Do you prefer to buy collections or each DVD individually?

[LouiefromLodoss]

I'm wondering since it is getting hard to choose either of these forms.

Most of the first DVDs on a series come with the box for the entire set plus lots of extra stuff.

In contrast, DVD collections might not have as many extras than the first DVD but they come in very cool packages and in the end are way cheaper than buying them individually.



.... In my case I prefer the collections. Not just are the packages very nice looking but also I prefer to pay between $50 or a little more on a series than having to spend almost $30 per DVD multiplied by 7 at least.

[Suwako Moriya]

I mainly collect singles. However if by the time I get around to collecting a series there is a collection out then I will consider getting the collection instead.

[Puppet Master]

Depends on the series, when I buy it, and various other factors so it's mixed for me. Some series I buy as singles but some I just buy as collections. But I do like collections since I like to marathon shows for the most part and I really don't care about DVD extras. But I buy a mix of both overall.

[something]

Collections are of course infinitely better, no question there, but I buy a lot of singles even though I dont watch DVDs until I have the whole show.

No, it doesn't make any sense, but oh well.

[Ray_Steam]

I usually buy singles, but I've been having impulses to buy collections. Last Exile, Chrono Crusade, and season 1 of Gantz have been my latest collection purchases.

Coincidentally, they're all Studio Gonzo releases.

Next on my collection hit list is Gundam Wing Collection 1 and Naruto Uncut.

I still collect the individual releases of Fullmetal Alchemist and Ghost in The Shell:SAC 2nd Gig.

[Puppet Master]

[ QUOTE ]
disarm said:
Collections are of course infinitely better, no question there, but I buy a lot of singles even though I dont watch DVDs until I have the whole show.

No, it doesn't make any sense, but oh well.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's something you don't hear too often any particular reason for that?

[Kurou]

Collections, by far.

However, if half the stuff I like would actually get released, I'd buy them either way.

[something]

[ QUOTE ]
Puppet Master said:
[ QUOTE ]
disarm said:
Collections are of course infinitely better, no question there, but I buy a lot of singles even though I dont watch DVDs until I have the whole show.

No, it doesn't make any sense, but oh well.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's something you don't hear too often any particular reason for that?

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically, I buy singles because they're the shows I've seen already, and when the discs come up for preorder I tend to snag them at the earliest TRSI studio sale.

I suppose part of the reason is because you never can be sure when a boxset will come. Take HiME for example, one of my favorite shows -- I have disc 1 preordered (barely missed preordering disc 2 since bandai sale at trsi ended before it was solicited), and will likely get 2-7 at or soon after release, but I won't be watching them until I get disc 7. I COULD just wait until later and get a set, because we KNOW one will come, but we don't know when.

So, ::shrugs:: it's primarily letting my massive eagerness to see these shows in R1 that makes me buy them in singles even though I wait to have them all to marathon.

[XenoCrisis0153]

I've been buying most series by the individual volume (with 2 or 3 exceptions for series that came out a while ago and I stumbled across good deals for the complete collections). However, since I've recently started to DL the fansubs of series currently airing in Japan, I'm in no rush to buy so I will most likely wait for the complete collections of those ones.

[ibby]

I buy DVD individualy, and don't have any collections in my anime library.

[Lego]

This seems like a topic for the R1 forum, but I'll respond here.

For series that I like, and pre order months in advance(ROD TV, GITS SAC, Tsukihime), I end up collecting singles. Most of these come with a artbox and a volume 1. So if I'm a big fan of the title, I'll collect the single volumes.

But for shows like Full Metal Panic!, Vandread, and Last Exile, I waited till a cheaper box set was out. These were series that I'm a fan of, but didn't get the chance or didn't want to buy them when they came out. I'm planning to do the same with AMG TV and Genshiken heh.

[LexiJ]

As money restrictions have popped up on me over the last few years, I've found I much prefer to wait for collections for most series. I'll still buy singles for series I've seen and know I want now, just because I enjoyed them so much. But not only are the collections often considerably cheaper, they're more convenient. I prefer to watch a show all in one bang, rather than a few episodes every other month. Add in that, by the time I can fit a particular single volume into my budget, the disc will have been out on the shelves for months, most times over a year. For the average length series, I just feel there's no point in starting it then, buying a single at a time on a six to eight week schedule as my budget dictates, when the odds of a box set coming out sooner rather than later are high.

[Vicserr]

I go on a case by case basis...High priority series I buy the vol 1 + box and then go for the singles, for low priority series I may pick up the collection(specially Media Blasters), unless if it is an ADV series, I want my extras damn it!!! so I might wait a while to pick up the singles... of just go for the thinpak if the series has very low priority or is on the very cheap.... /images/graemlins/stunned1.gif

[Vicserr]

[ QUOTE ]
disarm said:

So, ::shrugs:: it's primarily letting my massive eagerness to see these shows in R1 that makes me buy them in singles even though I wait to have them all to marathon.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, that has happened to me a couple of times, some shows I see ASAP but for example I marathoned Samurai Champloo and now I'm doing it with RahXephon... I guess it's one of "Once you're hooked" kind of situations /images/graemlins/stunned1.gif

[Mazinkaizer]

Well if it's an R2 release then i would surly pick the box set since they're cheaper than buying all the individuals plus the boxs are usually very nice and comes with some extra goodies. As for the R1, for shows that i like very much i tend to buy the indiv. as each volume comes out or wait until they're all out then buy them all since i prefer to have more DVD covers for it. Shows that i just want to watch or comes less in priority i would pick the thin-pack or box set. For Animeigo's UY releases i was buying each box as they come out (like almost everyone).

[citicslmatts]

I go for a bit of both - it mainly depends on the quality/quantity of the special features on the DVD's.

If a boxed set comes with something like a figure or t-shirt or something, I must say I normally avoid them. But that's just me.

[naiera]

I have no preference either way. I'll get what I want when I can afford it, and it doesn't matter to me if there's a complete collection. What does matter is if I can get the whole show at once. I'm not a fan of buying singles as they come out, even though I do it with a select few shows.

[untoldsorrow]

I have no preference but the way companies are releasing complete boxsets after the individual volumes are becoming a trend, I'm restraining from buy a series until I truly need or want it or if the LE items are great.

[balthier2012]

I prefer the individual volumes + the artbox. I don't like bricks, thinpaks, or bailey (and whatever else there is) aside from single full size volumes.

I guess the reason I prefer this is because I want my collection to look consistent. Now if most of it was thinpak then maybe I'd prefer them all to be thinpak. Then again, thinpak is too small to read the side from a distance. So I think I'll always prefer the regular singles.

[Hielostar]

Most of the time, I go for the collections, because I am cheap. However, there are exceptions. If it's a series coming out soon that I am very interested in, I'll buy the singles as they come out (FMA is my prime example.) Other times, a retailer will put out singles on sale at dirt cheap prices (thanks a lot, TRSI), so I'll collect the singles for those series as well.

[k_chan]

back in the day it was definitely more singles then collections. but now, with collections so prolific and more coming out every month, i tend to buy more collections than singles. what singles i do buy depends on who is releasing the series and if i just gotta have it NOW :D

[guyver83]

Anything from ADV I'll go with collections. The rest I'll do singles most of the time. Shows like Fighting spirt Im def getting the singles and some other shows that I'm really into and bought the box and 1.

[Collectonian]

I prefer collections. Cheaper and usually take up less shelf space. I only go for individuals if the extras are really awesome and its a company that doesn't include extras in the collections (or in the case of Wolf's Rain, just has a kick ass set of pack in for the first volume /images/graemlins/sweat200.gif)

[chloes_fork]

Collections are preferable because they take up less space (unless they're just a box of the singles, of course) and lend themselves to marathoning, which makes for a far better viewing experience than a few episodes here and there weeks or months apart. The one real advantage to singles is that you can sample a show at a lower cost rather than committing to the whole thing at once. But many collections are getting so cheap these days even that gap is closing.

[Johnny]

Always singles (and always the artbox if available with the first volume) unless it's something like Inuyasha where I'm getting into it late (i.e. after numerous volumes have been released) and it's easier to just get the boxsets when they come out.

[super rats]

I much prefer singles as they come out, but due to the cost savings, I have been getting more collections. However, I have found that collections just tend to sit and I give preference to singles when deciding what to watch. I'm also more likely to rewatch singles, because I like to watch the preceding eps before the next disc comes out. So I guess I get more use out of singles than I do the collections. I've been gravitating back toward collecting singles. I seem to enjoy it more that way.

[Shsway]

I seem to prefer singles, since I usually want everything that an R1 release has to offer, and it's easier for me to motivate myself to pick a series disc-by-disc, rather than spending a lump sum. It really depends on how badly I want a series, and how willing I am to wait on iffy ones.

[Yoda47]

Depends on the show.

If it's one that I really want and comes with a bunch of cool stuff, I'll get each disc individually. If it's a show that I want to see, but isn't that high on the priority list, then I'll wait for a collection.

[fujishig]

Since my backlog is so huge, and I rarely watch dvds as they come out, I should convert to collections. If I actually spent the time to watch my backlog, I wouldn't need to buy a new DVD in years, by which time, collections of a lot of series I missed will have come out. But I always get roped in by TRSI studio sales and the like, where I buy the first few volumes, or volume 1 with a box, and I end up with singles.

When I finally get around to watching something, I can often watch a whole single in one sitting... and I always consider how much torture it would have been had I watched as it came out, having to wait months between installments. I remember when I used to watch that way, I'd often forget what happened in the previous disk. It's even worse for stuff with low episode counts per disk, like Stellvia and Tenjo Tenge.

I know ADV's policy has changed, but the worst was when I bought the singles of Chrono Crusade and Peacemaker, and the cheaper collections came out before I even got around to buying the rest of Peacemaker. Extras or not, I felt like I wasted my money. In fact, to get the rest of the singles would cost me more than the collection at this point. So I'll buy most series I really really want as singles, and wait for secondary series, or series that I consider too long to collect individually at the current pricepoint. I love Ranma 1/2, but I can live with my VHS tapes of the first subbed season until they get cheaper. Of course, TRSI got me again with their Bandai sale a few weeks ago... during that, I started Eureka 7...

The same phenomenon happened a few years ago when I switched from buying monthly comic book issues to waiting for the graphic novel collections...

[Njr Scrawl]

Individually if possible. Unless I'm 100% sure I'm going to want a whole series anyway, or a set is the only option, or a big saving is involved.

Generally I'm paranoid about sets. If a disc is damaged or glitched the whole thing has to be returned - major hassle for international mail orders. Also if a R1 aspect sours the whole thing, I feel a fool & angry with myself for gambling a large expense on uncertain satisfaction. Buying individual gives the option of trying out a volume & stopping if I don't like it.

[cregbr]

I've always preferred buying the individual discs over box sets for two reasons:
(1) You do get the inserts and other promo stuff and
(2) I'm not patient enough to wait for the box set /images/graemlins/happy.gif

I have only bought box sets when the price was right and it was a series I had interest in but not first run interest.

However, as more collections move to thinpack I have to rethink this, as shelf space is becoming an issue.

K.

[Magic_Knight]

I always go for the singles for a series I want. The only reason I buy collections are for series I don't want badly but would still like to have. Even in those cases I would try and go for the singles, but might buy the collection if it's available.

[AbeChinchilla]

Singles make me ADV's backbone.

[christianlf]

I used to mainly collect singles, but it seemed pretty foolish for me to keep on doing that, considering I usually watch series in large chunks of episodes. So, these days, I'm focusing on finishing out the series I've already committed to collecting the singles, and I'm waiting for collections on new series.

[EmperorBrandon]

I'm on a tight budget, so it would seem I would like to go for collections more, but in actuality I've usually always bought series as singles. I like to buy shows I really enjoy as they come out. Sometimes a collection is just too much for me to spend all at once.

[joelgundam01]

[ QUOTE ]
Vicserr said:
I go on a case by case basis...High priority series I buy the vol 1 + box and then go for the singles, for low priority series I may pick up the collection

[/ QUOTE ]

I to go on a case by case basis.

[LouiefromLodoss]

Wao... I'm surprised.

I thought most of you were going to say in collections because of how cheap they are.

But most of you prefer them individually, probably due to the extras you've mention; and by this you mean the material stuff, am I right? Since I believe that the DVDS inside the collections are the same as the regular ones, right?

[nakimushi]

[ QUOTE ]
Louiefrom Lodoss said:
Wao... I'm surprised.

I thought most of you were going to say in collections because of how cheap they are.

But most of you prefer them individually, probably due to the extras you've mention; and by this you mean the material stuff, am I right? Since I believe that the DVDS inside the collections are the same as the regular ones, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really, ADV strips out the on the disc extras for their thinpaks - so no interviews, galleries, clean opening/closings, etc..

AFAIK, only the very early thinpaks escaped this fate (FMP, Noir, Rahxephon).

[Kyhn 666]

I tend to buy collections mostly. Buying the individual volumes in some cases tends to add up to more than some collectors sets in some places I've been.

Example, I've been looking at picking up You're Under Arrest! One store offered me the series 1 box set for around $110 CDN. Another store had a few of the individual DVD's for over $40 each.

Which leads me to problem #2, most stores I've seen never seem to have the whole series on individual discs and I end up getting the box set anyway. Like a few places have the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 Essential Anime collection for under $25 each, but I have yet to see all 3(?) volumes together in one store.

Mind you in one case this theory falls to the ground. I bought the Sailor Moon Dream Set (all 3 movies) for over $80, and then I found the 3 individual movies at Wal-Mart for $24 each. Go figure.

[Vicserr]

[ QUOTE ]
nakidasu said:
[ QUOTE ]
Louiefrom Lodoss said:
Wao... I'm surprised.

I thought most of you were going to say in collections because of how cheap they are.

But most of you prefer them individually, probably due to the extras you've mention; and by this you mean the material stuff, am I right? Since I believe that the DVDS inside the collections are the same as the regular ones, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really, ADV strips out the on the disc extras for their thinpaks - so no interviews, galleries, clean opening/closings, etc..

AFAIK, only the very early thinpaks escaped this fate (FMP, Noir, Rahxephon).

[/ QUOTE ]

Media Blasters, Geneon and Bandai do not strip their collections of on-disk extras, ADVs older collections(bricks) and a few of the thinpak collections have all the extras...

There are 7 exceptions to the ADV barebones thinpacks

* Gantz Season 1
* Full Metal Panic
* RahXephon
* NOIR
* Rune Soldier
* Robotech Remastered
* Slayers Movies

when I speak of extras I mean ON-Disc extras, you can safely assume that packaging extras(booklets, posters and such) are not included, all other thinpaks are stripped

[TheGreenMan]

It depends. If I really want the series, I'll collect the individual dvds. Sometimes I'll start collecting, only to stop, and then buy the box set since it's cheaper than buying the rest of the individual dvds. Chrono Crusade/Angelic Layer/Kino's Journey was like this. I bought the first dvd+box for all three, then stopped, then bought the boxsets later.

[Nosredna]

I prefer singles because if I really want to see the show, it's hard enough waiting every couple of months to see the show, let alone wait to see if there will even be a collection. Of course collections are nice when I missed a show that I want to catchup with cheaply.

[shukusatsu]

I prefer to buy collections because they are cheaper, but if I like a sreies enough to want to buy it I usually go the pre-order path and buy singles. Boxsets are usuaully for "catching up" on titles I missed or stuff that was borderline and the good deal on the boxset put it over the edge.

[battra92]

[ QUOTE ]
disarm said:
Collections are of course infinitely better, no question there, but I buy a lot of singles even though I dont watch DVDs until I have the whole show.

No, it doesn't make any sense, but oh well.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm going to agree 100% with Disarm on this. I prefer to have the series in front of me, or at least with a long show have it in season sets. It works that way for Live Action TV shows in America, so why not with anime? /images/graemlins/wink.gif

The only time I buy singles is on a show I know I will like and the extras are good as the extras are usually taken out of the Thinpak boxes.

I also like the considerable price drop that Thinpak sets allow for. Since my collection has grown so, the three volume thinpak is infinately more appealing than 4 regular sized single releases. Space costs money as well.

[bmeriwether]

If it is a show I really want to support, I'll collect the art box and buy the singles.

Otherwise I'll grab a collection if it is available.

In any event, I never start watching the show unless I can marathon it. I don't understand how anyone in their right mind could watch a dvd and then wait for 2 months for the next one. In my mind that's like watching 30 minutes of a 2 hour movie and then waiting to watch the next half-hour for a week. Talk about crazy! /images/graemlins/stunned0.gif

[Legion]

[ QUOTE ]
Vicserr said:
There are 7 exceptions to the ADV barebones thinpacks

* Gantz Season 1
* Full Metal Panic
* RahXephon
* NOIR
* Rune Soldier
* Robotech Remastered
* Slayers Movies

[/ QUOTE ]

Only thing to add here is the Dirty Pair movie thinpak, while apparently reauthored, is basically the same as the singles. Neither have any extras.