirks.
Lombax of Earth (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/07/13 | Reply
So long as it's watchable, I'm fine with it (but if the sound is way off or the image is really bad, forget it). For the most part, I don't really care if the image isn't super-sharp, and I watch the free FUNimation streams for One Piece and Toriko (though we still buy the DVDs, which are certainly a step up from the stream; and the English dubs for those are great). Now, I can appreciate how sharp some anime look (and I have been amazed by the Sengoku Basara Blu-Ray as well as the anime DVDs that have been played in our Blu-Ray player), but non-HD anime doesn't bug me. I just appreciate the HD when I see it.
Last edited by CelestialSushi at 11:06:05 AM EST on February 7, 2013.
Abundant Love (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/07/13 | Reply
Having learned a lot about digital video and encoding, and thus training my eyes to see errors and artifacts, I'm a lot pickier than most people. What goes completely unnoticed by others can be a huge, glaring flaw to me. So I do tend to try and get the highest quality version of a show available, even if it means waiting a while longer or paying a bit more.
By the way, it's worth noting that higher resolution doesn't automatically equal higher quality. This is a common misconception, and there are actually a lot of anime Blu-rays that are worse quality than the DVDs. This is because shows that were animated digitally in SD — which is almost every non-movie anime from about 2000-2007 — don't benefit from the HD resolution of a Blu-ray, and sometimes in the process of upscaling the original SD video, the authoring studios use filtering that causes more harm than good.
Last edited by Desbreko at 8:11:55 AM EST on February 7, 2013.
People get used to the current lifestyle that they are currently in.
I was also one of those that first started watching anime over the TV in the standard 576i (for Europe) resolution. That compared to today... was bad. But then I didn't pay too much attention and I enjoyed it.
I still can and mostly of us who grew with some things (like those that grew with older video games as well) can enjoy those, but some even can not. My friends for example have also grown with me watching in even lower and worse resolution and quality (anime and video games), but today they can't watch them anymore and can only watch what is at least up to minimal today's quality (480p for anime, 2005-current video games).
If I have the chance I will definitely get the better resolution, especially if I like the series. If it is some that I am not too fond of, or just a random one that I heard about or picked, even the standard one would justify.
But I can definitely say that anyone who has the right cable, the right driver and the right display and optimal the right surround system can definitely enjoy more.
Again that can be costy, so we all try to balance ourselves in our lives and our money.
I'm actually not picky at all, and i'll go on the record stating that over half of my Anime Collection is actually VHS tapes that i've ordered, or VHS tapes with anime recorded from T.V.
The truth is, that all current Anime is released on dvd's and Blu-Ray discs. Some of the older anime titles have been re-released on newer media platforms (if they are famous enough) like AKIRA, etc.
But on the flip side, there are ALOT of anime titles that are only available on VHS and other obsolete forms of media, such as LaserDisc and even Beta.
Since i live in a small town, i buy anime in any media platform i can find it in, and i am not ashamed of it. I actually Prefer VHS anime, because VHS was prominent during my life as i was growing up, and plus (in my opinion) VHS anime tapes visually look better when they are displayed on shelves because of the diverse and prominent box art.
I do still buy Anime dvds though, but ive slowed down on dvds because i'm more of a fan of older anime, and dvds can get quite costly when you buy more than one at a time.
Lately i've evolved into ordering VHS Anime from Amazon.com. I've realized that i can get ALOT more for my money that way. Ordering VHS Anime from Amazon has been a pretty cool experience - I've been able to revisit the past by buying older anime titles that i watched when i was younger, and ive also been able to buy VHS box sets for less than $5.00. If you bought those same box sets on dvd they would cost around $30.00, which is pretty crazy.
Single Anime VHS tapes on Amazon can sell for as low as .50 cents. Last year i bought an anime movie on VHS (It isnt Available on dvd) for 75 cents. You just can't beat that.
Overall i think we live in a period where visuals and "High Definition" are pushed to the forefront, and alot of people are willing to pay ridiculous prices for movies, etc. Different people have different preferences when it comes to audio and visuals when they watch multimedia, so i guess it basically comes down to each his/her own.
But if you are a bigtime anime fan, and you dont have alot of money, i highly recommend ordering VHS anime online. It is cheap (since VHS is obsolete) and VHS is still good quality even by today's standards. Sure youll have to endure rewinding and fast forwarding, but the incredibly low prices are certainly worth it if you cant afford buying boat loads of dvds every week.
If you are interested in VHS anime, and have any questions, feel free to message me and i'll help you out any way i can :) Remember - Some of the best anime isnt even available on dvd/blu-ray :)
Chibi Artist Girl (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
Hi-def visuals don't matter that much to me, but audio does. I don't like it when the audio and video are out of sync on fan-subs, but if that's all that's available at the time, I'll watch the fan-sub until it's released officially -- and if I like it enough, I'll buy it (just like renting from a video store).
Master of Lists (Senior Otaku) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
Couldn't give a damn about blu-ray, I'd rather not re-buy my entire collection of anime and I don't believe for a second that it actually enhances my experience either.
I guess for myself it really depends.
I hate how old anime with less updated graphics/audio gets "remastered" because then it takes away the originality of it sometimes, again it depends on the anime. Sometimes an anime needs to have less updated graphics/audio to make it more interesting.
Like this one anime "Moonphase" which I didn't like, had great graphics, but the story still didn't intrigue me enough.
I recently got a BR/DVD player (a used one) from my sister, along with a TV that could probably play HD if I set it up so. But I see no reason to have my parents pay to subscribe to the HD channels when the regular ones will do; I only really watch shows from about 15 channels anyway. And I've only watched DVDs on the player so far; I don't even own any Blu-Rays.
If the audio/video isn't all garbled and I can make it out enough to follow it, then I don't care. The world doesn't need to HD everything; I can see colors without them being emphasized.
I really couldn't care less. I watch a boatload of older anime that, even if converted to HD, would still show their age. As for any modern animes, I get by with low-res online stream and in my opinion, it's perfectly normal. In fact, I just finished Princess Jellyfish online and it looked pretty good. For me, however, it isn't the visual quality that makes a difference but the inventiveness and activity of the animation. Princess Jellyfish was good on a quality level but scaled back when it came to activeness. To me, what is happening is much more important, which is why in my opinion Kaiba and Baccano!, in which things are happening all the time, and Mushi-shi, in which little happens and the atmosphere carries the show, have fantastic animation. This being despite the fact they all take major liberties in quality.
The only anime DVDs I own are Miyazaki works and they look stunning on anything, and the fact I don't own a Blu-Ray player just adds to reason. I have no need to buy a Blu-Ray player, and even if I did, I can't tell if I'd notice a difference. I might not be the best person to consult on this matter, but this is my honest opinion.
Last edited by Hisaishi at 9:00:39 PM EST on February 6, 2013.
Madman With a Box (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I don't think I'm all that picky. All of my anime collection is on DVD, and I only recently got a Blu-Ray player. I suppose I would buy anime on Blu-Ray for certain shows (I've been considering it for Hellsing Ultimate) but for most things I'd still be content with DVDs.
Devils Never Cry (Senior Otaku+) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I am a little picky in that the audio/video quality has to be good enough that I can see whats going on and hear whats being said. That being said the most important point when watching an anime to me is that the subtitles on the video are in time with the audio.
The same can be said with lip sync if thats off by even 0.3 of a second I notice it and it drives me up the wall and I have to change source
I do enjoy watching anime for free online but buying a dvd and watching it on the big screen is most certainly the best.
I feel it right at the heart of me and it grips me physically
Doesn't matter to me at all. As long as the image is clear enough for me to see the important details and subtitles properly, then I am happy. c: Anything the equivalent to most YouTube videos is all right with me! When I do buy anime DVDs, I don't really do it for quality, but rather, just for physically owning it. It makes me feel I've supported the studio/artist and I like to be able to see things on my big TV screen as opposed to my tiny video stream once in a while. xD
Haitaka
Senior Otaku | Posted 02/12/13 | Reply
Unless it was a really good deal I'd never buy a VHS of an anime... because after re-watching LotR on VHS I decided the quality simply isn't worth it and keep them mainly for memories.
I appreciate any upgrade in quality a series/movie can get, but since my favorites are hand-drawn anyway (Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli come to mind) I don't notice much of a difference. Blue-Ray was a real disappointment overall, because the quality improvement wasn't really significant enough for the price of getting a Blu-Ray compatible console :/
Hoping the technological world comes up with some awesome quality improvements in the future when I get serious about my anime collection :D (although I should really start entering the lottery if that's ever going to happen...)
Pleiades Rising
Otaku Idol (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/09/13 | Reply
For some releases, making the jump from DVD to Blu-Ray doesn't really add much in terms of image quality. For instance, the 2nd season of Gunslinger Girl wouldn't benefit much from any kind of HD format, since the original animation wasn't that great to begin with. Plenty of older anime would look pretty much the same to the average viewer, if shown both a DVD and an HD source.
That said, some newer shows, like Hyouka, look amazing on an HD screen, as does Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT (currently airing). The anime-viewing experience takes a step up watching the newer EVA films in HD on a large screen.
I guess I prefer quality if the anime justifies it. Aria the Scarlet Ammo, though quite new, isn't quite up to snuff, while The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya will make you weep.
wallpaperotaku
The Hero of Time (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/08/13 | Reply
I don't really have any interest in Blueray >_>
Then again, I've never really noticed "poor quality" in my VHS tapes or DVDs. It is all very watchable.
ChibiHanyou
Ochibi~ (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/08/13 | Reply
If it's extremely low quality and the subs aren't legible I'll simply find a better quality episode. However, my internet speed is not perfect so I have to find what ever that can handle and still enjoy it without buffering issues. So basically the quality depends on my internet's mood that day xD
Edit: This is assuming when I stream. I torrent anime too so downloaded I can watch really high quality content.
Last edited by ChibiHanyou at 8:57:08 PM EST on February 8, 2013.
PerfectlyDamned
Bubble Tea Monster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/08/13 | Reply
I'm not very picky considering that I started off watching anime on VHS and sadly... going to be dating myself here... watched anime (titles were very limited at the time) on Laserdisc.
Just as long as I can watch the original subbed version I'm happy as a clam. VHS, Streamed, HD/SD DVD all have their quirks.
CelestialSushi
Lombax of Earth (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/07/13 | Reply
So long as it's watchable, I'm fine with it (but if the sound is way off or the image is really bad, forget it). For the most part, I don't really care if the image isn't super-sharp, and I watch the free FUNimation streams for One Piece and Toriko (though we still buy the DVDs, which are certainly a step up from the stream; and the English dubs for those are great). Now, I can appreciate how sharp some anime look (and I have been amazed by the Sengoku Basara Blu-Ray as well as the anime DVDs that have been played in our Blu-Ray player), but non-HD anime doesn't bug me. I just appreciate the HD when I see it.
Last edited by CelestialSushi at 11:06:05 AM EST on February 7, 2013.
Desbreko
Abundant Love (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/07/13 | Reply
Having learned a lot about digital video and encoding, and thus training my eyes to see errors and artifacts, I'm a lot pickier than most people. What goes completely unnoticed by others can be a huge, glaring flaw to me. So I do tend to try and get the highest quality version of a show available, even if it means waiting a while longer or paying a bit more.
By the way, it's worth noting that higher resolution doesn't automatically equal higher quality. This is a common misconception, and there are actually a lot of anime Blu-rays that are worse quality than the DVDs. This is because shows that were animated digitally in SD — which is almost every non-movie anime from about 2000-2007 — don't benefit from the HD resolution of a Blu-ray, and sometimes in the process of upscaling the original SD video, the authoring studios use filtering that causes more harm than good.
Last edited by Desbreko at 8:11:55 AM EST on February 7, 2013.
LightFykki
Drachen Herz (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/07/13 | Reply
People get used to the current lifestyle that they are currently in.
I was also one of those that first started watching anime over the TV in the standard 576i (for Europe) resolution. That compared to today... was bad. But then I didn't pay too much attention and I enjoyed it.
I still can and mostly of us who grew with some things (like those that grew with older video games as well) can enjoy those, but some even can not. My friends for example have also grown with me watching in even lower and worse resolution and quality (anime and video games), but today they can't watch them anymore and can only watch what is at least up to minimal today's quality (480p for anime, 2005-current video games).
If I have the chance I will definitely get the better resolution, especially if I like the series. If it is some that I am not too fond of, or just a random one that I heard about or picked, even the standard one would justify.
But I can definitely say that anyone who has the right cable, the right driver and the right display and optimal the right surround system can definitely enjoy more.
Again that can be costy, so we all try to balance ourselves in our lives and our money.
21Emmz12
King of LLamas (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
Usually I just watch the free one, good quality or not =P
And if I do have money I will buy the Blu-Ray in stores like years after it comes out xD
C yaz!! ^^
Alwayz BELIEVE
Yamchaa
Otaku Eternal | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I'm actually not picky at all, and i'll go on the record stating that over half of my Anime Collection is actually VHS tapes that i've ordered, or VHS tapes with anime recorded from T.V.
The truth is, that all current Anime is released on dvd's and Blu-Ray discs. Some of the older anime titles have been re-released on newer media platforms (if they are famous enough) like AKIRA, etc.
But on the flip side, there are ALOT of anime titles that are only available on VHS and other obsolete forms of media, such as LaserDisc and even Beta.
Since i live in a small town, i buy anime in any media platform i can find it in, and i am not ashamed of it. I actually Prefer VHS anime, because VHS was prominent during my life as i was growing up, and plus (in my opinion) VHS anime tapes visually look better when they are displayed on shelves because of the diverse and prominent box art.
I do still buy Anime dvds though, but ive slowed down on dvds because i'm more of a fan of older anime, and dvds can get quite costly when you buy more than one at a time.
Lately i've evolved into ordering VHS Anime from Amazon.com. I've realized that i can get ALOT more for my money that way. Ordering VHS Anime from Amazon has been a pretty cool experience - I've been able to revisit the past by buying older anime titles that i watched when i was younger, and ive also been able to buy VHS box sets for less than $5.00. If you bought those same box sets on dvd they would cost around $30.00, which is pretty crazy.
Single Anime VHS tapes on Amazon can sell for as low as .50 cents. Last year i bought an anime movie on VHS (It isnt Available on dvd) for 75 cents. You just can't beat that.
Overall i think we live in a period where visuals and "High Definition" are pushed to the forefront, and alot of people are willing to pay ridiculous prices for movies, etc. Different people have different preferences when it comes to audio and visuals when they watch multimedia, so i guess it basically comes down to each his/her own.
But if you are a bigtime anime fan, and you dont have alot of money, i highly recommend ordering VHS anime online. It is cheap (since VHS is obsolete) and VHS is still good quality even by today's standards. Sure youll have to endure rewinding and fast forwarding, but the incredibly low prices are certainly worth it if you cant afford buying boat loads of dvds every week.
If you are interested in VHS anime, and have any questions, feel free to message me and i'll help you out any way i can :) Remember - Some of the best anime isnt even available on dvd/blu-ray :)
kita mikichi
Chibi Artist Girl (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
Hi-def visuals don't matter that much to me, but audio does. I don't like it when the audio and video are out of sync on fan-subs, but if that's all that's available at the time, I'll watch the fan-sub until it's released officially -- and if I like it enough, I'll buy it (just like renting from a video store).
Dranzerstorm
Master of Lists (Senior Otaku) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
Couldn't give a damn about blu-ray, I'd rather not re-buy my entire collection of anime and I don't believe for a second that it actually enhances my experience either.
Kazamas-Keyblade
Otaku Legend | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I guess for myself it really depends.
I hate how old anime with less updated graphics/audio gets "remastered" because then it takes away the originality of it sometimes, again it depends on the anime. Sometimes an anime needs to have less updated graphics/audio to make it more interesting.
Like this one anime "Moonphase" which I didn't like, had great graphics, but the story still didn't intrigue me enough.
cougarsama
LDS Fangirl! (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I recently got a BR/DVD player (a used one) from my sister, along with a TV that could probably play HD if I set it up so. But I see no reason to have my parents pay to subscribe to the HD channels when the regular ones will do; I only really watch shows from about 15 channels anyway. And I've only watched DVDs on the player so far; I don't even own any Blu-Rays.
edisshort
State Alchemist (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I don't think it should matter what kind of quality you watch it on. Just as long as its not bad enough that you can't even watch it.
Aurel Sakanate
Otakuite | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
Better quality - more emotions (c)
Just compare the effect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn63q1qvM1s
nimbusoak
Senior Otaku | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
@cougarsama:
Exactly! Our entertainment doesn't need to be fine-tuned to utter perfection. If our music could be clearer or our picture sharper, so what?
Last edited by nimbusoak at 2:43:46 PM EST on February 6, 2013.
cougarsama
LDS Fangirl! (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
If the audio/video isn't all garbled and I can make it out enough to follow it, then I don't care. The world doesn't need to HD everything; I can see colors without them being emphasized.
Hisaishi
News Correspondent (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I really couldn't care less. I watch a boatload of older anime that, even if converted to HD, would still show their age. As for any modern animes, I get by with low-res online stream and in my opinion, it's perfectly normal. In fact, I just finished Princess Jellyfish online and it looked pretty good. For me, however, it isn't the visual quality that makes a difference but the inventiveness and activity of the animation. Princess Jellyfish was good on a quality level but scaled back when it came to activeness. To me, what is happening is much more important, which is why in my opinion Kaiba and Baccano!, in which things are happening all the time, and Mushi-shi, in which little happens and the atmosphere carries the show, have fantastic animation. This being despite the fact they all take major liberties in quality.
The only anime DVDs I own are Miyazaki works and they look stunning on anything, and the fact I don't own a Blu-Ray player just adds to reason. I have no need to buy a Blu-Ray player, and even if I did, I can't tell if I'd notice a difference. I might not be the best person to consult on this matter, but this is my honest opinion.
Last edited by Hisaishi at 9:00:39 PM EST on February 6, 2013.
TimeChaser
Madman With a Box (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I don't think I'm all that picky. All of my anime collection is on DVD, and I only recently got a Blu-Ray player. I suppose I would buy anime on Blu-Ray for certain shows (I've been considering it for Hellsing Ultimate) but for most things I'd still be content with DVDs.
Bazinga!
metalb2
Devils Never Cry (Senior Otaku+) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
I am a little picky in that the audio/video quality has to be good enough that I can see whats going on and hear whats being said. That being said the most important point when watching an anime to me is that the subtitles on the video are in time with the audio.
The same can be said with lip sync if thats off by even 0.3 of a second I notice it and it drives me up the wall and I have to change source
I do enjoy watching anime for free online but buying a dvd and watching it on the big screen is most certainly the best.
I feel it right at the heart of me and it grips me physically
ChibiSasuke
13th Angel (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 02/06/13 | Reply
Doesn't matter to me at all. As long as the image is clear enough for me to see the important details and subtitles properly, then I am happy. c: Anything the equivalent to most YouTube videos is all right with me! When I do buy anime DVDs, I don't really do it for quality, but rather, just for physically owning it. It makes me feel I've supported the studio/artist and I like to be able to see things on my big TV screen as opposed to my tiny video stream once in a while. xD